Myasthenia Gravis is a Neuromuscular disorder that can cause severe weakness in various parts of the body. It can be a more localized disease or more generalized.
It is not very common and I recently saw a case where the muscular dysfunction was mostly in the head and neck area and involved speech. The underlying “cause” of MG is dysfunction of acetylcholine, a critical neuromuscular junction activator. In other words, Acetylcholine bridges the signal from a nerve to a muscle cell to contract. Antibodies are formed that effect the receptor thereby requiring more acetylcholine.
MG is treated with medicines that increase acetylcholine or block antibody formation. In the end, the MG patients are just missing adequate ACh around the muscle cell.
I started the patient on low dose CBD with some modest success, but when a very modest dose of THC-A was added to the regimen, the patient rapidly improved – I barely recognized her speech on the phone. Her speech improved after the first dose and she has continued to improve to where her speech and strength are nearly back to normal.
This is just the initial response and more time in follow up is needed, but the response was definite and substantial.
In looking through PubMed or the National Library of Medicine, there was an article that caught my attention. In this article, it makes a very good case that the cannabinoids interfere with the enzyme “acetylcholine esterase”, the enzyme mentioned above. By interfering with this enzyme that breaks down ACh, more acetylcholine is available at the neuromuscular junction.
It is also possible that the circulating antibody is affected.
Regardless, it is real and we need a lot more patients with MG.
Do you know anyone??
Dr. Allan I. Frankel established GreenBridge Medical Services, Inc. in 2007 to provide the highest quality medical treatment to patients suffering from multiple chronic and serious medical conditions. He is an internal medical doctor and one of the world’s leading authorities on dosed cannabis medicine. With over 35 years experience in Internal Medicine, Dr. Frankel applies his knowledge of all aspects of the cannabis plant and its therapeutic value to the treatment of multiple serious medical conditions. This enables him to provide a perspective to medical treatment unmatched by other practitioners.
I was diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis around 10 years ago. It started as an ocular form, but around 2015, it became generalized. It started effecting arm and leg strength at times, but eventually it settled into the center of my body effecting chewing, speaking, swallowing and sometimes breathing. I was hospitalized once in 2015 and once in 2016 with swallowing, speech, and worst of all breathing issues. My symptoms have more or less gone into remission since August of last year. I have been cutting back on my prednisone (currently, 32 and 20 every other day). I also have been taking about 450 mgs of Mestinon for several years now. Also, once a month, I receive an infusion of IGIV.
The connection between cannabis and MG has really piqued my interest…..especially since I occasionally partake. I’d like to learn more.
Have you considered trying the doTERRA essential oil Copaiba as a Tx option for MG? It has a higher level of BCP (55%) than CBD oil without the legality issues.
Sorry I didn’t see this earlier, but we have had ongoing good results with MG patients.
Sorry I didn’t see this earlier, but we have had ongoing good results with MG patients.