Epilepsy

[HappyKitty]

Do you suffer from epilepsy?

Does Cannabis help ease your epilepsy?

Please share your experiences with us.

Thank You

[mojo420matchu]

Originally Posted by HappyKitty

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Do you suffer from epilepsy?

Does Cannabis help ease your epilepsy?

Please share your experiences with us.



Thank You

Yes I suffer from epilepsy.
I am not sure if it helps ease epilepsy but it helps with the side effects of epilepsy, and at times I can smoke and it will relax me and calm down, preventing a seizure, if I am experiencing an aura.

Now convincing someone it is not the cause is my ongoing battle.

[HappyKitty]

Originally Posted by mojo420matchu

Yes I suffer from epilepsy.
I am not sure if it helps ease epilepsy but it helps with the side effects of epilepsy, and at times I can smoke and it will relax me and calm down, preventing a seizure, if I am experiencing an aura.

Now convincing someone it is not the cause is my ongoing battle.

Thanks for sharing. I also suffer from epilepsy, and being here has enlightened me so much about this disorder and cannabis. You get to hear the other side of the story, and make up your own mind about your health.

But you're right, convincing someone is the problem. Here you'll find the information you need to make you more comfortable when you do speak up.

Peace and good health

[mojo420matchu]

too bad there aren't a bazillion pharm. reps pushing medical marijuana, things migh be a bit different to these drug dealers, errr doctors.

[HappyKitty]

Imagine riding in a car with no driver...I had my first seizure while driving. A grand mal while driving over over one of the bridges here in the SF area. My husband and me would not be here today if not for his quick thinking. He's my hero, and I am forever grateful. And that was the beginning of my 5 year roller coaster ride.

After four years, the seizures are back with vengence. I am fortunate to be recommended to The Epilepsy Center at Stanford University prior the seizures returning. They will run me through more tests, more questions, more poking and probing.

I have not brought up my longtime cannabis use. I have not wanted this to be something that would distract them from finding the real cause of my seizures. But now the time has come to let my doc know, because I have no intentions of quitting. I believe cannabis has kept my seizures at bay for many years. I am of the opinion that quitting will only bring on more seizures. I'm not a doctor, but they don't seem to have the answers, so I will find the answer myself.

65% of epileptics never know what causes seizures. It can be anything from brain tumor, hormones, stress, even being left-handed. I'm left-handed...maybe I've figured it out.

6 medicines later, and the seizures keep coming. Now we are talking Vagal Nerve Responder. Brain surgery? I think not.

So now will be the time to stand up and speak my mind. Tell them I use cannabis, hand them a couple hundred pages of info on the pros of cannabis and epilepsy.

Then cross my arms, sit back, and wait...

[HappyKitty]

This is another epileptic story found on the internet. I think many epileptics will see themselves in this article, and I hope it will encourage more people to speak up about this frightening and very misunderstood condition.
__________________________________________________ _________________________

This is my story for medical cannabis...don't get it twisted though. I'm not telling this story to be like "Oh, poor me." No! I'm telling this story, because smoking weed is an effective medicine, and it's much safer than big pharma's pharmaceuticals. The only reason weed is illegal is because it's hard for the government and big corporations to get rich off something that grows naturally, something put here by the creator. Well, that should tell them something, Don't exploit creation you greedy bastards! Nature is free, so let it be! Now to my story...

