Is Marijuana Effective As An Anti Nausea Medication?

When a patient is being treated with chemotherapy for cancer, nausea is a horrific side effect. Potent, toxic chemicals are being used to attack malignant cells, and the nausea and vomiting can last for days. Since the problem is repetitive, patients may start to get nauseous as a conditioned reaction just going to the infusion center. Vomiting may persist, and weight loss may become a significant problem with the patient becoming malnourished.

HIV medications can cause the same problem, and tremendous weight loss can ensue. If a patient gets nauseous every time he or she eats, then why torture yourself?

Marijuana can be extremely beneficial for both controlling nausea and improving appetite. It is actually the longest standing use for marijuana's medicinal usage. The active ingredient responsible for the anti-nausea effect is THC, which is short for Tetra-hydro-cannabinol. Since 1985, a synthetic THC medication named Marinol (dronabinol) has been available as a Schedule II medication. It can be prescribed and obtained from a pharmacy.

Marinol is an oral medication, and some physicians and patients feel that the dosage and duration are more difficult to control than smoked THC. There are some anti-anxiety effects in natural marijuana that are not present in the synthetic Marinol as well. This is thought to be from cannabidiol, which is a component of natural marijuana and not seen in Marinol.

Marinol seems to have mixed results. It may be due to the fact that it is ONE compound of THC, whereas marijuana itself has quite a few. Smoked marijuana has a more rapid onset effect and a consistent duration of two to four hours. It is easy to inhale only enough to achieve the desired relief for therapeutic effect. Ingesting cannabis may take up to two hours for onset and the effects may last for 4 to 8 hours or longer.

In 1975, an initial study appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine. Twenty cancer patients found that standard anti-nausea medications were not helping and were randomized into placebo or THC. The THC caused significant relief with only mild side effects. Are there other anti-nausea medications that work? Yes there are. Haldol may help, and metaclopamide as well as prochlorperazine may be efficacious.

By the 1980's numerous states began sponsoring research studies on marijuana's effects with nausea. All six states found promising results for reducing nausea, and in 1986 the FDA approved Marinol for cancer chemotherapy patients.

The Role Of GMP Guidelines In Regenerative Medicine

Good Manufacturing Practice Guidelines, or GMP guidelines for short, are standards that are put in place with the aim of regulating quality, safety and standards across industries including medical and food manufacturing. Here we look at the role of these GMP guidelines in the relatively new area of regenerative medicine.

Understanding regenerative medicine

Regenerative medicine therapies are different to more traditional forms of therapy in that they involve techniques such as tissue engineering and the creation of new types of medical products, such as genetically modified or even lab-grown cells. As such the products of regenerative medicines cannot be standardised in the same way that conventional medicines and pills can be, meaning that there is a requirement for different quality and safety standards. As a result GMP guidelines have had to evolve to allow proper regulation of this new branch of medicine.

A working example

An example of how GMP guidelines work in the area of regenerative medicine can be seen in researchers looking at the possibility of using mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to treat certain diseases. These MSCs are taken from the bone marrow of human donors. In order to ensure the quality of MSCs the following quality requirements are in place:

• The donor and donated bone marrow must be checked for infectious diseases.
• The recruitment of donors must be done in an ethical manner.
• All cells used in treatment must be traceable from the donor right through to the patient.
• Follow up observations of the donor and the patient must occur over a period of time.
• Manufacturer must maintain documentation relating to quality systems during the production process.

When you consider that these regulations only relate to the MSC side of the manufacturing process and that any raw materials and equipment must also conform to their own set of GMP guidelines; you realise just how stringent regulation of regenerative medicine is.

The rule makers

There are various regulatory bodies throughout the world that write GMP guidelines. In the USA the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) provides guidance, whereas Europe is covered by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). A large number of other countries across the world have their GMP guidelines provided by the World Health Organisation.

The aims of regulatory bodies

All regulatory bodies aim to achieve the same goals; balance potential risks against the benefits of a particular therapy, with the aim of ensuring that only safe products are released onto the relevant markets. Weighing up the pros and cons of each case can vary between the potential therapies. For example, it is possible that more risks will be taken with a medicine that could help cure a previously incurable condition.

