In this patient he was actually on a 27 hour sleep cycle.    This means that there are times where 1 in the afternoon feels like 1 in the morning.   Obviously it was very disruptive to his daily life and makes it very difficult for him to function at work with massive amounts of caffeine during the day and heavily sedating drugs at night.

Unfortunately caffeine has a ton of bad consequense and this patient was becoming addicted to sleeping pills.   Specifically, he was using more and more temazepam which is a benzodiazepine medication (like valium).   He came to me in search of a potential alternative.

His sleep specialist told him that he may benefit from a trial of medical marijuana.  There is more research coming out that says that indica strains that are higher in cannabinol (CBD) and lower in tertahydrocannabinol (THC) are more sedating than traditional sativa based marijuana strains.   They tend to be less psychoactive and more sedating.  Therefore patients do not get the intense head high but instead a “body relaxation” effect.

Although I have yet to see any major studies that have compared different strains of medical marijuana I do not that patients report different effects when they use indica versus sativa strains.    Much more research has to be done in order to get an answer that will undergo the rigors of scientific scrutiny but until the federal governement re-schedules marijuana it will most likely NOT happen in the United States.

Stay tuned and continue to petition your politicians to put pressure on the government to allow the safe and funded research of medical marijuana.

Typically, if managed medically by Kaiser, he would have been taking (he was actually offered all of these medications)

Xanax: for his sleep and anxiety.

Ambien: for his insomnia

Phenergan: for his nausea

Zoloft: for his depression

Naproxen: for pain.

Vicodin: for breakthrough pain.

INSTEAD, HE DECIDED TO VAPORIZE MEDICAL MARIJUANA DAILY.   As a result he didn’t have to take any of these medications.   This is a true story and I am not making any of this up!

If you think about it, this is really amazing.

Let’s consider the cost savings:

AMBIEN 10mg: Avg cost for 30 days = $176.00

VICODIN:  Avg cost for 30 days = $200.00

ZOLOFT 100mg: Avg cost for 30 days = $146.00

NAPROXEN 250mg:  Avg cost for 30 days = $46.00

PHENERGAN:  Avg Cost for 30 days = $7.00 (online)

XANAX: Avg Cost for 30 days: = $27.00

The total monthly cost for taking these medications is $602.00    Assuming this patient lives 18 months that comes to $10,836.00     That is a huge cost to this patient and HUGE profits to the drug companies.

Now I understand why cannabis has no medicinal value.    Because you can grow 12 plants legally for about $200 in your backyard and have enough medicine to last you two years.

If the drug companies could figure out how to profit from 12 plants in a patients garden, my bet is that marijuana would have a TON OF MEDICINAL VALUE.   It’s funny how that works.

Until then, doctors who recommend marijuana to patients are going to remain money hungry quacks who bottom feed off desperate patients.  Or better yet, glorified drug dealers!

So what is the endogenous endocannabinoid system?   Simply stated, it is our bodies own natural production of cannabinoids.   That is correct, our body actually makes compounds (the main one we know of is called anandamide) that are identical to some of the cannabinoids in the marijuana plant.   On top of that we have receptors in our central and peripheral nervous system (in addition to the immune system and embryo) that were specifically designed to bind these compounds.     It is irrefutable that cannabinoids play a role in regulating our physiology.  To what extent it does so is something that needs continued research.

Today I was studying our endogenous endocannabinoid system and learned that the developing embryo has cannabis receptors that regulate its ability to properly implant in the uterus.     This was shown for sure in experiments involving mice.    Researchers believe that having too much or too little cannabinoids can adversely affect pregnancy.   For example if a women has high levels of natural cannabinoids and uses marijuana it can induce a miscarriage.    However if a women does not have enough cannabinoids in her body and uses cannabis it could potentially promote implantation and a viable pregnancy.

The unfortunate thing about preliminary research is that there is no funding to take it to the next level.   The government does not allow grants for research regarding marijuana (with the exception of one poorly run study).   I personally believe that big-pharma (drug companies) have too much power and influence over our politicians.   I know that they don’t want people turning in their ambien, xanax, vicodin and compazine for 12 plants growing in the patients back yard.

