An Australian nationwide survey on medicinal cannabis use for epilepsy: History of antiepileptic drug treatment predicts medicinal cannabis use

Abstract

Epilepsy Action Australia conducted an Australian nationwide online survey seeking opinions on and experiences with the use of cannabis-based products for the treatment of epilepsy. The survey was promoted via the Epilepsy Action Australia's main website, on their Facebook page, and by word of mouth. The survey consisted of 39 questions assessing demographics, clinical factors, including diagnosis and seizure types, and experiences with and opinions towards cannabis use in epilepsy. A total of 976 responses met the inclusion criteria. Results show that 15% of adults with epilepsy and 13% of parents/guardians of children with epilepsy were currently using, or had previously used, cannabis products to treat epilepsy. Of those with a history of cannabis product use, 90% of adults and 71% of parents reported success in reducing seizure frequency after commencing cannabis products. The main reasons for medicinal cannabis use were to manage treatment-resistant epilepsy and to obtain a more favorable side-effect profile compared to standard antiepileptic drugs. The number of past antiepileptic drugs tried was a significant predictor of medicinal cannabis use in both adults and children with epilepsy. Fifty-six percent of adults with epilepsy and 62% of parents/guardians of children with epilepsy expressed willingness to participate in clinical trials of cannabinoids. This survey provides insight into the use of cannabis products for epilepsy, in particular some of the likely factors influencing use, as well as novel insights into the experiences of and attitudes towards medicinal cannabis in people with epilepsy in the Australian community. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled "Cannabinoids and Epilepsy".

Cannabis‐based products for pediatric epilepsy: A systematic review

“…Subsequently, 142 records were screened in full‐text format, with 92 records meeting the eligibility criteria (Appendix ). Of these, 25 records corresponded to 23 unique published studies (four RCTs, 19 NRSs). An additional 33 records corresponded to trial registration records in ClinicalTrial.gov without reported results, and 34 corresponded to conference abstracts.…”

Medicinal cannabis in Australia, 2016: the Cannabis as Medicine Survey (CAMS‐16)

“…3 However, the uptake of prescribed medical cannabis has been limited amid caution from medical professional groups. 4,5 Community support for prescribed medical cannabis continues to grow, 6 possibly influenced by media reporting; surveys of patients with chronic pain, 7 cancer, 8 and epilepsy 9 have found that considerable numbers of Australians have either used (10e20%) or would consider using cannabis products for therapeutic purposes. However, knowledge of the unregulated use of medical cannabis in Australian remains imprecise because it is generally illegal.…”

Cannabinoids for drug‐resistant seizures in a critically ill patient—Case report and literature review

“…Previous studies investigating various forms of cannabis as an adjunct with anti‐epileptic medicines have reported improvements in seizure control and a reduction in frequency of seizures . However, these cannabis products often include THC and may not be suitable for patients with epilepsy because of its psychoactive effects .…”

“…On reviewing the published literature in detail, we found 3 previously published case reports over the last two decades, detailing 4 patient cases of adults using cannabis to reduce uncontrolled seizures . We also found 1 case series study, 7 RCTs, 1 observational study and 5 surveys examining the efficacy and safety of cannabis use in epilepsy. (Table S1) These studies showed a reduction or complete freedom from seizures following the use of CBD compared with placebo.…”