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Pot helps cure Hepatitis C
Revenire (Scott)....I thought of you when I read this one. This should set you off:)
Medical marijuana users are more likely to finish hepatitis C treatment and so are more likely to be cured, according to a newly published study conducted in San Francisco and Oakland.
Other studies have shown marijuana relieves symptoms, but medical marijuana advocates said this could be the first to show improved cure rates for a life-threatening illness.
The study is by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, and the Oakland-based Organization to Achieve Solutions in Substance Abuse (OASIS). It was published in the European Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. It found marijuana users being treated for HCV three times more likely to have a "sustained virological response," meaning the virus can't be detected six months after treatment ends.
HCV treatment with ribavirin and interferon causes severe side effects, so many patients quit the long regimen too early.
Of 71 HCV patients studied, 21 finished with a sustained virological response: 12 of the 22 cannabis users and nine of the 49 nonusers.
"Modest" cannabis use may offer symptomatic and virological benefit to some patients... by helping them maintain adherence to the challenging medication regimen," the study concluded.
Rob Kampia, executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project in Washington, D.C., issued a news release touting this as "a landmark study, showing that medical marijuana can literally save lives. Every day that our government continues punishing the sick for u
Medical marijuana users are more likely to finish hepatitis C treatment and so are more likely to be cured, according to a newly published study conducted in San Francisco and Oakland.
Other studies have shown marijuana relieves symptoms, but medical marijuana advocates said this could be the first to show improved cure rates for a life-threatening illness.
The study is by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, and the Oakland-based Organization to Achieve Solutions in Substance Abuse (OASIS). It was published in the European Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. It found marijuana users being treated for HCV three times more likely to have a "sustained virological response," meaning the virus can't be detected six months after treatment ends.
HCV treatment with ribavirin and interferon causes severe side effects, so many patients quit the long regimen too early.
Of 71 HCV patients studied, 21 finished with a sustained virological response: 12 of the 22 cannabis users and nine of the 49 nonusers.
"Modest" cannabis use may offer symptomatic and virological benefit to some patients... by helping them maintain adherence to the challenging medication regimen," the study concluded.
Rob Kampia, executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project in Washington, D.C., issued a news release touting this as "a landmark study, showing that medical marijuana can literally save lives. Every day that our government continues punishing the sick for u
I can't smoke pot...can you just IMAGINE how much ice cream I would eat? My God forget about HepC my arteries would just close up shop and move downtown!
Since I use ice cream to take the edge off - man oh MAN it would be bad.
I wish I could though...It sure might make treatment more fun! :)
Since I use ice cream to take the edge off - man oh MAN it would be bad.
I wish I could though...It sure might make treatment more fun! :)
Ice cream might be the least damaging of what I might woof down to take care of the munchy attack.
Gut bomb city is what came to mind as I read Mike's post.
Gut bomb city is what came to mind as I read Mike's post.
It's ironic that this post took place today. The doctor's office called not 20 minutes ago telling me my liver has improved to the point that it is very stable. This is after over-dosing on Infergen.
I never smoked Medical Marijuana before this last treatment. I had reoccurring problems with post tx, but as of now, my recovery seems speedier and I may have to contribute this to Medical Marijuana.
As for getting "high", that's not at all what I use it for, and not what the doctor prescribed it for. As I mentioned in an earlier thread, I take two hits when I'm ready to go to sleep. I don't take any during the day, as I don't want to be foggy in my thoughts and plans.
Although many may disagree, I would imagine that after all my poor liver went through in the last very brutal treatment, it would have made matters much worse if Medical Marijuana would have caused a greater problem. Quite the contrary, the liver is very stable now (thank you God), and there is only a slight platelet low count, of which the doctor is not concerned about. He does want me to have more blood work in a month to see where that is going.
I'm borderline vegetarian, and not eating meat except 3-4 times per year may have precipitated the low count. I'm not sure. At any rate, if I was positive that Medical Marijuana was harmful to the liver, I would stop immediately, as I did with booze...
Magnum
I never smoked Medical Marijuana before this last treatment. I had reoccurring problems with post tx, but as of now, my recovery seems speedier and I may have to contribute this to Medical Marijuana.
As for getting "high", that's not at all what I use it for, and not what the doctor prescribed it for. As I mentioned in an earlier thread, I take two hits when I'm ready to go to sleep. I don't take any during the day, as I don't want to be foggy in my thoughts and plans.
Although many may disagree, I would imagine that after all my poor liver went through in the last very brutal treatment, it would have made matters much worse if Medical Marijuana would have caused a greater problem. Quite the contrary, the liver is very stable now (thank you God), and there is only a slight platelet low count, of which the doctor is not concerned about. He does want me to have more blood work in a month to see where that is going.
I'm borderline vegetarian, and not eating meat except 3-4 times per year may have precipitated the low count. I'm not sure. At any rate, if I was positive that Medical Marijuana was harmful to the liver, I would stop immediately, as I did with booze...
Magnum
I don't think anything like pot will hurt you, when done in moderation.
Pass that over ;)
Pass that over ;)
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