Posts Tagged ‘headaches’

Polymyalgia Rheumatica and Medical Marijuana; Alternative Treatment

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

Today in my Irvine office I took care of a 71 year old man who suffers from Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) and wanted to see if medical marijuana could reduce his symptoms and decrease the amount of prednisone that he is taking.   Specifically, PMR is characterized by pain in the muscles of the neck, shoulders, lower back and hips/pelvis.   It’s key pathology is inflammation which in turn leads to pain.   The reason why medical marijuana works so well is because the cannabinoids(medically active ingredients in the marijuana plant) have both anti-inflammatory and analgesic (pain reduction) properties.

PMR typically affects patients older than 50.  It is very common that patients also have giant-cell arteritis (temporal arteritis) which is inflammation of the medium and larger arteries.   Commonly patients have headache, jaw claudication (pain) and sometimes visual changes.   The reason for these is that the artery most commonly affected runs across the temple’s bilaterally (temporal artery).

PMR is difficult to treat.  Typically patients get placed on a course of prednisone which is a big gun drug to reduce inflammation in the body.    PMR symptoms will usually improve dramatically when given prednisone.   The duration of initial treatment can be weeks to months.   50% of the patients will have flare-ups when the prednisone is tapered.

The problem with prednisone is that is has A LOT of side effects. Weight gain, psychosis and mood swings, fluid retention, increased appetite,  swelling, easy bruising, headache, insomnia and muscle weakness (there are many more but these are the most common).  My patient was having a lot of edema (swelling) and his mood swings were unbearable (according to his wife)   He had been using medical grade marijuana for the past two weeks and has had good results.    His pain has been reduced dramatically and he is sleeping much longer and throughout the night…. something he hadn’t done in “years”.

The goal for a patient like this is to help him wean off the prednisone, pain killers and sleeping pills and substitute with cannabis.  Certainly it is a very obtainable goal.

If you suffer from arthritis or muscle pain and/or have been diagnosed with Polymyalgia Rheumatica and would like to see if medical marijuana could potentially help you feel free to contact us by calling 877-721-0047 or through our website at www.mcsocal.com

Be blessed,

Dr. Breen

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Marijuana (Cannabis) and Our Veterans: Lets help Steve.

Posted By Dr. Sean Breen on April 22nd, 2010

Today I met with Steve in my Long Beach office.  Steve is 62 and currently lives at the VA hospital in Long Beach.   Steve is  a Viet Nam  war veteran and was living in a shelter prior to being admitted to the VA.   The reason why he was in my office is because he was assaulted with a baseball bat and required emergency brain surgery.  Obviously I’m sickened by how our Viet Nam vets were treated when they came back from the war but to see a guy like this get clobbered by a bunch of hoodlums is pretty unbelievable.   Steve uses cannabis for chronic headaches as a result of his surgery.

One of the things Steve asked myself and Mark who works with me in Long Beach is if we could help him find a place to live when he gets out of the hospital.

If you know of a good shelter for Steve maybe post a comment and we can help him out.

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Alternative Treatments for Graves Disease; Marijuana (Cannabis)

Posted By Dr. Sean Breen on October 22nd, 2009

As medical director for Medical Cannabis of Southern California I see a few patients every month who present with the diagnosis of Graves Disease.   Graves Disease is caused by an overactive thyroid gland (Hyperthyroidism) and can cause a great variety of symptoms.  Many of these symptoms can be easily treated with cannabis.

The thyroid gland is located on either side of the adams apple in patients and can be easily felt on physical exam.   It’s main function is regulate the overall metabolism of the body.  It also plays a role in calcium metabolism.   There are many clinical symptoms associated with an over active or under active thyroid gland.  The most common symptoms are weight loss, fatigue, rapid heart rate, muscle weakness and protruding eyes (exophthalmos).  However many patients can also experience anxiety, headaches, excessive sweating, irritability, decreased concentration, insomnia and a multitude of other symptoms.

