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Marijuana and Mitochondria

SmokinJoeFraz93

Senior Member
Messages
194
Location
United Kingdom
Hi guys, I would like to have someone's input from a scientific point of view please.

I have had CFS for 3 years now, and I have done lots of research, and I like the idea of 'mitochondrial dysfunction'. Everyday my entire body isn't producing energy, so my breathing is harder, my muscles are filled with lactate and my congnitive ability is so dysfunctional that doing the simplest of tasks is stressful mentally.

It's debilitating because I'm only 23 years old, and from being an incredibly fit young man who'd exercise 5 days a week vigorously to becoming housebound with multiple symptoms, as you could imagine I have been on the quest to finding scientific research and approaches to helping my CFS.

I currently take CoEnzyme Q10, D-Ribose and L-carnitine. I take these supplements to help my body produce ATP. To be honest, it's not that successful.

I've tried multiple other supplements including a high strength CBD oil, and nothing has worked. However... I recently had 4 pulls on a joint last night, and I've woken up this morning with what feels like a slight relief in my muscles and even my breathing.

Can someone please explain what's happened on a scientific level please?

Thanks.
 

lauluce

as long as you manage to stay alive, there's hope
Messages
591
Location
argentina
Hi guys, I would like to have someone's input from a scientific point of view please.

I have had CFS for 3 years now, and I have done lots of research, and I like the idea of 'mitochondrial dysfunction'. Everyday my entire body isn't producing energy, so my breathing is harder, my muscles are filled with lactate and my congnitive ability is so dysfunctional that doing the simplest of tasks is stressful mentally.

It's debilitating because I'm only 23 years old, and from being an incredibly fit young man who'd exercise 5 days a week vigorously to becoming housebound with multiple symptoms, as you could imagine I have been on the quest to finding scientific research and approaches to helping my CFS.

I currently take CoEnzyme Q10, D-Ribose and L-carnitine. I take these supplements to help my body produce ATP. To be honest, it's not that successful.

I've tried multiple other supplements including a high strength CBD oil, and nothing has worked. However... I recently had 4 pulls on a joint last night, and I've woken up this morning with what feels like a slight relief in my muscles and even my breathing.

Can someone please explain what's happened on a scientific level please?

Thanks.
ME/CFS etiology is a mistery... cannabis acts at least on a neurotransmitter system called endocannabinoid system, maybe in some cases of ME/CFS there is a disfunction there?
 
Messages
74
Location
Toronto, ON
I can understand the issue of the breathing. As an asthmatic, inhalation helps reduce inflammation (much to the angst of the respirologist - but they think they can through every steroid in the book at me without impacting other systems - silo thinking). I have heard it argued that CBD from hemp is different than from THC plants - don't know but the other terpenes DO come into play.
Hard to say for a 'generic joint'. Different strains have had different advantages.
I use a CBD oil in the morning and it helps smooth many of my neuro symptoms. THC is great for the other pains.
If you are into reading, there are a whack of pubmed articles I checked out before petitioning my doctor for MMJ.
 

Alvin2

The good news is patients don't die the bad news..
Messages
2,995
We can't explain what happened on a scientific level because the dysfunction this disease causes is not understood yet.
That said this condition presents differently in each patient and many of us find different treatments that affect us, Q10 works a bit for me but does nothing for the next CFS patient while he or she notices a difference with magnesium which does nothing for me
 
Messages
93
Location
PA/NJ
I can share my personal experience with low dose cannabis. It has been a double edged sword. I consumed a small amount every night for about 6 months. From the start it was amazing for sleep; I was able to ween off many other sleep meds. It also made me feel more relaxed in general so when I would go out to get groceries or have the opportunity to lightly socialize it was helpful. It also lessened my depression. However, as my 6 month trial continued, I started to notice I was less mentally focused and was accomplishing less. These negative effects got to the point where I decided I should discontinue the protocol. To my surprise there was a rather unpleasant "withdrawal" . So much so that I had to go back on all of my original sleep meds, however the withdrawl symptoms still persisted just to a lesser extent. I had NO idea CANNABIS would be addictive. I am still feeling the effects of withdrawal or whatever you want to call it. Now I suffer from mild pains that I never had before, my sleep has not returned to its previous level and my anxiety has increased. I understand everyone is different and for some I understand it has amazing therapeutic effects but I personally can't recommend it. Good luck whatever you decide.
 

