When someone has MS, there are varying degrees of the disease, and it may manifest in different ways. Some people have mild symptoms that barely bother them while others experience symptoms like lack of mobility and control over certain bodily functions. In this article, we are going to talk about cannabis and MS and whether it can be used in treatment.
If you have never thought about using medical marijuana or recreational marijuana, the thought of walking into San Francisco dispensaries and asking to be served might be a little bit outside of your comfort zone. If you aren’t there yet, maybe you need to learn more about marijuana and how it can help with MS.
What Symptoms Does Marijuana Treat?
You may be trying to figure out which symptoms marijuana treat, but before you get started, you should know that your doctor is likely to try other medications before going this route. Don’t be impatient if he or she asks you to try a few medications before going toward medical marijuana.
There hasn’t been much research done on marijuana and MS, but the results that have come through have been very promising.
Overactive bladder is a major problem for those with MS. You are constantly having to run to the bathroom and sometimes you might not make it all the way. When you use marijuana, you may experience an ease in spasms, so you don’t continue to feel the constant urge to pee.
Nerve pain can keep you up at night, inhibit you from being able to do things that you used to love, and sex is often painful. When using marijuana, you may notice less nerve pain as well as better sleep. Being able to take the edge off the pain can ease you enough that you can get some much-needed rest. Some people have noted that it takes more than a couple of days to get relief and it could take weeks.
Do I Have to Smoke Marijuana?
Smoking marijuana might be the first thing that comes to mind when you think about getting relief from your symptoms. While you can smoke marijuana to help with your MS symptoms, there are other things you need to think about like how smoking is going to affect your lungs. While there has been conflicting research on whether marijuana does anything negative to the lungs, it is certain that anything combusting where you breathe is less than ideal.
Some other options you have when you want to use medical marijuana are:
- Vaping
- Edibles
- The best CDB oil
- Tinctures & Sub-Lingual Sprays
- Transdermal Patches
There are pros and cons to each of these methods, so you have to decide what is going to work for you and whether the benefits are going to outweigh the risks.
Many people find themselves dealing with issues that are far worse than what they might get from smoking pot or put a patch on their bodies. The pain and discomfort from MS can be debilitating and having a way to ease that pain is helpful.
Can Medical Marijuana Reverse MS?
While medical marijuana can help with pain and spasms that are caused by MS, it cannot reverse or cure MS. There is currently no cure for MS and patients work to manage their pain as well as do what they can to keep themselves functioning the best possible.
CBD & THC are the two main chemical components in cannabis. According to studies, CBD has some pharmacological effects that are beneficial. Some of the reasons it is helpful are because it is anti-inflammatory, antiemetic, antioxidative, neuroprotective and antipsychotic. There are 30 states where medical marijuana is legal and nine where it is legal for recreational use. You can purchase CBD products and tools like hemp grinder from online shops like sunriver botanicals or Weed Delivery Fresno. And if you grow hemp, you may consider hiring a professional Hemp Harvesting service that can offer reliable and efficient hemp harvesting.
Researchers concluded that supplementing with CBD may be something beneficial for people who have MS since it reduces fatigue, pain, and spasticity. Eventually, the use of cannabis may also help with mobility improvement. The article suggests that higher social acceptance of CBD will mean there is an increased number of MS patients that will use it for symptom treatment.
Is Medical Marijuana the Right Option for Me?
You may be wondering if you should look into using medical marijuana for your MS symptoms. There is a lot to think about before you start using marijuana. You can talk to medical marijuana doctors Clearwater if you have any concerns about using it. Besides for getting your doctor to help you through the process and give you advice on how to best use it for symptom treatment, you also may want to speak with your family about how they feel about the use of medical marijuana on your symptoms.
Everyone reacts to marijuana differently with some people being able to use it without a problem while other people have anxiety problems when using marijuana. Seeing how your body reacts to marijuana is a big part of figuring out if marijuana is a good treatment for your MS symptoms.
Conclusion
As more people try medical marijuana to treat their MS symptoms, the more doctors will understand how it works and the best way to help people with MS. Whether you are an early adopter or you wait to see how medical marijuana pans out with MS patients, you may find yourself looking into cannabis more in-depth for your symptom management. The first step is to talk to your doctor and see what he or she advises before you go any further.