The good news is that he is able to get some respite from his symptoms by using medical marijuana. He had been prescribed oxycontin 40mg and also takes 900 mg of neurontin daily. Neither of these medications provided significant relief and he was looking for an alternative treatment. By the time he came to see me he had been using medical marijuana for 2 years.

Behcet’s disease is an autoimmune disease where the bodies immune system attacks the blood vessels throughout the body. It is not specific to any area and can affect just about every organ system in the body. The hallmarks of the disease are painful oral and genital ulcers. The oral ulcers look exactly like canker sores that people typically get. They are extremely painful and really disrupt a patients quality of life. Patients commonly develop skin lesions that range from severe acne to erythema nodosum (painful large red areas on the shins typically). My patient developed severe acne with a lot of ulcerated lesions across his entire face and genital regions.

The reason my patient was using medical marijuana is that he also developed sever neuropathic pain in his arms and a general arthritic pain in his major joints (knees, hips). Bechet’s disease can affect both the musculature and joints.

Unfortunately there is no cure or great treatment for Behcet’s disease. Patients are given drugs that suppress the immune system. In my patients case he had been on high doses of prednisone for the past 6 months. This has caused a 60 pond weight gain and severely affected his mood. Per his mother he is a shell of the person he used to be and recently had to leave college to move back home with his parents for support. His diagnosis needs constant attention and the treatments are debilitating. In two weeks he starts Remicade infusions. This medication is a bi-weekly injection that suppresses tumor necrosis factor-alpha (main immune mediator). Unfortunately the side effects are severe and patients run the risk of infections. They can also develop abdominal cramping, nausea and lack of appetite.

The good news is that Ryan (not real name) can find some relief by using medical marijuana. He typically vaporizes an indica kush strain and feels a significant reduction in his pain. It also helps him sleep and improves his mood. Overall it has been a great treatment for him. I am honored and feel blessed to be part of his healthcare team. His attitude was humbling and made me feel horrible for ever complaining about anything in my life. What he is going through is terrible. It is really sad but he is a warrior, has a great family and and attitude of gratitude (which is #1 when it come to healing).

Typically diabetic neuropathy starts by affecting the peripheral nerves to patients feet and legs.  They can experience sharp pain when walking, decrease sensitivity to temperature, tingling, numbness and eventually when the nerves because completely destroyed no feeling at all.  I once took care of an elderly women with severe diabetic neuropathy who fractured her ankle to the point where her tibia was protruding directly through her skin.  Basically it snapped in half.  Amazingly she felt NO PAIN because her nerves were destroyed.

Many patients get put on medications such as gabapentin (neurontin), narcotics like vicodin and even anti-depressants such as amitryptiline.    Most patients report very little relief in their pain but also have unwanted side effects.   They report a significant reduction in their pain with even small doses of cannabis.   They can use it as often as they need without any fear of overdose, addiction or end organ damage.  They also can medicate using a digital vaporizer which makes it odorless and smoke free!

If you would like more information on cannabis and chronic neuropathic pain or would like a consultation please give us a call at 877-721-0047.  Dr. Breen has offices in Irvine and Long Beach California.

Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain condition that affects multiple muscle groups throughout the body.   The pain can be so persistant that patients experience concomitant depression and anxiety.

Patients typically present with a variety of pain killers from NSAIDS such as Naprosyn to optiates such a Vicodin/Hydrocodone to drugs like Neurontin (gabapentin) that are also used for pain.   Unfortunately these medications have serious side effects if they are used for prolonged periods of time.  Opiates cause nausea, constipation and are highly addictive.  NSAIDS can cause GI bleeding and affect the liver as well.

Cannabis has been shown to be very effective to not only control pain control but also elevate patients moods.   Patients state that there depression seems to “lift” and that their pain is reduced dramatically.   As a result they sleep better, have improved appetites and their relationships improve dramatically.

The great thing is that my fibromyalgia patients can medicate on a daily basis without the fear of becoming addicted.  It doesn’t affect their kidneys or liver and is easily metabolized.   Cannabis is simply excreted primarily in the feces but also in the urine.  It is stored in fat cells throughout the body.

