Alternative Treatments for Graves Disease; Marijuana (Cannabis)
October 22, 20099 CommentsDisease Treatment
appetite,
cannabinoids,
Dr Sean Breen,
excessive sweating,
graves disease,
headaches,
hperthyroidism,
indica,
insomnia,
iodine,
medical cannabis of southern california,
Medical Marijauna,
sativa,
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thyroidectomy,
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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
Hi,
I’ve been experiencing excessive sweating, headaches, increased appetite with no significant weight gain, tremors especially in the hands and legs, finger “cramps” with no pain just loss of proper functioning, disorientation/dizziness, rapid heartbeat and shortness of breath, I could go on but the signs are all there including nervousness, anxiety and mood swings. At first I thought I was experiencing withdrawals from not smoking weed anymore but after 3 months the same symptoms were still there and not improving a whole lot or at all in some cases, which made me doubt my quitting so I started smoking again and the result was instantaneous (less than an hour, especially for the physical symptoms). No more sweating (while I’m smoking), I feel more oriented when I’m high (which doesn’t seem right really), tremors subside and I feel almost social but not quite because the psychological state seems to stay the same such as the anxiety and nervousness around people which I had never experienced before until the rest of these symptoms showed up.
I want to seek a doctor but I’m not sure how I’m going to explain this one. I don’t have any problems telling anyone I smoke, but I would have a problem if it (the weed) was blamed for what’s happening.
Any and all advice would be welcome.
Thank you!
You can find more information on Hyperthyroidism in:
http://www.geneticsofpregnancy.com/Encyclopedia/Hyperthyroidism.aspx?pid=62
This site contains information On Pregnancy Diseases And Genetic Testing.
Hi,
I was diagnosed with Graves Disease in February. A while back for about 10 years I smoked marijuana. Hardly now do I smoke on a regular basis, but I have noticed now when I do, my thyroid seems to decrease. I live in Colorado and will speak with my PCP. However was wondering if there is any information you could supply me with on further research.
Blessings,
Vena
Jennifer, everything you wrote up there freakishly applies to me, down to the letter. I am waiting for the test results to come back to find out if I have Hyperthyroidism. Once the results come back, and I’m sure it will come back as positive, I’m going to approach my doctor about using Marijuana as treatment. I’ve been smoking marijuana for the last 7 years and it’s always helped, but I’m sick of going through the “wrong channels” to get it, I hope this all works out, because I can say this forsure, I’m not doing any of these:
“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.”
No thanks! I don’t even like taking advil, so there’s no way I’m going to do any of these options.
I am so enchanted by the medicinal values of marijuana. After leaving North Carolina for San Francisco, it was quite apparent that few people knew enough about cannabis to truly utilize it in an efficient manner. That is why iStrainguide on the iPhone incorporates terpenoids, which further enhance the patient’s ability to recognize the strain that best suits them: beyond sativa and indica.
Cheers to Dr. Sean Breen for offering informative access to a safer alternative; after all, the whole medicinal side of marijuana is legal due to a compassionate act (1996).
My dad had graves disease, and I seem to be experimenting all of the symptoms for a little over a year. I am 16, and was tested for overactive thyroid about 3 years ago, and it was negative. However, that was before I hit puberty, and I read that the symptoms onset with pubery. Ive been smoking weed a lot for the past year and it really seems to help. I want to go to the doctor but I am nervous that I will be forced to take a prescription that is going to do more harm than good. I reside in Arizona, where medical marijuana recently became legal. I feel that it would really benefit me if I have the disease, but would I still have to wait until I am 18 to obtain a card????
I am not sure what the law states in Arizona. You would have to speak to a doctor their that recommends it.
Be blessed
Being tested for Hashimoto’s or Graves is a simple test made complicated by contemporary doctors. Most will test your thyroid “function” with a TSH test which is actually a hormone that comes from your pituatary gland not your thyroid. Testing for the Thyroid hormones T3, T4, reverse T3, reverse T4, free T3, free T4, can be helpful, but don’t tell you whether you actually have the disease of Graves or Hashimotos. You see, Graves and Hashimoto’s is not a thyroid disease, it is an autoimmune disease where your own antibodies target the thyroid gland, the eyes, the gut and the brain. So the best, BEST, best test to get is an antibody test. This will tell you whether you have inflammation or an autoimmune response happening in your body regardless of what your pituatary gland is doing to activate your thyroid (TSH). So to make a long story much shorter, Graves is not a thyroid disease, it is an autoimmune disease that attacks your thyroid so if you want to be tested for that, then test for antibodies. If cannibus does something to dampen an autoimmune response, then that is a good thing and I’d use it – like supplimenting with hemp oil or any other antioxident, anti-inflammatory. Personally, destroying your thyroid gland does nothing to stop your disease if it’s autoimmune, it still marches on, but now you have no thyroid gland and nothing to make the myriad of thyroid hormones that your body requires to function (the medical community only has one synthetic replacement – T4). Not a good thing at all as the thyroid gland actually allows every cell in your body to receive and exchange oxygen and kilajoules. It is connected to the “entire” endocrine system; your ovaries/testies, your adrenals, your uterus/prostrate, your liver, your spleen, your pancreas, pituatary gland, and hypothalamus. If you remove it, then expect horrible things down the road. Best to try and get your immune response to settle down so you can get a remission and/or a handle on regulating your immune response. That includes any food intolerances and allergies – which is a better test than TSH anyways. Goodluck.
hi I am 16 and was just browsing through these comments and was very surprised when i noticed that many of the things said here apply to me as well, I was diagnosed with an over active thyroid around 3 years ago and suffer from head aches, lack of concentration, dizziness and lack of weight gain and often a lack of appetite, i started smoking weed about a year and a half ago and have noticed a dramatic size reduction (i found out i had an over active thyroid because family members noticed i had an large lump on my neck so i got it checked out) since i have been smoking it, it also helps my appetite makes me feel more awake and alert and relives headaches and so on. i was wondering weather i would be eligible for medical marijuana or not? please get back to me, thanks