All posts tagged: Bipolar Disorder

Psychiatric Disorders Reduce Survival Among Immune-Mediated Inflammatory Disease Patients

Psychiatric comorbidity increases mortality in immune-mediated inflammatory diseases

Summary Information:

A new study finds that a diagnosis of depression, anxiety, and/or bipolar disorder increases mortality rates for patients of one of three immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMID):

1) multiple sclerosis (MS), or

2) inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), or

3) rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Depression and bipolar disorder can cause poor health behaviors in patients, as depression, bipolar disorder, and anxiety disorders are “associated with increased inflammation and immune dysregulation.” Suicide risk and attempts are increased among IMID patients with mental illness, compared with IMID patients who are not also suffering from one of these additional battles. Given that cannabis has shown promise in treating both inflammation and a range of psychiatric disorders, there is reason to be optimistic for further cannabis research to uncover multifunctional treatment options.  

Dr Caplan and the #MDTake:

Clinically, it’s rare to see medical patients who have only one concern. Sure, there are some who are hoping that cannabis will help them to treat seizures, headaches, anxiety, sleep troubles, or terrible back pain, but more often, it is a combination of several troubles that each add to a cumulative tipping point.

Naturally, very few individual systems act alone. When a body part is injured, sleeping (or not sleeping) effects the course of illness. Similarly, feeling less anxious, or improving sleep, may make symptoms of a struggle with consistent headaches seem more tolerable. Even when there aren’t direct connections between symptoms, a treatment which implements a systemic treatment can have multiplied benefits.

Many patients have found that cannabis offers them a way to attack more than one problem, with a single actor. Some with Diabetes are finding that some formulations are not only helping them reduce blood sugar levels, but also reducing appetite. Similarly, some patients with ADD are turning to cannabis options which may help them focus, without their ability to get to sleep at night.

To a related note, many elderly patients are treated with too many medications. Modern Western medical treatment often compels patients into silos of treatments by isolated specialists, who are not always monitoring the patient as a being beyond individual organ systems. Medications, such as cannabis, which have the opportunity to treat more than one system, without multiplying the risk of potential drug-drug interactions presents a much safer approach to care

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This paper is also stored here:  http://bit.ly/2MRDfiP       inside the CED Foundation Archive

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Benjamin Caplan, MDPsychiatric Disorders Reduce Survival Among Immune-Mediated Inflammatory Disease Patients
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Video: Do-It-Yourself Cannabis Tinctures

One of the terrific realities of modern Cannabis is that it is possible, and often quite simple, to make effective products at home. With suitable education and access to testing facilities, the soil, nutrients, and plant growth can be supported at home, lab-tested for make-up and potency, as well as safety-checked for potential microscopic contaminants, and ultimately, individualized medicine can be created right at home!

Here is a sample instructional for just one way that cannabis tincture can be made at home. There are countless others and hopefully, many that are yet to be discovered!

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Benjamin Caplan, MDVideo: Do-It-Yourself Cannabis Tinctures
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Development of Cannabis-Based Treatment for Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder and the endocannabinoid system

A recently published article serves as a call for research to be conducted to discover how cannabis could impact the management of bipolar disorder (BD). Presented in the article is a full review of the advantages and disadvantages of cannabis-based medicine in the treatment of BD and provides insight into possible mechanisms might affect the pathophysiology of the disorder. The insights listed within the article provide the rationale for examining the endocannabinoid system, specifically the cannabinoid receptor 2, with the hopes of finding therapeutic targets for mood control associated with BD.  

View this review (yellow link) or download:

This paper is also stored here:   http://bit.ly/2FfJXK6      inside the CED Foundation Archive

To explore related information, click the keywords below:

Benjamin Caplan, MDDevelopment of Cannabis-Based Treatment for Bipolar Disorder
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Safety and Efficacy of Medical Cannabis in Fibromyalgia

Another study with promising results for the use of cannabis to treat chronic pain and fibromyalgia-related symptoms. A large majority of participants reported improved sleep, depression-related symptoms, quality of life and over 20% stopped or reduced the dosage of opioids. https://prn.to/2KXUQUe

View this review (yellow link) or download:

This paper is also stored here:     http://bit.ly/2WWLyz6    inside the CED Foundation Archive

To explore related information, click the keywords below:

Benjamin Caplan, MDSafety and Efficacy of Medical Cannabis in Fibromyalgia
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Adolescent Executive Dysfunction in Daily Life: Relationships to Risks, Brain Structure and Substance Use

Researchers assessed 817 youth (aged 12 to 21) who previously participated in the National Consortium on Alcohol and Neurodevelopment in Adolescence study. They found that 123 subjects (15.2%) had used cannabis in the past year, and that cannabis use impaired inhibitory control, emotional control, and task planning.

View this review (yellow link) or download:

This paper is also stored here:    http://bit.ly/2L0aMWa     inside the CED Foundation Archive

Benjamin Caplan, MDAdolescent Executive Dysfunction in Daily Life: Relationships to Risks, Brain Structure and Substance Use
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Influence of the CB1 cannabinoid receptors & antidepressant effects

Study finds that, for patients already taking antidepressants, activating and/or prohibiting the CB1 receptor in the brain might make those antidepressants more effective.

View this review (yellow link) or download:

This paper is also stored here:   http://bit.ly/31ngEPb      inside the CED Foundation Archive

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Benjamin Caplan, MDInfluence of the CB1 cannabinoid receptors & antidepressant effects
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Dronabinol use in a patient with Bipolar Disorder

Dronabinol-Induced Hypomania: A Case Report and Literature Review

An HIV patient who also suffers from bipolar disorder was administered dronabinol, a synthetic cannabis alternative. Following a dosage increase, the previously stable patient presented to his psychiatrist in a state of hypomania. Although this singular case study cannot be used to make any definitive conclusion, it underscores the need for further research surrounding the effects of cannabis on mood

http://bit.ly/2W275Bb

Benjamin Caplan, MDDronabinol use in a patient with Bipolar Disorder
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