Restless Leg Syndrome: Medical Marijuana Patients' Say It Works

[Truth Seeker]

There may be 10 million RLS patients in the U.S. This will be good news to them. I was one of the first doctors to sign up patients for Oregon's medical marijuana permits. I had patients number 13 and 14.

Through the five years I was able to work before the Oregon Board of Medical Examiners revoked my license, I had between 4 and 6 thousand patients. I never did count them because I saw patients in at least twenty places from the coast to Bend and Klamath Falls in Eastern Oregon.

Why I had to travel all over the state is not a mystery. Other doctors were afraid of their own shadows and big brother to do this. However, eventually 2,200 doctors did shake off their paranoia and finally joined the club. Hoorah.

The original medical marijuana bill in California in 1998 required the following disease entities to get a "permit": cancer, anorexia, AIDS, chronic pain, spasticity, glaucoma, and arthritis.

This was a rather loose list but it did give the doctor the option of recommending it for "any other illness for which marijuana provides relief." This gave California doctors wide latitude for issuing permits.

Dr. Tod Mikiyuria found after interviewing and/or reviewing about 30,000 patient charts that marijuana was effective for about 200 separate medical entities.

It is difficult for most physicians to believe it could be effective for such a wide variety of conditions, and I as a Professor of Pharmacology took in all this with a grain of salt till I started seeing affected patients. It was one surprise after another. I got over the idea that the patients might be faking it to get a permit because it cost about $150 dollars to go through my clinics and the state charged $100 dollars for the permit. Would the patients fake it if it still cost $250 dollars? I doubt it.

When the first patient came in with "restless leg syndrome" I was bemused for a while. What's going on here, I said to myself.

I knew that quadriplegics, paraplegics, multiple sclerosis and cerebral palsy patients had legs that jumped around and marijuana gave them relief. All these seemed to be treated poorly with valium-like drugs and the doses were high enough to be strongly sedative and extremely addicting. It didn't take many doctor "smarts" to figure out if the restless leg patient said marijuana works, it must be so.

According to T.V. news programs, about 10 million patients have restless legs. Marijuana is a nice, safe, effective medicine. The big problem is that only in eleven states can the patients get a permit to use marijuana legally.

Source: Restless Leg Syndrome: Medical Marijuana Patients

 

[cam8510]

I'd like to direct my question/s to TruthSeekr420. As a medical doctor, I 'm sure you know what Restless Legs Syndrome is and why it is such a disabling disease. I will say a few words about it for the benefit of others who may read this post. First of all it is a disease with the new name Willis-Ekbom Disease. Most people would assume the main symptom is involuntary movement of the legs, but this is entirely wrong. The leg movement is voluntary, and is the only means of temporarily getting rid of the real primary symptom, which is an intense, often distressing sensation in the lower legs that will not go away without movement at the very least, or standing up, which is more likely. Life for me, without medication, would be virtually unlivable. I'd go without sleep until I went mad. I have had this condition since I was probably four years old or even younger. In 2003 it got many times worse due to some unrelated medications which were prescribed. It has never gotten better. I now take mirapex 1.5mg ER. That controls it well, but there are side effects. Mirapex is a dopamine agonist, a Parkinsons Disease drug.

Now for my questions. Does medical marijuana relieve the distressing sensation of RLS? I have no interest in smoking weed to stop my legs from moving. I need relief of this horrible sensation. Since my case has worsened, the sensations now cover my legs, torso, arms and lower face/mouth/gums. Have you observed patients with my severity of RLS finding relief by using MM? I live in Michigan, so I have the option of getting MM for this condition. I'd like to have some evidence going in, that this could actually work. My condition is considered by my neurologist to be a severe case.

Thanks for whatever input you may have.

 

[Truth Seeker]

Hi cam8510,

First off, let me welcome you to the community!

Second, allow me apologize about this misunderstanding. I did not write the article. I posted this article from an online source, I sourced it at the bottom. The doctor that wrote the piece can be reached on through that website sourced.

I hope you find the answers that you are looking for. Please feel free to come back and share your findings with us! We are all in this fight for one reason or another!

