Cannabis oil has been used for centuries in pain relief and as a sleep aid, among its many other purposes. Recently, there has been slight evidence in its safety and effectiveness, largely due to relatively recent restrictions on its use which hider research efforts and resulted in doctors having little to the understanding of its use.
Ageing changes the biochemical and physiological impression of medications on the body. For instance, slow metabolism, natural part of ageing, may boost the probability of experiencing side-effects, such as nausea, vomiting, constipation and falls in seniors who take prescription medicines such as opioids for pain managing.
However, there has been an explosion in the number of studies published since 2011. A study published in March 2018, shows some more light on the subject of medical cannabis and its efficacy and safety in elderly patients. Regardless to researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) and the Cannabis Clinical Research Institute at Soroka University Medical Center, “ cannabis therapy can seriously reduce chronic pain in patients aged 65 and older, without harmful effects”.
A study published in The European Journal of Internal Medicine found that cannabis therapy is safe and constructive for elderly patients who are pursuing to address cancer symptoms, Parkinson’s Disease, post-traumatic pressure disturbance, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis and other medical issues.
“In fact, older patients represent a larger and growing population of medical cannabis users. Some studies have addressed how it affects this particular group, which also suffers from dementia, frequent falls, mobility problems, hearing and visual impairment”, says Prof. Victor Novack, schoolmaster of doctoring in the BGU Faculty of Health Sciences (FOHS) and head of the Soroka Cannabis Clinical Research Institute. Prof. Novack also holds the BGU Gussie Krupp Chair in Internal Medicine.
“After observing patients 65 and older for six months, we found Rick Simpsons oil treatment significantly relieves pain and improves quality of life for seniors with minimal side-effects reported”. The older population represents a growing section of Rick Simpson's users, ranging from seven per cent to more than thirty-three per cent depending on the country. Recent U.S. polls indicate that Americans over 65 represent fourteen per cent of the total population and use more than thirty per cent of all prescribed drugs and thirty per cent of over-the-counter drugs including highly addictive painkillers.
BGU researchers examined 2,736 patients 65 years and older, who underwent medical cannabis through “Tikun Olam”, the largest Rick Simpson oil supplier in Israel. More than sixty per cent were prescribed for Rick Simpons oil due to pain associated with cancer. After a couple of months of treatment, more than ninety per cent of 901 respondents reported their pain had reduced from a median of eight to four on a 10-point scale. Nearly to sixty per cent of patients who originally reported “very bad” quality of life improved to “very good” after some months. More than seventy per cent of patients reported moderate to significant improvement with their condition.
However, the most commonly reported unfortunate effects were dizziness (9.7%) and dry mouth (7.1%). After some months, more than eighteen per cent of patients observed had stopped using opioid analgesics and had reduced their dosage. All patients received a prescription after consulting with a doctor who prescribed treatment. More than thirty-three per cent of patients used cannabis-infused oil; approximately twenty-four per cent inhaled therapy by smoking and approximately six per cent used vaporization.
However, the researchers state their findings to date indicate cannabis may decrease dependence on prescription medicines, including opioids, more evidence-based data from this special, ageing population is crucial. The study shows that Rick Simpsons oil is safe and effective with minimal to no side-effects for elderly patients.
The research had its limitations though: Researchers acknowledge that the observed nature of the study only allowed them to regulate a link between cannabinoids and pain relief. Furthermore, most patients were using a mixture of preparations and cannabis strains, which means that researchers couldn’t determine the exact dose of active cannabinoids that each patient was consuming. They acknowledge that additional study is needed, including double-blind, randomized controlled trials.
Highlights:
• The several common implications toward cannabis in the elderly were pain and cancer.
• About six months of cannabis medication, 93,7% recorded improvement in their form.
• By six months of therapy, the number of recorded falls was significantly decreased.
Disclaimer: the principles contained here is not designed nor meant to be a substitute for professional medical advice, it is only achieved for educational confidences only. You should take full responsibility for the way you decide on to use this information.
Tags: Men, Palliative Care, Women
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