Meds PTSD

[momofthegoons]

How Cannabis Successfully Combats PTSD
One of the top reasons why many turn to cannabis is stress management. However, for those with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), access to this simple green herb can make the difference between drowning in hypervigilance and full engagement with the present. One doctor has seen the transformative powers of cannabis firsthand. Dr. Mike Hart has been successfully treating PTSD with medical cannabis and lifestyle interventions for the past three years. Here’s how.

Cannabis: a safer alternative

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Patients with post-traumatic stress disorder can experience an array of debilitating symptoms. From night terrors to hypervigilance, living on the cusp of a chronic fight-or-flight state can make even simple tasks like walking through a crowd overwhelming.

According to the U.S. National Center for PTSD, seven to eight out of every 100 people develop symptoms of post-traumatic stress. Canada has some of the highest rates of PTSD, with an estimated 9.4 percent of the population experiencing some form of the condition.

With numbers like these, finding safe and effective treatments and therapies for the disorder is a must.

A progressive voice in Ontario’s medical community, Dr. Mike Hart has earned a reputation for successfully treating post-traumatic stress, chronic pain, and neurological conditions with both medical cannabis and rigorous lifestyle interventions. He first started using the herb in the clinic three years ago.

He told HERB,

The primary reason why I initially got into it was to combat the opioid epidemic. I saw a lot of patients using opioids and they were just not getting adequate relief.

They also had a variety of different side effects, a lot of fatigue, a lot of constipation, low sex drive, a million different things going on. I found that cannabis was a much better, safer alternative.

After continued training and research into the plant, he stumbled upon a wealth of research suggesting that cannabis is effective in treating post-traumatic stress disorder.

Then, two years into his practice, he was approached by the Canadian cannabis advocacy group, Marijuana for Trauma. He soon began assessing and healing veteranswith medical cannabis treatments and lifestyle interventions.

How do CBD and THC treat PTSD?

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It’s well-known that cannabis is a powerful painkiller. However, that’s not the only thing the herb can do. Unlike many of the conventional PTSD treatments, which include powerful sedatives, antidepressants, and anti-anxiety medications, at least two different cannabis compounds have been shown to treat PTSD in several unique ways.

The two compounds in question are cannabidiol (CBD), which is a cannabinoid that does not cause the psychoactive “high” that is usually associated with the herb, andtetrahydrocannabinol (THC). THC is the primary psychoactive in cannabis.

Post-traumatic stress is primarily about learned fear. When you have more learned fear, that’s going to induce a state of hypervigillance and that can also cause nightmares and terrors at night.

We have evidence that CBD, for example, can reduce, by three different mechanisms of action, can reduce learned fear. So, anytime you’re helping to reduce learned fear, you’re helping to get to the root of that particular problem, so that’s why it can be so effective.

Cannabis not only helps reduce the runaway fear response in those with PTSD but has many other tangible benefits as well. Similar to other psychiatric medications, taking calming CBD prior to therapy sessions can help put patients at ease and enable them to better respond to treatment.

If you’re in such a disease state and all of those thoughts are not clear, than all of those sessions are basically going to be completely useless and ineffective, because if you’re not in a proper state, you’re not going to be able to accept the information, you’re not going to be able to do a true analysis on yourself, and you’re not going to be able to apply the new information that you’re learning.

While there are several reasons why CBD is effective in treating PTSD, evidence shows that psychoactive THC has some unique benefits as well.

In patients who have post-traumatic stress disorder, what we find in studies is that a lot of these patients are defficient in something called anadamide. Anandamide has been termed “the bliss molecule”, and it’s one of the endocannabinoids that is released when we exercise.

So, the “runner’s high” comes from a burst of anandamide. So, patients who have PTSD are found to have 50 percent lower rates of anandamide.

Endocannabinoids are like the body’s own cannabis. Interestingly, both THC and anandamide are similar in structure and engage the same cell receptors in the human body.

When you give someone THC, THC can replace those levels of anandamide. That’s why some patients experince these blissful states when they use THC for the first time, because they are replacing their levels of anandamide.

We’re correcting a defficinecy. Often times when you correct a defficiency, whether it’s a hormone or a vitamin, doesn’t matter what it is, you’re going to get results.

An herbal approach for PTSD

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Every patient has unique, individual needs. Yet, for patients with PTSD, Dr. Hart often recommends a regimen of CBD during the day and THC at night.

The reason why I recommend CBD during the day and THC at night is because, for one, CBD has been shown to be effective in the literature for PTSD. Because of that, I know that patients can benefit from it in the daytime without having to use THC.

