Cannabis for Dad (part 2)

When it was suggested to Dad that we try CBD oil for his Parkinson’s tremors, my hubby did some research to see where to buy the stuff legally. (If you missed the first post on our foray into medical marijuana, click HERE.) He learned it IS sold here in Florida as a dietary supplement. It’s not legal for a doc to prescribe it, but he can tell patients about it, and they can purchase in on their own.

I called a clinical nutritionist I know. She knew about CBD oil and said she could get some for us from a shop in Colorado (no surprise.)  They had a deal, and we got two bottles for the price of one. We only wanted one, so the nutritionist kept the second bottle to offer to other clients, if needed. She was happy to help us obtain this oil and told us to let her know if it worked. 

Well, Dad’s first bottle of CBD oil, over a 10-day period, went down without a hitch. And no change in his tremors.

Hmm. I thought the doc would remind us that it doesn’t work for everyone, and that’s the end of that.

He didn’t. He told us we need a stronger concentration.

Is anybody else a bit creeped out by this? I keep telling myself we’re under a doctor’s guidance; CBD oil has a low concentration of THC; it’s a pure, therapeutic blend. I still wish we just would have concluded that this therapy is not for Dad. 

Instead, the hubs did more research, and lo and behold, learned there is a natural products store not far from us. He checked it out on his own and came home with a good report. The little shop sells all kinds of alternative therapies, essential oils, and other non-traditional healing supplies. He came home with a list of bottle sizes and concentrations. Apparently, there are many options when it comes to CBD oil. I called the doc again. 

We didn’t hear from him for three days, and Dad got a bit antsy waiting. He’s convinced CBD oil is the miracle treatment he’s been waiting for.

The doc told us which bottle to buy and how much to take ($80 for a two month supply.) We started the new therapy on a Friday night.

We didn’t get very far into this second bottle. After just three doses, Dad was groggy, had a headache, and had visions of people standing at the foot of his bed.

Good grief.

Our daughter and I went to check on him that Sunday and found him in bed, mumbling that his tremor was unchanged and he sure didn’t feel well. He certainly seemed…well, dopey, for lack of a better word. I told him we’d stop the CBD oil and that I’d call the doc the next day. Dad kept saying, “I think I got too much of this stuff.”

Clearly.

On Monday morning, I call the Dr. N’s office to report how the trial patient was doing. His nurse called back with his suggestion: cut back the dose to half and keep going.

What? I said. Our daughter pointed out, and I agreed – if an overdose did not help the tremors, why would cutting back on the dose help? (Part of me is still thinking we’re in Crazytown.)

If doesn’t work that way, the nurse replied. It has to build up in his system. You can stop it if you want, she assured me, but we don’t know yet if it’s going to work. Keep taking the lower dose until you see the doc again, in about three weeks. We’re trying to find the balance of not groggy/decreased tremor. It may take some time.

OK. I saw Dad this morning and he wants to know when we can increase his dosage. He’s been on the lower dose for a week, and his tremor is the same. Well, at least you’re not in bed hallucinating, I pointed out. We’re making progress. 

So, here we are. We’ve learned CBD oil is tricky, and expensive. It’s going to be trial and error.

A nurse and a therapist from Dad’s ALF have both come to me with questions about this “supplement” because it’s not approved by the FDA, and Dad told one of them it was illegal.  After I admonished Dad for talking about the CBD oil (weren’t we going to keep this between us?), I then had to reassure the ALF staff that this oil is not illegal for us to buy and use, just for a doc to prescribe, which no doc has done. Our family will be responsible for it and any fallout from it. 

We may end up in jail yet.