How Medical Marijuana Manages Myasthenia Gravis-Related Muscle Weakness

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How Medical Marijuana Manages Myasthenia Gravis-Related Muscle Weakness

One of the most significant symptoms of myasthenia gravis (MG), an autoimmune disorder, is muscle weakness. For many patients, it can affect their facial expressions and make swallowing and speaking difficult. With medical marijuana, patients can ease their MG-related muscle weakness without the harmful side effects of prescription drugs.

Typical Treatments for Muscle Weakness From Myasthenia Gravis

Traditional treatments physicians prescribe for MG-related muscle weakness include:

  • Immunosuppressive Medications: Because myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune disorder, doctors may advise taking immunosuppressive medicines, which aim to prevent the production of abnormal antibodies and increase your muscle strength. These medications, however, can cause urinary problems and fatigue.
  • Anticholinesterase Drugs: With MG, your immune system attacks the communication pathway between your muscles and nerves, called the neuromuscular junction. Anticholinesterase drugs delay the breakdown of receptors at this junction to prevent further muscle weakness, but risk insomnia, diarrhea and abdominal pain.

Other treatments, like plasmapheresis and immunoglobulin, eliminate irregular antibodies, which can stop the progression of muscle weakness, but do not discontinue the production of these antibodies.

How Medical Pot Manages Myasthenia Gravis-Related Muscle Weakness

For many patients, medical pot offers a safer management of muscle weakness from myasthenia gravis. This is because medical marijuana provides less severe side effects than anticholinesterase drugs and works similarly to them. When you use medical cannabis for MG-related muscle weakness, it:

  • Inhibits Acetylcholinesterase: This enzyme causes the breakdown of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that binds to receptors at the neuromuscular junction. Medical weed delays that collapse, which can ease muscle contractions.
  • Increases Acetylcholine: Boosting the amount of acetylcholine in your system provides your receptors with more neurotransmitters to bind with, which bypasses the accelerated degradation of them by acetylcholine, thus delaying muscle weakness.
  • Reduces Acetylcholine Breakdown Rate: Both tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), which are the primary cannabinoids found in marijuana, are linked to decreasing how fast acetylcholine breaks down. This continues the trend of preventing further muscle weakness.

Researchers believe medical weed causes these effects by binding to receptors, as well as through another method they have yet to discover. With additional research, however, it’s likely they’ll find out why.

Benefits of Using Medical Cannabis for Myasthenia Gravis-Related Muscle Weakness

Some of the advantages of using medical cannabis for MG-related muscle weakness include:

  • Less severe side effects than prescription medications
  • A range of strains that can meet your preferences
  • Multiple administration methods to accommodate your needs
  • It’s a natural and effective treatment option
  • Often provides additional healing properties

For many medical marijuana physicians, the benefits of medical weed often outweigh its potential side effects, such as red eyes, which is why more doctors are recommending this medicine to patients coping with muscle weakness from MG.

Additional Myasthenia Gravis-Related Symptoms Medical Cannabis Manages

Medical cannabis physicians also recommend medical weed for other symptoms of myasthenia gravis, including:

  • Anxiety
  • Chronic pain
  • Stress

Some of these symptoms, like anxiety and stress, result from patients worrying how others may perceive them due to having difficulty speaking. With medical weed, you or a loved one can manage these symptoms and enrich your daily life.

Learn More About Medical Marijuana for Myasthenia Gravis

Whether you or a loved one are interested in managing your myasthenia gravis-induced muscle weakness, it’s essential to meet with a caring and licensed medical marijuana physician in your area. At MarijuanaDoctors.com, we’ve built up a comprehensive directory of practitioners you and your family can trust.

Make an appointment with a medical cannabis doctor near you today, or browse our blog to learn more!

Information About Medical Marijuana & Myasthenia Gravis