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Autism and medical cannabis: is there a solution for mental well-being for patients? - Walla! health

2022-09-29T14:06:37.558Z


"In my opinion, the Ministry of Health should allow more patients on the autistic spectrum to use cannabis, preferably by vaporizing it, such as with a Saiki inhaler," says Dr. Ilya Reznik


Autism and medical cannabis: is there a solution for mental well-being for patients?

"In my opinion, the Ministry of Health should allow more patients on the autistic spectrum to use cannabis, preferably by vaporizing it, such as in a Saiki inhaler," says Dr. Ilya Reznik, a neuropsychiatrist and expert in the field of medical cannabis

In partnership with SyqeAir

09/29/2022

Thursday, September 29, 2022, 06:19 Updated: 16:19

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Gila and her daughter Sharon (Photo: PR Saiki)

This month, Sharon turned 25. A young, very curious girl who dreams of becoming a kindergarten teacher.

She takes pictures (her photo was shown at an exhibition in Jaffa), sings, plays music, loves bowling and her dog, Toto.

Sharon has been diagnosed with an intellectual disability since the age of one and at the age of 14 she was also diagnosed on the autistic spectrum.

Sharon uses the SyqeAir inhaler;

The first and only medical inhaler in the world that allows for the administration of a low, measurable and precise dose of medical cannabis, and according to her mother, Gila, it helps her find the calm and mental well-being that allows her to function as close to normal as possible.



"I felt as if someone heard me and came up with what I needed"



Gila Shovel is a nurse by profession, worked for years as a nurse in the IDF and at the "Zabar" medical company. She and her husband are parents to 3 children and grandparents to 2 grandchildren. Their oldest daughter, 25-year-old Sharon, is diagnosed with intellectual disability combined with autism. One One of the symptoms she suffers from is mood swings - challenging behavior. "From joy to joy," Sharon calls it," says Gila, "for years my husband and I have been looking for solutions for this."



During her work as a nurse, Gila was exposed to the field of cannabis.

"I realized that there is not much experience in the treatment of autism and medical cannabis, but I also realized that there are children and adults, that the use of cannabis has been good for them. For years I have been looking for what can help us all achieve a more peaceful life," she says.



"Four years ago, on the recommendation of a psychiatrist and after receiving an appropriate license, we started using cannabis oil. The problem was that I couldn't feel whether it was helping Sharon or not. Sometimes it seems to have a benefit and sometimes a withdrawal," says Gila, adding that after seeing no real improvement, they switched to using it. In a high-THC bloom with the help of a vaporizer.

"With the vaporizer, we very quickly saw a significant benefit, but there were several problems that severely affected the treatment, such as: waiting for the vaporizer to warm up slowly - until the vaporizer reached the desired temperature, Sharon usually reached a challenging state. In addition, I never knew how much she inhaled and sometimes she She would go into a state of "satla". Sometimes the use was not effective at all. And there is also the awkwardness; it is recommended to give it 2-3 times a day and it was not comfortable because she is in the frame during the day. In short, we had no control."



"At this point, I realized that I had to delve deeper into the subject and went to the Ministry of Health's cannabis counseling course for nurses. There, as part of learning about the methods of administration and use, I became aware of Saiki's inhaler for the first time. I really felt as if someone had heard me and invented what I needed," she says.

Dr. Shoki Yehoshua Aviram (Photo: Itai Kurgan)

SyqeAir inhaler (Photo: Kfir Ziv)

"The inhaler helps Sharon to function better. In the academic center where she is in the morning, there is evidence of improved functioning in skills"



Sharon has been using the SyqeAir inhaler for about four months.

"It is a medical device that is easy to use and user-friendly, in a way that Sharon can operate on her own," says Gila, "There is no hassle of preparation in advance, no direct contact with an efflorescence, the dose she consumes is very low - everything is accurate at the microgram level, the inhaler gives feedback if there was a successful inhalation Or not. There is even personal accompaniment from an experienced nurse, who adjusted Sharon to a regular aspiration schedule that puts her into a treatment routine.

As a mother and a nurse I know exactly what and how much my daughter is getting.

We are not tied to the house - Sharon can inhale anywhere because there is no smell, no smoke and it's just great.

At the academic center where she is in the morning, they reported to me that they saw a marked improvement in Sharon's skills and general functioning.

It just lowers the volume of the attacks," she says with satisfaction and relief.





"Cannabis is a plant that is used for therapeutic purposes," says Dr. Ilya Reznik, a neuropsychiatrist and expert in the field of medical cannabis. It is used for therapeutic purposes."



