There’s still not a lot to say. Alex hasn’t been doing too great lately, and even when he’s in a good mood he has to be wrapped up in a blanket or something that can similarly restrict his hands, otherwise he quickly enters a state of intense agitation which escalates into severe self-injury.
We are trying a new product called “Dixie X Dew Drops”, which are supposed to be a pure CBD (Cannabidiol, a non-psychoactive component in cannabis which appears to be responsible for pain management as well as “taming” the high given by THC) extract from hemp. We have only used it four or five times due to the difficulty giving it to Alex when he’s in a really awful mood. We haven’t noticed much when we give that to him by himself, but three times we gave him the CBD extract and his tincture. Two of those three times, Alex’s mood stabilized really fast and he had some of the best visits in recent months.
His tincture is likely high in THC and low in CBD. By itself we’ve had mixed results. But with the CBD extract, two visits that seemed to be going badly ended up great.
Unfortunately, even with the great moods, Alex still won’t get out from his wrapping without hitting himself a lot. I don’t know when he’ll get out of this phase again, but it’s just heartbreaking to watch. And there’s always the thought, “Is this the best we can do?” If his calmest moments still require him to be restrained, it’s hard to keep holding out hope.
I’ll try to keep updating, but it’s tough to stay motivated when we’ve been at this for so long with practically nothing to show for it.
Remember to vote “yes” on Measure 80, I-502, and Amendment 64. I’m certain that with unrestricted research, cannabis could help many children in Alex’s shoes. Even if it’s not the miracle we keep hoping for, it’s still helping more than other medications Alex is on.
Hi – I used to follow your wife’s blog, but then it became private. I pop in here every once in a while to see how you folks are doing. I am a supporter, not a criticizer as I have kids with different needs, too. Just a thought: have you folks ever tried a mood stabilizer like lamictal? Its in the epilepsy family of drugs and my kid take it to help with depression/mood/mental health issues. Maybe you have been down this road before, but if not I thought it would be worth a comment. Best of luck to all of you, Kim
Where are you guys living? If you’re not in California Washington or Colorado it would probably be best if u moved there. Cannabis THC and especially CBD is the cure for you.
J