All the information that I have found on RLS is in this forum.

Greenest Regards,
TruthSeekr420

I'd like to direct my question/s to TruthSeekr420. As a medical doctor, I 'm sure you know what Restless Legs Syndrome is and why it is such a disabling disease. I will say a few words about it for the benefit of others who may read this post. First of all it is a disease with the new name Willis-Ekbom Disease. Most people would assume the main symptom is involuntary movement of the legs, but this is entirely wrong. The leg movement is voluntary, and is the only means of temporarily getting rid of the real primary symptom, which is an intense, often distressing sensation in the lower legs that will not go away without movement at the very least, or standing up, which is more likely. Life for me, without medication, would be virtually unlivable. I'd go without sleep until I went mad. I have had this condition since I was probably four years old or even younger. In 2003 it got many times worse due to some unrelated medications which were prescribed. It has never gotten better. I now take mirapex 1.5mg ER. That controls it well, but there are side effects. Mirapex is a dopamine agonist, a Parkinsons Disease drug.

Now for my questions. Does medical marijuana relieve the distressing sensation of RLS? I have no interest in smoking weed to stop my legs from moving. I need relief of this horrible sensation. Since my case has worsened, the sensations now cover my legs, torso, arms and lower face/mouth/gums. Have you observed patients with my severity of RLS finding relief by using MM? I live in Michigan, so I have the option of getting MM for this condition. I'd like to have some evidence going in, that this could actually work. My condition is considered by my neurologist to be a severe case.

Thanks for whatever input you may have.

 

[cam8510]

TruthSeekr420, I apologize for missing the obvious source information at the end of your comment. I will attempt to contact him at that link or find the information elsewhere. I will be glad to come back and share my findings here. For now I will leave links to a couple of articles I have written on RLS. Hopefully I will have more to add when I come back.

cam8510

 

[pstrick595]

Which strain would be right for rls?

 

[foam]

I have RLS -Dr says I move 60 times an hour and will never get rest at that rate.. Mirapex gives me palpitations and I already have anxiety. The cannabis pain cream works really well but it could last longer. The sativas feeling of well being does it for me.. These strains if masterfully grown are off the charts SAGE, OG kush, Afghan Kush, Island Sweet Skunk, Girl Scout Cookies, Tahoe OG, Deadhead OG, etc..

 

[Lonald]

I also suffer from RLS, but for me the sensation effects not just my legs, but it can happen all over my body, hands, arms, even get the sensation in my wrist, neck, back, toes, etc. I also have sleep apnea so I have a big fear of taking sleeping pills because I am afraid I would be so sedated that I would not wake up when I stop breathing, and I have a really hard time wearing my CPAP machine for it.

Like someone else said about the sleeping, its horrible, there were some nights where I would actually get to sleep, but if I was asleep for more then an hour and I get woken up out of REM sleep, when I try to fall back asleep, I would start Twitching as I call it (the sensation that only goes away when you move as the other person stated) and I could not go back to sleep. Or some nights it would be happening as soon as I go to bed, and its a fight, every time I would get close to being completely out, I would have to twitch, which is bad enough to fully wake me up. Sometimes its really sever, where I have to make big movements, especially when it goes through my back.

So I discovered Cannabis, and found that when I smoked a good indica, the sensations seemed to not happen when I was high. So I started using it regularly at night before I went to sleep. The bad thing is it takes a really strong indica for me, if I dont have quality I have to smoke a lot of bud to be able to make it stop. When I get Sativa's, like indica, it has to be incredibly potent, more so then the indica, and I usually still twitch, but its not even close to the same without Cannabis.

With the sleep apnea, I have a really hard time wearing my Cpap mask, but if I get really baked I seem to be able to forget I am wearing it lol.

So yes in my opinion it very well works for RLS.