I limit THC use in the daytime because I know that it can cause some short-term memory problems and cognitive problems. My goal with my patients is to improve their functional outcome, so I want to make sure that I’m treating the symptoms of PTSD, but I also want to make sure that I’m actually improving their overall functioning.

So, it’s great if someone has severe hypervigilance and they’re able to live their day without experiencing that symptom. But it’s more gratifying to myself if that patient is able to go out and perform and function and do something, and commit to a higher level.

Dr. Hart also acknowledges that while CBD can be beneficial for sleep, THC is considered a more powerful sedative. After THC treatment, many find that they are lesslikely to experience nightmares and night terrors, which can significantly disrupt sleep patterns. Poor sleep means potentially worsened symptoms the next day.

Cannabis is just one piece of the puzzle

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Though cannabis has vast medical potential, it is just one piece of the puzzle. While different cannabinoids can help reduce learned fear and temporarily correct an imbalance in the endocannabinoid system, Hart has found that the plant is most beneficial when integrated with significant lifestyle changes. The crux of these lifestyle changes is diet and exercise.

As mentioned above, anandamide is released during exercise. This means that it’s a good idea for patients with PTSD to get out and move. In order for the body to make anandamide, a diet rich in healthy fats is necessary.

“Everyone should be following a healthy diet, anyway,” says Dr. Hart. “That’s the cornerstone of overall health and wellbeing.” While cannabis has been successful for Dr. Hart and his patients, Hart makes sure that lifestyle changes are the cornerstone of his treatment plans.

When experimenting with cannabis for PTSD, Dr. Hart strongly encourages working closely with a savvy physician.

To learn more about Dr. Hart, check out his website.

 

[Killick]

Work with a savvy physician, or a savvy vet with experience :)

 

[momofthegoons]

Well I know I've appreciated all the guidance and information you've steered me towards @Killick . The above article being one of them.

 

[Killick]

Aww, Mom - we're all part of one big happy family/team. It's been a pretty interesting past 4 years as a med patient. Things, the medical benefits of a stinky plant, have changed quickly, and a ton of research is being released almost daily, from very reputable sources. Canada is allowing home growing of cannabis, and the government wants to crack down on 'cannabis impaired drivers', meanwhile they also include it as treatment for Military and RCMP veterans. It's been an oddly paradoxical adventure, and I have to thank you for your advice, guidance and encouragement over the years. You are a superstar who deserves a big hug :)

 

[momofthegoons]

It's been a pretty interesting past 4 years as a med patient.

I'm just happy that we were able to meet through our love of vaporization and frivolity. And right back at you with that hug...

And I'm thrilled that you've been able to kick all the pharma meds they had you on through cannabis. I can't bring that up enough because it truly is amazing. I really wish that the U.S. government and Veteran's Administration would embrace cannabis as a tool for PTSD as well. It would be such a blessing for so many.

 

[momofthegoons]

Wow..... where do I even begin.....

Trial Attempting to Treat PTSD with Synthetic Cannabis Drug Goes Wrong

New York University has shut down eight clinical trials for PTSD involving an experimental drug designed to synthetically imitate the effects of cannabis. A similar drug was found to be responsible for the death of one French study participant in January.

After showing that people suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder have an imbalance in their endocannabinoid system, Alexander Neumeister, then the director of the molecular imaging program in the Departments of Psychiatry and Radiology at NYU School of Medicine, got the go-ahead from NYU, and the funding from pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, to run a clinical trial on a poorly understood class of drugs known as FAAH inhibitors.

FAAH inhibitors interact with the body’s natural endocannabinoid by preventing it from degrading anandamide, a neurotransmitter generated in the body to activate cannabinoidreceptors. Researchers from many different fields are attempting to use these drugs to create a cannabis-like response in the body by activating cannabinoid receptors, but without the psychoactive effect of smoking marijuana.

In January six study participants in France also taking an FAAH inhibitor were hospitalized due to severe neurological injuries, which were fatal in one patient. Directly following that incident, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, suspended their phase 2 clinical trial involving the same class of drugs out of fear it could harm patients. Despite mounting evidence that FAAH inhibitors are unsafe and unnecessary, doctors at NYU obtained approval to give these drugs to people suffering from PTSD.

Thanks to an investigation by the New York Times, details of this potentially tragic drug trial have come to light. After confirming reported concerns over poor compliance with research protocol in Dr. Neumeister’s lab, the director of NYU’s psychiatry department, Dr. Charles Marmar suspended all activity in the lab and forced Neumeister to take a leave of absence; he later resigned.

