Posts Tagged ‘cannabis’

Anorexia Nervosa and Marijuana (Cannabis): A success Story!

Posted By Dr. Sean Breen on April 25th, 2010

Last week in my Irvine office I had a mother and her 18 year old daughter  named Jhenna come in for a cannabis recommendation.  Jhenna stated that she had been suffering from anorexia for the past 4 years.   Her weight had plummeted to 94 lbs 12 months and she is 5′8″ tall.  It started while pursuing a modeling career upon entering high school.   Amazingly for the past year she has controlled her appetite and weight loss by medicating with cannabis on a daily basis.

Her mother was reluctant about Jhenna using cannabis in high school but could not deny the amazing results and difference it made in Jhenna’s health.

Jhenna stated that she only needs two doses of an indica strain called OG Kush to really stimulate her appetite.  Because she purchased a digital vaporizer she does not expose herself to any smoke and can medicate at her home without any SMELL (mch to the delight of her mother) At the time of my visit Jhenna’s weight was at 131 lbs.

In addition to cannabis Jhenna also receives psychotherapy and structured behavioral therapy.

Cannabis is an incredible medication for stimulating patients appetite.   The cannabinoids bind to receptors in the brain that assist with appetite control.  In addition patients also describe an enhanced enjoyment when eating while medicated.

If you suffer from anorexia nervosa and would like an evaluation to use marijuana medicinally feel free to give me a call at 877-721-0047 or pre-qualify for free at www.mcsocal.com

Posted in disease treatment
Comments (0)

Alternative Pain Treatment for Fibromyalgia; Marijuana (Cannabis)

Posted By Dr. Sean Breen on April 25th, 2010

As medical director for Medical Cannabis of Southern California I often evaluate patients suffering from fibromyalgia. The majority of my fibromyalgia patients are women in the >40 age group. Typically they present to me with a bag of prescription pain medications that they would like to stop.     By the time I see them most have tries cannabis at some point prior to seeing me and have had good results.

Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain condition that affects multiple muscle groups throughout the body.   The pain can be so persistant that patients experience concomitant depression and anxiety.

Patients typically present with a variety of pain killers from NSAIDS such as Naprosyn to optiates such a Vicodin/Hydrocodone to drugs like Neurontin (gabapentin) that are also used for pain.   Unfortunately these medications have serious side effects if they are used for prolonged periods of time.  Opiates cause nausea, constipation and are highly addictive.  NSAIDS can cause GI bleeding and affect the liver as well.

Cannabis has been shown to be very effective to not only control pain control but also elevate patients moods.   Patients state that there depression seems to “lift” and that their pain is reduced dramatically.   As a result they sleep better, have improved appetites and their relationships improve dramatically.

The great thing is that my fibromyalgia patients can medicate on a daily basis without the fear of becoming addicted.  It doesn’t affect their kidneys or liver and is easily metabolized.   Cannabis is simply excreted primarily in the feces but also in the urine.  It is stored in fat cells throughout the body.

If you suffer from fibromyalgia and would like to speak to me about using cannabis to treat your pain please give my staff a call at 877-721-0047 or pre-qualify for free at www.mcsocal.com

Respectfully,

Dr. Sean Breen

Posted in disease treatment
Comments (1)

Chronic Pain and Marijuana (Cannabis); Follow up success story!

Posted By Dr. Sean Breen on April 23rd, 2010

For the past month I have been treating a 62 y/o women for chronic pain that had been taking 18 pain killers every day. (12 oxycontin!)  Not only did they stop working but they made her nauseated, constipated and feeling “loopy” all day.    She told me that her life felt like she was out of control. Her pain management doctor spends 6 minutes with her and hands her a re-fill prescription for oxycontin.   I am happy to report that after one month of using cannabis to treat her pain she is completely off opiate narcotics!  Congratulations.  I am glad you have control of your life again.  There is hope!

If you are suffering from pain and want to get off all the pills your doctor has you on please pick up the phone and give us a call.  I can help come up with a pan to ween you off your pain pills so that you can too take back control of your life.

877-721-0047 or go to our website at www.mcsocal.com

I see patients full time in Irvine and Long Beach.

Respectfully,

Dr. Breen

Posted in disease treatment
Comments (1)

Pray for Jackie: Melanoma and Medical Marijuana (Cannabis)

Posted By Dr. Sean Breen on April 21st, 2010

How often do you do a complete skin exam?  For most people the answer is rare to never.     Unfortunately for many patients like Jackie they do not notice the irregularly shaped and colored lesion on their skin until it has already spread to other parts of the body.  Jackie is a patient of mine who discovered a melanoma on the upper right side of her back just next to her armpit.   It “was a fluke as I was putting on deodorant and twisted my body a certain way and “just happened to notice a smudge of dirt”.   Unfortunately as she went to wipe it off she realized it was not in fact dirt.  It was melanoma, a deadly skin cancer.