This morning I took care of a 35 year old male who has been using medical marijuana for the past year to help improve his sleep and anxiety.   What he said was that his symptoms are still there, albeit not as intense, but he was renewing because he was no longer taking Ativan or Ambien to control his symptoms.    For him that was a major accomplishment because he did not “like taking pills.”

He did ask me how long he thinks he will need to stay on cannabis.   The answer is that for every patient it is different.  Marijuana will help control symptoms but is not going to fix the underlying cause of his anxiety (which are job stressors).    Until he learns skills to cope with the pressures at work his symptoms are going to be there.   So we discussed various coping issues to help him remove the “wasted worry” from his life.

The reality of the situation is that he is using one dose of cannabis 4x per week an hour before he goes to sleep.  He could realistically do that the rest of his life without having to worry about any major damage to his body.   But it should be every patients goal to completely be off all medications and be 100% healed.   That is my goal for him.

If you are wondering is medical marijuana can improve the quality of your life I would encourage you to make an appointment to see me.  877-721-0047.

Be blessed,

Dr. Breen

Today I treated a 43 year old women who came to me to try medical marijuana as an alternative to Wellbutrin, Xanax and Ambien for her insomnia, anxiety and depression.  She states that this has gone on for about 15 years.     She was tired of how those medications made her feel.  ”Like a zombie” she said.      Then she asked me “do you think this will help.”

My first response to her was: “Let me ask you this question.  What do you typically eat throughout the day and how often do you eat?”

That is when her husband started shaking his head and she became reluctant to discuss her diet with me.   To put it mildly; she ate like shit.     Skips breakfast, drinks soda and coffee, eats a ton of candy and ice cream prior to going to bed.   She ate very few protein foods and no healthy fats.  The carbohydrates she at were all high glycemic (raised her blood sugar very high very quickly) foods.

This patient is depressed and has anxiety because (most likely) her serotonin levels are all over the place.   Serotonin is the main neurotransmitter in the brain that controls mood.   It requires adequate protein and fat in the diet in order to manufacture.   Specifically you have to eat an essential amino acid (must eat, can not make) called tryptophan in order to make it.   Diets high in carbohydrates and sugar and low in protein are going to deplete stores of serotonin.

Now consider this.  Her doctor put her on a Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor to improve her mood.   But the problem is that there is most likely not enough serotonin in the first place.   What this patient needs first is to fix her nutrition.   Once she does that her mood HAS to improve.

There depressive and anxious states are the result of poor nutrition compounded by life stresses that patients do not have the ability to deal with (mostly because of poor nutrition and lifestyle habits)

My recommendation: fix your nutrition first.  Give your body everything it needs and stop giving it toxins and THEN see what happens.   If you are still symptomatic then and only then should you consider medications.

Be blessed,

GROWTH HORMONE, is a chemical that is produced in the pituitary gland in the central area of your brain.    It’s normal function and secretion is essential to a healthy life.  Specifically growth hormone:

1. Causes the growth of bones and cartilage in growing children.

2. Stimulates the growth of skeletal muscle by increasing the uptake of amino acids.  It facilitates the healing and regeneration of healthy connective tissue.

3. Breaks down fat.

4. Supports the immune system by influencing the production of anti-bodies and the function of many immune cells.

5. Effects mood and behavior.

6.  Effects the production of a compound called IHG-1 in the liver which has MANY important metabolic functions.

So as you can see, GH is essential for living a healthy life.   It’s secretion peaks in adolescence  and slowly declines over time.    THERE ARE MANY THINGS THAT CAN EFFECT THE PRODUCTION OF GH IN THE BODY.

SLEEP HAPPENS TO BE THE NUMBER ONE FACTOR IN ENSURING THE HEALTHY PRODUCTION OF GRAOTH HORMONE IN THE BODY.   GH is primarily secreted in the first few hours of deep sleep at night.  LIke many other hormones GH is triggered by a circadian rhythm and when we fall asleep the body inherently knows to ramp up GH production.

