Medical Marijuana for Treating Tourette's in Ohio

If you’re struggling with Tourette’s Syndrome, you may be excited to find out that medical marijuana is available in Ohio for treating many symptoms of this neurological condition. The syndrome, characterized by twitches and uncontrolled outbursts, develops during childhood and causes many difficulties on a daily basis.

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Although there is no cure to this illness yet, it’s of paramount importance to focus on a treatment that will ease all symptoms of Tourette’s and improve the quality of one’s life at the same time.

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Thus far, no medications were proven to eliminate these symptoms entirely, but medical marijuana may be the best option for Tourette’s patients who seek safe alternatives to over-the-counter drugs.

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Tourette’s syndrome is a neurological disorder characterized by unusual, repetitive twitches and vocalizations. When you have TS, you may repeatedly blink your eyes, shake your arm or blurt out unusual sounds - or even offensive words. These symptoms can be mild to severe, but they might strongly interfere with your daily communication and functioning, causing a decrease in your quality of life.

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Even mild symptoms of Tourette’s can interfere with your communication skills and affect your functioning. Moreover, when left neglected, the condition will significantly decrease the quality of your life over time.

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What types of twitches may you experience?

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On one hand, these may be simple, involving just a minimal number of muscle groups and causing repetitive, sudden and brief tics. On the other, you may experience movements that involve several muscle groups, causing a more complex and coordinated tics.  Usually, motor symptoms start to appear before vocal ones, but it depends on the particular case, as everyone struggles with a range of symptoms individually.

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Although you can find various treatment options, current pharmaceutical medications come with numerous harmful side effects. These include headaches, insomnia, anxiety, or loss of appetite. Many drugs prescribed for symptoms of Tourette’s may cause vision problems, and in some cases, even fever. With that said, it’s no wonder that people start turning to natural and safe alternatives.

 

How Does Medical Marijuana Help With Tourette Syndrome

 

In 2003, the Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience published a study on the influence of marijuana on patients with TS. As it turned out, cannabis managed to quiet both motor tics and undesired vocal outbursts.

 

More interestingly, according to research published in Behavioural Neurology, THC shows promise for treating symptoms of Tourette’s Syndrome in adults, especially those who are resistant to traditional treatment options.

 

To top it off, let’s not forget that different cannabis strains come with a range of calming effects that are helpful for those who struggle with sleeplessness, anger, obsessiveness, or anxiety - all of which accompany Tourette’s Syndrome. Both CBD and THC marijuana strains may relieve symptoms of TS depending on the individual case.

 

Medical cannabis for Tourette’s Syndrome helps alleviate the following symptoms:

 

• Insomnia

• Anxiety

• Irritability

• Obsessiveness

• Tics

• Fits of rage

 

Researchers believe that cannabis decreases the number of tics in the same way that it does in patients with Parkinson’s Disease.

 

Experts think it has something to do with our endocannabinoid system, but there is still more research to be done.