cannabidiol and its use in neurology
Cannabidiol (CBD) is a medicine extracted from the Cannabis plant.
In recent years, multiple uses and ways of acting for CBD have been recognized.
The first proven use of cannabidiol was in the treatment of refractory genetic epilepsies, such as Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastault syndrome.
But, many other diseases can benefit from the use of cannabidiol. It is important to emphasize that the objective is often not to replace the standard treatment, but to treat a specific symptom and, therefore, treatment with cannabidiol should not be seen as an "alternative" or "non-conventional treatment". The cannabidiol drug should be evaluated as a serious drug, which may or may not be part of the therapeutic plan, and the best professional to assess its indication is the specialist in the actual disease. In neurological diseases, the specialist is the neurologist.
In most of them, cannabidiol does not act on the cause of the disease, which is generally genetic.
But it can act very usefully on various symptoms of the disease, such asParkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease, Dystonias, Autism and in the treatment of painful syndromes such as fibromyalgia, painful neuropathies, among many others.
Cannabidiol (CBD) may be useful in the treatment of many neurodegenerative diseases, helping to treat many symptoms such as:
sleep disorders
Anxiety
behavioral changes
pains
muscle contractions
Can cannabidiol stop Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease?
Não. Cannabidiol acts on symptoms of these diseases, but does not act on the pathophysiological mechanism of the disease. This is very important to understand. Cannabidiol acts on associated symptoms of these diseases, so they can be useful. It should be discussed with the doctor to find out if it is useful, as the patient often wants to use it to assess the benefit of a medication but expects it to act in a certain way, and may be frustrated.
That's why it's important to know how it works! When in doubt, talk to your doctor, Dr. Gustavo Franklin is an expert and will help you!
Possible side effects of cannabidiol
Like any medication, cannabidiol can have unwanted adverse effects.
In general, these effects are transitory and fleeting, and the patient must keep using it regularly, unless the effect is important (which prevents the continuation of the treatment).
The most common adverse effects are:
Skin rash (body patches, sometimes itchy)
Sedative effects (drowsiness, sedation, fatigue)
Change in appetite (increase or decrease)
Increased liver enzymes
Gastrointestinal (diarrhea, intolerance and vomiting)
In general, the adverse effects are temporary and well accepted, but if something different happens, just talk to the doctor to help you.