Dr. Neumeister’s lawyer admitted there may have been protocol violations, “but N.Y.U. has taken the position that those violations were more egregious than we believe they actually were,” and noted the lack of evidence that any of the study participants were harmed.

What kind of protocol violations may have occurred? While the study called for 50 participants, they only recruited 14, many of which had already been part of other studies by Dr. Neumeister. At least one had participated in another study only 16 days prior, when the research called for a window of 30 days.

Study participants with mental disorders such as PTSD are extremely sensitive to adverse reactions to new, experimental drugs and need to be closely monitored throughout the process. This latest study failed to assess three patients 24 hours after taking the drug for the first time. An investigation by the FDA found that Dr. Neumeister falsified documents by signing a colleagues name in several instances.

Due to poor organization at the beginning of the trial, one participant was instructed to stop and start her psychiatry medications abruptly several times, exposing her to severe withdrawals and side effects.

It seems both Dr. Neumeister and Pfizer wanted this drug to gain approval one way or another. As a specialist in brain imaging, Neumeister wanted to use this technology to tailor specific medications for different neuropsychiatric conditions such as PTSD. Though the research and the concept seemed promising, poor understanding of the body’s endocannabinoid system was their downfall. Hopefully researchers begin to understand that dangerous FAAH inhibitors are not the answer for people seeking medical marijuana; medical marijuana is the answer for people seeking medical marijuana.

 

[momofthegoons]

Medicinal cannabis use can help mitigate symptoms of PTSD, study says

People who have post-traumatic stress disorder but do not medicate with cannabis are far more likely to suffer from severe depression and have suicidal thoughts than those who use marijuana, new national research says.

Based on cross-country data from Statistics Canada, the observational study by researchers at the British Columbia Centre for Substance Use shows that Canadians with PTSD who use medicinal cannabis are 60 per cent to 65 per cent less likely to have major depressive episodes or thoughts of suicide compared with those who do not treat their symptoms with medical marijuana. The study is the first national-scale indication of the effectiveness of cannabis at mitigating the hallmark symptoms of PTSD. It was presented on Thursday at the annual conference of the Canadian Public Health Association in Montreal.

The results underscore the need for increased investments in the science of medical cannabis, including randomized controlled studies designed to explore safety, effectiveness and optimal uses, said M-J Milloy, an epidemiologist and the lead author of the study.

“The findings today are not by any means the end of the story,” said Dr. Milloy, who called the prevalence of PTSD in Canada a “pretty substantial public health problem.”

“We haven’t been able to develop any good treatments for people with PTSD,” he said. “There’s talk-therapy and the use of anti-depressants. But by and large, people with PTSD are really suffering alone.”

About 10 per cent of the population has PTSD, which stems from an experience of or exposure to trauma. Symptoms include overwhelming anxiety, fits of extreme anger and aggression, sleeplessness, depression and suicidal thoughts. While it is common among military veterans and first responders, people who come to Canada from countries with civil unrest, for example, can also be diagnosed with it.

No drug is designed specifically to treat PTSD and doctors usually prescribe a cocktail of pills.

Paul Smith, a family physician based in Fredericton, N.B., who treats many veterans with PTSD, recently told The Globe and Mail that pharmaceutical regimens are not effective for more than half of the patients he sees. For others, the side-effects are too much to bear. Many of his patients have turned to medical cannabis.

“It’s not that marijuana is the cure … it’s simply a good option for the guys who have failed on pharmaceuticals,” Dr. Smith said. “It’s a significant stabilizing therapy to allow other therapies to then take place and allow a much better quality of life for the patient.”

Zach Walsh, a clinical psychologist at the University of British Columbia, is leading the country’s first randomized, controlled trial to evaluate the impact of medicinal cannabis on PTSD, in partnership with the marijuana producer Tilray. He said the new research supports the belief that cannabis can help bridge people with PTSD “to that place where they’re ready to take the next step” in their recovery.

Talk therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy are common treatments. “In order to get to those types of therapy, you have to get past that critical point of suicidality and a really chaotic, agonizing life … to a stability that allows you to engage with those therapies,” he said.

Fabian Henry, a veteran of the war in Afghanistan and founder of Veterans For Healing, a national advocacy group that helps vets learn to use cannabis for PTSD, said that while marijuana is not a cure, it is an important step.

“At the end of the day, we want you to get off cannabis. I shouldn’t need it forever,” Mr. Henry said, adding: “I should only need it until I get the tools to manage my illness.”