 

[420 Motoco]

I have a friend with RLS also. I finally found some Indica that was close to grown full term. Pre 98 Bubba Kush. I vaped some last night as a mood enhancer for sleep. It was full on couch-lock. What I notice was I didn't feel high (from high THC amounts) but total body relax upstairs and downstairs. I mention this because there is a fine line between feeling 'stoned' and relaxed sometimes, especially with heavy indica's. It seems like RLS, tremors, or anything that is similar, sativa is not the strain. These symptoms need Indica, the purer the better. These symptoms do not seem to do well with any kind of up (caffeine mainly).

So Lonard, I just wanted to confirm your take on Indica's, its a good thing for RLS. Vaping would be a excellent choice to medicate as would cannabis concentrated oil. All these nervous disorders seem to be 'brain related' so I would think a higher CBD strain reducing the swelling/inflammation would be an excellent treatment. Just my opinion.

Nice post Lonard!

I also suffer from RLS, but for me the sensation effects not just my legs, but it can happen all over my body, hands, arms, even get the sensation in my wrist, neck, back, toes, etc. I also have sleep apnea so I have a big fear of taking sleeping pills because I am afraid I would be so sedated that I would not wake up when I stop breathing, and I have a really hard time wearing my CPAP machine for it.

Like someone else said about the sleeping, its horrible, there were some nights where I would actually get to sleep, but if I was asleep for more then an hour and I get woken up out of REM sleep, when I try to fall back asleep, I would start Twitching as I call it (the sensation that only goes away when you move as the other person stated) and I could not go back to sleep. Or some nights it would be happening as soon as I go to bed, and its a fight, every time I would get close to being completely out, I would have to twitch, which is bad enough to fully wake me up. Sometimes its really sever, where I have to make big movements, especially when it goes through my back.

So I discovered Cannabis, and found that when I smoked a good indica, the sensations seemed to not happen when I was high. So I started using it regularly at night before I went to sleep. The bad thing is it takes a really strong indica for me, if I dont have quality I have to smoke a lot of bud to be able to make it stop. When I get Sativa's, like indica, it has to be incredibly potent, more so then the indica, and I usually still twitch, but its not even close to the same without Cannabis.

With the sleep apnea, I have a really hard time wearing my Cpap mask, but if I get really baked I seem to be able to forget I am wearing it lol.

So yes in my opinion it very well works for RLS.

 

[420 Motoco]

I have RLS -Dr says I move 60 times an hour and will never get rest at that rate.. Mirapex gives me palpitations and I already have anxiety. The cannabis pain cream works really well but it could last longer. The sativas feeling of well being does it for me.. These strains if masterfully grown are off the charts SAGE, OG kush, Afghan Kush, Island Sweet Skunk, Girl Scout Cookies, Tahoe OG, Deadhead OG, etc..

Nice strain selection! I've tried all of these except for Sage and Island Sweet Skunk. In fact OG Kush was my last grow (excellent daytime med for me) and Afghan Kush for nighttime. I have a couple of mothers of Hindu Kush for my next crop. Your absolutely correct about the masterfully grown statement.

Goes to show you how everyones system is different as Sativa's do it for you, or do you use sativa dominate during the day (wellness feeling) and Indica at night?

For me OG Kush grown mid-term mixed with a high cbd strain is one of the best concentrated oils for an all around daytime oil. It covers everything a sativa does as well what indica covers medically speaking. Then cap the day with Afghan Kush for bed time. Excellent health regimen. Nice post!

 

[Lonald]

What ever strain I get, it has to be potent to work. I had a friend give me some chocolate that was infused from CO, and it seemed to work really well. But mainly Indica works the best for me, and I really do need to get a vap.

I usually dont have much of a choice of what I get, but I usually get some schwag and I will kind of smoke that through out the time I am awake. I developed some pretty bad anxiety and lack of insurance keeps me from the Dr. So I pretty much use Cannabis all day every day. And I save the better quality bud for about a few hours before bed, I will smoke a full bowl of good stuff about 2-3 hours before bed. Then smoke another bowl right before I lay down. Over the years my RLS has turned me into a night owl, and my work schedule allows me to be able to stay up all night and sleep during the day. But the biggest problem is when I cant get good meds, I literally have to smoke a king sized joint of schwag to be able to get to sleep, and If I dont get to sleep within an hour of smoking that, my RLS kicks in and I have to go smoke more, and usually end up having to get up a few more times to smoke a little more. Vape probably would cut down on the amount of smoke I have to take in. Ill look into it!

