ALS And MS

What is multiple sclerosis?

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurological disease that attacks and destroys the nerve cells throughout your body. You may also have heard of ALS by its other name, Lou Gehrig’s disease, after the famous baseball player who was once diagnosed with the disease.

It’s not usually clear why people get ALS, but in some cases, it is inherited. People often first notice slight muscle twitches or slurred speech, but over time, ALS can lead to disability.

What is ALS?

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a progressive neurological disease that attacks and destroys the nerve cells throughout your body. It’s not usually clear why people get ALS, but in some cases it’s inherited. People often first notice slight muscle twitches or slurred speech, but over time, ALS can lead to disability.

What are the symptoms of multiple sclerosis?

Symptoms of MS can vary from person to person based on how much nerve damage has already occurred. However, in general symptoms may include:

• Numbness or weakness, usually in one side of your body at a time, throughout your legs or trunk
• Partial or total vision loss, usually in one eye at a time
• Painful eye movement
• Prolonged double vision
• Tingling or pain in your extremities
• A sensation like an electric shock, occurring when you move your neck
• Tremors, unsteadiness when walking, and lack of coordination
• Slurred speech
• Fatigue
• Dizziness
• Problems with bladder and bowel function
  
  

Many people with MS also experience painful muscle spasms and seizures, depression, or mental changes like mood swings or difficulty remembering things.

What are the symptoms of ALS?

While the early signs of ALS can vary, they often include:

• Difficulty walking or performing normal activities
• Tripping and falling
• Weakness in your legs, feet, or ankles
• Weakness or clumsiness in your hands
• Slurred speech or trouble speaking
• Muscle cramps or twitching in your arms, shoulders, or tongue
• Difficulty holding your head upright, or maintaining good posture
  
  

ALS most commonly starts in your extremities before moving to other parts of your body, progressively weakening you. Despite all of these physical symptoms, ALS does not affect your thinking ability or your senses, so you’ll still be able to stay engaged with friends and family.

How can medical marijuana help people with multiple sclerosis or ALS?

If you have multiple sclerosis, cannabis can help you manage your symptoms. Marijuana, and one of its main components, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), can help reduce the frequency and severity of seizures, and many people report that it provides pain relief as well. Oral sprays like nabiximols are particularly helpful for people with MS, as they can be administered even during a seizure or muscle spasm.

Many people with multiple sclerosis often take more than one medication, and cannabis can also help with some of these pharmaceuticals’ common side effects, like insomnia, as well as depression, anxiety and other emotional side effects.

Many people with ALS have reported that medical marijuana helps reduce the severity of their symptoms and increase their quality of life. The THC in cannabis is especially effective in limiting spasticity and in reducing the inflammation in the neurons that cause many of the more painful symptoms of ALS. It can also act as a sleep aid, appetite booster, and treatment for some of the psychological effects of ALS, like depression or anxiety.

If you have multiple sclerosis or ALS, call Kaya Life or schedule an appointment online today to learn more about how medical marijuana can help you.

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