May 29, 2009

Is Marijuana as Effective as OTC and Prescription Drugs?

People who use marijuana to treat symptoms of anxiety, fatigue and neuropathy say it is as effective as over-the-counter (OTC) remedies or prescription drugs recommended by their health care providers, according to a survey-based study published in the May 2009 issue of Clinical Nursing Research.

Marijuana use, both recreationally and medically to treat various maladies, is widespread among people with HIV. Though a few small studies have compared marijuana to synthetic marijuana substitutes such as Marinol (dronabinol), few large studies have compared marijuana’s effectiveness with standard OTC or prescription drugs for anxiety, fatigue and pain from nerve damage (peripheral neuropathy).

To explore the effectiveness of marijuana used by people living with HIV to manage these symptoms, Inge Corless, RN, PhD, of the MGH Institute of Health Professions School of Nursing in Boston, and her colleagues conducted surveys of 768 HIV-positive patients in the continental United States, Puerto Rico and Africa. Of those surveyed, 59 percent were male, 38 percent were female, and 2 percent were transgender. Most were of African or Hispanic descent. Fifteen percent of those surveyed reported using marijuana to manage the symptoms of their HIV disease, most of them from the United States. Marijuana use for symptom management was as high as 26 percent for people who had nausea and as low as 19 percent in those with fatigue.

Though marijuana was generally rated as more effective than OTC or prescription medications for symptom management, the difference was not statistically significant—meaning that it was small enough to have occurred by chance. Marijuana was rated higher than OTC or prescription drugs for anxiety, depression, diarrhea and neuropathy. For fatigue and nausea, however, marijuana was rated somewhat lower than OTC or prescription drugs.

Though the authors concede that because people taking marijuana may experience euphoria, they may falsely rate its symptom management effectiveness more highly than treatments that do not cause euphoria. Because people rated marijuana as nearly equivalent or better than other symptom management treatments, however, the authors are encouraging further comparative studies to determine its effectiveness.

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Previous Comments:

Christopher Camp, Baltimore, 2009-08-26 10:08:31
...amd the problem with euphoria is?

Mike, Seattle, 2009-06-16 10:04:14
In my experience, I found eating a pot brownie, is a FAR better cough suppressant than anything I had to get a perscrip. for, and lasted twice as long, allowing for longer sleep through the night in order to get the necessary restful sleep. I told my doctor, and he just poo poo'd what I know was the result. Too bad really.

Roland Nyanama, Monrovia, 2009-06-04 05:21:55
In my country (Liberia, west Africa,Marijuana is illegal to be used, no matter for what purpose. I'm sure the same goes for many countries including places that the survey was conducted and this could have negative result on the conduct of the survey and the outcome. I therefore appreciate the recommendation that more comparative studies should be done to determine the actual effectiveness of Marijuana.

aerobroken, Moline, IL, 2009-06-03 21:10:43
I have actually written a very detailed article and posted it on my website due to it being my story and way over the 500 character limit. Please share in my story of how Marijuana has help me not just with AIDS but with beating cancer 5 times over 25yrs. www.aerobroken.com/2009/06/is-marijuana-as-effective-as-otc-and.html

Chris C, , 2009-06-03 14:27:13
I have been living with HIV for over 27 years, and experience severe nausea and diarrhea as a side effect from the meds. I have a prescription for Marinol, yet there is NO comparison between it and the real thing. My nausea and lower GI issues respond immediately to the smoke. I do not know how I would be able to manage without its beneficial effects. What few studies there are on it seem to me to suffer from major researcher bias against it.

J. Combs, Gaithersburg, 2009-06-03 12:09:00
I have found that Marijuana works better than any OTC/or prescribed and very expensive meds (Neurontin). It helps me work with my Neuropathy (lower legs and feet) better and longer. I also sleep better at night. When I smoke, it is evening just before bed, and "1-hit" only.

Lou, , 2009-06-03 10:51:31
I dont believe in its use there are leagal things to use out there just a bunch of dopers looking for a reason to become high and not get busted for it. if the government does make it legal will you be able to afford it? you know they will be makeing big bucks off of it and there will be lots of rules attached, and you know insurence companies are not buying your dope for you. and trust the government will find a way to tell if you bought it from them or on the street and you can still get fines

tom, az., 2009-06-02 16:16:29
ahhhh god ole maryjane. i'd rather smoke it & feel good, than take a hand ful of pills, & feel like crap ! it improves my mood, increases my appatite, numbs the pain in my feet so i can sleep ! the only side effect of pot is the munchies. thats a good thing. (whats for dinner) tom

TonyV, Covington,ky, 2009-05-30 18:28:25
If the "euphoria" that the marijuana creates in a patient who uses it helps them to forget about the symptoms of their disease, then it would be a beneficial effect of using marijuana. There is no such thing as a false rating for the effectiveness of removing the symptom in this case because the euphoria is just a different type of remedy for the symptoms that has no harmful side-effects to the actual "euphoria".

Ronin Publlishing, Berkeley, 2009-05-30 01:31:16
Mj is a palliative - generally soothing, easing pain; psychoactivity change mental state; direct biological impact. For more info see The Healing Magic of Cannabis on our site.

Larry Bud, , 2009-05-29 20:42:12
I enjoy burnin the herb. Quite relaxing.

MarkMontgomery, NYC, NY 10036, 2009-05-29 17:29:44
It's true that pot is very effective at fighting intractable pain and nausea and the upside is that it can be grown at home for free, you will no longer need expensive OTC and prescription drugs. Mark Montgomery boboberg at nyc.rr dot com

chris, , 2009-05-29 14:11:01
I think that marijuana is much better than pills. Its not adicting. Far fewer side effects too. Its also natural.

ProhibitionFAILS, Anytown, 2009-05-29 13:58:13
Prohibition is the greatest failure of the US Government and has done more to harm people than drugs themselves have ever done. Please vote for politicians who understand that prohibition needs to be ended as soon as possible.