Case Studies of Analgesic Cannabinoid Use by Persons with Chronic Pain from Car Accidents
[1]
Zack Zdenek Cernovsky, Department of Psychiatry, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada.
[2]
Larry Craig Litman, Department of Psychiatry, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada.
Reviews recent research on cannabinoids, especially on cannabidiol (CBD) with respect to its neuroprotective properties and its long term effect on injured tissues and associated chronic pain, and presents case studies of two men (age 52 and 53) involved in multiple car accidents. They suffered from severe chronic pain, pain related insomnia, the post-concussion syndrome, and various neurological symptoms such as urinary incontinence. One of them inhaled vaporized cannabis oil of unknown composition, experienced major pain relief over time, and as a side-effect, unexpectedly and fully recovered from his terminal pulmonary cancer. The other man suffered from a cardiac arrest after which the cardiologist discontinued his prescription of hydromorphone of several years: this patient then started to use CBD oil in 1:1 ratio with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and experienced not only substantial pain relief, but also appeared more cognitively alert. Both patients reported that these cannabinoids provided more adequate relief from pain than their previously prescribed analgesics.
Cannabinoids, Cannabidiol, Pain, Addiction, Hydromorphone, Tetrahydrocannabinol
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