I have epilepsy, and I use cannabis for relief. If you don't believe in Medicinal Cannabis, you should start doing some research! I'm still using the prescription medications Phenytek(Dilantin) for Grand Mal(Tonic Clonic) seizures, and Keppra for Simple Partial Seizures. I also use cannabis for relief from Migraine Headaches, Anxiety(panic attacks - in the past), and even asthma. (Yes, something smoked can be useful for asthma, just look it up!) I would love to get off the prescription medications, but for now that is just not possible for me. I can't rely only on Cannabis because of ridiculous laws and ridiculous prices. I quit using cannabis for a couple of years having no knowledge of any of the medicinal effects it had for seizures and other things. When I stopped using cannabis, I found that I had seizures a lot more often - particularly the partial seizures. This also led to panic attacks. (I had panic attacks out of a fear of having more seizures.) For the panic attacks I was given two more prescriptions, Xanax and Zoloft. I took them both for only a short period of time because I developed a dependence on the Xanax and some other side effects that can be caused by both of them, such as weight gain. (I went from weighing 150 to 190 back in 2004.) If I had to go without the Xanax I suffered from terrible withdrawl symptoms and ran a risk of seizures as anyone would have. I was warned by both my doctor and pharmacist that missing doses could cause seizures, and since I already had epilepsy it would be more likely that I would have seizures. This led to more anxiety. Eventually, I started using cannabis again and found that the frequency of the seizures dropped incredibly, which is also when I began looking into the medicinal effects of Cannabis. I had heard that cannabis had medicinal benefits for stuff like Aids, Cancer and Glaucoma patients, but since I had none of these problems I never really looked into it. I just used recreationally since I was a teenager.

Now, I have two types of seizures:

#1. Grand Mals, this is by far the worst - and causes convulsions, unconsciousness, extremely bad migraines and sometimes a temporary loss of memory.
#2. Simple Partial Seizures, now these aren't quite as bad but can lead to Grand Mal seizures. The simple partial seizures are kind of hard to explain. They make me lose track of what I am doing. It gives kind of a short jerk of the body (which most people wouldn't even notice), but I completely forget what I am doing and where I am when this happens. I usually only forget for a few seconds to a minute. I just get really confused, and paranoid when it happens. Partials also causes terrible migraines and panic attacks as well.

I also use cannabis for relief from the migraines and panic attacks. I have an occasional migraine without the presence of any kind of seizures. Since I have been using cannabis I have also noticed I no longer have panic attacks. (I started using again in 2004, and I have only had maybe 5 panic attacks since that time.) Unfortunately, due to misinformed people and ignorance, medicinal cannabis is still illegal in the State of Missouri, where I currently live. So my mission is to help educate the people about this wonderful, medicinal plant that was put here by our creator, the creator of the world, in hopes of getting rid of these unjust laws.

JAH(God) gave us free will to make our own decisions and I believe we should be able to do that just as our creator intended. My life is my life and no one should have the ability to tell me how to live it or what I can & can't do with it, unless I choose to let them. We all have a right to educate ourselves and make our own informed decisions. Instead we get unjust laws and a pharmaceutical industry with terrible and sometimes even more debilitating side effects than your initial ailment. These same pharmaceuticals (Oxycotin to name one)are being passed out like candy. Oxycontin is the same, basically the same as ******. So let's call it legal ******. Would you take ****** if you found out you had Cancer or were just in pain? No, probably not, so why not make Cannabis legal and use it instead? Cannabis has been around and in use for over 10,000 years. It was used for EVERYTHING, Food, Fiber, Medicine, Oils, etc. up until the 1930's. You need to ask yourself Why that is, and do some research.

Educate don't hate. Cannabis is not a drug, drugs are made chemically and by man not God.
Since when does man have the power to outlaw God given nature?
Since when does man have the power or right to take away our God given FREEDOM?
God gave us free will to choose what is right, no man should EVER be able to take that away from us.
LIVE FREE, CAUSE YOU WERE BORN FREE!

ONE LOVE!!

[asking79]

Hey HappyKitty, that is my story! It can be found at: www.myspace.com/norml_truth_seeker
I just posted a new thread looking for specific strains to help with epilepsy and anxiety. I don't know about most of you, but as an epileptic, I do suffer with occasional battles of anxiety, and certain strains (sativas) bring on paranoia which is a form of anxiety. I think it's primarily brought on by the illegality issue, but none the less my neurologist told me Anxiety can bring on more seizures. I don't know what anyone here might know, but I have been doing some research and I need some helpers. But here is what I've found that could help with seizures and axiety:

(Original Mystic) Epilepsy

(Romulan, NL#5, Hindu Kush, OG Kush, Bubba Kush) Anxiety

(Purple Kush) helps stomach and bleeds off stress/anxiety
** note: I have stomach problems, so I am interested in this one but mainly for stress/anxiety**

