What is Epilepsy ?

Epilepsy is a disease related to the brain in which a person experiences recurring seizures. But what are seizures? Seizures occur due to excessive electrical discharges in a group of brain cells.

The frequency and severity of seizures can vary. Sometimes, sufferers will experience mild seizures, which last for a few seconds and cause a lack of awareness.

Generalized seizures are much more severe, affecting the entire brain and often lasting for several minutes. These seizures can also result in uncontrollable muscle spasms and twitches, and sufferers can sometimes lose consciousness. These seizures can arise at any time and severely impact the quality of life of sufferers.

Nearly 50 million people around the world are affected by epilepsy. Traditional treatments aren’t effective enough and do more harm than good sometimes. However, lately, doctors are recommending the use of medical marijuana for epilepsy and seizure control. It is gaining popularity because it has no side effects.

What are the Symptoms of Seizures and Epilepsy?

If anyone has epilepsy, he/she has to deal with recurring seizures. The symptoms of seizures vary depending on the type of seizure. Some symptoms of seizures include:

• Awareness loss
• Loss of consciousness
• Changes to senses (taste, smell)
• Vision issues
• Sudden body jerks
• Sense of fear and anxiety
• Rapid blinking
• Stiffness of body
• Sudden collapse
• Fast heart rate

If you notice any of these symptoms in your friends or family, it’s important to contact your doctor. If someone is dealing with seizures for over 5 minutes, you must call 911 without any further delay.

Medical Marijuana & Epilepsy

Since epilepsy is hard to treat and even traditional treatments often fail, the findings on the benefits of medical cannabis for epilepsy are particularly impressive. Although there’s limited research to suggest that THC helps with epilepsy, CBD has been shown to help epileptic patients manage their symptoms significantly.

A study found that cannabidiol (CBD) for epilepsy helps reduce seizures in patients with Dravet syndrome (a rare form of epilepsy). The results of CBD treatment for seizures were amazing. The frequency of convulsive seizures was reduced to 5.9 a month from 12.4 in 14 weeks.

Similarly, another study found that CBD was effective at reducing seizures in patients with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. The findings were that people taking 20 mg of CBD saw their drop-seizures decrease by about 42%, while those taking 10 mg experienced a reduction of 37.2%.

One of the most interesting case studies of using medical cannabis for epilepsy is the case of Charlotte Figi. She was a young girl who was diagnosed with Dravet syndrome and dealt with 50 seizures a day. Charlotte’s parents tried using a low-THC, high-CBD strain of cannabis. This strain helped reduce seizure frequency and improve her condition. The strain is now known as Charlotte’s Web.

How Medical Marijuana Helps with Epilepsy Symptoms

Seizures can be exceptionally inconvenient and discombobulating, and even a small reduction can significantly improve the quality of life of patients. And that’s exactly what medical cannabis or CBD for epilepsy does. 

Marijuana lowers the frequency of seizures a patient experiences. Today, we find many studies proving the magical effect of medical marijuana to treat epilepsy and seizures.

Medical cannabis can also help with many of the symptoms associated with epileptic seizures. For instance, it’s known to help with muscle spasms and can also help with headaches and migraines, which epilepsy patients sometimes experience along with seizures.

It’s also worth noting that epilepsy can be triggered by issues such as chronic stress, anxiety, and lack of sleep. Several studies validate the fact that medical marijuana helps with anxiety and sleep disorders, which may contribute to reducing seizures.

Ways to Consume Medical Marijuana for Epilepsy

One of the great things about using medical marijuana is that patients are never short of options. Here are some options for consuming medical cannabis for seizure treatment:

• Smoking: The most common way to use medical marijuana is by smoking it. It is best if you want quick effects.
• Vaping: Patients who want to avoid inhaling cannabis smoke may prefer vaping instead. Vaping allows you to inhale vapor without any lung irritation.
• Tinctures: CBD Tinctures are another popular option to consume marijuana. You can place liquid drops under the tongue for fast absorption.
• Edibles: CBD edibles are another method to consume cannabis for seizures. The effects are long-lasting but take time to hit.

How to Get a Medical Card for Epilepsy in Florida

If you have made up your mind to consume medical marijuana for seizures and epilepsy, here is a simple process explaining how you can get cannabis products legally from state-licensed dispensaries in Florida.

• Contact My Florida Green’s medical marijuana doctors near you and share your medical history.
• After we approve your profile, we need to see you in person to check your symptoms.
• After checking symptoms, our state-licensed doctors will create your profile on the Medical Marijuana Use Registry.
• Pay the application fee and wait for the state to approve your profile (which takes 14 days on average).
• You will get your medical marijuana card in Florida via email after the state approves your profile.

FAQs About Seizure and Cannabis

What are the biggest triggers for seizures?

People with seizures reported that these are some of the most common triggers:

• Lack of sleep
• Alcohol
• Flashing bright lights
• Stress
• Not eating well
• Recreational drugs use

What type of CBD should I use for epilepsy (Children and Adults)?

Epidolex is a CBD for seizures that is approved by the FDA. It has shown impressive results in treating three types of rare seizure disorders. These include Lennox-gastaut syndrome, Dravet syndrome, and tuberous sclerosis complex.