Melanoma is a deadly skin cancer because it tends to grow down into the body vs spreading out over the skin.  Once it gets into the bloodstream it spreads to other organs.   In Jackie’s case by the time she noticed it it had already spread to her lymph nodes and lung.   After undergoing surgery and treatment she now received scans every 6 months to monitor her progress.  Her next 6 month scan is coming up.

So if you could say a prayer for Jackie I am sure she would appreciate it:  Jackie I hope and pray that your melanoma goes into complete remission and the God heals you of this cancer.  May He provide you with peace and comfort during this challenging time.

The reason why Jackie is using cannabis is because her cancer has caused a lot of anxiety in her life.  She has had difficulty sleeping and just “relaxing when I get home from work.”  She is trying different strains to see which one helps the most with sleep.  She is vaporizing the medicine so she is NOT EXPOSING HER BODY TO ANY MORE SMOKE OR CARCINOGENS.

IF YOU ARE WONDERING IF YOU HAVE A CANCEROUS MOLE ON YOUR BODY HERE ARE SOME RED FLAGS TO SEE YOUR DOCTOR, THE ABCD’S OF MELANOMA:

1. Asymmetric: benign moles tend to be very symmetric in color and shape.   If they are brown they are brown throughout.  If they are round they tend to be uniform.   Melanomas tend to be asymmetrical in shape and color.   One side may have darker pigment than the other.

2. Border irregularities: Normal moles have sharply defined and symmetrical borders.  Melanomas tend to have irregularly shaped borders and have at times there is not a sharp demarcation between normal skin and the border of the cancer.

3. Color: Melanomas tend to have multiple color pigments and darker/lighter shades in the same mole.  Normal benign moles typically have the same consistent color throughout.

4. Diameter: normal moles are smaller than 6 mm in diameter (about the size of a pencil eraser).  Melanoma tend to be larger than 6 mm in diameter.

5. Evolving:  Melanomas tend to evolve or change characteristics over time.   Benign moles tend to stay the same throughout your life.

OK. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTION ABOUT A MOLE ON YOUR BODY GO GET IT LOOKED AT ASAP!  THEY NEED TO CHECK EVERYWHERE ON YOUR SKIN…. THAT MEANS EVERYWHERE FROM THE SOLES OF YOUR FEET TO YOUR GLUTEAL CREASE TO YOUR ARMPITS AND GROIN.   MELANOMAS CAN OCCUR IN AREAS THAT RECEIVE NO SUN AT ALL.



Posted in disease treatment
Comments (0)

Please Pray for Edgar: Oligodendroglioma and Marijuana (Cannabis)

Posted By Dr. Sean Breen on April 15th, 2010

Today I had the opportunity to take care of a 28 year old patient named Edgar who was diagnosed with a brain tumor called an oligodendroglioma in the temporal lobe of the right side of his brain. He was diagnosed in 2006 and had to have immediate surgery. Unfortunately it has come back and spread to his thyroid gland and other lymph nodes. It is incurable. No chemo, radiation or surgery is going to save Edgar. He is using cannabis to treat headaches, insomnia, poor appetite and pain.

What amazed me about this incredible human being was his attitude. He looked at me and smiled and said “Dr. Breen at least I’m going to die a good looking young man and not be old and nasty!” He knows his fate. He is not in denial.

If you are reading this and counting your blessings like I am I ask of you one thing: today, thank God for your health and say a prayer that God performs a miracle on Edgar. He needs a miracle and hopefully he will get one.

Amazingly he isn’t kicking the can. He trains mixed martial arts and teaches kids jiu jitsu. He seems to live every day to the fullest despite his prognosis.

I really believe that cannabis is going to help him live out the remainder of his life with some comfort. He told me that xanax and oxycontin wasn’t an option for him as he can’t tolerate them (he gets to nauseated) and they don’t work anyway.

Edgar: I pray that God performs a miracle in your life and ends your pain and suffering. I pray that your oligodendroglioma goes away and you live a long healthy and fruitful life. Be blessed today. Thank you for your inspiration. Thank you for your incredible attitude and for reminding me of how lucky we are to be alive.

Very respectfully,

Dr. Sean Breen

Posted in disease treatment
Comments (2)

Cannabis (Marijuana) and our Combat Veterans

Posted By Dr. Sean Breen on April 6th, 2010

As medical director for Medical Cannabis of Southern California I have many patients who are combat veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.  Unfortunately the military has a ZERO tolerance towards any drug use and does not recognize cannabis as a medicine.   The majority of these patients have made the decision to use medicine for one of two things:

1. Chronic pain secondary to injuries sustained while on active duty.

2. Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome, Depression or Chronic Anxiety/Insomnia.