 

[Ashlization85]

As a RLS sufferer myself (went from 1MG of Ropindole (Requip) and another medication (starts with a G) ) I'm also wondering what the best strains are. So far Indicia has been my friend. I'll write here once I have an idea of what works for me, but definitely journal strains.

 

[oldmidget]

I have a friend with RLS also. I finally found some Indica that was close to grown full term. Pre 98 Bubba Kush. I vaped some last night as a mood enhancer for sleep. It was full on couch-lock. What I notice was I didn't feel high (from high THC amounts) but total body relax upstairs and downstairs. I mention this because there is a fine line between feeling 'stoned' and relaxed sometimes, especially with heavy indica's. It seems like RLS, tremors, or anything that is similar, sativa is not the strain. These symptoms need Indica, the purer the better. These symptoms do not seem to do well with any kind of up (caffeine mainly).

So Lonard, I just wanted to confirm your take on Indica's, its a good thing for RLS. Vaping would be a excellent choice to medicate as would cannabis concentrated oil. All these nervous disorders seem to be 'brain related' so I would think a higher CBD strain reducing the swelling/inflammation would be an excellent treatment. Just my opinion.

Nice post Lonard!

pre-98 bubba kush is my go to strain for my RLS.

also ive thought godbud, purple afghani, pure kush, and northern lights have been good for it too.

 

[uUu uUu]

pre-98 bubba kush is my go to strain for my RLS.

also ive thought godbud, purple afghani, pure kush, and northern lights have been good for it too.

Thanks for advice. My brother has RLS too. Can look at his pain

 

[Whosiskid]

I'd like to direct my question/s to TruthSeekr420. As a medical doctor, I 'm sure you know what Restless Legs Syndrome is and why it is such a disabling disease. I will say a few words about it for the benefit of others who may read this post. First of all it is a disease with the new name Willis-Ekbom Disease. Most people would assume the main symptom is involuntary movement of the legs, but this is entirely wrong. The leg movement is voluntary, and is the only means of temporarily getting rid of the real primary symptom, which is an intense, often distressing sensation in the lower legs that will not go away without movement at the very least, or standing up, which is more likely. Life for me, without medication, would be virtually unlivable. I'd go without sleep until I went mad. I have had this condition since I was probably four years old or even younger. In 2003 it got many times worse due to some unrelated medications which were prescribed. It has never gotten better. I now take mirapex 1.5mg ER. That controls it well, but there are side effects. Mirapex is a dopamine agonist, a Parkinsons Disease drug.

Now for my questions. Does medical marijuana relieve the distressing sensation of RLS? I have no interest in smoking weed to stop my legs from moving. I need relief of this horrible sensation. Since my case has worsened, the sensations now cover my legs, torso, arms and lower face/mouth/gums. Have you observed patients with my severity of RLS finding relief by using MM? I live in Michigan, so I have the option of getting MM for this condition. I'd like to have some evidence going in, that this could actually work. My condition is considered by my neurologist to be a severe case.

Thanks for whatever input you may have.

My first post here, but I hated hearing your having symptoms so young. It must have been horrible. When I was a child they did not have a diagnosis of ADHD, but my mother, younger sister, and I all think I possibly was. I have wondered there was a connection between my antsiness as a child and my RLS as an adult. To round out my story, I don't smoke pot, but given that I have pretty much exhausted all my other options to deal with my RLS. And to make matters worse I have a diagnosis of severe Peripheral Neuropathy. So I both twitch all of the time while hurting like hell. There is a legalization ballot that might well pass this fall in Arkansas. If passed someone would even be allowed to grow 36 plants. I probably know less about pot than anyone in America, but I'm willing to learn.

