Although up to 70 percent of people with epilepsy can control seizures with antiepileptic drugs, about 30 percent of seizures continue to occur despite the availability of many antiepileptic drugs. Some people experience very few seizures, while others experience many severe and damaging seizures daily. Regardless of how many seizures you have, epilepsy can significantly affect the quality of your life. However, the gap in treatment has prompted people to look for alternatives, including CBD.
Epilepsy combined with CBD Research suggests that compounds derived from the cannabis plant can reduce the severity and frequency of seizures in some people, especially in children with catastrophic epilepsy disorders. There is evidence that using CBD in combination with other treatments may be beneficial for some patients with specific conditions.
Evidence
The evidence supporting the use of CBD is strongest in the treatment of some epileptic seizures in children. Where anti-epileptic drugs cannot fully control the condition, CBD products as a complementary treatment can improve the quality of life of children and young adults under the age of 25. What is epilepsy? Epilepsy is a tendency to have recurrent seizures. There are many different types of seizures, but they are always the result of abnormal electrical activity somewhere in the brain. A seizure occurs when the brain's nerve cells malfunction and generate a sudden, uncontrolled burst of electrical activity in the brain.
Orderly communication between nerve cells is disrupted and thoughts, feelings or movements become temporarily confused or uncontrolled. Many people will experience one seizure at some point in their lives, but this is not necessarily epilepsy because there is a low risk of recurrence. Many children with epilepsy will eventually “grow out of it” by the time they are adults. For some people, the propensity for recurrent seizures can be a lifelong predisposition.
What is CBD ?
Cannabidiol, or CBD, is found in cannabis stalks and flowers and contains no mind-altering properties. It has shown some positive effects on certain body systems and can potentially help control seizures. Unlike recreational cannabis, CBD does not contain the properties that cause the effect of “high” or “stoned. It is a fully legal product in the Netherlands because it contains only very low amounts of THC. But cannabidiol containing THC in higher concentrations (more than 0.3%) is illegal.
The term “cannabidiol” also refers to cannabinoids, which are chemicals found in the plant. These substances act on cells (receptors) in the body. There are over 100 cannabinoids in the cannabis plant. Two major components, which are the subject of current research, are tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). THC is the main psychoactive component of cannabis. Effect of CBD in epilepsy CBD, a major cannabinoid component of cannabis, has already been shown to have antiepileptic, anxiety and antipsychotic effects.
CBD interacts directly or indirectly with many different receptors in the brain. It indirectly affects the main cannabinoid receptor in the brain by reducing its stimulation. It also interacts with a variety of other receptors.
