As we learn more about CBD, we are finding out that it has medicinal uses that many of us never knew it had. Researchers have taken a lot of interest in CBD and their studies are revealing to us just how beneficial a single plant can be. In recent years, researchers have looked into whether CBD can help kids with epilepsy and although there is still a lot of research to be done, there is hope and lots of progress.
Epilepsy: An Overview
Epilepsy is a devastating, chronic disease whose main characteristic is recurrent seizures that often occur unprovoked. About 30% of all children who have epilepsy do not respond to conventional treatments, with encephalopathic epilepsy being very challenging to treat in kids who have it. Other types of epilepsy such as Dravet and Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome are so severe and difficult to treat that doctors are looking for alternatives.
The Use of Cannabinoids
Studies have revealed that cannabinoids such as cannabidiol (found in CBD) and delta-tetrahydrocannabinol have anticonvulsant properties, with these properties present when these cannabinoids are taken in vivo or in vitro.
Because of these properties, products containing CBD or those that have been enriched using CBD have been effective in decreasing the frequency of seizures in children who suffer from treatment-resistant epilepsy.
What is the Required Dosage?
While clinical studies are still ongoing to find out the right CBD dose for children with different types of epilepsy, some studies have shown that a dose of 10mg/kg/day can help reduce the occurrence of convulsions in children with Dravet syndrome. A similar dose has been proposed for other types of epilepsy where current medication has been ineffective in reducing the frequency and occurrence of seizures.
Although some doctors do not approve of the use of CBD in reducing or treating these types of epilepsy, many of them still say there is no harm in using CBD to see if it would help. The most important thing is ensuring that you are giving your child the right dosage. To do so, you can use the dosage calculator from Herbalhealthcbd.co.uk to help you calculate the right dosage regardless of the strength of your CBD product or your child’s weight.
What Does the Future Hold?
With more studies showing the effectiveness of using products containing cannabinoids to help kids with epilepsy, scientists and doctors are scrambling to open up their studies. Until now, many of these studies have focused on a small number of patients. These studies need to be expanded to include more patients so that doctors can see where they can replace other antiepileptic drugs with this natural remedy.
Epilepsy is a complicated disease to treat due to how it presents. Although there are various medications that can help, children who have treatment-resistant epilepsy find their condition more challenging than others. The use of cannabinoids to help reduce the frequency of seizures is a great first sign that these children will soon get the help they need to deal with their condition.
