cannabisnews.com: MS Patients in Marijuana Trials





MS Patients in Marijuana Trials
Posted by FoM on July 16, 2001 at 11:31:34 PT
By Judith Woods, The Daily Telegraph
Source: National Post
"I have never smoked a cigarette, never mind a joint, so I had no idea whether I'd go all woozy or not,'' says Lavinia Parish, with a twinkle in her eye. Lavinia, 51, suffers from multiple sclerosis and is currently taking part in a Cannabis in Multiple Sclerosis trial in the U.K, where patients are given the drug in capsule form. Three weeks into the 15-week study, however, Lavinia, says she has not noticed any effects. "I keep waiting for something to happen,'' she says. "I may be on the placebo or it may be that cannabis just doesn't affect me. I'll have to wait and see.''
In Canada, MS will be one of the conditions deemed suitable for medicinal marijuana use when the rules change on July 30 to protect certain patients with chronic or terminal illnesses against being prosecuted for using cannabis. There is anecdotal evidence that marijuana can help with nausea, poor appetite and pain. Studies such as the one Lavinia is participating in should prove whether marijuana really does have any therapeutic value.MS is a disease of the nervous system that affects about 50,000 Canadians. Lavinia's story is typical, reflecting the sheer unpredictability of the disorder."The first sign I had of MS was in the early Seventies,'' she says. "I was playing tennis and I couldn't decide whether the ball was going into the net or not. At the same time, my left arm was a bit numb, and when I placed my hand in water, I didn't seem to be registering whether it was hot or cold.''Despite these early indications, she had no idea there was anything seriously wrong. She mentioned her symptoms to her doctor, who sent her to a specialist. Lavinia can't remember what diagnosis -- if any -- was made. But she's glad she wasn't told earlier that she had the disease. "I would have spent the next 20 years worrying. But as it was, I was fine; I had four sons and was running my own restaurant and keeping busy.''In 1992, Lavinia was walking through long grass near her home when she realized something was wrong. "I suddenly became aware that I was having to concentrate on moving my left leg.''Over the following months, her symptoms worsened. She grew clumsier and started dropping things. Then, in 1993, one of Lavinia's insurance policies matured. She decided to spend her windfall on health insurance, but when the insurance company consulted her medical notes, they discovered the problems Lavinia had suffered in the Seventies.She was refused insurance, and the firm contacted her doctor who referred her to a specialist. Tests confirmed she had MS.Although the root causes of MS are unclear, the condition is a result of damage to a substance called myelin, which forms a protective sheath around nerve fibres in the brain and spinal cord. When myelin is destroyed, electrical impulses to muscle and sensory organs are slow, distorted or fail to arrive. Lavinia's right leg started to cause her difficulties. The muscles began to tighten and walking became difficult. After using a stick for a while, she resigned herself to using a wheelchair five years ago."My legs are dead, but my condition seems to be staying the same," she says. "There have been moments of tremendous depression, especially when I'd just got divorced -- but you just have to battle on.''"I can't get myself in and out of the car, so I have to have someone there at both ends of the journey,'' she says. "That's where I hope this cannabis trial will eventually be able to help me. If the drug were to stop my legs being so stiff, I might be able to get in and out of the car on my own.''Anecdotal evidence has long suggested cannabis provides relief for a variety of MS symptoms. Earlier this year, a trial carried out by GW Pharmaceuticals on 70 British patients revealed that an extract of cannabis sprayed under the tongue significantly reduced pain, muscle spasms and bladder problems among sufferers of MS, cancer and arthritis.Dr. John Zajicek, one of the specialists carrying out the new cannabis trials, says the study will not rely on patient feedback alone -- a physiotherapist will assess the effect of the treatments on the muscles."Some studies rely on patients filling out questionnaires on how they feel, which may be biased because of side effects,'' says Zajicek, who is based at Plymouth University and Derriford Hospital, also in Plymouth."Patients may feel euphoric because they are receiving a cannabis high, which may make them inclined to say the drug is having a positive effect, even if it's not actually helping.''The results of the trial are expected to be available by the end of 2002 or the beginning of 2003.Note: Studies attempt to determine drug's therapeutic value.By Judith Woods, The Daily Telegraph, with files from National Post, news services.For more details of the cannabis trials see: http://www.cannabis-trial.plymouth.ac.uk/Source: National Post (Canada) Author: Judith Woods, The Daily TelegraphPublished: July 16, 2001Copyright: 2001 Southam Inc. Contact: letters nationalpost.com Website: http://www.nationalpost.com/ Related Articles & Web Site:UK Medicinal Cannabis Projecthttp://www.medicinal-cannabis.org/High Hopes for GW's Medicinal Cannabis http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread10254.shtmlCannabisNews Articles - Multiple Sclerosishttp://cannabisnews.com/thcgi/search.pl?K=multiple+sclerosis
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Comment #1 posted by Kevin Hebert on July 17, 2001 at 13:42:08 PT:
Euphoria
Why do we live in a society where we say euphoria is not helpful? Why do we put people in jail for euphoria?Crazy.
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