Lyme Disease is a severe bacterial infection that’s commonly caused from the bite of a deer tick. The infection spreads throughout the body and can cause rashes, headaches, severe fatigue, and various flu-like symptoms. Untreated Lyme Disease can lead to serious complications such as chronic inflammation, cognitive defects, and neurological issues.
It is usually treated with antibiotics, but medical marijuana can also help patients with Lyme Disease. Medical marijuana has antibacterial properties and can also help with many of the symptoms and complications of Lyme Disease.
What is Lyme Disease & How is it Treated?
Lyme Disease is a bacterial infection that’s commonly passed on to humans by infected black-legged ticks (or deer ticks). Those who spend a lot of time in tick-infested areas may inadvertently catch the infection, and it can then spread throughout the body and cause various complications. If you are bitten by a tick, best practice is to capture it in a zip lock bag, examine it with a magnifying glass to see if it is a deer tick and if it is, send it off to a lab for lyme disease testing. Quick discovery of lyme disease is the best possible path to quick treatment and avoiding severe symptoms.
Early signs and symptoms of Lyme Disease include tick bites, rashes, and various flu-like symptoms including severe nausea, headaches, fatigue, and swollen lymph nodes. If left untreated, Lyme Disease can become much more serious and lead to serious neurological, cognitive, and heart problems.
Lyme Disease affects hundreds of thousands of Americans each year. However, it is often mistaken for other conditions with identical symptoms. Doctors often identify Lyme Disease if patients share that they spend a lot of time outdoors in tick infested areas and/or have common signs of a tick bite such as a telltale bullseye rash. Not everyone has the rash however and sometimes it has healed before a doctor examines a patient, which leads to many cases of lyme disease going undetected. A blood test can be administered that detects the presence of antibodies for lyme disease, however they do not appear for several weeks after infection.
Most cases of Lyme Disease are treated with a short course of antibiotics (Doxycycline for adults and children older than 8, or Amoxicillin or Cefuroxime for adults, younger children, and pregnant or breast-feeding women). However, patients often suffer from long-term symptoms after treatment, particularly if it wasn’t administered immediately after infection. Medical marijuana can help with many of the symptoms both during and after Lyme Disease infection.
Medical Marijuana & Lyme Disease
Medical marijuana can be used alongside other Lyme Disease treatments such as antibiotic therapy to help with the condition. Marijuana has strong antibacterial properties and can also help with many of the symptoms and complications caused by Lyme Disease.
A report on the dermatology-related uses of cannabis notes that cannabis can help with Lyme Disease as well as various other skin problems. Since cannabinoids have antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, they can help significantly with bacterial infections such as Lyme Disease and also help heal rashes and bites.
What’s more, cannabinoids can help with many of the common symptoms of Lyme Disease such as headaches and fatigue. It’s also worth noting that, while antibiotics are required to treat Lyme Disease, marijuana helps with many of the complications caused by Lyme Disease, such as Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome.
How Medical Marijuana Helps With Lyme Disease Symptoms
Medical marijuana is especially helpful for reducing the severity of symptoms of Lyme Disease and improving the quality of life of patients. Even after Lyme Disease is treated, medical marijuana can help with the post-treatment symptoms that often plague sufferers.
In the early stages of Lyme Disease, sufferers often experience flu-like symptoms including headaches, severe fatigue, nausea, and muscle and joint pain. Medical marijuana is especially helpful as it helps relieve pain, prevent nausea, improve sleep, and counteract fatigue.
Patients may also develop further complications from the disease. For instance, it can sometimes cause cognitive and neurological issues. Medical marijuana may help prevent these problems due to its neuroprotective properties. Sometimes, post-treatment symptoms such as chronic pain and fatigue are compared to fibromyalgia – another condition that medical marijuana is commonly used for.
Medical marijuana can also help with the mental health of patients. Some patients may suffer from chronic stress and anxiety due to the stress of dealing with the condition. Medical marijuana helps mitigate these issues by inducing a more optimistic mental state.
How To Use Medical Marijuana for Lyme Disease
Patients who want to use medical marijuana to help with their Lyme Disease have plenty of options. Smoking Cannabis Flower is a particularly common option- it’s fast-acting, effective, and patients can choose the strains that have the right qualities for helping with their symptoms.
Vaping cannabis is another popular option. Vaping provides a similar experience to smoking but many patients find it healthier and more positive as it involves inhaling vapor without any burning chemicals. You can vape Cannabis Flower, Concentrates, or even flavored Vape Oils and Cartridges.
Other types of cannabis products focus more on convenience and ease-of-use. For instance, Cannabis Tinctures can be used by applying your desired dose under the tongue whereas Cannabis Capsules and Edibles are used orally.
Cannabis Topicals are especially helpful for Lyme Disease sufferers as they can be applied directly to tick bites and rashes for antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects. They can also help with pain and tension. CBD products are also a common option for users who want to avoid the psychoactive effects of marijuana.
How To Get Medical Marijuana For Lyme Disease
Many people now live in states where marijuana is legal for all purposes, making it easily accessible. However, the best way to get medical marijuana for Lyme Disease is to visit a marijuana doctor and get approval for a medical card.
The process of getting your medical card in Florida is fairly simple. You must first visit a qualified marijuana doctor who will assess your symptoms to see if you qualify. Once you’re approved, you can apply for a medical card online and receive it within a couple of weeks.
RELATED: Buying Marijuana Blog
Once you have a medical card, you can visit marijuana dispensaries in the state and choose from a wide range of medical marijuana and CBD products. To make the process of getting your medical card as quick and easy as possible, contact My Florida Green for help.
The Takeaway
Patients with Lyme Disease may want to use medical marijuana to help with their condition. Although patients need to use antibiotics to treat Lyme Disease, medical marijuana helps relieve many of the symptoms and further complications that can arise from Lyme Disease including chronic pain and fatigue.
Treat Lyme Disease naturally by getting your medical marijuana card. The first step is to schedule an appointment with a medical marijuana doctor. We make it fast and easy!
