Hi Kerry (@keeg1010)!

It is a pleasure to share my experience with you and others!

I started with Medical Marijuana in August 2020 after trying 5 different AEDs (Lamotrigine, Carbamazepine, Oxcarbazepine, Gabapentin, and Lacosamide) without much success, not very nice experiences, and much frustration in a period of 18 months. Even though some AEDs have controlled my seizures, I got really ill and in bed.

First, I started with artisanal medical marijuana from a local association, one of the very few ones that can produce medical marijuana here in Brazil. At that time, I used full-spectrum medical marijuana with a low dosage of THC. My doctor at that time, increased the dosage little by little, replacing Vimpat (Lacosamide) with this medical marijuana in a very careful way. In 6 months I got rid of Vimpat, which was a poison to me. To speed up Vimpat’s withdrawal, my doctor reintroduced Carbamazepine in a low dosage.

In May this year, I started seeing an epileptologist and he recommended just pure CBD, instead. According to my current doctor, THC is not recommended to people with epilepsy. I am taking the one from Farma USA (Purodiol 200 mg/ml – 0,5 ml 2 x day), that I import from the United States (perhaps the commercial name of Purodiol is different in the States). I still take Carbamazepine in a low dosage (60 mg 2 x day). Little by little, I am feeling better, having more energy, sleeping more, being less anxious, and in a much better mood. I still have seizures (complex seizures), about 4 per month, but they are much milder now. There is still room for CBD increase, but this must be done little by little as CBD leverages AEDs.

Here in Brazil, one needs a special prescription to buy medical marijuana at the pharmacy or association as well as to import it. Options are still not many yet here in Brazil and the ones available are more expensive than imported CBD.

In your message, you have mentioned “the card does my soon no good”. Sorry, I could not understand what you mean by card. Can you explain it to me?

Based on my experience, I recommend seeing an epileptologist when one has epilepsy. If I had done that right from the beginning, I believe my way to getting better treated would have been shorter. In the States, you have excellent epilepsy centers such as Mayo Clinic and others. I know that there is still some prejudice regarding medical marijuana in the States as well as in Brazil. But when you have tried all you could in traditional medicine and you do not get better… Again, my experience with CBD has been very positive so far.

If you have further questions, please feel free to ask me as well as to send me private messages.

Stay strong!!!!

Kind regards,
Santosha