CBD Oil for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Dosage, Studies & Patient Success Stories

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a group of rare neurological diseases. In the UK it is called Motor Neurons Disease (MND) because neurons (nerve cells) that are responsible for voluntary muscle movement control are affected by the disease. In other words, the motor neurons in our body are depleted by ALS/MND.

Scientific studies have shown that CBD for ALS slows down the disease far better than the only approved ‘Big Pharma” drugs Riluzole and Andarazone. CBD reduces pain and also treats symptoms such as appetite loss, depression, pain, drooling and spasticity.

The ALS assosiation reports that about 20,000 people in the US have ALS and just over 6000 new diagnoses are added each year (more than 15 new cases each day).

The depletion of motor neurons caused by ALS leads to loss of control of several vital body functions like limb control, breathing, swallowing, speech and overall cellular dysfunction. Men are 20% more likely to be affected by ALS than women. The disease mainly affects people between the ages of 40 and 70.

According to an ALS Association publication, 93% of the reported cases are Caucasian, but other sources report that ALS does not know ethnic or racial boundaries and the high Caucasian percentage is because it is often not diagnosed or reported amongst non-Caucasions.

Table of Contents show

CBD for extending the lives of ALS patients

Laboratory studies

In 2006, a lab study on mice revealed that synthetic cannabinoids significantly delay the progression of ALS. This showed that cannabinoids have substantial neuroprotective effects.

In 2010, preclinical studies indicated that cannabis has powerful antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective effects. In lab mice, this led to prolonged neuronal cell survival, delayed onset, and slower progression of the disease. The lives of the mice were extended by six days, which translates into three years for humans.

This 2010 lab study on mice also revealed that cannabis has symptom-reducing properties like pain relief (analgesia), muscle relaxation, bronchodilation, saliva reduction, appetite stimulation, and sleep induction. It is very common to treat pain with CBD and there is a lot of scientific and anecdotal evidence to back it up.

Clinical studies

Besides having only a few lab studies in relation to cannabis and ALS disease, there is a complete lack so far of clinical studies concerning the promising properties of CBD and cannabis. One case report, started in 2017 is underway, but results have not yet been reported.

Anecdotal studies

In contrast, there is a huge amount of anecdotal evidence available. According to the ALS Association, the life expectancy of ALS patients is as follows:

3 - 5 years

0%

5 years +

0%

10 years +

0%

Cathy Jordan has suffered for more than three decades from ALS (since 1985) and has outlived many of her doctors who died and retired along the way. She claims that she has managed to stay alive and lead a relatively normal life because she has been smoking cannabis since 1989.

Her remarkable story is not only about the healing powers of cannabis, but also characterizes very specifically what is wrong with our medical system. She was met with disbelieve, ignorance and downright obstruction by some doctors. Her cannabis grower was arrested and put in jail with a 20-year sentence, and still today (2018) she is suing for the right to smoke marijuana that she so desperately needs to stay alive.

She has lived for 33 years of her life with ALS and has joined Stephen Hawking as one of the longest living ALS patients in the world.

You have outlived your expiriation date

You must prove that you are still alive

In 1996, the federal government sent Cathy Jordan a letter, literally saying that she had outlived her expiration date and needed to prove that she was still alive.

Big Pharma ALS medication

Currently, there is no cure for ALS. The FDA has approved two drugs for the treatment of ALS, Riluzole (since 1995), and Edaravone/Radicava (since 2017). Edaravone was the first ALS drug in 22 years to be approved after Riluzole.

Clinical trials with Riluzole on patients with ALS show that Riluzole prolongs survival by a few months, but it does not stop the disease or reverse any damage already caused. Edaravone has shown to slow down the decline in ALS patients. Unfortunately, both ‘big pharma’ drugs have many harmful side effects, ranging from mild to severe.

Negative side effects of approved ALS medication

Nausea
Stomach pain
Fever
Loss of appetite
Dark urine
Clay-colored stools
Jaundice
Chills
Body aches
Flu-like symptoms

Chest discomfort
Stabbing chest pain
Dry cough
Cough with yellow or green mucus
Trouble breathing
Shortness of breath
Dizziness
Spinning sensation

Muscle stiffness
Weakness
Drowsiness
Numbness in or around mouth
Diarrhea
Constipation
Headaches
Running nose

CBD oil dosage for ALS

The CBD oil quality is very important, as tests show that there is often a lot less CBD content than the manufacturer claims, or the THC content is larger and above the legal limit. Quality CBD oil is always tested in an independent lab to ensure the consistent quality that consumers expect.

CBD is made from industrial hemp, while THC is often derived from cannabis. There are distinct differences between hemp and cannabis. Often there is confusion surrounding what CBD oil is.

Don’t worry if you can’t figure out how much drops to take for the right dosage in milligrams. Just use our Calculator for CBD dosage.

An isolated CBD oil is less effective than full spectrum CBD oils containing several other cannabinoids in small concentrations. The entourage effect that full-spectrum oil creates boosts the health effects of the supplement.

The CBD dosage level for ALS patients starts with 40 mg per day in two servings. Monitor the effects for a couple of days and increase by 40 mg every couple of days until the desired CBD effects are reached. It is impossible to overdose on CBD, and you can experiment to find a dosage that works best for you.

Patients with severe conditions have reported taking a couple of hundred milligrams a day to stop the disease in its tracks. Generally, people take 25 grams a day as a maintenance dosage, but it is also advised to test and find the best level that works for you.

Cancer patients will have to follow a cannabis dosage roadmap based on the experiences of people who have had great results with a combination of THC oil and CBD oil. CBD dosage for cancer can be done without a roadmap and does not need to be ramped up as it does not cause cognitive impairment like THC (cannabis oil). Neither CBD oil nor cannabis oil has harmful side effects.

It is not uncommon for patients with serious conditions like neurodegenerative diseases or cancer to become depressed. Often this is even induced or stimulated by the big pharma medication prescribed. Scientific studies have confirmed the anecdotal evidence of positive results from treating depression with CBD.

How to take CBD oil

The most common way to take CBD oil is to put the drops under your tongue and keep them there for at least one minute to let your body absorb the CBD. Most oils are thick, and the CBD oil bottle needs to be put in a glass of warm water to make it fluid enough so you can get something out of the dropper.

But you can also mix it with water or another kind of drink or food. If you don’t like the taste, combine the oil with a teaspoon of honey. Just be aware that when the oil has to go through your digestive tract, it will take longer (a couple of hours) to take effect.

CBD properties that affect specific ALS symptoms

ALS Symptom
Pain
Spasticity
Loss of appetite
Dyspnea
Drooling
Depression
Disorder of the autonomic nervous system
Neuronal oxidation and depletion

CBD Effect
Natural pain relief
Muscle relaxant
Appetite stimulant
Bronchodilation
Saliva reduction
Mood balancing
Vasodilitation
Neuroprotective antioxidant

What Daily Dosage Works Best for You?
Please share your thoughts in the comment section below this article on what dosage worked best for your treatment. This way other people will benefit from your experience. Thanks!

Success Stories of ALS Patients

We have carefully collected CBD testimonials for this particular condition to serve as proof and inspiration to others. Do not hesitate to record your own experience and share it with us so that we can add it to this list and help thousands more patients.