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BY curt robbins
Understanding CBD for Seizure Disorder Support ne of the most pronounced health benefits of herbal phytocannabinoids such as cannabidiol (CBD) is their ability to assist in the treatment of seizure disorders. The most obvious metric of progress in such treatment is a reduction or elimination of seizure activity in conditions such as epilepsy, Dravet syndrome (DS), and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS).
Epilepsy is a disease of the central nervous system characterized by abnormal brain activity that causes seizures or “periods of unusual behavior, sensations, and sometimes loss of awareness” (according to the Mayo Clinic). Causes range from genetic influences and infectious disease to head trauma and brain conditions, including malformations and tumors. Prenatal injuries and developmental disorders sometimes lead to seizure disorders (which can also appear in those with autism). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, epilepsy afflicts about 3.5 million people in the United States alone, including half a million children. Many forms of the disease are intractable, relegating traditional drugs and therapies ineffective in providing beneficial reductions in seizure activity— forcing patients and wellness practitioners to seek alternative treatment solutions.
Importance of Dosing
Proper dosing (also called titration) is critical for consumers and patients seeking maximum efficacy from CBD products. While tinctures are, in some cases, more straightforward, capsules can result in doses that are unintentionally too strong or too weak. Correct dosing is an exercise in trial-and-error experimentation. Combined with careful journaling and healthcare practitioner oversight, dosing can result in maximum relief and efficacy (in addition to cost savings resulting from reduced product waste). Dosing, however, extends beyond the volume, or amount, of an herbal extraction or concentrate consumed during a single session. Also of importance is the number of times per day that an extraction is consumed and the duration over which this routine occurs. Some studies have revealed that maximum efficacy results after a week or more of regular, sustained consumption of a supplement such as CBD or cannabigerol (CBG). “I try to help my patients develop a dosing regimen that they can happily live with in the long term,” said Colleen Kibler, a state-licensed cannabis caregiver in Belgrade, Maine. “I like to speak to the patient several times through the first month to
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ensure that we are on the right track with dosage,” said Kibler during an exclusive interview with Vegas Cannabis Magazine. She emphasized the subjective efficacy that plagues both patients and their caregivers when attempting to accurately dose cannabinoids such as CBD or CBG. “Each individual has a different set of needs,” stressed Kibler. Sunil Pai, MD, an Integrative Medicine expert and author of the 2016 book An Inflammation Nation, echoes other medical professionals when he advocates a “start low and go slow” approach to dosing CBD. Pai recommends the following steps to his patients and readers to determine proper individual dosing of wellness products such as CBD tinctures:
1. Maintain a journal to record all daily consumption data, including exact dose and experienced efficacy (or lack thereof).
a) Take note of any environmental factors that might skew results(such as a flu or unusually high anxiety due to environmental stressors).
2. Take 0.25-1.0 dropper sublingually (hold under tongue for one
minute) three times daily (after breakfast, lunch, and dinner) and at bedtime.
a) The final bedtime dose can be increased if extra support is needed to treat pain and sleep issues.
b) If consuming capsules, begin with approximately 7.5 mg.
3. Sustain this routine for 7-10 days. 4. Slowly increase the weekly dose until the desired effects are experienced. 5. Continue increasing the dose until:
a) Negative side effects are experienced.
b) Positive efficacy begins to wane.
6. Leveraging the journal, decrease the dose to the previous
most-efficacious dose.
7. Sustain this level until efficacy wanes or undesired negative
side effects are experienced.
Unfortunately, metabolic changes resulting from aging, injury, seasonal shifts, and environmental stressors may require a
