[WEB SITE] Australian survey reveals cannabis use in people with epilepsy to manage seizures

March 9, 2017 at 11:59 AM

People with epilepsy resort to cannabis products when antiepileptic drug side-effects are intolerable and epilepsy uncontrolled.

The first Australian nationwide survey on the experiences and opinions of medicinal cannabis use in people with epilepsy has revealed that 14 per cent of people with epilepsy have used cannabis products as a way to manage seizures.

The study showed that of those with a history of cannabis product use, 90 per cent of adults and 71 per cent of parents of children with epilepsy reported success in managing seizures after commencing using cannabis products.

Published in Epilepsy & Behaviour, the Epilepsy Action Australia study, in partnership with The Lambert Initiative at the University of Sydney, surveyed 976 respondents to examine cannabis use in people with epilepsy, reasons for use, and any perceived benefits self-reported by consumers (or their carers).

The survey revealed:

• 15 per cent of adults with epilepsy and 13 per cent of parents/guardians of children with epilepsy were currently using, or had previously used, cannabis products to treat epilepsy.

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• Across all respondents, the main reasons for trying cannabis products were to manage treatment-resistant epilepsy and to obtain a more favourable side-effect profile compared to standard antiepileptic drugs.

• The number of past antiepileptic drugs was a significant predictor of medicinal cannabis use in both adults and children with epilepsy.

“This survey provides insight into the use of cannabis products for epilepsy, in particular some of the likely factors influencing use, as well as novel insights into the experiences of and attitudes towards medicinal cannabis in people with epilepsy in the Australian community,” said lead author Anastasia Suraev from The Lambert Initiative.

“Despite the limitations of a retrospective online survey, we cannot ignore that a significant proportion of adults and children with epilepsy are using cannabis-based products in Australia, and many are self-reporting considerable benefits to their condition.

“More systematic clinical studies are urgently needed to help us better understand the role of cannabinoids in epilepsy,” she said.

Co-author of the paper Carol Ireland, CEO of Epilepsy Action Australia, who was recently appointed to the Australian Government’s new Australian Advisory Council on the Medicinal Use of Cannabis, said: “Cannabis products are often what people turn to when they have been unable to control their epilepsy with conventional medication.”

“This highlights a growing need to educate consumers and health professionals on the use of cannabis by people with epilepsy, and to provide safe and timely access to cannabinoid medicine in order to lessen people’s reliance on illicit black market products” she said.

Source: University of Sydney

[ARTICLE] Epilepsy in patients with gliomas: Incidence and control of seizures

Abstract

Brain tumor-related epilepsy (BTRE) is a unique condition that is distinct from primary epilepsy. The aim of this retrospective study was to clarify the epidemiology and results of treatment of BTRE in a single institution.

From a database of 121 consecutive patients with supratentorial gliomas treated at Chiba Cancer Center from 2006–2012, the incidence and control of seizures before and after surgery were retrospectively evaluated.Epilepsy occurred in 33.9% of patients before surgery. All patients received prophylactic anti-epileptic drugs (AED) during surgery; however, seizures occurred in 9.1% of patients within the first postoperative week.

During follow-up, seizures occurred in 48.3% of patients. The overall incidence of seizures was

• 73.7% in patients with World Health Organization Grade II gliomas,
• 66.7% in those with Grade III and
• 56.8% in those with Grade IV gliomas.

Levetiracetam was very well tolerated. However, carbamazepine and phenytoin were poorly tolerated because of adverse effects. AED were discontinued in 56 patients. Fifteen of these patients (26.8%) had further seizures, half occurring within 3 months and 80% within 6 months of AED withdrawal. No clinical factors that indicated it was safe to discontinue AED were identified. The unpredictable epileptogenesis associated with gliomas and their excision requires prolonged administration of AED. To maintain quality of life and to safely and effectively control the tumor, it is necessary to select AED that do not adversely affect cognitive function or interact with other drugs, including anti-cancer agents.

via Epilepsy in patients with gliomas: Incidence and control of seizures.