If patients are lying in bed staring at the ceiling until 1 or 2 am and then have to get up for work in 3-4 hours they are missing out on the peak time when their bodies should be secreting growth hormone.   THE RESULT:  breakdown of muscle mass, increases in fat stores, weakened immune systems and overall feeling and looking “much older”

Understanding the importance of getting a good nights sleep, you can now see insomnia in a new light.     Growth Hormone is only ONE of MANY hormones that are triggered by sleep.    Medical Marijuana has some incredible properties.  One of them is sedation.   I can not tell you how many patients of mine use a cannabis INDICA strain 30 minutes prior to going to bed and tell me they “had the best sleep in years.” The good news is that unlike many other sleep pills, patients do not report waking up feeling groggy or feel tired throughout the day.  Most can use a very small dose of the right stain of marijuana and do really well.

So I challenge those who mock physicians who provide medical marijuana recommendations for patients who can not sleep well to do the research and really study what the cost of not sleeping is on the body.   I CAN TELL YOU THAT DOCTORS IN GENERAL LIVE 15 YEARS LESS THAN THE GENERAL PUBLIC…mostly because of not enough sleep, overcompensating with caffeine and poor diets, which leads to chronic disease and early death.

With that… BE BLESSED AND GO GET SOME SLEEP——> If you are not using cannabis to help you sleep and would like to come in and see me feel free to contact us through our website or toll free number 877-721-0047

Dr. Breen

Let me make one point that is very important for PTSD patients to understand.  Medical Marijuana is not going to cure your symptoms. You will still need ongoing therapy and psychiatric counseling to REALLY get past this time in your life.   What medical marijuana can do if help you reduce your dependence on drugs like Trazodone/Xanax/Ambien for sleep and reduce your dependence on mood stabilizers like paxil/prozac/seroquel.  Often these medications have side effects that do not justify the benefit of taking them daily.    Many of my patients tell me that one or two doses using a vaporizer when they come home from work helps them relax and get a good nights rest.

Being a combat veteran myself I understand the stresses that our veterans go though and what they experience when they get home.  I spent 9 months with an infantry unit (1/4 out of Camp Horno, 1MARDIV) in Iraq from Jan-Sept 2003.   I definitely witnessed my share of casualties and had more than one RPG sent my way.   I have lost Navy Corpsman to bullets and covered a KIA marine with a US flag in the heat of battle.   There is nothing more terrifying than the thought of being killed on a regular basis.

I do not take this medication lightly and want to make sure that our military leadership and veterans understand that medical marijuana is an option for them to consider.   It make work and it may not.  But I think it is worth discussing and you should be willing to give it a try if you are frustrated with your current treatment plan.

I have offices in Long Beach and Irvine and see patients 5 days per week.   Our office number is 877-721-0047 or contact us through the web at www.mcsocal.com

Semper fi,

Dr. Breen

The first night she vaporized (inhaled smoke free) one pinch of a cannabis strain called OG Kush.  She described lying down and falling asleep almost immediately.  Prior to that she would “toss and turn” for a few hours before finally falling asleep.  She reported that she slept 8 hours for the first time in 2 years!   As a result she woke up feeling rested and was able to be more productive the next day.  She plans on using marijuana for the duration of her menopausal symptoms and is “so relieved” that she has a “more natural alternative.”

Menopause occurs because of decreasing estrogen levels in the womens body.   It typically occurs around the age of 51.   Many women experience hot flashes, vaginal dryness and nights sweats.   Many women also report feeling anxious or even depressed.   It can be a very difficult time for women as there reproductive organs “shut down” for good.   Typically doctos try giving their patients SSRI’s (antidepressants such as Paxil), Ambien to improve sleep and benzodiazepines to treat anxiety.   Hormone replacement therapy used to be the gold standard to reduce the typical symptoms but recent studies showed an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and breast cancer.

I see many women who get great results by using small amounts of cannabis in the evening to reduce their symptoms.  Because cannabis is such a benign medication (very little unwanted side effects) I believe that it is a great alternative to try.   It is not addictive, is not toxic to any major organ system and be used as often as necessary.  In addition if vaporized (vs smoked) there are no harmful side effects from smoke which limits most patients from even trying it.

If you are in menopause or would like more information on whether you could benefit from using cannabis feel free to make an appointment at 877-721-0047.  There is NO FEE if you do not qualify or decide not to use it.