(Blue Moonshine) Anxiety, depression, insomnia

(Blue Satellite) Pain, nausea, insomnia, anxiety, muscle tension

(Bog Sour Bubble) Pain, anxiety

(Burmese kush) Anxiety, depression

(C99 x Great White Shark) Anxiety

(NYC Sour Diesel) Edema, epilepsy, fibromyalgia, radiculopathy

(Firecracker) Anxiety, depression, nausea

(Green Queen) Epilepsy, neck/spine pain

(Jack Herer) Anxiety, fibromyalgia

(Juicy Fruit) Insomnia, joint pain, anxiety

(Lollipop) Cachexia, degenerative bone/disc disease, edema, general pain, general seizures, glaucoma, migraine, MS, nausea, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

(Medicine Woman) Diabetic neuropathy, general pain, general seizures, glaucoma, Hepatitis C, muscle spasms, nausea, radiculopathy

(Super Impact) Nausea, insomnia, muscle pain, depression, anxiety, SADS, mania

(Trainwreck) Anxiety, arthritis, diabetic neuropathy, depression

(TX) Arthritis, asthma, general pain, general seizures, glaucoma, MS

(Wakeford) Anxiety, nausea, insomnia

[HappyKitty]

nice to meet you, and thanks for letting me share your story.

I relate to so much of what you have said. Most of my seizures are grand mals. I have recently had two in public, which is not the best of circumstances. But it's actually a good thing, because now someone else has seen me have seizures. There are only two other people that have ever seen me have a seizure, so I was beginning to wonder if my doc didnt think I was faking it.

I have even less faith in my doctor these days. I recently had a scary case of double vision I could not shake. It made me nauseated, and frankly, very scared.

I went to the epilepsy.com website and read a little about overdosing. I think that's exactly what happened, all the symptoms were mentioned. It was a one time thing, I'm usually very good about taking my meds. When I mentioned this to the doctor, he seem puzzled. If I can find the information in five minutes, why doesn't he know about it?

Has anyone ever mentioned non-epileptic seizures to you? This is the study they are doing at Stanford. I'm on the list, but I'm not sure when that will happen. I'm excited about it, and I hope it will give me a lot of insight on this type of epilepsy.

Thanks for posting the list of strains that can help. I have tried quite a few, but I am looking forward to trying out some of the others. As far as anxiety, I really don't have that problem. But I have found that many of the purples make me very anxious. So I admire them, but choose something else.

I take lamictal and gabapentin three times a day. And I smoke all the cannabis I want. Since I believe my seizures are stress related, what better medicine than cannabis to keep you nice and mellow.

Peace and good health

[Stix]

to much caffeine will cause "overdose" symptoms. Ever since I started drinking coffee "alot" I have noticed these symptoms an hour or two after taking Carbamazepine (generic tegretol). My doctor confirmed my suspicions. My symptoms usually are: hard to concentrate and very lazy eyes. I find it very difficult to keep my eyes open. I did overdose on medication once. I forgot and took double the dose. I did have the tunnel vision that your speaking of. One thing I've figured out over the years is that it is VERY important that you don't forget to take any medicine. Take it as close to the correct time of day every day. I keep a pill holder on my key chain just incase I forget to take it in the morning. If you miss a dose tuesday morning it may not affect you until wednesday night. It's important to keep the right level of medication in your body all the time. If you don't you run a real risk of having a seizure.

I'm not to sure about the benefits of MJ and seizures. I'm still trying to figure that out. I will say I'm a recreatational smoker. I smoke once a day right before I go to bed almost every day. I haven't had a seizure in years. I do however still have aura's from time to time. That's probably because I don't always take my medicine on time everytime. For me, I know for a fact I will continue to have seizures if I stopped taking my prescribed medication. I do think smoking MJ daily may have something to do with me not having a grand mal seizure in a very long time. I would have to stop smoking weed to confirm that. Not sure when that's gonna happen.