I do want to point out that Willis-Ekbom is actually the older of the two names. The first know description of the condition was by Sir Thomas Willis the late 17th century. Dr. Karl-Axel Ekbom coined the term Willis-Ekbom, acknowledging that Willis was the first to describe it, but he (Ekbom) was the first to give it a complete modern medical description. He also, however, coined the phrase "Restless Legs Syndrome," though it didn't really become especially recognized until after his death in 1977. My background is history of philosophy, so when I came down with RLS I did research into the historical background. BTW, I take an opiod for RLS but have taken flak for it from my primary care physician, who claims that narcotics have never been used to treat RLS. In fact, for over two centuries the standard drug for RLS was opium. I'm not sure when it stopped being the main drug. I'm not sure what opium is like, but it sounds like overkill.

 

[Whosiskid]

I'd like to direct my question/s to TruthSeekr420. As a medical doctor, I 'm sure you know what Restless Legs Syndrome is and why it is such a disabling disease. I will say a few words about it for the benefit of others who may read this post. First of all it is a disease with the new name Willis-Ekbom Disease. Most people would assume the main symptom is involuntary movement of the legs, but this is entirely wrong. The leg movement is voluntary, and is the only means of temporarily getting rid of the real primary symptom, which is an intense, often distressing sensation in the lower legs that will not go away without movement at the very least, or standing up, which is more likely. Life for me, without medication, would be virtually unlivable. I'd go without sleep until I went mad. I have had this condition since I was probably four years old or even younger. In 2003 it got many times worse due to some unrelated medications which were prescribed. It has never gotten better. I now take mirapex 1.5mg ER. That controls it well, but there are side effects. Mirapex is a dopamine agonist, a Parkinsons Disease drug.

Now for my questions. Does medical marijuana relieve the distressing sensation of RLS? I have no interest in smoking weed to stop my legs from moving. I need relief of this horrible sensation. Since my case has worsened, the sensations now cover my legs, torso, arms and lower face/mouth/gums. Have you observed patients with my severity of RLS finding relief by using MM? I live in Michigan, so I have the option of getting MM for this condition. I'd like to have some evidence going in, that this could actually work. My condition is considered by my neurologist to be a severe case.

Thanks for whatever input you may have.

Just a comment about Willis-Ekbom. That is not a new name at all. Willis was a 17th century English physician who was the first to describe the syndrome, though it obviously could have been around since humans first walked on the earth. Ekbom was a Swedish neurologist who coined the phrase "Restless Less Syndrome" in the 1940s. We get Willis-Ekbom by joining the two physicians names. In have an incredibly bad case of RLS and take a very light dose of methadone for it. Some doctors prescribe Hydrocodone or Oxycodone when they deem an opiod is necessary for treating RLS, but methadone is more effective because it stays in your system longer. I used to take Norco (with Hydrocodone with a lighter dose of Tylenol) but I would wake up with symptoms after about three hours. With Methadone I easily can sleep six hours before I get symptoms and sometimes I can sleep for 7 or even 8 hours. Most sleep doctors are afraid of prescribing narcotics due to all the bashing it has gotten in the news media lately - plus legislators find it easy to bash as well, as if making it more difficult for those who need certain meds is the equivalent of bring down drug lords - but the fact is that narcotics have always been effective in treating RLS. When Willis first observed what would later be known as RLS in the 17th century, he noted that giving the patient a light dose of opium alleviated the symptoms. Luckily for me, the doctor who put me on my current and very effective drug regimen is considered by many to be the top person in the US and perhaps the world on RLS, and none dare mess with a set of drugs such a famous doctor recommended.

I have not tried Marijuana for RLS and I never tried it in college. Post-college I smoked it about 4 times and quit for two reasons: 1) I hated how stupid it made me feel and 2) I am not a smoker and I couldn't stand how it made my throat feel. But I have a horrible combo of Sleep Apnea, RLS, and severe neuropathy and I feel that I need more than Lyrica and Methadone to alleviate my symptoms. So I'm looking into pot and different means of taking it. RLS is bad, but Neuropathy is much, much, much worse. I'm not diabetic, which is the case with most poeple who are diabetic. But marijuana might be part of my future.