Today my patient was a 38 year old make who presented with the diagnosis of graves disease.  He experiences insomnia, frequent headaches and lack of appetite.   On exam he suffered from protruding eyeballs which is common in patients with hyperthyroidism.     He had been using cannabis for the past three months to help with the headaches pain and assist with sleep.  At night time he would vaporize with an indica kush strain and during the day he used a sativa to help with his appetite.  He stated the cannabis has greatly improved the quality of his life.   He received a written recommendation by me to medicate legally with cannabis and was able to go and purchase medicine today!

Traditional medical treatments for Graves disease are 1. Anti-thyroid medication designed to chemically slow down the production of thyroid hormone 2. Radioactive iodine which “kills” the overactive thyroid cells and 3. Surgical removal of the thyroid gland itself.

To see if you can benefit from the use of cannabis please feel free to visit our website at www.MCSoCal.com where you can pre-qualify for the medical marijuana card privately from your home.   Dr. Sean Breen evaluates patients M-F at his three offices in Irvine, Long Beach and Encinitas.  Toll free number is 877-721-0047

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Alternative treatment for perimenopause; Marijuana (Cannabis)

Posted By Dr. Sean Breen on October 15th, 2009

As medical director for Medical Cannabis of Southern California I frequently evaluate women who suffer from the symptoms of perimenopause.   Fortunately cannabis can be a great alternative treatment for many of the symptoms women experience during this time.    As women age they begin to experience hormonal changes which is the bodies natural result of transitioning from a fertile child bearing state to the end of her reproductive years.   This period of time leading up to menopause is called perimenopause.  The onset of perimenopause typically occurs around 40 years of age but can happen sooner or later depending on that womens specific genetics and physiology.  Symptoms are a result of fluctuating levels of estrogen and ultimately LH and FSH(luteinizing hormone, follicle stimulating hormone).

The typical symptoms that my patients complain of are insomnia (or a break from their normal sleeping patterns), irritability, headaches, nightsweats, hot flashes, decrease libido, vaginal dryness and overall emotional instability.   When many of these patients visit their primary care physicians they are offered a myriad of drugs to treat these symptoms.  For there headaches they are told to take NSAIDS such as motrin.  For there difficulty sleeping they are given drugs like ambien and lunestra.  For their emotional instability they are prescribed anti-depressants and anti-anxiety drugs such as lexapro and xanax.     In the end they are left with 4 or 5 different medications to take that have their own set of side effects that patients have to deal with.   Most of my patients get fed up and are “tired of taking so many pills.”  They are looking for a more natural approach to treat their symptoms.

The great news is that cannabis can alleviate many of the symptoms that perimenopausal women experience.   It is a great sedative and helps patients sleep through the night.  It can relieve the pain associated with headaches.   In addition, it functions as an anxiolytic and helps relax and calm patients after a long day.    Lastly, many strains of cannabis can increase a patients libido and enhance their sexual experiences with their partners.   The advantage I believe that cannabis has over many of these drugs is that the medically active ingredients found in the plant (collectively called cannabinoids) have few intolerable side effects.   Once they enter the bloodstream they bind to receptors throughout our nervous and immune systems and produce their physiological effects.   Within minutes patients feel relaxed and euphoric.  Many times the pain subsides immediately.    Because there has not been one documented overdose from cannabis use it is very safe and patients don’t have to worry about using too much.   I tell all of my patients that it is definitely worth a try.  ”if it helps and improves your quality of life, then great!  If not, simply stop using it.” The good news is that it is not toxic to any of your major organ systems and is not chemically addicting.   So there is little risk in giving it a try.

If you are worried about having to smoke it please see my website and read about the benefits of vaporizing cannabis (smoke free!).   If you would like more information please visit my website at www.MCSoCal.com or call 877-721-0047 and schedule an appointment.  You can also pre-qualify for free online from the comfort of your own home.   We have office locations in Long Beach, Irvine and Encinitas (San Diego)

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