Minorities are experiencing worsening symptoms over time, especially in young people-ScienceDaily

And about 10% of the patients who participated in the study experienced worsening changes in sleep, mood, mental state, energy, and appetite over the next two years as they continued to use cannabis.

Many of them with their brains that these symptoms are not from their underlying condition, but to the lack of substances in the cannabis products they smoke, smoke, eat, or apply to their skin. You may not realize that it comes from the body’s reaction, says the university, a psychologist at the Michigan Addiction Center who led the study.

When someone experiences some of these symptoms, it is called cannabis withdrawal syndrome-and it can mean a higher risk of developing more serious problems like cannabis use disorders.

In a new study published in the journal Addiction, UM Medical School and the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System team report the results of a two-year detailed survey of 527 residents in Michigan. All participated in a state system for certifying people with specific conditions regarding the use of medical cannabis and had pain not related to cancer.

“Some people report that they are experiencing significant benefits from medical cannabis, but our findings show that, especially among those who are experiencing severe or worsening symptoms over time. It suggests that awareness needs to be raised about the signs of withdrawal symptoms that develop to reduce the potential shortcomings of cannabis use, “says Dr. Lara Cofflin, an addiction psychologist who led the analysis.

Long-term study of medical cannabis use

Researchers asked patients if they experienced any of 15 different symptoms, from sleep disorders and nausea to irritability and aggression, when they spent a significant amount of time without cannabis. ..

Researchers used analytical methods to mean that patients who were asymptomatic or had mild symptoms at the start of the study, and those who had moderate symptoms (experienced multiple withdrawal symptoms). ), And empirically grouped patients with severe withdrawal problems, including most. Or all symptoms.

Next, we surveyed patients one and two years after the first survey to see how things changed over time.

At baseline, 41% of study participants were in the mild symptom group, 34% were in the moderate group, and 25% were in the severe group.

Misunderstandings about medical cannabis

Many people who rely on medical cannabis because other painkillers haven’t worked, say Coughlin, an assistant professor of psychiatry who sees patients as part of a UM addiction treatment service. You may also want to avoid long-term use of opioid analgesics because of the risk of misuse and other adverse health effects.

She said that people experiencing problems related to the use of cannabis for pain should discuss with their health care providers about receiving other pain treatments, including psychosocial treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy. Stated.

She says the perception of cannabis as “harmless” is incorrect. It contains substances called cannabinoids that act on the brain, and in the absence of these substances, the brain can react over time.

In addition to the general craving for the use of cannabis, withdrawal symptoms include anxiety, sleep disorders, loss of appetite, restlessness, depression, aggression, irritability, nausea, sweating, headache, abdominal pain, and strangeness. There are dreams, increased anger, and tremors.

Previous studies have shown that the more symptoms you have and the more severe the symptoms, the less likely you are to reduce, stop, or move away from cannabis.

They may mistakenly think that the symptoms are caused by the underlying medical condition, and may even increase the amount or frequency of cannabis use to try to counteract the effects-increased use and increased withdrawal. It leads to a cycle.

Coughlin states that anyone who decides to use cannabis products for medical purposes should discuss the amount, route of administration, frequency, and type of cannabis products with their regular healthcare provider. They also need to be familiar with cannabis withdrawal symptoms and tell their providers if they are experiencing them.

She says that feeling the urge to use cannabis after a period of non-use, such as immediately after waking up, can be a sign of withdrawal syndrome. Therefore, it may not be possible to reduce use without experiencing cravings and other withdrawal symptoms.

Patients often face a variety of cannabis products with different strengths and routes of administration because there are no medically accepted standards for the administration of medical cannabis for different conditions. Some products may have a higher risk of developing withdrawal symptoms than others, Coughlin said.

For example, people who smoked cannabis tended to have more severe withdrawal symptoms than others, while people who smoked cannabis tended to be the same or worse over time, but generally improved. I reported the symptoms I didn’t do.

Use will increase as more states legalize cannabis for medical or general use, including some states that legalize cannabis use based on the results of last November’s elections. Expected.

Details about the study

Researchers asked patients about how they used cannabis products, how often and for how long they used them, and their mental and physical health, education, and employment status.

Over time, people who started in the mild withdrawal group could stay there, but some progressed to moderate withdrawal.

People in the moderate withdrawal group were more likely to have symptoms than to rise, and by the end of the study, the number of people in the severe category had dropped to 17%. Overall, 13% of patients had elevated to the next level of symptoms by the end of the first year, and 8% had transitioned to elevated by the end of the second year.

Sleep disorders were the most common symptom in all three groups, and many of the milder groups also reported a craving for cannabis. In the moderate group, the most common withdrawal symptoms were sleep disorders, depression, loss of appetite, craving, restlessness, anxiety and hypersensitivity.

The severe withdrawal group was much more likely to report all symptoms except sweating. Almost all participants in this group reported irritable bowel, anxiety, and sleep problems. They were also likely to be long-time frequent users of cannabis.

People in the severe group were younger and more likely to have poor mental health. Older people were less likely to have increased withdrawal symptoms, and those who vaporized cannabis were less likely to move to a group with less severe withdrawal symptoms.

This study did not assess the use of nicotine or attempt to distinguish between breakthrough pain during abstinence or symptoms that may be associated with diagnosed / undiagnosed mental health. ..

Our goal

In future studies, Coughlin and her colleagues found that in future studies, medical cannabis patients include different abstinence attempts, different types of use and routes of administration, and the effects of interactions with other physical and mental health factors. We hope to be able to further investigate cannabis withdrawal symptoms. Most studies on cannabis withdrawal are aimed at recreational users, and “snapshots” look at medical cannabis patients at some point.

Further research may help identify those who are at greatest risk of developing the problem and reduce the risk of developing cannabis use disorders. Cannabis use disorders are when someone uses cannabis repeatedly, even though it has a significant impact on their lives and functions.