Medical Marijuana and OCD, PTSD, Bipolar and General Anxiety
October 28, 20104 CommentsDisease Treatment
Anafranil,
Bipolar,
Bupropion,
Clomipramine,
Clonazepam,
depression,
general anxiety disorder,
Klonopin,
Lamictal,
Lamotrigine,
Major Depressive Disorder,
marijuana,
Medical Marijuana,
obsessive-compulsive disorder,
post traumatic stress disorder,
Risperdal,
risperidone,
weight gain,
Wellbutrin
Today in Long Beach i took care of a 54 year old female who has been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Bipolar since 1994. She is currently seeing a psychiatrist every month who has her taking 5 (FIVE!) different medications to manage her symptoms. Since starting her medication she has gained 120lbs (known side effect of two of the medications) and states she is “a walking zombie“. She has very little quality of life and now wants to do something about it. She had use marijuana in the past when first diagnosed and managed to only need to use 1 medication but stopped when she started having children. She is now at her wits end and wants a better life. READ ON.
It is fairly common for patients to come into my office taking 5 or more medications every day. They start with one or two… develop side effects and then are prescribed a few more to deal with those side effects. It starts to snowball and before you know it they are taking pills all day. PATIENTS HATE THIS! I have found compliance with medication to be very low with patients who take multiple medications.
This patients medication regimen is as follows:
1. Wellbutrin 150mg 2x/day : this is used to treat her depression and improve her mood. It’s not known exactly how it works but it increased dopamine and norepinephrine levels in the brain. THERE ARE 25 LISTED COMMON SIDE EFFECTS!
2. Lamotrigine (lamictal) 300mg per day: this is used as a mood stabilizer for her Bipolar.It is not known how this medication works. It is also used to treat seizures. IT HAS 32 COMMON SIDE EFFECTS!
3. Risperidone (Risperdal) 1.5md per day: this drug is to treat the manic symptoms associated with bipolar and also schizophrenia. THis works by changing serotonin and dopamine levels in the brain…. but the exact mechanism of action is unknown. IT HAS 28 COMMON SIDE EFFECTS!
4. Clonazepam (Klonopin) 3 mg/day: this is used to treat anxiety. Is a benzodiazepine and works by influencing a neurotransmitter called GABA. IT HAS 22 COMMON SIDE EFFECTS!
5. Clomipramine (Anafranil) 75mg/day: This is used to treat her OCD symptoms. It works by increasing norepinephrine and serotonin levels in the brain. IT HAS 31 COMMON SIDE EFFECTS!
These 5 medications to treat her mood disorders have over 158… that is correct… 158 common side effects. Pretty much includes every possible symptom you could imagine.
On top of that they have a combined almost 100 additional “serious side effects” between them.
Is there any wonder that this patient feels like a zombie??
The goal with this patient is to treat as many symptoms as possible with medical cannabis to see if she can reduce the dose or stop some of her other medications that are NOT improving the quality of her life.
In the past she was able to eliminate all but ONE medication and felt great. Here goal is to do the same.
She is highly functional despite her many medications she takes. She works full time and also has a family. She seems to be determined to get better which is the first and most important step for many patients.
We REALLY need to educate ourselves as physicians as to the alternatives to handing out medications. There are herbs, supplements, foods and other natural remedies that can do everything some of these meds are without all the side effects.
If you want more information on medical marijuana feel free to come in for an appointment or visit our website. 877-721-0047
Be blessed,
Dr. Breen
I can’t believe the misinformation I am seeing on the web! My son, who has had severe cyclical vomitting syndrome since about 15 years old (he is now 22), is facing his Social Security Disability Hearing in January.
How do I answer the accusation of self-inflicted CVS due to marijuana use now? I know from personal experience that this is the only thing that really helps his nausea and appetite. I have seen him on the brink of death, 122 lbs on a 6-foot frame, only 19 and unable to eat Thanksgiving dinner. He looked as if he would die within the month but he is still here.
It was after that that I stopped their experimenting on him with different anti-nausea meds, some of which cost upwards of $200 for a couple pills, and did not work, and just started trying to make sure he always had pot.
He has had a ruptured esophagus 3 times and spent his 20th birthday in the ICU. He spent many other holidays hospitalized in either Psychiatric or Medical units. He is also bi-polar.
We have fouhd that marijuana and an anxiolytic manage his conditions best.
I am concerned about how to defend his medical need for marijuana in light of this unbelievable claim that its use causes hyperemesis.
Can you advise?
Deborah,
My advice is to ask the doctor that gave your son his recommendation to write a letter on his behalf stating the reasons he is using it. I did have another patient with CVS who was told her vomiting was from her cannabis use… and she replied to them “then why was it there way before I started medicating?” and they really did not have a great answer. Marinol (synthetic THC) is a prescription drug used in hospitals all the time to reduce nausea and stimulate ones appetite. As you probably know THC is one of 60 medically active ingredients in the plant. It sounds like your son had symptoms long before he started using cannabis. I would ask them to show you any literature that cannabis causes cyclic vomiting. I have not found one thing in the literature that says that and have not heard that once from the thousands of patients I have taken care of. Unfortunately you are running into some nasty politics. Maybe talk to a good lawyer who deals with work comp/medical malpractice??
I recently got my medical card here in Colorado and I feel like this might help with the PTSD symptoms. However, during the evaluation, my doctor recommended that I use a Vaporizer. He explained to me that a Vaporizer heats up my product at a lower temperature so there are no tars or carcinogens produced. Before I make the decision, I wanted to hear your point of view on this matter?
I have been diagnosed with moderate to severe ptsd, depression, and anxiety. I frequently have panic attacks (every day is an anxiety struggle) I smoked marijuana when I was a teen. I am now 22 my councelor put me on welbutrin (bupropion) twice daily and my episodes have become more frequent and incredibly worse. Just this morning alone I’ve had 3 “attacks”. I have seriously been considering self medicating with marijuana but my husband is in the army and 100% agaist it. I want to know if it is prescribed to people with ptsd and anxiety? And how difficult it is to get a card?