Posted by linkadge on August 20, 2010, at 8:29:08
In reply to Re: Marijuana as a Medication in Depress and Anxiety, posted by morgan miller on August 17, 2010, at 20:15:08
>Many things are not conclusive, but there is >evidence. If you are genetically predisposed or >possibly genetically predisposed to >schizophrenia, why risk it?
Pretty much all there is are correlational studies. Schizophrenia is also "correlated" with high tobacco use, for instance. For a while they were suggesting that the tobacco exaserbated (or even caused) schizophrenia in "succeptable" people.
On the contrary they are finding mechanisms by which nicotine improves schizophrenic symptoms. It increases gaba levels in the schizophrenic brain and also appears to improve cognition and anxiety levels. Newer studies suggest that schizophrenics who smoke tobacco have a better long term prognosis than those who don't.
It all depends on how the study is conducted and what the researchers are trying to prove.
Newer researchers have tried to look for mechanisms by which marijaunna might actually be used theraputically for schizophrenia.
It has been known for a while that there is high overlap of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Many of the medications used for either illness are interchangeable. Some cases of schizophrenia are often misdiagnosed as bipolar. There are many bipolar patients who claim that marijuanna acts as a mood stabilizer for them - calming both the highs and the lows. By the same tolken, it could have theraputic utility in schizophrenia.
Some researchers have found greatly diminished levels of anandamide in the schizophrenic brain. They propose that schizophrenics smoke to replace the cannabanoid receptor activation that would be given by the missing anandamide.
Of course, if you don't need to smoke it..don't. But, if for some reason it works for you, I wouldn't be thrown off by a unproven potential ill effect.
Linkadge
poster:linkadge
thread:958696
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20100811/msgs/959229.html