Aa
I Hadn't seen this Hep C Tx and Marijuana Study Yet
I just found this older study, done way back in 2006, concerning Marijuana use during Treatment. Here is part of the article and I will post the link at the end~
"Dr. Diana Sylvestre, from the University of California at San Francisco, and colleagues studied 71 recovering drug users with hepatitis C treated at the Organization to Achieve Solutions in Substance Abuse in Oakland, where Sylvestre serves as executive director. All had been on methadone maintenance for at least three months, and about a third used marijuana while being treated for hepatitis C; according to the researchers, cannabis use during the study was "neither endorsed nor prohibited."
HCV can be transmitted through shared needles and other drug-injection equipment, and active or former drug users make up a large proportion of patients with hepatitis C. In the past, experts recommended against hepatitis C treatment for active or recent substance users, but studies have shown that such individuals can achieve good outcomes if they maintain adequate adherence.
In the OASIS study, participants were treated with an older form of interferon plus ribavirin for 24 or 48 weeks. At the end of treatment, 64 percent of cannabis users had undetectable HCV viral load, compared with 47 percent of non-users. After an additional six months of post-treatment follow-up, three times as many cannabis users achieved a sustained response compared with non-users (54 percent versus 18 percent), indicating that the marijuana users were less likely to relapse.
Most patients experienced some side effects, but the cannabis users were more likely to adhere to therapy and less likely to stop treatment early. Overall, marijuana users stayed on treatment for an average of 38 weeks, compared to 33 weeks for non-users.
"Our results suggest that modest cannabis use may offer symptomatic and virological benefit to some patients undergoing HCV treatment by helping them maintain adherence to the challenging medication regimen," the researchers concluded.
According to Mirken, this is thought to be the first published study linking medical marijuana to improved cure rates for a life-threatening illness.
http://www.ebar.com/news/article.php?sec=news&article=1180
"Dr. Diana Sylvestre, from the University of California at San Francisco, and colleagues studied 71 recovering drug users with hepatitis C treated at the Organization to Achieve Solutions in Substance Abuse in Oakland, where Sylvestre serves as executive director. All had been on methadone maintenance for at least three months, and about a third used marijuana while being treated for hepatitis C; according to the researchers, cannabis use during the study was "neither endorsed nor prohibited."
HCV can be transmitted through shared needles and other drug-injection equipment, and active or former drug users make up a large proportion of patients with hepatitis C. In the past, experts recommended against hepatitis C treatment for active or recent substance users, but studies have shown that such individuals can achieve good outcomes if they maintain adequate adherence.
In the OASIS study, participants were treated with an older form of interferon plus ribavirin for 24 or 48 weeks. At the end of treatment, 64 percent of cannabis users had undetectable HCV viral load, compared with 47 percent of non-users. After an additional six months of post-treatment follow-up, three times as many cannabis users achieved a sustained response compared with non-users (54 percent versus 18 percent), indicating that the marijuana users were less likely to relapse.
Most patients experienced some side effects, but the cannabis users were more likely to adhere to therapy and less likely to stop treatment early. Overall, marijuana users stayed on treatment for an average of 38 weeks, compared to 33 weeks for non-users.
"Our results suggest that modest cannabis use may offer symptomatic and virological benefit to some patients undergoing HCV treatment by helping them maintain adherence to the challenging medication regimen," the researchers concluded.
According to Mirken, this is thought to be the first published study linking medical marijuana to improved cure rates for a life-threatening illness.
http://www.ebar.com/news/article.php?sec=news&article=1180
Thanks for posting this...
I tried a bit of the old smoke but got pretty sick from just a small puff or two.
An interesting read anyways,
thanks,
frank
I tried a bit of the old smoke but got pretty sick from just a small puff or two.
An interesting read anyways,
thanks,
frank
i was in a clinical trial and my study nurse oked it for me. i definitely needed it after my shot. it relieved of the aches. i think cannabis gets a bad rap. thanks for posting. belle
I found a puff or two in the morning, usually with friends, during my coffee ritual, would really relieve my depression and gloom.
I also used a couple puffs an hour or so prior to the Interferon shot, and taken this way (taken before the shot/aches) I found it completely wiped out the achies~~~~
I agree with the study though: moderation was the key. When I ate half a pot brownie, I found that too strong for my Triple Tx regimen, as I over slept,and had to take my Victrelis 2 hrs late (very bad), so I always just it in the morning with a coffee....the food would follow for the rest of the day, lol
I also used a couple puffs an hour or so prior to the Interferon shot, and taken this way (taken before the shot/aches) I found it completely wiped out the achies~~~~
I agree with the study though: moderation was the key. When I ate half a pot brownie, I found that too strong for my Triple Tx regimen, as I over slept,and had to take my Victrelis 2 hrs late (very bad), so I always just it in the morning with a coffee....the food would follow for the rest of the day, lol
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