Epilepsy medical cannabis treatment

There are over 30 different known epilepsy syndromes, and unfortunately, epilepsy is relatively common in the UK - affecting over 625,000. People with epilepsy experience bursts of electrical activity that triggers seizures. For some, this can happen on occasion and can be easily managed, but for others not responding to conventional treatments, seizures can happen hundreds of times a day- and this can have devastating knock-on effects on a person’s overall health. However, recently in the UK, medical cannabis has emerged as a new treatment option for treatment-resistant epilepsy.

Am I eligible?

50 million

Epilepsy is estimated to affect around 50 million people around the world, but it's estimated that if diagnosed and properly treated, up to 70% could live seizure-free lives.

30%

Around 30% of newly diagnosed patients with epilepsy don’t respond to conventional monotherapy or polytherapy treatments and continue to suffer from seizures.

86%

In a small scale British study, children with epilepsy experienced an 86% average reduction in seizure frequency when treated with whole-plant medical cannabis oil.

51%

A review of patients with treatment-resistant epilepsy found convulsive seizures decreased by 51% and total seizures fell by 48% after 12 weeks of CBD treatment.

Symptoms

‘Rising’ feeling in the tummy

Becoming stiff or rigid

Collapsing

Experiencing ‘fits’ or uncontrollable shaking/jerking

Experiencing unusual tastes or smells

Loosing awareness of surroundings

Tingling sensation in arms or legs

If you are suffering from any of these symptoms. Please speak with your GP to find out more.

Treatment options:

When a person is diagnosed with epilepsy, they are usually prescribed anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) or anti-seizure medication (ASM) to help them manage their symptoms. In some cases, if they are not experiencing sufficient relief with these options, surgery may be considered to remove a small section of the brain, or insert an electrical device that can help control seizures.

Brivaracetam

Carbamazepine

Clobazam

Clonazepam

Lamotrigine

Levetiracetam

Find out if you may be eligible for medical cannabis epilepsy treatments here
Am I eligible?

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A word from our specialist

"Epilepsy involves recurrent seizures due to abnormal brain activity. Cannabidiol (CBD), a component of medicinal cannabis, has demonstrated efficacy in reducing seizure frequency in some patients, as evidenced by clinical trials, by modulating the endocannabinoid system."

Dr Hanna Gul

Rheumatology

Find out if you may be eligible for medical cannabis epilepsy treatments here
Am I eligible?

Articles on Epilepsy

12. 07. 2023

Medical cannabis for the control of epilepsy and seizures

When applied as part of a tailored and managed treatment plan, medical cannabis has been shown to improve the overall control of epileptic seizures. In fact, it is the only non-pharmaceutical treatment option that has been approved by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in England for two exceedingly rare forms of epilepsy.

13. 02. 2024

International Epilepsy Day: epilepsy's influence on medical cannabis in the UK.

With International Epilepsy Day just passing us by (on the 12th of February), we decided to take a look back at how medical cannabis treatment has added to epilepsy treatment options, the role epilepsy played in essentially forcing medical cannabis to become a legal reality here in the UK, and a look forward to what the future may hold for medical cannabis and epilepsy treatment in the UK.

14. 07. 2023

A comprehensive guide to cannabidiol and neurological disorders

Neurological disorders. Varied, potentially devastating, and hard to group into one easy-to-digest category. They are essentially diseases of the central and peripheral nervous system conditions and include epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer's disease and dementia, ALS, Bell's palsy, and a huge range of separate neuromuscular disorders. 

In the UK, can patients with epilepsy receive medical cannabis treatments?

When medical cannabis was legalised in the UK back in November 2018, severe treatment-resistant epilepsy was one of the first conditions to be approved for cannabis-based treatments on the NHS. 

This is because unfortunately, around 30% of people with epilepsy do not respond to the conventional, traditional treatment options available. But, medical cannabis, and cannabis-derived medicines, have shown promising results in managing common symptoms associated with epilepsy, especially its effects on seizure onset and frequency. 

At the moment, the NHS only, and rarely, prescribe one licensed cannabis-based medicine to treat severe, treatment-resistant epilepsy. This is called Epidiolex, and is used to treat the seizures experienced by those with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome. 

However, private medical cannabis clinics like Releaf have more prescribing freedom. At Releaf, our team of expert consultants can prescribe a range of different cannabis derived treatments to patients with different types of epilepsy to best suit their needs, lifestyle, and budget. 

To you have been unable to find success with conventional epilepsy treatments, medical cannabis may be an option worth considering. Find out if this approach may be appropriate for you by checking your eligibility today. 

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