Hadassah: Tetrahydrocannabinol may help treat Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
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Researchers at the Hadassah Medical Center published clinical trial data which suggest that the oral administration of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) could help mitigate symptoms of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
PTSD is a severe anxiety disorder that follows an extremely traumatic experience. It is most often associated with war, but rape victims have also often reported symptoms of PTSD. It is important to note that the sort of “trauma” experienced can vary greatly on a case to case basis,
but it is the effects of the trauma that ultimately determines diagnosis. About 7.7 million adult Americans suffer from PTSD. It is a horrific disorder to endure and many people are currently being prescribed powerful addictive drugs to treat the symptoms.
In order to investigate the relationship between tetrahydrocannabinol and PTSD, a team of researchers, including Dr Raphael Mechoulam, recruited people on stable medication for chronic PTSD. In addition to traditional medication, the researchers orally administered 5 milligrams of THC twice each day. The study found that 3 out of 10 patients experienced “adverse effects” to treatment, though these are not clarified. Nonetheless, the effects did not cause them to discontinue treatment.
According to the findings, THC was associated with global symptom severity, sleep quality, frequency of nightmares, and PTSD overstimulation symptoms. This led the research team to conclude the following: “Orally absorbable Δ9-THC was safe and well tolerated by patients with chronic PTSD.”
More research will be needed in the future to determine the ideal dosages of THC to reliably help treat PTSD in humans.
For more than 100 years, Hadassah (www.hadassah-med.com) has been a leader in medicine and nursing in Israel, laying the foundation and setting the standards for the country’s modern health care system. The majority of medical breakthroughs in Israel have taken place there. With more than 130 departments and clinics, Hadassah-Ein Kerem provides Israel’s most advanced diagnostic and therapeutic services for the local and national population and a significant number of international patients.
iMER (www.imer.biz) is the international patients office of the Hadassah University Hospital in Jerusalem. iMER, with offices in Cyprus, Austria, Germany, Israel, Russia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Georgia, in cooperation with Hadassah, offers patients assessment services, the preparation of a medical plan and referral to the appropriate Hadassah units.
