The use of medical grade cannabis in Italy for drug-resistant epilepsy: a case series

In Italy, medical grade cannabis (MGC) can be prescribed for different medical conditions, including drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE), once standard and approved therapies have failed, or caused non-tolerable side effects. Here, we present a retrospective case series report of five patients with DRE wh...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Neurological sciences Vol. 41; no. 3; pp. 695 - 698
Main Authors: Pane, Chiara, Saccà, Francesco
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01.03.2020
Springer Nature B.V
Subjects:
Brief Communication
Cannabinoids
Cannabis
Drug resistance
Epilepsy
ISO standards
Marijuana
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Mood
Neurology
Neuroradiology
Neurosciences
Neurosurgery
Olive oil
Patients
Psychiatry
Seizures
Side effects
Sleep
Well being
Italy
West syndrome
Absence
Cannabis
Oil extract
ISSN:1590-1874, 1590-3478, 1590-3478
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:In Italy, medical grade cannabis (MGC) can be prescribed for different medical conditions, including drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE), once standard and approved therapies have failed, or caused non-tolerable side effects. Here, we present a retrospective case series report of five patients with DRE who started therapy with MGC. Authorized ISO 9001:2008 pharmacies prepared MGC according to Italian laws. Olive oil extracts (OOEs) were prepared following standard extraction protocols, and cannabinoids were measured on each OOE to check for successful extraction.After treatment with MGC, all patients reported a reduction in seizure frequency and severity, and some reported improved mood, sleep quality, and general well-being without relevant side effects. Despite the small sample size and open-label nature of the data, we show that MGC may be successfully used to treat DRE. This is especially true when considering that no valid therapeutic option exists for these patients and that MGC was extremely well tolerated.
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ISSN:1590-1874
1590-3478
1590-3478
DOI:10.1007/s10072-019-04162-1