Category Archives: Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

Clinical endocannabinoid deficiency (CECD) revisited: Can this concept explain the therapeutic benefits of cannabis in migraine, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome and other treatment-resistant conditions?

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“Ethan B. Russo’s paper of December 1, 2003 explored the concept of a clinical endocannabinoid deficiency (CECD) underlying the pathophysiology of migraine, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome and other functional conditions alleviated by clinical cannabis.

Available literature was reviewed, including searches via the National Library of medicine database and other sources.

A review of the literature indicates that significant progress has been made since Dr. Ethan B. Russo’s landmark paper, just ten years ago (February 2, 2004). Investigation at that time suggested that cannabinoids can block spinal, peripheral and gastrointestional mechanisms that promote pain in headache, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome and muscle spasm.

CONCLUSION:

Subsequent research has confirmed that underlying endocannabinoid deficiencies indeed play a role in migraine, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome and a growing list of other medical conditions. Clinical experience is bearing this out. Further research and especially, clinical trials will further demonstrate the usefulness of medical cannabis. As legal barriers fall and scientific bias fades this will become more apparent.”  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24977967

“Clinical endocannabinoid deficiency (CECD): can this concept explain therapeutic benefits of cannabis in migraine, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome and other treatment-resistant conditions? Migraine, fibromyalgia, IBS and related conditions display common clinical, biochemical and pathophysiological patterns that suggest an underlying clinical endocannabinoid deficiency that may be suitably treated with cannabinoid medicines.”  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15159679

 

Endocannabinoid and Cannabinoid-Like Fatty Acid Amide Levels Correlate with Pain-Related Symptoms in Patients with IBS-D and IBS-C: A Pilot Study.

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“Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional gastrointestinal (GI) disorder, associated with alterations of bowel function, abdominal pain and other symptoms related to the GI tract. Recently the endogenous cannabinoid system (ECS) was shown to be involved in the physiological and pathophysiological control of the GI function. The aim of this pilot study was to investigate whether IBS defining symptoms correlate with changes in endocannabinoids or cannabinoid like fatty acid levels in IBS patients.

CONCLUSION:

IBS subtypes and their symptoms show distinct alterations of endocannabinoid and endocannabinoid-like fatty acid levels. These changes may partially result from reduced FAAH expression. The here reported changes support the notion that the ECS is involved in the pathophysiology of IBS and the development of IBS symptoms.”

Therapeutic potential of cannabinoid medicines.

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Drug Testing and Analysis

“Cannabis was extensively used as a medicine throughout the developed world in the nineteenth century but went into decline early in the twentieth century ahead of its emergence as the most widely used illicit recreational drug later that century. Recent advances in cannabinoid pharmacology alongside the discovery of the endocannabinoid system (ECS) have re-ignited interest in cannabis-based medicines.

The ECS has emerged as an important physiological system and plausible target for new medicines. Its receptors and endogenous ligands play a vital modulatory role in diverse functions including immune response, food intake, cognition, emotion, perception, behavioural reinforcement, motor co-ordination, body temperature, wake/sleep cycle, bone formation and resorption, and various aspects of hormonal control. In disease it may act as part of the physiological response or as a component of the underlying pathology.

In the forefront of clinical research are the cannabinoids delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol, and their contrasting pharmacology will be briefly outlined. The therapeutic potential and possible risks of drugs that inhibit the ECS will also be considered. This paper will then go on to review clinical research exploring the potential of cannabinoid medicines in the following indications: symptomatic relief in multiple sclerosis, chronic neuropathic pain, intractable nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite and weight in the context of cancer or AIDS, psychosis, epilepsy, addiction, and metabolic disorders.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24006213

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/dta.1529/abstract

The endocannabinoid system and its therapeutic exploitation.

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“The term ‘endocannabinoid’ – originally coined in the mid-1990s after the discovery of membrane receptors for the psychoactive principle in Cannabis, Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol and their endogenous ligands – now indicates a whole signalling system that comprises cannabinoid receptors, endogenous ligands and enzymes for ligand biosynthesis and inactivation. This system seems to be involved in an ever-increasing number of pathological conditions. With novel products already being aimed at the pharmaceutical market little more than a decade since the discovery of cannabinoid receptors, the endocannabinoid system seems to hold even more promise for the future development of therapeutic drugs. We explore the conditions under which the potential of targeting the endocannabinoid system might be realized in the years to come.”  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15340387

http://www.nature.com/nrd/journal/v3/n9/full/nrd1495.html

Marijuana might be able to treat your terrible case of the runs – MSN

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“Seems there’s no end to the list of maladies medical marijuana can’t treat.”

Close-up of Marijuana Plant (© Adam Weiss/Getty Images) 

“The latest: diarrhea, the awful affliction that sounds like “dire rear” for a reason. According to the pot aficionados behind The Weed Blog (who mightn’t be the most unbiased sources on the matter), cannabis-derived products have been used to treat diarrhea in India since at least the late 1800s. These products reportedly cause diarrhea and its symptoms to subside, and — surprise, surprise — help patients regain their appetites. Around 3.5 million people die from diarrhea and its nasty effects every year, so these alleged benefits of pot aren’t just useful to stoners who could fake the runs to score a medical marijuana prescription.”
 

