By Jacqueline Passos

In 2006, August 30 was established by federal law 11.303 for the awareness of Multiple Sclerosis throughout Brazil. Due to this date, the Friends of Multiple Sclerosis Association (AME) created the Orange August campaign to raise awareness of the disease. MS (Multiple Sclerosis) is an inflammatory, chronic, autoimmune disease - meaning the immune system attacks the central nervous system, interfering with communication between the brain and the rest of the body - which has a demyelinating component - as it affects the myelin, which is nothing more than a sheath that covers our nerves - and progresses to a degenerative disease.

Multiple Sclerosis is More Common in Women

In Brazil, ABEM (Brazilian Association of Multiple Sclerosis) estimates that 40,000 people are affected by the disease. Worldwide, it is likely that MS already affects 2.5 million people. The pathology mainly affects young patients, especially women aged between 20 and 40 years. The reason why the female sex is more susceptible to the disease is still uncertain; however, there is a possibility that female sex hormones influence the disease, according to studies based on symptoms reported by women during menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause. Research also points out that women have lower vitamin D levels than men, another factor that could explain the higher incidence in females.

>>> Join the Sechat group on WHATSAPP and receive news first

But, what causes MS?

The cause of the disease still raises assumptions, but according to Dr. Victor Marçal Saab, a neurologist specialized in demyelinating diseases at CATEM (Center for Care and Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis), in addition to viral factors (such as the Epstein-Barr virus) and genetic factors - non-hereditary - there is also a climatic influence, as the incidence is higher in temperate climate countries. According to Albert Einstein Hospital, there is also a combination of environmental factors that can act as "triggers," which are:

- prolonged exposure to sunlight and consequently low vitamin D levels;

- obesity;

- exposure to smoking;

- contact with organic solvents.

Regarding Symptoms

Multiple Sclerosis has motor, sensory, cognitive, visual, and mental symptoms, with the most common being: spasticity, intense fatigue, depression, muscle weakness, balance and motor coordination changes, joint pain, and intestinal and bladder dysfunction. The good news is that it is not a fatal disease, and many patients lead a normal life, especially if it is of the relapsing-remitting type, where there are occurrences of relapses that can improve after treatment. 

>>> Join the Sechat group on TELEGRAM and receive news first

Cannabis and Patient Quality of Life

First of all, it is important to understand that cannabis does not act on the regression of the disease. However, it can increase the quality of life of the patient, as it improves some symptoms. Therefore, it is essential to have a treatment that combines conventional medications to control the activity of the disease with phytocannabinoids. 

“To this day, there is no scientific study that demonstrates that medicinal cannabis acts to control the disease, but rather in controlling the symptoms, mainly: spasticity, cognitive deficit, and fatigue.”

Dr. Victor Marçal Saab

Treatment with Cannabis Medicine

The first cannabis-based medication authorized in Brazil by Anvisa (National Health Surveillance Agency) was Mevatyl, a medication that contains THC and CBD in its composition and is indicated for those suffering from spasticity caused by Multiple Sclerosis, which is a stiffness in certain parts of the body. Although Mevatyl has been available on pharmacy shelves since 2017, few MS patients can afford it, as three 10 ml bottles are sold for an average price of R$ 2,500.

Therefore, in order to offer a more affordable treatment for patients, doctors like Dr. Victor prescribe cannabis oil, sold in Brazil by companies and associations. The doctor also reports that the patient needs to be patient, as the treatment is slow and gradual, since there is no predetermined dose and each person responds differently to the medication. 

>>> Subscribe to our NEWSLETTER and receive reliable information from Sechat about Medicinal Cannabis

“In cannabis medicine, patient feedback determines the continuity or change of the initial strategy to achieve the final goal. I have to talk to the patient every 4 days until I get the final dosage right, because that is the time it takes to see the effect of the medication, to see if the patient improved or not, so I can increase or maintain. It is a completely individualized medicine.”

Dr. Victor Marçal Saab

Even with MS, the Patient Can Have a Normal Life

Cristiane Martins Timótheo, 43 years old, was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in March 2019 when she was 40 years old. For her, it felt like the world had collapsed. However, the bank employee wanted to face the disease and never accepted the symptoms, especially the discouragement she felt in the morning and the fatigue that arose in the late afternoon. To improve Cristiane's quality of life, Dr. Victor Saab introduced medicinal cannabis in April 2021. 

“Before cannabis, I would wake up with nausea, dizziness, weakness... total discouragement... it would take about three hours for me to start feeling better and, around 5 PM, I would feel a deep fatigue... a fatigue that didn't belong to me... (...) What has cannabis brought to my life? It gave me even more will to live. It magically took away my dizziness, my nausea, my discomfort. It took away my extreme fatigue. It gave me much more energy.”

Cristiane Martins Timótheo

Today, in addition to having more energy, Cristiane is a cheerful woman who faces people's jokes about her medication with indifference. If she could send a message to others facing the same disease, it would be: “Cannabis is LIFE.”

Check out other content about Multiple Sclerosis published by Sechat: