Alternative Treatment for Restless Leg Syndrome; Marijuana (cannabis)
May 20, 20102 CommentsDisease Treatment
dopamine,
Dr Sean Breen,
marijuana,
medical cannabis of southern california,
Medical Marijuana,
mirapex,
oc medical marijuana,
parkinson's disease,
pramipexole,
requip,
restless legs syndrome,
ropinirole,
www.mcsocal.com
Today in my Irvine office I had a follow up appointment with a 54 year old male who suffers from Restless Leg Syndrome. He had been using a medication called Requip (ropinirole) for the past 6 months without good results. His doctor recently switched him to a new medication called Mirapex (pramipexole) which has not been effective either. Both of those drugs work by stimulating dopamine receptors in the brain (dopamine is a neurotransmitter). They are drugs similar to those used to treat patients with parkinsons disease.
The patient started medicating with cannabis a year ago when I first evaluated him because his restless legs were making it very difficult to fall asleep. As a result he was experiencing daytime fatigue and it was really starting to affect his quality of life. His mood suffered because he did not feel rested. This spiraled into frequent arguments with his wife. It truly was a major problem for him.
Secondly, the Mirapex commonly causes nausea, fatigue and lightheadedness. This patient was experiencing from routine nausea as a result of his medication.
Cannabis was essential in his treatment plan. It allowed him to fall asleep much faster than normal and also eliminated any nausea he experienced from taking his medication. ”It has saved my life this past year” he said referring to his cannabis use. His dosing schedule was to inhale using a vaporizer two doses of an indica strain called presidential kush. He said that within 30 minutes he would fall asleep and wake up feeling rested. His mood improved as did his relationship with his wife.
Cases like these are perfect examples of how cannabis can improve the quality of patients lives. it is truly a benign drug when compared to other pharmaceuticals that doctors prescribe. You can’t overdose on it and it does not effect your liver or kidneys like many other commonly prescribed medications.
If you suffer from restless leg syndrome and would like more information feel free to contact my office to schedule an appointment. I have offices located in Irvine and Long Beach California. Call 877-721-0047 or pre-qualify for free at www.mcsocal.com
I wonder if they are gonna let people get a reference for Marijuana, because they have RLS.
I really hope they do! I am young and just recently tarted to suffer from this. I can’t be live what a struggle RLS is. I have it in my legs as well as my hands and arms. I didn’t start getting RLS till pregnancy and at that point their is nothing u can do except hot baths and exercise to wear the muscles out. After my pregnancy however I tried everything with no result. One day I decided to try out marijuana fOr it’s medicinal purposes never looked back it truly has saved my life! I wouldn’t be getting any sleep today if it wasn’t for marijuana.