 

[momofthegoons]

First Clinical Trial Of Cannabis For PTSD in Veterans Is Now Complete

After a decade of working on the first FDA-approved trial examining the effects of THC and CBD on the symptoms of PTSD in war veterans, a team of researchers has declared their clinical trial complete. The process, however, was not simple.

“We are proud to have persevered through these regulatory hurdles independently of hospitals, universities, or the VA system,” commented site principal investigator Dr. Sue Sisley in a press release.

The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) received approval from the U.S. Public Health Service to start the study back in 2014. Research began in January 2017 at Phoenix, Arizona’s Scottsdale Research Institute, and was slated to also take place at Johns Hopkins University, until the school dropped out of the experiment in March 2017.

The trial tested marijuana with varying cannabinoid makeups, experimenting with high-THC, high-CBD and equal THC-CBD (1:1) ratio cannabis. Subjects were able to use up to two grams per day during periods of self-dosing, which rotated with phases in which they were required to consume randomly assigned quantities of cannabis.


Brad Burge, a MAPS spokesperson, tells High Times about some of the challenges they had to overcome, which involved serious struggles recruiting vets needed for a robust study cohort.

“Because none of Arizona’s public university hospitals nor the VA were willing to assist with recruiting veterans for the study, enrollment was slower than expected,” says Burge. “So much that last fall, it looked as if we were going to have to end the study prematurely.”

Fortunately, a number of Arizona veteran groups stepped in to find the rest of the 76 subjects needed to make a scientifically viable study.


In terms of medical cannabis, when asked if the panorama of veterans’ rights had changed much in the decade since the study commenced, Burge only cited the VA’s policy clarification that vets on medical cannabis would not be denied health benefits as a positive development.

“Unfortunately the scene hasn’t changed much,” Burge says. “The VA continues to prohibit its health care providers from recommending medical cannabis or helping veterans obtain it, despite numerous state laws acknowledging its efficacy.”

The study’s completion comes at a time when the issue surrounding veterans and cannabis is becoming urgent. Previous research suggests that cannabis may be effective in treating trauma-related conditions, making it no surprise when a 2017 study found that one-in-five vets are already using the plant to treat a mental or physical condition. The same research also found that 82 percent of veterans are in favor of legalizing medical cannabis, with some of its most ardent supporters falling into the 60-plus age range.


But in many states, veterans find it difficult or impossible to access medical cannabis, which is not included in health care plans associated with federal vet hospitals. Though the VA’spolicy clearly states that veterans may not be denied benefits due to marijuana use, VA doctors are not allowed to recommend medical cannabis, nor is its staff able to complete paperwork for veterans seeking acceptance in state medical marijuana programs.

MAPS has previously conducted research on the effects of MDMA on PTSD, finding in its results that the drug created “more joy” in patients with the condition.

In Illinois, PTSD is estimated to be present in 11 to 20 percent of all U.S.-Iraq War veterans. The condition was added to the list of medical marijuana qualifying conditions in 2016 and has become the most common factor cited by patients in the state’s medical marijuana program. In 2018 a total of 4,000 Illinois residents sought cannabis treatment for PTSD-related issues.

 

[Killick]

Meanwhile, in Canada...

Purpose

1. This policy provides direction on the reimbursement of cannabis for medical purposes.

General

1. Access to the use of cannabis for medical purposes has been mandated by Canada’s courts. Health Canada’s Cannabis Regulationsspecify the conditions for authorization and legal possession. Cannabis is not an approved therapeutic product in Canada.
2. There have been limited trials which seem to support the use of cannabis in limited circumstances as an option after standard interventions are contraindicated or have been tried and have been unsuccessful and/or have yielded unacceptable adverse effects. Veterans Affairs Canada has heard from Veterans and their advocates that they believe cannabis helps them with their health problems. This information must be balanced with scientific evidence, sound clinical practice, and with the primary concern of the Department - the health and general well-being of Veterans and their families.
3. Recognizing that the use of cannabis for medical purposes continues to be an emerging practice, Veterans Affairs Canada will continue to monitor developments in research, and medical practice and experience, and adjust the policy provisions as may be required.

https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/about-vac/legislation-policies/policies/document/2461

 

[howie105]

Physician heal thyself, don't need a weatherman to know, do for self, same as it ever was.

Luke 4:23, Bob Dylan, arb and the Talking Heads, all credit and respect.

 

[momofthegoons]

Cannabis could help treat depression in people with PTSD, B.C. study finds

A new study out of British Columbia suggests a possible future for treating depression among people with post-traumatic stress syndrome.

