Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) refers to a group of diseases caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Cannabis has been shown to be extremely effective in treating several important symptoms of AIDS.
Stimulates appetite
Cannabis use increases calorie and fat consumption, which can help patients gain weight
THC and dronabinol increased calorie intake compared to placebo, regardless of dose. The effect was characterized by increasing the frequency of eating.
When they were given dronabinol, their fat intake increased to 40% and their carbohydrate intake decreased, and when they were administered cannabis, their protein intake decreased to 11%, while their fat intake tended to increase.
When high doses of cannabis and dronabinol were administered, patients experienced a significant increase in body weight. Under placebo conditions, the mean weight of the participants was 77.5 kg. After four days of cannabis, the patients gained 1.1 kg, and after four days of dronabinol, the patients gained 1.2 kg in weight.
Against nausea
Nausea is a common symptom of HIV infection, and as the disease progresses, the causes of nausea can become increasingly complex. They can occur due to gastrointestinal problems, hepatorenal dysfunction, central nervous system disorders, or as a result of treatments used to treat the disease.
Antidepressant
Anxiety disorders, depression, and mood swings are common features of AIDS, and can occur due to a combination of negative physiological, psychological, and social pressures. The 2005 study found that 93% of participating patients experienced relief from anxiety after using cannabis, while 86% also reported improvement in depression.
Analgesic
AIDS can cause severe and disabling pain that has different and complex origins, such as joint pain, nerve pain, and muscle pain.
The 2005 patient study revealed that 94% of participants experienced relief from muscle pain as a result of cannabis use. 90% also reported improvement in neuropathy (nerve pain) and 85% in paresthesias (burning, tingling and itching sensations). The fact that cannabis can provide significant long-term subjective relief from chronic pain in AIDS patients is noteworthy.
Reduces peripheral neuropathy
Cannabis is a safer and potentially cheaper alternative to prescription opioids, in turn, the ability of cannabis to improve peripheral neuropathy in AIDS patients has been evaluated.
A specific, and especially common, form of AIDS-related pain is peripheral neuropathy, in which one or more nerves of the peripheral nervous system (or a part of the nervous system outside the brain and spinal cord) are damaged and lead to suffer pain, spasms, paresthesia, loss of muscle mass and loss of coordination. Cannabis has been shown to help improve the symptoms of AIDS-related peripheral neuropathy, as well as those of other diseases in which it occurs, such as diabetes.