Restless Leg Syndrome: Medical Marijuana Patients’ Say it Works

Phillip Leveque has spent his life as a Combat Infantryman, Physician and Toxicologist.

Image courtesy: sleepdisordersfyi.com

(MOLALLA, Ore.) - There may be 10 million RLS patients in the U.S. This will be good news to them. I was one of the first doctors to sign up patients for Oregon’s medical marijuana permits. I had patients number 13 and 14.

Through the five years I was able to work before the Oregon Board of Medical Examiners revoked my license, I had between 4 and 6 thousand patients. I never did count them because I saw patients in at least twenty places from the coast to Bend and Klamath Falls in Eastern Oregon.

Why I had to travel all over the state is not a mystery. Other doctors were afraid of their own shadows and big brother to do this. However, eventually 2,200 doctors did shake off their paranoia and finally joined the club. Hoorah.

The original medical marijuana bill in California in 1998 required the following disease entities to get a “permit”: cancer, anorexia, AIDS, chronic pain, spasticity, glaucoma, and arthritis.

This was a rather loose list but it did give the doctor the option of recommending it for “any other illness for which marijuana provides relief.” This gave California doctors wide latitude for issuing permits.

Dr. Tod Mikiyuria found after interviewing and/or reviewing about 30,000 patient charts that marijuana was effective for about 200 separate medical entities.

It is difficult for most physicians to believe it could be effective for such a wide variety of conditions, and I as a Professor of Pharmacology took in all this with a grain of salt till I started seeing affected patients. It was one surprise after another. I got over the idea that the patients might be faking it to get a permit because it cost about $150 dollars to go through my clinics and the state charged $100 dollars for the permit. Would the patients fake it if it still cost $250 dollars? I doubt it.

When the first patient came in with “restless leg syndrome” I was bemused for a while. What’s going on here, I said to myself.

I knew that quadriplegics, paraplegics, multiple sclerosis and cerebral palsy patients had legs that jumped around and marijuana gave them relief. All these seemed to be treated poorly with valium-like drugs and the doses were high enough to be strongly sedative and extremely addicting. It didn’t take many doctor “smarts” to figure out if the restless leg patient said marijuana works, it must be so.

According to T.V. news programs, about 10 million patients have restless legs. Marijuana is a nice, safe, effective medicine. The big problem is that only in eleven states can the patients get a permit to use marijuana legally.

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Other articles and video segments about medical marijuana on Salem-News.com:

• Oregon Medical Marijuana Doctor Tells All: Q&A Part 6 (VIDEO)
• Medical Marijuana: Treatment for Marijuana Dependence
• Medical Marijuana Medical Conditions
• Medical Marijuana Medical ConditionsConnecticut Governor Vetoes Medical Marijuana Bill
• Medical Marijuana: PTSD Medical Malpractice
• Marine Combat Vet Discusses Iraq, PTSD and Medical Marijuana
• The Most Dangerous Man in Oregon
• Medical Marijuana: What it's About
• Oregon Medical Marijuana Doctor Discusses PTSD Treatment (VIDEO)
• PTSD: Life-Long Challenge For Growing Number of Veterans
• Medical Marijuana: A California Success Story
• Oregon Medical Marijuana Doctor Tells All: Q&A Part 3 (VIDEO)
• Medical Marijuana: The Replacement for Very Dangerous Drugs
• Oregon Toxicologist Says Treatment for PTSD Should Include Cannabis
• Medical Marijuana Doctor Responds to Written Comments (VIDEO) (Originally titled Oregon Medical Marijuana Doctor Tells All: Q&A Part 3)
• Oregon Medical Marijuana Doctor Answers All (VIDEO)

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I have a brain and spinal tumor. I've been treated with major surgery and radiation to my lifetime limit. I have suffered from RLS the last couple years (I have bad neuropathy from the waiste down). I have bad RLS which prevent sleep. I have baked cookies with marijuana, which is the only medication I've found that helps the problem.

I've had RLS the past 3-4 years it is relentless. I wouldn't wish it on anybody. Anyhow, i read that Marijauna helps RLS and i have been experimenting. It really does work! I'm afraid to ask my Doctor at this juncture for a card but i'm glad to see others are getting relief. It may give me the courage to ask my doctor for a card.

Does anyone know where I can find a study about CMT and medical marijuana?

Editor: I only see one reference to  Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease on this story: Medical Marijuana Medical Conditions - Dr. Phillip Leveque Salem-News.com.  If you are interested, please email us and we can consult with Dr. Phil Leveque, please drop me a line at tim@salem-news.com

I too have Charcot Marie Tooth...Was given all the neurontin type stuff, then oxycontin...Xanax worked for my tremors, BUT Marijuana literally makes my life possible...without it I would be sick all the time, hurting, unhappy, uncomfortable, depressed..you name it...Marijuana makes me normal for those few hours in terms of how I feel.

Yes, isn't it interesting that RLS is now a "real" disease now that there are expensive commercial pharma drugs to treat it. I have also discovered that a small dose of marijuana alleviates my RLS symptoms and lets me get a full night's sleep with zero side effects the other day. Thankfully I live in Canada where the consequences are possession are low and drug testing at work is largely considered an invasion of privacy.

Move to Oregon. The closest state to you is Maryland, but I suggest you start packing. A person ought to be able to go to their doctor and have the doctor write down that all other drugs have been tried and marijuana works best. But, he would be tried for aiding and abetting marijuana addiction. Isn't this disgusting? (yes.)

I had suffered from RLS for "years" but no one (Dr's) seemed to believe me when I explained it to them. NOW all of a sudden it is a "known disease". I also suffer from C.M.T. (Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease) diagnosed in 2003. After being on man made narcotics (Valium for RLS - Morphine for CMT) for the past 3 1/2 yrs I started using Marijuana (with MUCH FEAR)and now no longer use medications that I had bad side effects from. I am able to function very well now and can even drive again. I am NOT foggy headed as I was with the man-made drugs. This drug that everyone hates so much is "literally" a God send. Yes I am VERY AFRAID of going to prison, but the benefits out weigh the fear at this point. I am SO HAPPY to see Physicians and "some" Politicians having the courage to speak out about a plant that is so beneficial and grows quite naturally - although I NEVER see the drug industry allowing Marijuana to be used, they would lose too much money because it helps in so many areas. Pain free in Missouri.

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