Recently Diagnosed or Relapsed? Stop Looking For a Miracle Cure, and Use Evidence-Based Therapies To Enhance Your Treatment and Prolong Your Remission
Multiple Myeloma an incurable disease, but I have spent the last 25 years in remission using a blend of conventional oncology and evidence-based nutrition, supplementation, and lifestyle therapies from peer-reviewed studies that your oncologist probably hasn't told you about.
Click the orange button to the right to learn more about what you can start doing today.
- You are here:
- Home »
- Blog »
- Multiple Myeloma »
- Do Cannabinoids Help Neuropathy?
Do Cannabinoids Help Neuropathy?
Do Cannabinoids Help Neuropathy? Yes, but only in specific ways. Ways that should be understood by cancer patients who live with this debilitating chemotherapy-induced side effect.
Which Cannabinoid is Best for Neuropathic Pain?
I am a long-term MM survivor. I put two droppers of CBD oil under my tongue before bed every night. I do this as much for a good night’s sleep as for pain management. My CBD oil does not have any THC. I don’t like the feeling of being high. JMO.
I take a shotgun approach to my therapy-induced pain. I do this because my chronic pain comes in several forms, including nerve, muscle, and bone. I had a lot of chemo (ASCT) as well as radiation. I undergo:
- CBD oil
- Acupuncture
- Exercise
- Nutritional supplementation
all in an effort to manage various sources of pain and inflammation. I don’t believe that there is a silver bullet solution that eliminates non-cancer pain. At least not for me.
Are you a myeloma survivor? Do you suffer from non-cancer pain? Email me at David.PeopleBeatingCancer@gmail.com with questions you may have about manaing your MM as well as managing your pain.
David Emerson
- MM Survivor
- MM Cancer Coach
- Director PeopleBeatingCancer
Cannabinoids in the Management of Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy: A Randomized Double Blind Controlled Trial
Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) can greatly impair function, leading to disability or truncated treatment in cancer patients. Previous animal studies show that cannabidiol (CBD) and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) can ameliorate CIPN.
This study assessed the effect of combined CBD and THC on CIPN symptoms amongst cancer patients treated with taxane-or platinum-based agents.
This 12-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial included participants with nonmetastatic:
- breast,
- colorectal,
- endometrial,
- or ovarian cancer
experiencing grade 2-3 CIPN. The active group received CBD (125.3-135.9 mg) combined with THC (6.1-10.8 mg) in gelcaps.
The Quality-of-Life Questionnaire-CIPN twenty-item scale (QLQ-CIPN20) sensory subscale was used as the primary outcome.
Additional outcomes assessed
- pain,
- sleep,
- and function.
Neurologic exams evaluated touch, pressure, and vibration sense. Following the randomized controlled trial, participants were invited to enroll in a 12-week open-label observational study.
Of 230 participants identified, 124 met eligibility, 54 were enrolled, 46 were randomized, and 43 completed 12 weeks of treatment. The mean age was 60 +/-9 years, 88% were female, 63% had breast cancer. All participants had completed chemotherapy.
The primary analysis showed no differences in outcome measures between active and placebo groups.
However, a secondary analysis (of the 46 randomized, adjusted for time in study and baseline CIPN severity) showed that the active group experienced greater improvement in the QLQ-CIPN20 measures of sensory impairment relative to placebo (-10.4 (95% -20.5, -0.3), p = 0.044) and symptoms of numbness and tingling (-10.5 (95% CI -20.9, -0.1), p = 0.048).
There was also improvement in light touch and vibration sensation of the feet on neurological exam that approached significance.
There was no effect on other measures, including pain, and no between-group differences in side effects. The observational study showed similar results.
Although the primary analysis showed no between-group difference, our secondary analysis indicated that CBD with THC could improve self-reported sensory impairment and might increase touch and vibration sense.
Given that CIPN is prevalent, but difficult to treat, cannabinoids should be further investigated as a potential treatment.
Do Cannabinoids Help Neuropathy Do Cannabinoids Help Neuropathy Do Cannabinoids Help Neuropathy