Respectfully,

Dr. Breen

Standard treatment for many of these women are SSRI’s (anti-depressants) to treat any of their mood symptoms (irritability, depression and anxiety), high dose NSAIDS (naprosyn/motrin) for pain, spirinolactone for edema, ambien for sleeping difficulties and occasionally other non pharmaceutical therapies (Calcium and Magnesium Supplements)  The problem is that these treatment modalities come with many unwanted side effects and do not provide adequate relief.   SSRI’s can cause apathy and affect the patients sex drive.  NSAIDS can cause dangerous gastro-intestinal bleeding, ambien can be addicting and often makes patients extremely groggy upon awakening and spirinolactone can cause electrolyte disturbances.

Studies have shown that up to 75% of women suffer from PMS/PMDD on some level.  That is an enormous amount of people that are taking a lot of different medications that are not only ineffective but can be very dangerous if taken regularly.

Once patients understand how marijuana works in the body they are much more comfortable trying it for their PMS symptoms.  Cannabis can be extremely relaxing while elevating the patients moods and assist with sleep.  (good bye SSRI and Ambien).  It is amazing at relieving pelvic pain and headaches (good bye NSAIDS) and can increase a patients libido.

What I tell my patients is that it is definitely worth giving it a try.  If it works, GREAT!  If not, simply don’t use it.   In the meantime it is not going to damage your liver, kidneys or cause GI bleeding.  You can not overdose on it and there is an extremely low potential for physical or psychological addiction.

Lastly, you can easily avoid smoking it by using a vaporizer which allows you to inhale the medicine SMOKE FREE!

If you suffer from PMS/PMDD and would like to discuss using cannabis to treat your symptoms feel free to give us a call at 877-721-0047.  Or you can simply pre-qualify for FREE at www.mcsocal.com

Be blessed,

Dr. Breen

The first step in their recovery process involved psychotherapy which both were receiving.  One of them had started group therapy as well.   These two treatment modalities are pretty standard for patients who suffer from PTSD.

At this point many of you reading this may be wondering why and how they ended up in my office?  The reason is because each was started on 4 medications and for one a 5th was added.   One stated that they “felt like a zombie” and the others emotions “were completely dulled”.   Here is the list of medications that they brought in.

1) Trazodone: is an anti-depressant which affects the serotonin levels in your brain: in these cases it was being used to assist with insomnia.

2) Ambien: is a drug used to induce sleep as well.  It works similar to benzodiazepines in that it binds to the GABA receptors in the brain.  Patients often are worried about the addiction potential and complain of feeling very groggy upon awakening with daytime drowsiness that can affect work performance.

3) Lorazepam (Ativan): is a drug used to treat acute anxiety and insomnia.  Is a benzodiazepine and affects the GABA receptors in the brain.  Patients often worry about its addiction potential and increasing tolerance and dependence.

4) Prozac (Fluoxetine): is a drug most commonly used to treat depression.  It affects the serotonin receptors in the brain.   Many patients complain about it’s side effects.  Specifically, it can affect a patients sex drive and sexual performance.

5) Seroquel (quetiapine): is a drug often used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.  Often I have seen patients prescribed this to assist with insomnia as well.

The problem that these patients had with their psychiatrists treatment plan is the  amount of medications that they were taking throughout the day.  They literally felt like walking zombies; out of touch with their personal relationships.  They also experience unwanted side effects.  This is a very common theme that I hear from patients.

So where does cannabis come into play?  For one I think the goal is to get these patients off there medications used to treat the anxiety and insomnia.  For these patients the goal was to eliminate the need for the Ambien, Ativan and Trazodone IMMEDIATELY.

I encourage them to continue the prozac if it is helping with their mood.  As long as the side effects are not too bad I think this is a reasonable medication for them to stay on until the therapy allows them to cope without any medications.

Many times the goal for my patients is to substitute cannabis for one or more of the medications that they currently take.  Cannabis, if used appropriately, can replace many varieties of medication.  It can assist with falling asleep, decreasing anxiety, improving mood, stimulating appetite  and also decreasing patients use of other drugs such as alcohol.

I will follow up with them in a few weeks and blog about how they are doing. Stay tuned!

If you would like more information on seeing if cannabis can improve the quality of your life please feel free to call my staff and schedule an appointment to come in.  I would be happy to take care of you.

Visit us at www.mcsocal.com or call 877-721-0047