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The Benefits of Cannabis in the Treatment of Myasthenia Gravis
Introduction
Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a rare autoimmune disease that affects the nerves and muscles. The symptoms of MG vary greatly, but they often include double vision, difficulty swallowing, and muscle weakness. Doctors usually treat MG with thymectomies, immunomodulating drugs, acetylcholinesterase inhibitors and IV immunoglobulin treatments. However, there are some patients who don’t respond well to these types of treatments or simply prefer to try alternative therapies like medical cannabis instead. Could marijuana be the answer?
Myasthenia Gravis (MG) is a rare autoimmune disease that affects the nerves and muscles.
Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a rare autoimmune disease that affects the nerves and muscles. It’s an autoimmune disease because it occurs when your immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells in your body. In people with MG, this attack happens to a specific type of nerve cell called acetylcholine receptors which are found on muscles throughout the body. These receptors help control muscle movement by sending signals from nerves to muscles telling them how to move or stay relaxed at different times during their daily activities.
When these acetylcholine receptors are damaged by antibodies produced by B-cells in your immune system, it causes weakness in parts of your body where there are fewer working receptors left behind (like your eyes).
What Makes Myasthenia Gravis Different from Other Autoimmune Diseases?
MG is a rare disease, affecting 1 in 5,000 people. It is an autoimmune condition that affects the nerves and muscles. MG is not curable but can be managed with medication and lifestyle changes.
MG differs from other autoimmune diseases because it affects two types of organs (the nerves and muscles) within one body system (the peripheral nervous system).
The symptoms of MG vary greatly.
The symptoms of MG vary greatly. Some people may only experience muscle weakness, while others may suffer from severe disability and life-threatening complications. The most common symptoms include:
- Muscle weakness (can’t raise arms above shoulder level)
- Fatigue (feeling tired all the time)
- Difficulty swallowing and speaking (slurring words) * Blurred vision or drooping eyelids * Muscle twitching
Doctors usually treat MG with thymectomies, immunomodulating drugs, acetylcholinesterase inhibitors and IV immunoglobulin treatments.
- Thymectomy is a surgical procedure that’s used to treat MG. It involves removing the thymus gland, which is located in your chest behind your breastbone.
- Immunomodulating drugs are also used to treat MG. These medications help your immune system regulate itself so that it can fight off attacks from the body’s natural defenses against foreign substances like pollen or mold spores without attacking healthy tissue as well. Examples include prednisone (a corticosteroid, azathioprine and mycophenolate mofetil (MMF).
- Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors reduce muscle weakness by slowing down breakdown of acetylcholine at nerve endings throughout muscles and nerves throughout the body; this helps keep them functioning properly for longer periods of time during each day without having to rest as often between activities such as walking around town shopping or doing chores around home
Can Cannabis Help to Treat Myasthenia Gravis?
It’s important to note that there is no known cure for Myasthenia Gravis. The disease progresses slowly and symptoms vary from person to person, but can include muscle weakness or paralysis that worsens over time.
There are limited treatment options for those who suffer from this condition, and many of those who do have access to treatment have found it difficult or impossible to obtain insurance coverage for their care because marijuana is still illegal on the federal level in the U.S.. As such, many people suffering from myasthenia gravis must rely on cannabis as an alternative medicine that has been shown in some cases not only to relieve symptoms but also slow down disease progression itself.
All cannabinoids have potential to be therapeutic in the treatment of MG.
There are over 140 cannabinoids in the cannabis plant. THC and CBD are two of the most well-known, with THC being psychoactive and CBD not. Both have been shown to have therapeutic effects on MG, but they differ in their mechanisms of action. There is a third cannabinoid which also has shown success in the treatment of MG. This cannabinoid is called THCa.
- The exact mechanism by which THC helps alleviate myasthenia gravis symptoms isn’t known yet, but it may be due to its ability to reduce muscle spasms or increase blood flow (which improves oxygen delivery).
- CBD has also been shown to reduce muscle spasms by activating serotonin receptors in your brainstem–but unlike THC, it doesn’t seem to affect other parts of your body like your heart rate or respiration rate when taken alone at low doses (less than 20mg).
Research is still needed on the use of cannabis in treating autoimmune diseases like MG.
There is still a lot to learn about the use of cannabis in treating autoimmune diseases like MG. One thing we do know is that CBD may be promising for some patients with MG, as it has been shown to reduce muscle tightness and weakness. THC may also be beneficial for treating some symptoms of this condition, though more research is needed before definitive conclusions can be made about its efficacy.
A doctor and colleague, Alan Frankel, MD has had much success in treating his patients with a combination of these three (3) cannabinoids – THC, THCa and CBD.
Medical cannabis may be an effective treatment for Myasthenia Gravis, which has no known cure currently and limited treatment options.
Myasthenia gravis is a chronic disease that affects the immune system, causing muscle weakness and fatigue. As mentioned above, there is no cure for MG, so treatment focuses on managing symptoms and improving quality of life.
The most common treatment option for myasthenia gravis is immunosuppressive drugs like prednisone or azathioprine (Imuran), both of which can have severe side effects such as high blood pressure and osteoporosis if taken over long periods of time. These medications are also associated with an increased risk for infection and cancer (particularly lymphoma).
Cannabis has been used successfully as an alternative treatment for many conditions including chronic pain, anxiety disorders, glaucoma and epilepsy; however there has been little research into its efficacy in treating autoimmune diseases like MG until recently when researchers began looking into using cannabinoids in place of traditional treatments such as steroids or chemotherapy drugs which have significant side effects associated with them including nausea vomiting diarrhea loss appetite weight gain bone thinning hair loss depression etc..
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Conclusion
The use of cannabis has been shown to be effective in the treatment of Myasthenia Gravis, with no known cure currently and limited treatment options. However, more research is needed before we can make any conclusive statements about how well it works.
If you are looking to receive professional advice from cannabis-friendly medical professionals, look no further than our expertise here at United Patients Group. We are the leading source for patient information on medical marijuana featuring medical insights, reliable recommendations from industry experts, and lab-tested product reviews. Contact us today to book your first appointment with us.
You may be pleasantly surprised on all the benefits this plant has to offer.
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