Hi All,
Nickman, it's very good to hear that at least something (marijuana in this case) provides you some relief.
I've read several clinical studies that indicate the potential positive side of medical marijuana -- indicating that it can modulate over-active immune systems in some really nasty auto-immune and/or inflammatory conditions -- leading to vast improvement. There are currently several very serious medical studies involving marijuana -- in pill and actual smoking/ingestion form -- going on at medical institutions withing the US and outside the US.
There was a study in France by one group of neurologists -- involving one patient! -- who suffered from a ghastly and very painful auto-antibody disorder (Isaac syndrome). He was on several medications for horrific spasms and pain -- nothing worked. They eventually tried him on a course of THC in pill form -- ("Marinol" in the US/ "Dronabinol" in France and other European countries). Within three months this patient was off all meds aside from the Dronabinol -- 20 mgs/day -- and was doing GREAT!
I spoke with the lead author of this one-patient study (which is not much of a study -- but there are very few patients with this dreadful disorder). Two years later the patient was still doing wonderfully and actually jogging! He couldn't walk prior to starting the Dronabinol, due to severe pain and spasms.
In studying this patient -- and trying to determine exactly what the Dronabinol did to provide this 180-degree turn around/improvement -- these researchers found that his auto-antibodies had basically disappeared as a result of the Dronabinol treatment. They already knew that pure, medical grade marijuana had immune-modulating qualities -- and the situation with this patient was desperate -- so their university approved its usage and the result was spectacular.
I think the key here is the term "medical marijuana" -- especially for POIS patients who in general seem really sensitive to many vitamins and medications. (I know healthy people who have never been able to smoke recreational marijuana -- makes some paranoid, can induce panic attacks, etc). Recreational marijuana is likely not pure, and certainly doesn't come in specific dosages).
So -- with POIS, there may one day be a real indication for medical, pure-grade marijuana -- in pill or smoking form.
***Please don't interpret this as a suggestion to smoke marijuana -- it's definitely not meant as a suggestion, just a report on one very dramatic study.
Once the cause of POIS is found through some solid scientific research, the treatment will follow. It boils down to basic, scientific research -- one needs to know what is wrong to try to make it right.
Stef
Poll