Yesterday in my Long Beach office I took care of a 72 year old man who suffers from peripheral neuropathy.    He had recently (the day prior) ben evaluated for medical marijuana by a doctor in Hemet, CA for this same problem.   The reason why he was in my office is because this doctor [...]

This week I was contacted by the director of operations for The Foundation for Peripheral Neuropathy in Chicago because of the feedback they are getting from patients about how much it helps them. Unfortunately Illinois does not have a medical marijuana law on the books so the patients there are frustrated and want relief. The women I spoke with reached out to me because I have blogged about the success I have had using medical marijuana to treat neuropathic pain. READ ON….

Today I took care of an 85 year old male patient with Guillain-Barre Syndrome. He came to me because he is wheelchair bound an has significant cramping and pain in his legs from being immobile. He had never tried medical marijuana but the pain medications he is taking are causing significant side effects and he “can’t take them anymore” He just wants an alternative to try and improve his quality of like. READ ON…

Today I evaluated a 54 y/o HIV+ male who suffered from diabetic peripheral neuropathy for medical marijuana as an alternative to Lyrica (pregabalin) He reported that he had developed the diabetes as a result of treatment with protease inhibitors for his HIV. He has been experiencing numbness and tingling in both his feet for the past 6 months as a result of the neuropathy (pain originating from damage to the nerves themselves). He stated that he wanted to stop taking the Lyrica because of a 50 lb weight gain associated with the medication (weight gain is a common side effect).

Today in my Irvine office I had the honor of taking care of Kathryn R. She is an amazing 83 year old women who developed peripheral neuropathy (pain originating from damage to the nerves themselves) from taking a drug called amiodarone to treat her atrial fibrillation. When I introduced myself to her she said “you are my last hope.”

As medical director for Medical Cannabis of Southern California I often evaluate patients who suffer from neuropathic pain as a result of diabetes. Neuropathic pain means pain that is associated with direct pathology to the nerves themselves. This is in contrast to pain in a muscle whose signal is transported to the brain via the healthy nerves. In diabetes the elevated levels of sugar in the blood actually cause damage to the nerves leading to chronic pain. Cannabis has been shown in several studies to reduce the pain associated with various causes of neuropathic pain including HIV neuropathy.

As medical director for Medical Cannabis of Southern California I frequently evaluate patients with neuropathic pain. Neuropathic pain results from damage to the actual nerves in the peripheral or central nervous system rather than stimulation of pain receptors.