[In_Hollywood]

Originally Posted by Stix

to much caffeine will cause "overdose" symptoms. Ever since I started drinking coffee "alot" I have noticed these symptoms an hour or two after taking Carbamazepine (generic tegretol). My doctor confirmed my suspicions. My symptoms usually are: hard to concentrate and very lazy eyes. I find it very difficult to keep my eyes open. I did overdose on medication once. I forgot and took double the dose. I did have the tunnel vision that your speaking of. One thing I've figured out over the years is that it is VERY important that you don't forget to take any medicine. Take it as close to the correct time of day every day. I keep a pill holder on my key chain just incase I forget to take it in the morning. If you miss a dose tuesday morning it may not affect you until wednesday night. It's important to keep the right level of medication in your body all the time. If you don't you run a real risk of having a seizure.

I'm not to sure about the benefits of MJ and seizures. I'm still trying to figure that out. I will say I'm a recreatational smoker. I smoke once a day right before I go to bed almost every day. I haven't had a seizure in years. I do however still have aura's from time to time. That's probably because I don't always take my medicine on time everytime. For me, I know for a fact I will continue to have seizures if I stopped taking my prescribed medication. I do think smoking MJ daily may have something to do with me not having a grand mal seizure in a very long time. I would have to stop smoking weed to confirm that. Not sure when that's gonna happen.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =>> Hi All, I would like to find out about Cannabis (perhaps taking it in a cellulose pill or Hash/hemp oil in a pill or under the tounge??) & Tegritol 200mg. (oblong pink pill) as my 89 yr. old Mother is taking Tegritol at 10 pm nightly for facial neuralgia - many years - and now has Basal Cell Cancer & Desmoplastic Melanoma tumors on the left side of her face! She had Basal Cell Skin Cancer that was radiated that ended up causing tumors that needed surgery (3 hrs., with 7 hrs. recovery & then hyperbaric chamber treatments daily for 2 1/2 months), then they found Melanoma, too after the surgery/tumors were removed or debulked! This was in Dec. 2007, and now the tumors have returned . . . her Dr. doesn't seem to know what to do, now, but to monitor her & her bood tests - which he says she is in good condition other than the facial Cancers that's growing, effecting her left eye now, and her loss of weight - Cachexia! It says in her Tegritol info. sheet & pill books (CVS), not to use Cannabis with Tegritol, but I've read epileptics DO use both, with (I guess) no harm or bad side effects. I've read Cannabis (THC) can help shrink or stop the tumor growth (veins that develop to feed the tumors, stop the feeding & thus the tumors start to die off or the cells die). Can anyone tell me if they're using both, if it is fairly safe, as my Mom is open minded enough to try eating it in pill or oil form before bed (so she gets the medicine while asleep & won't feel stoned)??? We want to stop the Cancer growth! Plus get her weight up (she's 4'10", petite and in Feb. weighed 78 lbs. but on June 9th, she was 76 lbs.) Thanks. =Judy=

[purplekusher]

Hi everyone-
I was medically diagnosed with Grand-Mal seizuers when I was 18 yrs old. I am now 35, I am more then sure that I have had Epelipsy since I was a little girl. As the years passed my seizures have changed. I went from Grand-mal seizures combined with abscent seizures,to photosethesis (sp?) I can not tolorate any type of blinking lights as that will induce a seizure (even the flicker from a candle) so I have been on alot of different meds from time to time. Right now I am on keppra 1000 mg and dilantin 400mg a day. In the past year I was also diagnosed with chronic Fibromyalgia,and panick attacks,chronic insomnia, ptsd,sever anxiety disorder...blah blah... The Doctors (3 different ones) had me taking so many different meds that I was in a constant "HIGH" or I was having allergic reactions,or they would induce a seizure. So with lots of trial and error it has been determinded that I cannot take pain meds,nor anti-deppresants,nor anti-anxiety meds. i was in so much pain and termoil that I had tried to take my own life,nothing worked on me. When my husband picked me up from the hospital and asked me "why?" My honest response to him was that I could not take living this way any more,constant pain,constant seizures,constant anxiety. He is the one who suggested trying mmj. I was not so sure about it. We figgured that if any thing it was not going to make my situation any worse,so I tried it. 20 mins later the pain in my body,mind,soul,heart went away. I have kept a daily journal of the effects that mmj has on me. So far my siezures have slowly faded away. I at times when I am really overly tired I will sort of space off,not a true abscent siezure,more like a very tame verstion of it. My anxiety is almost gone,my depprestion has faded,just about all of my symptoms are next to nothing. I smoke purple kush (sp?) and have been daily anywhere from 2-3 times a day. I have been doing this for a year now. The amount that I take from my bong is not a large hit at all ( I dont like "feeling"stoned) 1 hitter quitter. I thank God and my Hubby that I decided to try my "last resort" it has helped me out alot. The only meds that I take now are my epilepsy meds and vitamins.