Sushi

Moderation Resource Albuquerque
Messages
19,935
Location
Albuquerque
It has been a double edged sword. I consumed a small amount every night for about 6 months. From the start it was amazing for sleep;
These negative effects got to the point where I decided I should discontinue the protocol. To my surprise there was a rather unpleasant "withdrawal"
I'm really sorry to hear that--especially that the "withdrawal" has continued and new symptoms have appeared. Medical cannabis has been on my list to try for sleep for a long time. I will move cautiously. I hope that your symptoms reverse.
 

IThinkImTurningJapanese

Senior Member
Messages
3,492
Location
Japan
Medical cannabis has been on my list to try for sleep for a long time.
If you haven't had experience with Cannabis before, I would suggest trying CBD oil first. It will help a lot with sleep quality.

Modern strains of Cannabis that are high in THC, and low in CBD, can be very anxiety inducing. CBD (cannabidiol), mitigates this tendency. ;)
 

lauluce

as long as you manage to stay alive, there's hope
Messages
591
Location
argentina
I'm against the recreative use of psychoactive drugs, I believe that they can POTENTIALLY (the actual effects of all those drugs excluding perhaps tobacco and alchool are not know with much precision) harm you, with no actual compensation benefit, they're not worth the risk. I don't even consume alcohol at all, my body, including the brain, is allready to sick for adding that to the mix. However, is clear for me that there are probably medical uses that can be obteined researching those drugs in controlled setting, which in case of sick and very sick people can outweight the asociated damage and risks
 

flitza

Senior Member
Messages
145
I can share my personal experience with low dose cannabis. It has been a double edged sword. I consumed a small amount every night for about 6 months. From the start it was amazing for sleep; I was able to ween off many other sleep meds. It also made me feel more relaxed in general so when I would go out to get groceries or have the opportunity to lightly socialize it was helpful. It also lessened my depression. However, as my 6 month trial continued, I started to notice I was less mentally focused and was accomplishing less. These negative effects got to the point where I decided I should discontinue the protocol. To my surprise there was a rather unpleasant "withdrawal" . So much so that I had to go back on all of my original sleep meds, however the withdrawl symptoms still persisted just to a lesser extent. I had NO idea CANNABIS would be addictive. I am still feeling the effects of withdrawal or whatever you want to call it. Now I suffer from mild pains that I never had before, my sleep has not returned to its previous level and my anxiety has increased. I understand everyone is different and for some I understand it has amazing therapeutic effects but I personally can't recommend it. Good luck whatever you decide.
Sorry you had to have these unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. My cannabis experience was, other than the withdrawal, very similar to yours. I used it, almost every day for about 2 years. Recently I had to travel internationally and just stopped. Luckily, I had no withdrawal symptoms and noticed, over the month that I was off it, an improvemnt in my memory and a slight improvement in my appetite. I had developed almost an aversion to food. My sleep is very problematic and has been for many years.
I'm now using it very little (for me :)) perhaps once a week. I'm considering CBD oil for sleep. Also recently started ULDN. which has helped with a number of issues, other than sleep.
 

IThinkImTurningJapanese

Senior Member
Messages
3,492
Location
Japan
Ethan Russo, Neurologist.
At 11:04, "It occurred to me that a number of very common diseases, seem to fit a pattern that would be consistent with an endocannabinoid deficiency. Specifically these are Migraine, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and Fibromyalgia."
At 21:22, Well it’s a great question because it highlights the problem that we have. First and foremost is, we need to better understand the role of the endocannabinoids in our lives and our health status. That’s been ignored, possibly because of its name – having cannabis in the name of this pejorative connation has impeded education, even in medical school. Basically, it hardly exists. Let’s consider this. There are more cannabinoid receptors in the brain than there are for all of the neurotransmitters put together. That being true – and it is – but recognizing that fact, why would one ignore this system? Why isn’t this being taught? Our public needs to know about this and how lifestyle and diet affect this system, and how it could be brought to bear to improve their life condition.
 
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