Medical cannabis for RLS/PLMD

[Ephemera]

Has anybody tried and had good results with Medical Cannabis for RLS/PLMD. Looking at this in case Buprenorphine does not work. So far on 0.4 sublingual tablet, severe side effects during day and not working at night now!! Worked for first 3 nights. Beginning to think that husband cannot take any prescribed meds that work anymore!!

[ChrisColumbus]

This recent chain includes responses from people who have tried various forms of cannabis including medical cannabis:healthunlocked.com/rlsuk/po...

[Ephemera in reply to ChrisColumbus]

Thank you for the link. From what we have read we will not be going down this route.

[Nikos64]

Cannabis is very effective in stopping RLS and PLMD.

However…

1. Only the inhaled form works. Gummies and oral preparations not so much. Only a puff from a vape pen or a joint provides complete relief for 2-3h. So not only is the relief short lived, but the inhalation of cannabis is probably not good for your lungs. If you have a milder form of RLS that could be enough to get you through the night.

2. Tolerance builds quickly. If you have RLS on a nightly basis you will need to take more and more.

3. I found that the quality of sleep you get with cannabis is inferior. For some it’s better. It depends on the person.

4. Getting up in the morning is harder. Plus it kills motivation and I think there are negative temporary cognitive effects. Your brain will not be firing on all cylinders and this could affect work performance.

Everyone reacts differently … you could try it… Personally I would not recommend it except as a backup for short term use. (For example you forgot to pickup your refill and the pharmacy is closed). Stick with what a competent RLS specialist prescribes. It’s safer and more effective.

Good luck !

[DNoda]

cannabis works great for me! I am using 3 drops of cannabis oil in the evening. I sleep well the whole night and I wake up energetic without any strange sensations in the head. If I wake up at night, I steel feel the oil working and I fall asleep again fast. There is just one big disadvantage: after 2-3 days it doesn’t work any more. So I wait 3 days and use it again.

[Jumpey]

Cannabis oil with THC sadly didn't work for me.

[Merny5]

I have tried indica cannabis gummies and had inconsistent results. Sometimes it worked and other times it made my symptoms more intense. I think Nikos64 is correct about the edible vs. smoking.

[Sunshine458]

I have my medical license for cannabis and it’s hit and miss with me. Sometimes I feel it can make me worse and I gain weight bad with it too (munchies). It works different for everyone but I definitely feel it’s worth a try. RLS is horrible and I have suffered with it as long as I can remember and I am 74 years old!! I smoke Indica and I do gummies sometimes too.

[gophergal]

Because I'm a believer in the medical benefits of cannabis, I gave it 2 years and tried every way possible...with no good results.

I tried 6 mo of tinctures, 6 mo of gummies, 6 mo of smoking good quality weed, and all the while sticking to a very regimented schedule so as not to confuse my brain.

Nothing ever worked. My brain was mellow but my legs were still going!