VA physicians are not allowed to discuss the use of cannabis with their patients.  However there are doctors like myself who are willing to discuss this treatment option.   I understand first hand what these men and women are going through.   I spent 9 months in 2003 with 1st battalion 4th marines in Iraq during the initial push of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

I have already discussed in previous blogs the advantages of using cannabis to treating chronic pain.   It also will help with sleep, anxiety and depression.  ONE THING I DO WANT TO STRESS IS THAT IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT PATIENTS WHO SUFFER FROM PTSD, DEPRESSION AND CHRONIC ANXIETY RECEIVE ONGOING TREATMENT FROM THE THERAPIST OR PSYCHIATRIST!   Cannabis should not replace these other treatment modalities but merely compliment them.

If you are a veteran and would like to speak to a former military combat physician about the use of cannabis feel free to call me at 877-721-0047  I would be happy to speak with you.

Posted in disease treatment
Comments (0)

Marijuana (Cannabis) and Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)

Posted By Dr. Sean Breen on April 6th, 2010

Many patients often ask me how cannabis will affect their blood pressure.  Hypertension is one of the indications to recommend cannabis and I have many patients that use it for that purpose.

Blood pressure is regulated by multiple organs and systems.   It is determined by how fast your heart is beating, how hard it is contracting and the resistance in the actual blood vessels themselves (peripheral vascular resistance).   In addition the kidneys regulate blood pressure by controlling how much sodium and potassium we filter out or retain in our urine.   The pituitary gland secretes ADH (anti diuretic hormone) which affects the circulating blood volume and effects the blood pressure as well.  That is a very simplistic explanation of a very complicated and tightly regulated system

Most of us are going to die of cardiovascular disease.  It is the number one cause of death in both women and men.   I can not stress enough how important it is to maintain a normal blood pressure.  The risks you run of walking around with high blood pressure are heart attack, stroke and kidney disease.  All three of these are NOT GOOD.

The effects of cannabis on the cardiovascular system are still being studied.  Much more research needs to be done.  However preliminary studies in animals show that cannabinoids can lower blood pressure by dilating the blood vessels.  In humans we know that cannabis can speed up the heart rate initially thus increasing blood pressure.   However we also know that it can cause a lowering of the blood pressure when patients move from lying down to standing up (orthostatic hypertension)

One thing we do know is that high blood pressure can be caused by stress, chronic anxiety and poor sleeping habits.   Cannabis is very effective at improving sleep and reducing anxiety.  Thus in theory it should help lower patients blood pressure.

One of the things that I stress to my patients is that blood pressure is one thing they don’t want to mess with.  If left uncontrolled it is destructive to the body.   MOST patients will have to remain on their blood pressure medication.   However that does not mean that patients can reduce the dose that they are taking.  That is certainly possible.   I have seen very few if any patients who can completely stop taking their blood pressure medication once they start medicating with cannabis.

If you would like more information about cannabis and hypertension or would like to schedule an appointment to see if you could benefit from the medicinal use of cannabis feel free to give me a call at 877-721-0047.  Or simply pre-qualify for free at www.mcsocal.com

Posted in disease treatment
Comments (1)

Pancreatitis and Medical Marijuana (Cannabis)

Posted By admin on April 6th, 2010

Today in my Irvine clinic I evaluated a 44 year old man who suffered from chronic pancreatitis.  He had recently discovered that cannabis helps relieve his abdominal pain, increase his appetite and reduce any associated nausea.

The pancreas in an organ that has two main functions. The first is to assist in the digestion of food by secreting digestive enzymes into the digestive tract after you eat a meal.  The second main function is to regulate the sugar (glucose) levels in your blood.  It does this by secreting insulin and glucagon.

When they pancreas becomes inflamed it then affects the bodies ability to digest meals and also they can develop diabetes.   Most commonly inflammation of the pancreas is caused by excessive alcohol use or diseases that affect the gallbladder (gallstones can become lodged and block the pancreatic ducts).  There are many other reasons that patients can develop pancreatitis (cancers, medications, infections) but those two are the most common.

Unfortunately pancreatitis is very painful.  Patients experience abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and difficulty eating.   Part of the treatment consists of resting the pancreas (nothing by mouth) and pain management.   In addition you want to treat the underlying cause.   If it is alcohol then stopping drinking is the obvious therapy.

In situations where patients develop chronic pancreatitis cannabis can be a great supporting therapy.  It tends to dampen the epigastric pain and help with appetite and nausea.   This particular patient was also using it to help him sleep at night.    Specifically he was using an indica strain called OG Kush.  Indica’s tend to be more of a body high and can really help with sleep and pain.

If you are someone you know is suffering from acute or chronic pancreatitis and would like to see if cannabis can help alleviate some of your discomfort please feel free to schedule an appointment at one of my 2 clinics.