Dr. Reznik explains: "To date, less than 600 people on the autism spectrum have received a license for cannabis. In my view, this is only one tenth of the potential help it could have given to people who want to obtain a license. In general, it is important to know that the path to obtaining a license very long and personal, and depends on the willingness of the Ministry of Health. Dr. Reznik emphasizes that the reasons of the doctor who submits the application for the license are also significant.

"When a patient is unbalanced and there is, in my professional opinion, a way to bring him to balance, I submit a request and even then, only when I am convinced of its necessity,"



"Each patient needs to be matched with the right cannabis product. Doctors in the public system don't have time to tailor personal treatment, and this is the problem in my opinion in the current system. The use of cannabis through the SyqeAir inhaler does not involve smoking, which is excellent. In my opinion,



the Ministry of Health should allow more patients on the autistic spectrum to use cannabis , preferably by vaping, like in a Saiki inhaler," he says.



CBD-rich oil contains more THC than the dose given in the SyqeAir inhaler



"According to the 106 procedure of the IKR, there are guidelines for which treatment is appropriate for each patient," explains Dr. Yehoshua (Shoki) Aviram, Saiki's director of clinical research.

"Medical cannabis plants rich in CBD are recommended for the treatment of diseases such as autism, dementia and epilepsy, especially when their severity is significant and many conventional treatments have not helped. The recommendation for use includes only an oil high in CBD and low in THC, but it has not yet been proven in practice that only such an oil can help to the patients. And in general, there are a lot of cannabinoids in the plant, which should be tested."



Dr. Aviram says that a study conducted by Dr. Adi Haran from Hadassah Hospital, with the participation of 150 children with autism, with the help of oil with a high concentration of CBD, gave impetus to include medical cannabis in the labeling in Procedure 106. Another study, by Dr. Orit Stoler from The Shamir patients published this month (September 2022) also showed some improvement, especially in the area of ​​social communication abilities. Due to medical confidentiality. The YKR do not release information about products according to indication.) When Gila Shuval asked to switch to the SyqeAir inhaler, she already had an idea that there was experience in using cannabis high in THC in patients on the autistic spectrum because Sharon already had a license for a high-THC flower, There was no need to issue an additional license to switch to the SyqeAir inhaler," explains Dr. Aviram.



Dr. Aviram emphasizes another important fact, concerning the dose of THC in CBD oil extraction: "In an oil high in CBD, there is more THC than in the dose given by inhalation using a SyqeAir inhaler.

This means that the doses of THC, which are not desired by the Ministry of Health, are significantly less than in the oil." Another consideration that makes the SyqeAir inhaler a preferred treatment, according to Dr. Aviram, is the issue of the cost of the treatment.

A price that becomes a burden on the patients' families.

"Patients with the diagnoses discussed in the article reach a monthly use of 3-8 bottles of 10 ml oil.

The cost for them can reach several thousand shekels per month and this is a heavy expense.

From the data we have, most SyqeAir patients consume one cannabis cartridge per month, a dose that remains consistent over time, at a fixed cost."



SyqeAir is the first and only medical inhaler in the world that allows the administration of a low, measurable and precise dose of medical cannabis (category T20C4 sativa) whose effectiveness and safety are backed by 3 clinical studies [1-3] and an extensive patient survey [4], published in the international scientific literature. The inhaler allows for the provision of measurable and precise treatment of medical cannabis, an exclusive advantage that enables the adjustment of a precise and personal treatment plan for each patient, with a minimum of psychoactive side effects. This is to allow patients to manage their pain treatment themselves and maintain a routine and normal functioning alongside the pain.



She shared that this year Sharon went on a trip to Ben 5 days, for the first time with a SyqeAir inhaler. "It was easy to explain to the instructor how to operate the inhaler and it was the first trip that Sharon went on and I felt calm."



"Parents will always change the world for their children."

Gila says, "Special parents are constantly searching for a balm that will bring their child mental well-being, that will allow him to function as normally as possible. My dream, and this is also the reason I want to reveal our personal story, is that more parents will experience this thing that I experienced with Sharon. This is salvation."



For more details, go to the syqe.co.il website in



accordance with the approved labels in procedure 106. The use of the inhaler is conditional on a doctor's recommendation and a license for use, in accordance with the requirements of the law.

Research tested.

This is not a medical recommendation.



[1] Eisenberg, E, et al.

(2014).

J Pain Palliative Care Pharmacother, 28(3), 216-225.


[2] Vulfsons, S, et al.

(2020).

Palliative & Supportive Care, 18(1), 12-17.


[ 3] Almog S, et al.

(2020).

European Journal of Pain, 24(8), 1505-1516.


[4] Aviram J, et al.

(2022) PAIN Reports.

7(3).

e1011.

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Source: walla

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