Medical Marijuana for HIV/AIDS
If you’re not sure what to do after being diagnosed with HIV or AIDS and are wondering about your treatment options, medical marijuana can help. Symptoms can include weight loss, loss of appetite, and peripheral neuropathy. The side effects of the medications may include nausea, vomiting, anxiety, and trouble sleeping. These side effects lead patients to explore the alternative of medical marijuana for HIV/AIDS. Knowing how medical cannabis for HIV/AIDS works gives patients the help they need for determining if it’s a suitable treatment for them or a loved one.
According to the World Health Organization, over 500,000 Americans have passed away from HIV/AIDS. In addition, over one million US citizens are living with the disease. HIV/AIDS is a chronic, life-threating condition that is one of the most common reasons why medical marijuana treatments are becoming a popular alternative.
Patients who have HIV/AIDS typically take antiretroviral drugs to prolong the onset of AIDS. However, the side effects of antiretroviral therapy which include nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, and severe pain in nerve endings, can often be unbearable. Other side effects of HIV/AIDS can be wasting syndrome or cachexia and intractable pain. A lot of patients have decided to use medical marijuana to help manage their symptoms
What is HIV/AIDS?
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
When left untreated and undiagnosed, HIV can lead to AIDS. Your body can fight certain virus. However, it’s currently impossible for the body to eliminate HIV from your system. This means that once you’ve contracted the virus, there is no getting rid of it.
HIV attacks your immune system, specifically your T-cells. T-cells are the cells which assist your body to fight infection. When someone has HIV, their body is more susceptible to picking up infections or infection-related cancers.
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS)
Although AIDS is the last stage of the HIV infection, not everyone who has HIV will have AIDS. AIDS occurs when your immune system is so severely damaged that opportunistic infections occur. When the immune system is healthy, you can be exposed to various kinds of parasites, bacteria, and viruses with little effects.
However, when you’re living with AIDS, the parasites, bacteria, and viruses can pose a severe threat to the body. Opportunistic infections will take advantage of the weakened immune system and cause catastrophic illnesses.
Is Medical Marijuana an Effective Treatment?
With as many as a third of HIV/AIDS patients experience unbearable pain due to their antiretroviral therapy. These symptoms can be so painful that some patients will seek out medical marijuana treatments as an alternative.
Medical cannabis for HIV/AIDS can eliminate nausea, vomiting, and appetite loss, which are associated with HIV/AIDS treatment. Marijuana allows patients to stop losing weight while getting enough essential nutrients in their body. Cannabis also targets the neuropathic pain patients feel when they are undergoing therapy.
What HIV/AIDS Symptoms Can Medical Marijuana Treat?
There is a definite connection between medical marijuana and HIV/AIDS. Medical cannabis is effective at treating symptoms associated with the condition itself, as well as its side effects.
Medical cannabis is effective for:
- Reducing peripheral neuropathy
- Reducing pain
- Improving mood and depression
- Thwarting nausea
- Stimulating appetite
In Summary
If you’re a patient suffering from HIV/AIDS and the side effects from HIV/AIDS, and seeking medical marijuana treatments, Marijuana Care Clinic can help. We can help you receive your medical card and get you to a qualified marijuana doctor that can help your quality of life with alternative medicine.