Our toll free number is 877-721-0047 or you can pre-qualify for free directly online at www.mcsocal.com

Respectfully,

Dr. Sean Breen

Posted in disease treatment
Comments (0)

Marijuana (Cannabis) and PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder)

Posted By Dr. Sean Breen on March 31st, 2010

Today in my Irvine clinic I had two patients who were suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).  One was unfortunately physically and verbally abused by her boss and the second was involved in a very traumatic car accident where he lost one of his best friends.   Both of these patients experienced a combination of difficulty sleeping, recurring nightmares, avoidance and depression.

The first step in their recovery process involved psychotherapy which both were receiving.  One of them had started group therapy as well.   These two treatment modalities are pretty standard for patients who suffer from PTSD.

At this point many of you reading this may be wondering why and how they ended up in my office?  The reason is because each was started on 4 medications and for one a 5th was added.   One stated that they “felt like a zombie” and the others emotions “were completely dulled”.   Here is the list of medications that they brought in.

1) Trazodone: is an anti-depressant which affects the serotonin levels in your brain: in these cases it was being used to assist with insomnia.

2) Ambien: is a drug used to induce sleep as well.  It works similar to benzodiazepines in that it binds to the GABA receptors in the brain.  Patients often are worried about the addiction potential and complain of feeling very groggy upon awakening with daytime drowsiness that can affect work performance.

3) Lorazepam (Ativan): is a drug used to treat acute anxiety and insomnia.  Is a benzodiazepine and affects the GABA receptors in the brain.  Patients often worry about its addiction potential and increasing tolerance and dependence.

4) Prozac (Fluoxetine): is a drug most commonly used to treat depression.  It affects the serotonin receptors in the brain.   Many patients complain about it’s side effects.  Specifically, it can affect a patients sex drive and sexual performance.

5) Seroquel (quetiapine): is a drug often used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.  Often I have seen patients prescribed this to assist with insomnia as well.

The problem that these patients had with their psychiatrists treatment plan is the  amount of medications that they were taking throughout the day.  They literally felt like walking zombies; out of touch with their personal relationships.  They also experience unwanted side effects.  This is a very common theme that I hear from patients.

So where does cannabis come into play?  For one I think the goal is to get these patients off there medications used to treat the anxiety and insomnia.  For these patients the goal was to eliminate the need for the Ambien, Ativan and Trazodone IMMEDIATELY.

I encourage them to continue the prozac if it is helping with their mood.  As long as the side effects are not too bad I think this is a reasonable medication for them to stay on until the therapy allows them to cope without any medications.

Many times the goal for my patients is to substitute cannabis for one or more of the medications that they currently take.  Cannabis, if used appropriately, can replace many varieties of medication.  It can assist with falling asleep, decreasing anxiety, improving mood, stimulating appetite  and also decreasing patients use of other drugs such as alcohol.

I will follow up with them in a few weeks and blog about how they are doing. Stay tuned!

If you would like more information on seeing if cannabis can improve the quality of your life please feel free to call my staff and schedule an appointment to come in.  I would be happy to take care of you.

Visit us at www.mcsocal.com or call 877-721-0047

Posted in Uncategorized, disease treatment
Comments (0)

Tired of Side Effects of Prednisone? Try Cannabis

Posted By Dr. Sean Breen on March 27th, 2010

As medical director for medical cannabis of southern california I often evaluate patients who take regular high doses of prednisone.  Prednisone is the atomic bomb for inflammatory conditions such as crohns, ulcerative colitis, sever asthma and many other medical conditions.   Unfortunately it’s effects do not come without significant side effects.  Many patients can get relief of these side effects by using cannabis.

Typically patients who have to take prednisone experience sleeping irregularities, abdominal pain and bloating, appetite issues, nervousness and restlessness.  Many times it can cause an acute and temporary psychosis.   Prolonged use can cause weight gain, headaches, muscle pain and severe restlessness.

Unfortunately many patients who take prednisone have few other options.

ENTER CANNABIS.

Patients who use cannabis to combat some the more common side effects of prednisone typically respond and do much better.  In addition, because cannabinoids have anti-inflammatory properties it can relieve the inflammation and decrease the amount of prednisone that patients have to use.

I recently followed up with a 42 women with severe colitis (inflammation of the digestive tract) who within 6 months was able to stop her use of prednisone completely!  She is sleeping better, has an increased appetite (she was losing weight secondary to not eating…not good) and has less abdominal pain and indigestion.

This is common with many patients that I evaluate.  If you or someone you know is taking prednisone regularly and would like an evaluation to see if cannabis can help please feel free to contact my office at 877-721-0047 and schedule an appointment.

Be blessed and have a great day!

Dr. Breen, Medical Director www.MCSoCal.com

Posted in disease treatment
Comments (0)
Older Entries
Newer Entries