A Brief Discussion About Medical Marijuana

There is currently, and will likely be for a good while, debate surrounding the therapeutic use of cannabis and the chemical components which can be derived from it. There are many cogent and rational arguments in support of the plant's medicinal properties, and there are a couple of compelling reasons for allowing people to choose this treatment path instead of any other. The biggest obstacle facing the proponents of medical marijuana is a frustrating tangle of politics.

In the United States of America, at least at a federal level, cannabis is illegal. It is prohibited to grow, possess, sell, or buy the plant. Stiff penalties are routinely imposed for nearly all infractions of this prohibition against the plant.

Individual state governments may have enacted their own legislation which decriminalizes or even legalizes the substance, but federal law is still paramount if the matter comes up. Generally speaking, federal agencies are neither equipped nor motivated to perform state level law enforcement, and so states with less strict laws governing cannabis are essentially safe places for patients.

At the root of the problem is the perceived therapeutic value of cannabis. Everything hinges upon the determination of actual medicinal benefit. The prohibition against cannabis is codified in the Drug Enforcement Agency's scheduling of it, which is based on the potential health benefits associated with a substance.

Some people take issue with the scheduling and its results. They ask why cocaine and anabolic steroids are considered to have greater medicinal value than cannabis. They notice that the more proprietary and complicated the names get, the less of a problem the Drug Enforcement Agency has with them. While this may be a bit of a wild conspiracy theory to see some kind of collusion between the law enforcement agencies and the major pharmaceutical companies, there are those who maintain that something very much of that sort is going on.

So the knot is tied. It is not possible to allow patients to choose cannabis as a treatment option because the plant is illegal. The plant is illegal because it is considered to have no significant medicinal value. There is research which contradicts this claim, but it is not considered compelling enough evidence by policy makers.

Interestingly enough, the question of the legal status of cannabis may end up being resolved for more economic and practical reasons. The social obstacle to mainstream acceptance of cannabinoids is closely tied to the illicit nature of the plant. This is a facet of the so called War On Drugs started many years ago and which has proven incredibly expensive and completely ineffective. Abandoning this "war" would ease everyone's problems, from the federal accountants to the chemotherapy patients who just want to stop vomiting for a while.

As more and more evidence mounts to counter the Drug Enforcement Agency's assertion that cannabis has no medical benefit, public opinion changes. The states which have enacted medical marijuana legislation have not degenerated into mindless, drug addled chaos. There is a growing feeling that this movement is important and compassionate, and that it will succeed in the end.

MyOpine - No It's Not a Prescription Drug

Would you kindly allow me to stand on a soap box for just a minute?

Modern science has come a long way since the light bulb. Along with it came societal benefits not dreamed of in less enlightened times. What then is the goal of science? To better understand life so as to improve the quality therein - right?

If this is true, what is science doing for our health? It seems to me the best & the brightest in the field are hard at work in the concocting labs. They must be if the legions of drug commercials are any evidence, and boy, do they have pharmaceuticals to sell; nationwide ad campaigns are expensive after all. I am not saying all medicine is bad. Nor am I learned enough in medicine to even say that a particular medicine is bad. But instead of telling you what I'm not saying, I'll simply let the facts speak.

The unlucky "remedy" that sparked this little concoction of my own: SEROQUEL XR. Hats off to their advertisers. The soft music. The soft tones. The loving couple. The serene and colorful butterfly floating in the breeze. Nothing but warm & fuzzy. Meanwhile the comfortably toned actress reads the side effects, but do not mind those. All will be well infers the pitch.

Meanwhile, I am having as much trouble keeping a straight face as does Seth Rogen while saying something obnoxiously ridiculous on Leno (he was on last night if you missed it, really funny guy). Eventually, in both cases, the stoic poker face breaks to a chuckle. But our health should not be comedy. Laughter is good for the soul no doubt, but it feels counterproductive in this context.

So without further ado, I'll step down and let us together take a look at the drug's FDA reported SIDE EFFECTS:

COMMON: Constipation; dizziness; drowsiness; dry mouth; increased appetite; lightheadedness; stomach upset; stuffy nose; tiredness; weight gain.

This may seem obvious, but ponder what I'm about to say. Merriam-Webster's defines common as something occurring frequently.

