If you or someone you know is living with multiple sclerosis (MS), you may be familiar with the many, varied symptoms of this painful and often debilitating health issue. As MS has no proven cure, symptom management is typically the focal point for patients, as well as slowing down the progression of the disease, as possible. While certain pharmaceutical drugs are commonly prescribed for MS sufferers, many have negative side effects as well, according to Pharmacy Times.
Fingolimod (Gilenya) for example, has been shown to reduce heart rate, so if patients are taking antiarrhythmic agents or have a history of congestive heart failure, ischemic cardiac disease, or any other heart condition, they may require an electrocardiogram prior to using this drug. Gilenya also places the patient at risk for a potentially life-threatening brain infection called progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML).
Glatiramer acetate (Copaxone), also frequently prescribed, may cause chest pain, which can be frightening for certain patients, especially those already struggling with MS-induced anxiety. Mitoxantrone, a chemotherapeutic agent, is another drug that warrants extreme caution, as it may cause chemotherapy-like side effects such as hair loss, bladder infection, and nausea. In rare instances, mitoxantrone may cause leukemia.
Fortunately, there are also natural ways to relieve MS symptoms and support the body in healing which do not include the dangerous side effects described above. That said, there is no one-size-fits-all solution that works for all people, natural or otherwise, as MS affects everyone differently. In other words, while the list of potential MS symptoms is lengthy, not everyone with an MS diagnosis will experience all of them, or at the same level.
As MS is a very bio-individual problem, so too must the solutions allow for human bio individuality. To that end, it is well worth becoming familiar with natural alternatives, especially those that show a high degree of efficacy, and which address multiple symptoms, ideally without negative side effects. Medicinal cannabis is a case in point. For our purposes here, “medicinal” refers to cannabis in the appropriate form and dosage for each individual patient, ideally in a holistic health-oriented, medically supervised facility, a model that we are seeing increasingly in some of the more sophisticated, wellness-focused dispensaries.
Cannabis contains more than 80 chemical compounds called cannabinoids, with the most commonly known being delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). The “high” associated with this plant occurs when THC attaches to cannabinoid receptors in the brain, producing feelings of happiness, relaxation, altered sensory perception, and, in some cases, increased appetite. Various studies have been conducted to evaluate the effects of cannabinoids on MS-related symptoms.
The American Academy of Neurology published evidence-based guidelines about cannabinoids for MS-related symptoms, finding that MS sufferers found relief for spasticity, pain, and urinary frequency with informed usage. This information is supported by a growing body of research. In one study involving MS patients, for example, the majority of participants reported that their symptoms were demonstrably improved by cannabis. Specifically, the cannabis MS group had higher levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines, whereas the non-cannabis MS group had significantly elevated proinflammatory cytokines.
Cytokines are regulators of patient responses to infection, immune responses, inflammation, and trauma. Some cytokines act to make disease worse (proinflammatory), whereas others serve to reduce inflammation and promote healing (anti-inflammatory). Other clinical symptoms which were significantly improved in the MS/cannabis group compared to the MS group included sexual dysfunction, bladder symptoms, and visual disturbances.
For MS patients who are learning to be their own best advocates, the challenge is often determining how best to access safe, natural solutions over potentially harmful Rx drugs. This is compounded by the fact that there is still a delta between Western medicine, which invariably prioritizes synthetic Rx drugs based on derivatives of cannabis, such as those addressed above, and medically-supervised cannabis dispensaries where patients can access appropriately dosed and highly efficacious cannabis solutions.
Ideally, we will begin to see more cannabis-centric wellness centers offering beneficial healing solutions and ethical, responsible patient care, not only for MS, but also for many other qualifying conditions for cannabis medicine, which, according to the Mayo Clinic, include:
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
- HIV/AIDS
- Crohn’s disease
- Epilepsy and seizures
- Glaucoma
- Multiple sclerosis and muscle spasms
- Severe and chronic pain
- Severe nausea or vomiting caused by cancer treatment
Stay tuned for more information on natural cannabis solutions for MS, as well as many other conditions, as indicated. Best in health and healing!