Tampa, FL: The use of plant-derived cannabis extracts is associated with symptom improvements in a patient with refractory paraneoplastic stiff person syndrome (PSPS), according to a case report published in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management. Paraneoplastic stiff person syndrome is a rare, but debilitating manifestation of cancer, characterized by painful extremities, truncal and facial spasms.
Researchers affiliated with the Moffitt Cancer Center in Florida reported on the successful treatment of PSPS in a 60-year-old woman who began using an oral tincture of a one-to-one ratio of plant-derived THC and CBD.
They reported, "[U]se of the cannabinoids markedly minimized [the subject’s] stiffness and the intensity and frequency of spasm episodes." The patient also reduced her use of prescription medications.
Authors concluded, "Our case suggests that state medical marijuana program THC/CBD products may provide relief for patients with refractory PSPS symptoms."
Full text of the study, "Medical cannabis as an effective treatment for refractory symptoms of paraneoplastic stiff person syndrome," appears in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management.