[spike69]

kitty this is spike and to put in my 2 cents my bro is traumatic brain injured and has seizures of all kinds and 1 of the best controllers of them has been strong smoke it helps in many ways.spike

[Firestone]

Jeez Kitty,you're lucky you're not dead.

Weed has been a mixed blessing with my Epilepsy. When I first developed it,after surgery in my late teens,weed was a main trigger for my absence seizures. After a few weeks I gave up the ganja,as it was a crapshoot when I would get a seizure with weed. I still had seizures but less often. Gradually they faded away over the course of a year and after three years I was cleared to quit taking meds. (My Neuro guy at the time thought the anesthetic in surgery was the culprit.) I started smoking a bit of weed again and everything was cool.

Jump ahead 25 years and I get knocked out by running into a low wooden beam. A week later I have my first Gran-Mal seizure,which trashed the muscles in my back. A couple more and I'm back on the meds,but nothing is cutting it for my back spasms left over from the seizure damage. Muscle relaxants combined with seizure meds were making me zombie. I decided I rather function and hurt rather than be a vegetable.

I'd pretty much given up weed when my kids were young,so there wasn't a temptation to try it. One night I'm at a buddies house for cookout. They're passing a bong and I figure what the Hell?

I take a couple of hits and for the first time in six years,I have zero pain and tension in my back. It was a friggin' miracle,IMO. I went for 3 weeks after that night w/o a single spasm. I literally couldn't roll over in bed before,now I was sleeping all night.

I go to my new Neuro guy and he asks me if I'd found anything for the pain. I said "Yep,but it's not exactly legal" He grins and goes,"Is it legal in California?" and we both laugh.

He's cool with it. I do a couple of power hits of whatever the local mid-grade happens to be before bed 3-4 times a week. (I prefer Indica dom strains for it,but out here in the sticks you take what's affordable and available.)

I think you'd be surprised at the number of mainstream neurosurgeons who are cool when it comes to weed for Epilepsy,nerve damage and calming tic disorders such as Tourettes.

[tronix]

My brother in law has severe epilepsy, he has already had to have a partial frontal lobe lobotomy, which has rendered his mental capabilities to that of a 10 year old, they recently installed a cranial pacemaker, to try and circumvent the seizures, and that hasn't done it, because two weeks ago, he had two more. He smokes cannibis, when he can, but his caretaker, has religious objections (she's catholic), so he hasn't really had the opportunity to find out if it would help or not, so I am definitely interested in this post, thank you very much kitty. :)

I also had a cousin, who died from Epilepsy back in 1994, he never tried Canna, but obviously from 94 o now, they haven't improved epileptic medication that much, because they couldn't stop my cousin's seizures, and it seems they also cannot stop my brother in law's, despite having 15 years of advancements in the field.

Why MJ can't get real, honest to goodness, medical testing, is amazing to me, I suppose, they'd rather see good people suffer and eventually die from it, as opposed, to having to deal with a few stoners, every now and then, smoking for pleasure instead of medical needs.

[Firestone]

I'm sorry about your cousin,Tronix. Death by seizure is much more common than people know.

Tonic-Clonic Epileptics have a 1-200 chance of sudden death every time they have a seizure. A Tonic-Clonic seizure is the type of seizure most people think of when they picture Epilepsy. T-C's make up about about a third of folks with Epilepsy.