SEVERE: Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); confusion; fainting; fast, slow, or irregular heartbeat; fever, chills, or sore throat; increased saliva production or drooling; increased sweating; memory loss; menstrual changes; muscle pain, stiffness, or weakness; new or worsening mental or mood changes (eg, aggressiveness, agitation, anxiety, depression, exaggerated feeling of well-being, hallucination, hostility, impulsiveness, inability to sit still, irritability, panic attacks, restlessness); numbness or tingling; persistent, painful erection; seizures; severe or prolonged dizziness or headache; shortness of breath; suicidal thoughts or actions; swelling of the hands, legs, or feet; symptoms of high blood sugar (eg, increased hunger, thirst, or urination; unusual weakness); tremor; trouble concentrating, speaking, or swallowing; trouble sleeping; trouble walking or standing; uncontrolled muscle movements (eg, arm or leg movements, jerking or twisting, twitching of the face or tongue); vision changes.

God have mercy if you're in this camp.

SEROQUEL XR is most commonly prescribed for bipolar disorder, schizophrenia & depression. I do not want to lessen the severity of these conditions or need for a solution for those plagued by them. Again, another disclaimer, I am no medical professional and the recipient medication of my critique is by chance. I could easily pick another. My simple soap box wish is to make us think. If our bodies, anyone's body, react to a "medicine" in this way... what should that tell us?

I strongly believe eating REAL UNPROCESSED FOOD is a part of the answer to our health woes. So is proper exercise and drinking more water. Most important is to be pro-active with your health and eating habits. Unfortunately modern medicine is all too often the re-active sort.

Thank you for listening.

Important Things to Consider Before Medical Travel or Medical Tourism

Now days, individuals or even corporate have taken radical steps to save with the high cost of medical care in some countries such as the United States by considering medical tourism, oversee surgeries and medical travel. Many have visited to other destinations or countries to get health care healing at a lower price. This is known as medical travel, health care tourism or medical tourism. In other type of cases individuals in developing or poorer countries travels to a richer country to get medical treatment that is not accessible in their own country. An another motive for medical travel is to go from a country with long waits for some treatments as happens sometimes with national medical care to one with less waiting. Following are few reasons one should consider before setting up medical travel and health tourism.

Firstly, people of expensive medical cost countries, like United States and United Kingdom in specific, can save a lot of medical bills with oversee treatment. Surgeries in India, Cost Rica and Mexico are many times cheaper than in the USA, and the same is valid of many other countries. The expensive can be quite noteworthy, especially for treatment that are not covered by medical insurance, or for individuals who are not insured.

Secondly it is becoming frequent for medical insurance companies, agents or employers who want to cut medical expensive to encourage their consumers or employees to practice medical tourism. In this way they can save a lot of funds this way. They may pay partial refunds, or at least cover transportation and housing.

Thirdly, if someone is worried about the standards of medical care oversees; there is good amount assistance and information available. Many international associations and agencies, including the medical tourism associations study medical care facilities, infrastructure and hospitals around the world. They have grant accreditation to many international centers. The standards of medical treatment are a very complicated issue and may differ a lot within a country or states. Accreditation given to international medical centers at least provides some comfort in knowing there is a lower bound on the worth of an accredited facility.

Fourthly, be cautions that it may be hard or not possible to get reparation for misconduct in some medical centers in different countries. Occasionally misconduct claims are not permissible or very incomplete. In some cases, a negligence suit may be likely, but it may be very tricky to collect if you even win. Negligence should be exceptional, but it is fine to understand that the covers one has at home might not exist abroad.

Lastly, medical tourism and medical travel has some risks of its own. You might come across some diseases that are seldom if ever present at home. Communicable disease during recovery from operation or other treatments is a risky fixation. But the good thing is that medical care staff in the area you are visiting are certainly familiar with the diseases you could catch while there.

There are even risks from the general traveling. The idiom economy class condition refers to the danger of developing blood clots in the lower body due to being seated and unmoving during a long plane flight. Traveling while recovering from surgery raises the risk of this. This is also the one of the factor to consider when thinking about health travel.

Medical tourism and health tourism may be best alternative for many people, for non-emergency treatments of course. It is regularly used for hip, joint and knee replacement or dental surgery. Cosmetic treatment is another possibility. There are medical tourism consultants and facilitators who could provide guidance at every level. They can guide you about the options available in popular medical tourism destinations. These medical tourism consultants act much like a travel agency and set almost the whole things up for you.