If you suffer from fibromyalgia and would like to speak to me about using cannabis to treat your pain please give my staff a call at 877-721-0047 or pre-qualify for free at www.mcsocal.com

Respectfully,

Dr. Sean Breen

Brian P is a 65 y/o man who came into my office with his wife of 35 years.  He is suffering from advanced Parkinson’s disease and was unable to speak and had the typical shuffling gait.  His wife informed me that he suffers terribly from restless legs syndrome.  His symptoms are typical; an strong urge to move his legs when lying down to go to bed that has prevented him from getting a solid nights sleep in many months.  The insomnia is starting to take a toll on his health as he has a difficult time functioning throughout the day without a good nights sleep.  His wife explained that they have tried everything that modern medicine has to offer; He has been on high dose Motrin, Hydrocodone (Vicodin), Neurontin, Requip; has avoided any caffeine and alcohol, started walking more during the day, used heat and massage and “nothing has helped my husband.”

What brought them to my office was a result of a chance encounter with a friend of theirs who also suffered from restless legs.   He happened to treat his symptoms with cannabis (marijuana).  He told my patient that 30 minutes prior to going to bed he simply vaporized a pure cannabis indica strain.  The overall relaxation that cannabis provided in addition to the muscle relaxation had allowed him to sleep through the night.   My patient was encouraged and tried the same regimen that night and “it changed my husbands life.”  He finally fell asleep without difficulty and woke up feeling rested.    Since that time he has used cannabis when he has access to it but came in to see me so that he can get a medical cannabis recommendation and have safe access to medicine daily.   I am very hopeful that Brian’s symptoms will be reduced greatly and he can sleep well!

This story is not atypical in my practice.  Cannabis works very well for symptoms of restless legs because it causes a relaxation of the muscles and in addition affects the dopaminergic system in the brain just like many medications for restless legs.  The great thing about cannabis is that it has very few side effects, especially if not smoked.  It is not toxic to Brians major organs and he has ZERO chance of overdose.  Compared to opiate narcotics (like hydrocodone) cannabis is much safer and more effective.  I challenge any pain management doctor to put his arsenal of medications up against cannabis and see whose patients get a better result.

If you would like more information about medical cannabis and whether or not you can benefit please feel free to contact my clinic by calling 877-721-0047.   Our clinics are located in Irvine and Long Beach california.  www.mcsocal.com

Dr Sean Breen is committed to helping patients improve the quality of their lives by discussing the benefits and recommending the use of cannabis.  He can be reached by emailing drbreen@me.com

Many treatment options for neuropathic pain range from medications to nerve blocks to TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation).  Because patients with neuropathic pain typically do not respond well to opiates (Percocet, Vicodin, Hydrocodone) there are other classes of drugs that are typically used.   Anticonvulsants such a gabapentin (neurontin), anti-depressants such as amitriptyline and corticosteroids such as prednisone are just three of many different drugs that patients typically try.  Most patients experience limited relief with this approach.  It is extremely important that the psychological effects of chronic pain are also addressed.

Many patients are unaware of the clinical research supporting the use of cannabis (marijuana) to treat neuropathic pain.  The Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research at the UCSD has completed three clinical research studies demonstrating the efficacy of cannabis in treating neuropathic pain.  In the first study by Dr. Donald Abrams (Cannabis for treatment of HIV associated peripheral neuropathy) demonstrated that cannabis reduced daily pain by 34% vs 17% with placebo.  52% of patients using cannabis experienced a 30% reduction in pain compared to 24% in the placebo group.   For more clinical trials please visit the CMCR website at www.cmcr.ucsd.edu

In addition to cannabis’s analgesic (pain reduction) properties it also can improve patients mood from its euphoric properties.   This is an extremely important component in the overall care of pain patients.  Cannabis also has a safety profile which is unprecedented when compared to other treatment modalities.   It is a fact that there has never been one documented overdose from using cannabis.  In addition it does not cause a physical addiction like many other pharmaceuticals.  It will improve a patients appetite, assist with falling and staying asleep and eliminate the nausea often caused by opiate analgesics.   Once patients are educated on the safety and efficacy of marijuana (cannabis) they will be more likely to give it a try.  In the majority of cases the benefits of trying it clearly outweigh the risks.

Lastly, patients do not have to smoke to get the immediate benefits of cannabis.  Vaporization is way to inhale cannabis without producing any smoke.  It is essentially smoke free.

For more information on how to determine if you may benefit from the medicinal use of cannabis please visit our website at www.mcsocal.com and pre-qualify for free online.  To schedule an appointment to meet with Dr. Breen simply call 877-721-0047.  We have three convenient office locations in Southern California (Long Beach, Irvine and Encinitas)

Western medicine has found many challenges in treating this type of pain and often patients with neuropathic pain have given up on ever living a pain free life.   They typically have concominant depression as a result of the daily pain that they suffer from.