Cannabis proves to be a success in the treatment of Schizophrenia

seensensee

Good news for people who suffer with refractory schizophrenia/psychosis...

THC effective in the treatment of schizophrenia in four case reports

In a letter to the editor of the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry doctors of the Rockland Psychiatric Center in Orangeburg, New York, USA, reported of four more patients with schizophrenia not responding to other medication, who improved considerably with a treatment by THC. The physicians had already published a similar experience with four other patients in 2009. This time they tried Dronabinol (THC) for 8 further patients in the hospital. They all suffered from severe psychosis refractory to standard medication and reported of a positive previous experience with cannabis.



There were four responders with good improvement with THC and four non-responders.
One case was a 54-year-old man with schizoaffective disorder, who had been aggressive, intrusive, and disorganized for years in spite of multiple medication trials. Before the THC trial he received daily clozapine, risperidone, lithium carbonate, and clonazepam for months with no significant benefit. After adding 5 mg THC twice a day he became calm, cooperative, and logical and was very much improved, as did the other three responders.


http://www.cannabis-med.org/english/bulletin/ww_en_db_cannabis_artikel.php?id=336#1


Ok, so it's not effective in all cases however it appears that a significant number of patients may have an opportunity to avail of a new therapy which will vastly improve the quality of there lives.:)

mathepac

seensensee wrote: »

... however it appears that a significant number of patients may have an opportunity to avail of a new therapy which will vastly improve the quality of there lives.:)

It would be more appropriate and accurate to state that 50% of a tiny subject group with no statistical significance in relation to the overall target population saw some short-term improvement when the THC was used as an adjunct to other very specific pharmacotherapies, but that version of the 'facts' wouldn't have the same sensationalist impact.

seensensee

mathepac wrote: »

It would be more appropriate and accurate to state that 50% of a tiny subject group with no statistical significance in relation to the overall target population saw some short-term improvement when the THC was used as an adjunct to other very specific pharmacotherapies, but that version of the 'facts' wouldn't have the same sensationalist impact.

There is major significance in the study. From my perspective it appears that Individuals who suffer from a particularly hard to treat form of schizophrenia had previously reported "positive previous experiences with cannabis" and responded well to Dronabinol (THC)
I'll let the patient decide what works best for themselves, surely you would do the same?
The article basically suggests that there is an additional new drug available and some patients will benefit from it (cannabis based therapy).
I'm sure the successfully treated patients are delighted with the sensational impact that the medicine has given them.

Colibri

CBD also has anti-psychotic benefits. Is there anything this herb cannot do?

seensensee

Colibri wrote: »

CBD also has anti-psychotic benefits. Is there anything this herb cannot do?

Yes the CBD is hailed in as having positive benefits, but what makes this interesting is that up till recently THC had been given a terrible reputation..... here, let a previous study explain....

June 2009
..... Before this report, cannabinoids had usually been associated with worsening of psychotic symptoms. In a heuristic, compassionate use study, we found that 4 of 6 treatment-refractory patients with severe chronic schizophrenia but who had a self-reported history of improving with marijuana abuse improved with dronabinol. This improvement seems to have been a reduction of core psychotic symptoms in 3 of the 4 responders and not just nonspecific calming. There were no clinically significant adverse effects.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19440079

What the Herb Can't do? Unfortunately it can't make an appearance in Ireland without the establishment crying "reefer madness" persecute the heretics!!!:eek::eek::eek:

Colibri

Curing cancer, healing pain, killing MRSA and other bacteria, regenerating cells, treating mental illness, etc.

Gotta hate prohibition.

Katy89

I would be very, very careful to state that cannabis is helping with psychosis.

It might work for some individuals but I'm pretty sure not for the majority.

I suffer from schizoaffective psychosis and my first psychosis was actually TRIGGERED by the use of cannabis and it was definetely no fun.

So I know what I'm talking about and that's why I don't like statements that cannabis is helping with psychosis as it can actually be the other way around and so it can be very, very dangerous to experiment with cannabis with psychotic patients.

seensensee

Yes katy, point taken but it's worth a mention that some folk find great relief with it but clearly it is being administered in specific quantities.... Dronabinol. I'ts not "og kush" , "white widow" or "NYC diesel" that they propose, tho some of those would benefit somebodies psychoactive deficit disorder, Stokes for Folks.

Katy89

alright, but I ask myself: why do you feel the need to promote using cannabis against psychosis on the internet??

are you effected by psychosis as well? do you have experience with it, with patients / relatives/ or at work??

I find it really dodgy and actually irresponsible to promote this here and I actually think it should be banned from the mods.

when I think abpout it, that some people the first time experiencing psychosis, reading this, using cannabis on their own in the believe it might help them, and getting in an even more terrible state. jesus, that can lead to the end!!!!!!

so I really would like to adress everybody who's reading this and might be in a state of being psychotic, DON'T TRY TO GET HELP IN DRUGS/CANNABIS.

if you have, please speak to a person you trust, or go to a doctor, or go directly to hospital. there are people who are professional and can help you but don't use cannabis as it probably gets you in a much bigger nightmare.

William Powell

Is it just me that has read that Schizophrenia can be triggered by cannabis use?

Colibri

William Powell wrote: »

Is it just me that has read that Schizophrenia can be triggered by cannabis use?

I'm on my phone so I can't do a big reply but you probably did read it, it's the latest thing people use against cannabis. What you must realise is that there are so many different strains of cannabis and they all do slightly different things to one's body. The whole mental health issue started in England, when the strain skunk was popular. This strain was high in THC, a sativa strain. THC MAY aggrevate schizophrenia symptoms if one is prone to it or a family member also had mental illness. You must realise that many of those who smoked this skunk strain were the type to smoke it all day everyday which certainly does not help.

Plus, as I said above, CBD is proven to be anti psychotic. India strains are high in CBD, making you more relaxed.

Studies like the one above prove that not all you hear in the news and gossip rags about cannabis is true.

seensensee

Katy89 wrote: »

jesus, that can lead to the end!!!!!!

Try and stay on-topic katy89. The OP concerns the results of a scientific study which indicate the positive benefits of Dronabinol.

Kurtosis

seensensee wrote: »

I'ts not "og kush" , "white widow" or "NYC diesel" that they propose

But that's what you propose in your title...your study has not found positive effects for cannabis, only for one chemical constituent. I would agree with Katy89 that it is irresponsible to promote the use of cannabis in people with schizophrenia, or even the use of dronabinol on the basis of a statistically insignificant research paper.

tbh

penguin88 wrote: »

I would agree with Katy89 that it is irresponsible to promote the use of cannabis in people with schizophrenia, or even the use of dronabinol on the basis of a statistically insignificant research paper.

as would I. Op, I've been keeping an eye on your posts and have allowed you a certain amount of latitude. You should know that I'm starting to form the opinion that you're here with a specific agenda to push and it's an agenda that runs counter to the aims of this forum.

This forum, like it or not, is not going to be used to promote alternative therapies, not matter how good your mate thought the book was

The forum will also not be used for randomers, no offense, to promote a particular drug, and defend that drug avaunt anyone who questions it

Also, don't ever tell a poster to stay on topic

You are welcome to contribute your experiences to the forum, but I'd like you to now stop promoting specific therapies, thanks.