New
research reported in The Journal of Pain, published by the American Pain
Society, shows that inhaled cannabis reduces diabetic neuropathy and the
analgesic effect is dose-dependent.
Researchers
at the University of California San Diego conducted a randomized, double-blind
study evaluating 16 subjects to assess the efficacy and tolerability of inhaled
cannabis for treating pain caused by diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN).
They
studied the effects of low, medium and high doses of inhaled cannabis on DPN
pain and hyperalgesia. Subjects participated in four outpatient treatment
sessions, separated by two weeks, in which they were exposed to placebo or
three different doses of aerosol 1% THC,the most abundant and psychoactive
compound in cannabis.
As a
drug delivery method for marijuana research, inhalation is preferred because
the pharmacokinetics of inhalation are superior to smoking, as peak effects
occur quickly and are more easily titrated.
DPN
occurs in half of diabetes patients and 15 percent have pain, especially in the
feet. Many patients do not achieve satisfactory relief from two FDA-approved
treatments. Animal research in models of neuropathic pain suggest that
cannabinoids may be effective in reducing pain, but no studies have focused
specifically on painful DPN.
"We
hypothesized that inhaled cannabis would result in a dose-dependent reduction
in spontaneous and evoked pain with a concomitant effect on cognitive function,"
said lead author Mark S. Wallace, M.D., professor of anesthesiology, University
of California San Diego School of Medicine.
Results
showed there was a dose-dependent reduction in pain intensity from inhaled
cannabis, which the authors noted is consistent with results of other trials of
the drug for diverse neuropathic pain syndromes.
"The
dose dependent analgesic effect was evident for both spontaneous and evoked
pain in the trial subjects, but it was more consistent on spontaneous
pain," said Wallace.
The
also authors reported that all subjects experienced either euphoria or
somnolence, which may limit the acceptability of cannabis as an analgesic.
However, in measuring the impact of inhaled cannabis impact on cognition
(attention and memory), they found modest effects with no dramatic declines or
impairments.
"These
findings along with previous studies suggest that cannabis might have analgesic
benefit in neuropathic pain syndromes, including treatment-refractory
DPN," said Wallace.
Source
: bloomingpost.com