Marijuana is an Effective Treatment for Crohn’s Disease

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“A study published earlier this month on the government’s website National Institutes of Health found that marijuana has “significant benefits” for treating Crohn’s Disease and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).

“A short course (8 week) of THC-rich cannabis produced significant clinical, steroid-free benefits to 11 patients with active CD, compared to placebo, without side effects,” the study concluded.”

Read more: http://beforeitsnews.com/health/2013/05/marijuana-is-an-effective-treatment-for-crohns-disease-2488154.html

Cannabis use amongst patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

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“Experimental evidence suggests the endogenous cannabinoid system may protect against colonic inflammation, leading to the possibility that activation of this system may have a therapeutic role in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Medicinal use of cannabis for chronic pain and other symptoms has been reported in a number of medical conditions.

We aimed to evaluate cannabis use in patients with IBD…

CONCLUSION:

Cannabis use is common amongst patients with IBD for symptom relief, particularly amongst those with a history of abdominal surgery, chronic abdominal pain and/or a low quality of life index.

The therapeutic benefits of cannabinoid derivatives in IBD may warrant further exploration.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21795981

Anti-inflammatory cannabinoids in diet: Towards a better understanding of CB(2) receptor action?

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“The endocannabinoid system is an ancient lipid signaling network which in mammals modulates neuronal functions, inflammatory processes, and is involved in the aetiology of certain human lifestyle diseases, such as Crohn’s disease, atherosclerosis and osteoarthritis.

The system is able to downregulate stress-related signals that lead to chronic inflammation and certain types of pain, but it is also involved in causing inflammation-associated symptoms, depending on the physiological context.

The cannabinoid type-2 (CB2) receptor, which unlike the CB1 receptor does not induce central side effects, has been shown to be a promising therapeutic target. While CB1 receptor antagonists/inverse agonists are of therapeutic value, also CB2 receptor ligands including agonists are of pharmacological interest.

 Although the endocannabinoid system is known to be involved in the regulation of energy homoeostasis and metabolism (mainly via CB1 receptors) there was hitherto no direct link between food intake and cannabinoid receptor activation. Our recent finding that beta-caryophyllene, a ubiquitous lipohilic plant natural product, selectively binds to the CB2 receptor and acts as a full agonist is unexpected…

In the case of the dietary natural product beta-caryophyllene, a full CB2 receptor-selective agonist in vitro, potent anti-inflammatory cannabimimetic effects are observed. Intriguingly, the lowest oral dose tested (5 mg/Kg) of this widespread and apparently non-toxic compound, which is also an FDA-approve food additive, was the most effective. Maybe this strengthens the hypothesis that beta-caryophyllene is indeed a dietary cannabinoid, thus inferring that by eating this compound the endocannabinoid system may be modulated in a beneficial way…”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2633791/

The endocannabinoid system in inflammatory bowel diseases: from pathophysiology to therapeutic opportunity.

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“Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are two major forms of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), which are chronic inflammatory disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. These pathologies are currently under investigation to both unravel their etiology and find novel treatments.

Anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglycerol are endogenous bioactive lipids that bind to and activate the cannabinoid receptors, and together with the enzymes responsible for their biosynthesis and degradation [fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) and monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL)] constitute the endocannabinoid system (ECS).

The ECS is implicated in gut homeostasis, modulating gastrointestinal motility, visceral sensation, and inflammation, as well as being recently implicated in IBD pathogenesis.

Numerous subsequent studies investigating the effects of cannabinoid agonists and endocannabinoid degradation inhibitors in rodent models of IBD have identified a potential therapeutic role for the ECS.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22917662

The Cannabinoid 1 Receptor (CNR1) 1359 G/A Polymorphism Modulates Susceptibility to Ulcerative Colitis and the Phenotype in Crohn’s Disease

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“Anecdotal reports suggest that marijuana- or tetrahydrocannabinol-containing products may be effective in alleviating symptoms in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD). This is supported by recent studies of our group and others suggesting that pharmacological activation of the cannabinoid 1 (CB1) receptor with selective receptor agonists decreases the inflammatory response in various murine models of colonic inflammation…

Recent evidence suggests a crucial role of the endocannabinoid system, including the cannabinoid 1 receptor (CNR1), in intestinal inflammation. We therefore investigated the influence of the CNR1 1359 G/A (p.Thr453Thr; rs1049353) single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) on disease susceptibility and phenotype in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD)…

Conclusion

The CNR1 p.Thr453Thr polymorphism appears to modulate UC susceptibility and the CD phenotype. The endocannabinoid system may influence the manifestation of inflammatory bowel diseases, suggesting endocannabinoids as potential target for future therapies.

…our findings provide further evidence that endocannabinoids modulate intestinal inflammation, suggesting that this system could act as a target for future therapeutic interventions.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2829088/