Could cannabis hold the key to treating depression in people with post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD)?

A new study by the University of British Columbia and the B.C. Centre on Substance Use (BCCSU) suggests pot could hold promise.

For the study, published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, researchers looked at Statistics Canada data from 24,000 Canadians.


They found having PTSD was strongly linked with suffering a major depressive episode or suicidal thoughts among people who did not consume cannabis — but not among those who did.

The research suggests a possible therapeutic use for cannabis among people with PTSD, said the BCCSU.

“We know that with limited effective treatment options for PTSD, many patients take to medicating with cannabis to alleviate their symptoms,” said lead author Stephanie Lake, a PhD candidate at UBC and research associate at the BCCSU.

“However, until now, there has been no population-level data to suggest that cannabis might have a possible therapeutic role in the course of PTSD. These findings offer those patients seeking treatment options some promise.”

Researchers say there are well documented links between trauma from injury, conflict, violence and disaster and depression and suicide, and note that at about 9.2 per cent of the population, Canada has one of the highest prevailing rates of PTSD.

From the 24,000 eligible respondents, researchers found 420 with a current PTSD diagnosis. Of that group, about 28 per cent reported using cannabis in the last year, while about 11 per cent did not.

Researchers said they found that non-cannabis users with PTSD were about seven times more likely to have experienced a recent major depressive episode, and about 4.7 per cent more likely to have thoughts of suicide, compared non-cannabis users without PTSD.

Among those who did use cannabis, the study found PTSD was not linked to a recent depressive episode or thoughts of suicide.

Researchers also noted that more than a quarter of Canadians with PTSD reported using cannabis, a percentage far higher than in the general population, which is estimated at about 11.4 per cent.

 

[momofthegoons]

Study Finds PTSD Symptoms Reduced With Long-Term Cannabis Use​

A recent study seems to validate anecdotal evidence that cannabis helps those suffering from PTSD.

Patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) who consume cannabis from state-sanctioned sources showed a reduction of symptoms over time compared to non-cannabis users, according to a recently published study. Results of the research, “The Long-Term, Prospective, Therapeutic Impact of Cannabis on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder,” were published earlier this month by the journal Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research.

To conduct the study, researchers associated with the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine, John Hopkins University, and the University of Colorado School of Medicine recruited 150 participants with PTSD. The study subjects were divided into two groups, one that included participants who used cannabis from state-licensed dispensaries and an additional group of non-cannabis users as a control. Participants of the study who used cannabis primarily consumed THC-dominant flowers.

Every three months throughout the year-long study, the post-traumatic stress (PTS) symptoms of participants were monitored using the CAPS-5, which is widely considered to be the gold standard in PTSD assessment. A statistical analysis of the results tested whether the trajectories of PTSD symptoms differed between the two groups.

Cannabis Users Had Better Outcomes​

“Participants who used primarily THC-dominant cannabis reported a greater reduction in PTSD symptom severity over time compared to controls,” the team of researchers wrote. “Cannabis users also showed a greater than two-fold rate of remission from their PTSD diagnosis (defined by no longer meeting criteria for a PTSD diagnosis on the CAPS-5) compared to controls by the 1-year follow-up assessment.”

The cannabis users in the study were 2.57 times more likely to no longer meet the criteria for PTSD at the end of the observation period compared to participants who did not consume cannabis. In their conclusion, the team of investigators called for further scientific research into the effects that different cannabis products can have on PTSD patients and their symptoms.

“This study provides evidence that the types of cannabis available in recreational and medical cannabis dispensaries might hold promise as an alternative treatment for PTSD,” the investigators wrote. “Randomized placebo-controlled trials are needed to assess safety and determine how different preparations of cannabis impact PTSD and functioning.”

Paul Armentano, the deputy director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), noted that the results of the research appear to validate anecdotal evidence that cannabis use can have a positive impact on patients with PTSD.

“Veterans are far more likely to self-report using cannabis than are those in the general population, and many veterans attest that cannabis is effective for the self-management of their PTS symptoms,” Armentano said in a press release. “These findings substantiate their claims.”

The results of the study are consistent with a systematic review of randomized controlled trials published by Latin American researchers this year that found that two synthetic cannabinoids similar to THC were effective treatments for post-traumatic stress.

But the jury is still out. A separate study published earlier this year in the journal Psychological Medicine found “no evidence of improvement in PTSD-related intrusion symptoms or remission in PTSD diagnosis in association with long-term use of cannabis.”