Polyarteritis Nodosa/Cannabinoids help with Treatment and relieve Symptoms

Polyarteritis Nodosa

What is polyarteritis nodosa?

Polyarteritis nodosa is a rare autoimmune disease (immune system attacking its own body) featuring spontaneous inflammation of the arteries (arteritis).  Because arteries are involved, the disease can affect any organ of the body.  The most common areas of involvement include the muscles, joints, intestines (bowels), nerves, kidneys, and skin.  Poor function or pain in any of these organs can be a symptom.  Poor blood supply to the bowels can cause abdominal pain, local bowel death, and bleeding.  Fatigue, weight loss, and fever are common.
Polyarteritis nodosa is most common in middle-age people.  Its cause is unknown, but it has been reported after hepatitis B infection.  Polyarteritis is not felt to be an inherited condition.

Causes

Polyarteritis nodosa is a disease of unknown cause that affects arteries, the blood vessels that carry oxygenated blood to organs and tissues.  It occurs when certain immune cells attack the affected arteries.
More adults than children get this disease.  It damages the tissues supplied by the affected arteries because the tissues aren't receiving the oxygen and nourishment they need.
People with active hepatitis B and C may develop this disease.

Symptoms

Symptoms result from damage to affected organs, often the skin, heart, kidneys, and nervous system.

Generalized symptoms include:

Nerve involvement may cause sensory changes with numbness, pain, burning, and weakness.  Central nervous system involvement may cause strokes or seizures.  Kidney involvement can produce varying degrees of renal (kidney) failure.

When heart arteries are involved, heart attack, heart failure, and inflammation of the sac around the heart (pericarditis) can occur.
Polyarteritis is a serious illness that can be fatal.

Treatment

Treatment involves medications to suppress the immune system, including prednisone and cyclophosphamide.  Treatment is directed toward decreasing the inflammation of the arteries.
For polyarteritis nodosa related to hepatitis, treatment may involve plasmapheresis and anti-viral medicines.

Outlook (Prognosis)

Current treatments using steroids and other drugs that suppress the immune system (such as cyclophosphamide) can improve symptoms and the chance of long-term survival.  The most serious associated conditions generally involve the kidneys and gastrointestinal tract.  Without treatment, the outlook is poor.

Koopman, William, et al., eds. Clinical Primer of Rheumatology. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2003.

Kelley's Textbook of Rheumatology, W B Saunders Co, edited by Shaun Ruddy, et al., 2004.
eferences
Sergent JS. Polyarteritis and related disorders. In: Harris ED Jr., Budd RC, Genovese MC, Firestein GS, Sargent JS, eds.Kelley's Textbook of Rheumatology. 8th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2008: chap 83.
Stone JH. The systemic vasculitides. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007: chap 291.

Possible Complications:

Heart attack
Intestinal necrosis and perforation
Kidney failure
Stroke

When to Contact a Medical Professional

Call your health care provider if you develop symptoms of this disorder.  Early diagnosis and treatment may improve the chance of a good outcome.

Prevention

There is no known prevention.  However, early treatment can prevent some damage and symptoms.

Expectations (prognosis)

Current treatments using steroids and other drugs that suppress the immune system (such as cyclophosphamide) can improve symptoms and the chance of long-term survival.  The most serious associated conditions generally involve the kidneys and gastrointestinal tract.  Without treatment, the outlook is poor.

Calling your health care provider
Call your health care provider if you develop symptoms of this disorder.  Early diagnosis and treatment may improve the chance of a good outcome.

The American College of Rheumatology established criteria for the classification of polyarteritis nodosa in 1990.  For classification purposes, a patient is said to have polyarteritis nodosa if at least three of the following ten criteria are present:

1. Weight loss greater than/equal to 4 kg
2. Livedo reticularis (a mottled purplish skin discoloration over the extremities or torso)
3. Testicular pain or tenderness (occasionally, a site biopsied for diagnosis)
4. Muscle pain, weakness, or leg tenderness
5. Nerve disease (either single or multiple)
6. Diastolic blood pressure greater than 90mm Hg (high blood pressure)
7. Elevated kidney blood tests (BUN greater than 40 mg/dl or creatinine greater than 1.5 mg/dl)
8. Hepatitis B virus tests positive (for surface antigen or antibody)
9. Arteriogram (angiogram) showing the arteries that are dilated (aneurysms) or constricted by the blood vessel inflammation
10. Biopsy of tissue showing the arteritis (typically inflamed arteries)

Benefits of Cannabinoids:

In painful conditions that have an inflammatory origin.

Cannabis products often show very good effects in diseases with multiple symptoms.

Some therapeutic uses of Indicas:

Autoimmune Diseases and Inflammation
In a number of painful syndromes secondary to inflammatory processes (e.g. ulcerative colitis, arthritis), cannabis products may act not only as analgesics but also demonstrate anti-inflammatory potential. For example, some patients employing cannabis report a decrease in their need for steroidal and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Moreover there are some reports of positive effects of cannabis self-medication in allergic conditions.

Additionally, the cannabinoid compositions of the invention are used in therapeutic formulations for the treatment of an autoimmune disease or an inflammatory disorder.  The present invention also provides methods of treating or alleviating a symptom associated with any of the autoimmune diseases and inflammatory disorders described herein.

THC seems to exert its anti-inflammatory activity through suppression of the Th1 response.

Thus, the Examples provided herein have shown that oral THC treatment, provided at a relatively low dose, and initiated after manifestation of clinically detectable artery lesions, significantly inhibits atherosclerosis progression in mice.  This anti-atherosclerotic effect is likely mediated by the CB2 receptor, as this receptor is strongly expressed in atherosclerotic lesions. The data presented herein also provide evidence that the anti-atherosclerotic properties of THC are associated with a reduction of Th1 response and an inhibition of monocyte migration to the site of inflammation.  These results suggest a therapeutic potential for low doses of cannabinoid derivatives as novel anti-inflammatory agents for patients with clinically manifested atherosclerosis.

Use an Indica dominant hybrid:

% CBD	% THC
90	10
85	15
80	20
75	25

 

Strains:  Blue Dream, Grapefruit, Green Queen, Sour Tsunami, Incredible Romulan, Forbidden Fruit, Shush Kush, Blueberry Kush, OG Kush, Morning Blend, Blackberry Kush, Bleu Cheese.

Use extracts, butter, decoction, tincture (which you make yourself), or vaporize.
Remember sativa’s support the immune system.

References

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Sergent JS. Polyarteritis and related disorders. In: Harris ED Jr., Budd RC, Genovese MC, Firestein GS, Sargent JS, eds. Kelley's Textbook of Rheumatology. 8th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2008: chap 83.
Stone JH. The systemic vasculitides. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007: chap 291.
References:

Koopman, William, et al., eds. Clinical Primer of Rheumatology. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2003.

Kelley's Textbook of Rheumatology, W B Saunders Co, edited by Shaun Ruddy, et al., 2004.
eferences
Sergent JS. Polyarteritis and related disorders. In: Harris ED Jr., Budd RC, Genovese MC, Firestein GS, Sargent JS, eds.Kelley's Textbook of Rheumatology. 8th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2008: chap 83.
Stone JH. The systemic vasculitides. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007: chap 291.