Researchers have found that a non-intoxicating marijuana extract could help treat certain symptoms of epilepsy.
The researchers focused on 120 children who suffered from a rare form of epilepsy. The children had suffered at least six seizures in the month prior to participation in the study. They were given a purified extract of cannabidiol, a marijuana compound which does not cause intoxication.
The children were either given doses of this compound, or a placebo. After 14 weeks, the children who were given the marijuana compound showed a 39% reduction in the average number of seizures that they suffered. However, in the group that had been given the placebo the reduction was just 13%.
Another study also focused on adults who suffered from epilepsy, and placed these adults under treatment with either the marijuana compound or a placebo. Researchers found that the adult patients who were given the marijuana compound experienced a drop of 44% in the frequency of seizures, compared to a drop of 22% in the group that had been given the placebo. According to the researchers, the results suggest that cannabidiol helps reduce the severity of seizures in patients who do not respond to other types of epilepsy treatment. The drug also seems to work well in rare and severe forms of epilepsy.
Epilepsy sufferers experience regular seizures that make it difficult for them to functional normally. They also suffer from other symptoms that make it hard for them to function in a normal work environment. These symptoms include chronic fatigue, as well as the significant recovery time that it takes for an average epilepsy patient to recover from a single seizure episode. Some patients suffer several seizures in a single week, making it difficult for them to function normally in any situation.
Epilepsy is included in the Bluebook of the Social Security Administration, which includes impairments that qualify for disability benefits. If you suffer from epilepsy and want to know more about your chances of recovering benefits, contact our office to explore your options.