Spectacular efficacy of cannabidiol on chronic refractory pain in an adolescent with sickle cell disease
Daily oral CBD consumption is associated with dramatic improvements in chronic pain due to sickle cell disease, according to a case report published in theAmerican Journal of Hematology.
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is characterized by chronic pain and episodic acute pain caused by vasoocclusive crises, often requiring high doses of opioids for prolonged periods. In humanized mouse models of SCD, a synthetic cannabinoid has been shown to alleviate both chronic and acute hyperalgesia.
French researchers have reported the use of synthetic CBD in a 15-year-old sickle cell patient with chronic intractable pain in the spine, chest, and knee. Prior to the CBD treatment, the patient had to endure prolonged hospitalizations due to his chronic pain.
After two weeks of CBD treatment, the patient experienced “complete pain regression.” During the ten months of treatment, the patient no longer required hospitalization.
The authors concluded: “We report here for the first time a case of refractory chronic pain with dramatic improvement after CBD treatment in an adolescent with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. … As it appears to be a well-tolerated drug, CBD could represent a promising therapeutic prospect for SCID patients suffering from chronic pain. »
Survey data indicates that patients with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease often use cannabis to manage their symptoms. Clinical trial data published in the Journal of the American Medical Association indicate that short-term use of vaporized cannabis in patients with SCID is associated with improved mood and may also improve pain symptoms. linked to the DICS. Other studies have shown that patients with SCID who use cannabis are less likely to require hospitalization than those who do not.
This randomized clinical trial including 23 participants found inhaled cannabis to be safe. Inhaled cannabis was more effective than inhaled placebo in interfering with mood, but there was no statistically significant difference in pain rating between cannabis and placebo. These results suggest that cannabis should be further investigated in larger and longer clinical trials in adults with sickle cell disease with chronic pain, as an adjunct or alternative to opioids.
