Posts Tagged ‘rheumatoid arthritis’

Sjogrens Syndrome, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Medical Marijuana

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

Today I took care of a 58 year old women who suffered from Sjogrens Syndrome and Rheumatoid Arthritis who had tried medical marijuana recently and found relief of her symptoms.   Her arthritis mostly affected her hands and shoulders and required multiple drugs for pain management.     She had been on Bextra then Vioxx then Celebrex but had to stop all of them because of kidney disease.    She was at her “wits end” and wanted an alternative to help her get some relief and sleep throughout the night.

Sjogrens syndrome is an autoimmune disease where the bodies white blood cells attack the lacrimal glands which produce tears for the eyes (lubrication) and also the salivary glands.   Most commonly patients complain of dry eyes and dry mouth.  Patients often walk around sipping water all day to keep there mouth moist.   In this patients case her taste buds were affected as well which made it difficult for her to enjoy food.   She found that certain strains of marijuana really improved her appetite and helped her deal with this debilitating disease.

Many patients with Sjogrens syndrome also develop rheumatoid arthritis.   Unfortunately there is no cure or way to reverse the arthritis so patients must learn way through nutrition, physical therapy and medication to improve the quality of their lives.   I have found many patients who use cannabis do REALLY well and don’t require near as much medication as patients who do not use cannabis.  The medically active ingredients in the plant bind to receptors on the white blood cells that cause inflammation and help reduce the pain.

The great thing about marijuana is that is is not toxic to any of the major organs in the body, is not addictive and can be taken over long periods of time.   It can be inhaled without having to smoke it by using a vaporizer and it is almost odorless.

If you would like more information on whether or not medical marijuana can improve the quality of your life feel free to give us a call at 877-721-0047 or contact us though the website at www.mcsocal.com

Be blessed,

Dr. Breen

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Plaquenil, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus and Marijuana (Cannabis)

Posted By Dr. Sean Breen on April 7th, 2010

As medical director of Medical Cannabis of Southern California I often evaluate patients who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis and SLE (lupus).  Both are characterized by extreme chronic joint pain.   Today I evaluated a 54 year female who had been taking plaquenil (hydroxychloroquine) to limit the joint inflammation.    Unfortunately she is experiencing some unwanted side effects and has been using cannabis to help relieve them.

Plaquenil is a drug that is used to treat malaria infections.   It also happens to have immunosuppressive properties and is used to limit inflammation.   Arthritis is a disease that is characterized by pain secondary to joint inflammation.

This patient stated that the plaquenil was working great and her joint pain had been reduced tremendously.  However it was causing pretty debilitating abdominal cramping, nausea and occasional vomiting.    In many cases this can be reduced by taking with food but for her it was persistent and frequent.

A few weeks back she ran into a friend who had been using cannabis to treat her lupus arthritis.   She convinced my patient to try a little to see if it would help.  Not surprisingly her abdominal cramping subsided and her nausea went away.   In addition her joint pain was significantly improved.

Cannabis has many anti-inflammatory properties.  It directly binds to receptors on immune cells and modulates the inflammatory response.   In addition it also reduces pain by directly binding to receptors in our nervous system.

My treatment plan for her is to try vaporizing an indica strain at night to help with sleep and use a topical cream during the day.  She will most likely use cannabis indefinitely as there is no cure for arthritis (outside a joint replacement)

If you suffer from joint pain and would like to discuss whether or not cannabis can improve the quality of your life feel free to contact us at 877-721-0047 and schedule an appointment.  You can also pre-qualify online for free at www.mcsocal.com

See you soon!

Dr. Breen

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Treating Arthritis With Marijuana (Cannabis)

Posted By admin on October 19th, 2009

As medical director for Medical Cannabis of Southern California I often evaluate patients who suffer from arthritis.   Many patients are unaware of the significant anti-inflammatory properties that cannabinoids (the medically active ingredients in the plant) have.    Arthritis (inflammation and an overall degradation of the joint) can be secondary to an old injury or as a result of aging.  This joint pain often causes daily pain and also many of my patients have difficulty sleeping at night as a result of “not being able to get comfortable.”

For patients who are unaware of cannabis and its effects on decreasing pain and inflammation this is a very exciting discovery.   In the mid 1980’s scientist discovered that the human body contains two specific types of receptors which cannabinoids bind to in the body.   They are primary located in the nervous and immune systems.  As a result of medicating with the plant patients almost feel an immediately relief of their pain and joints become inflamed.

The reason why I think patients should give cannabis serious consideration is because it is very safe when compared to many of the NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) such as motrin and tylenol.  NSAIDS can cause ulcerations in the lining of the digestive tract and as a result many patients have developed bleeding which can potentially be life threatening.   Tylenol can also be very toxic to your liver.    Cannabis does not have a negative affect on any of the major organ systems (if vaporized)  and is easily tolerated.    Typically patients can vaporize a small amount prior to going to bed and they end up getting a very restful sleep and wake up feeling much more rested and pain free.

For more information on cannabis and how it can help you please visit our website at www.MCSoCal.com  Dr. Sean Breen specializes in discussing the benefits and risks of medicating with cannabis with patients.  His offices are located in Long Beach, Irvine and Encinitas.

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