Stiff Person Syndrome Research Dashboard
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As a subscriber, you will be able to access dashboard insights including chemotype overviews and dosing summaries for medical conditions and organ system and receptor breakdowns for cannabinoid and terpene searches. Study lists present important guidance including dosing and chemotype information with the ability to drill down to the published material. And all outputs are fully filterable, to help find just the information you need. Stay up-to-date with the science of cannabis and the endocannabinoid system with CannaKeys.
CannaKeys has 3 studies associated with Stiff Person Syndrome.
Here is a small sampling of Stiff Person Syndrome studies by title:
- 3700 Stiff person syndrome: a single centre’s experience.
- Medical Cannabis as an Effective Treatment for Refractory Symptoms of Paraneoplastic Stiff Person Syndrome.
- Cannabis derivatives therapy for a seronegative stiff-person syndrome: a case report
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What am I missing as a non-subscriber?
To see a full dashboard with study details and filtering, go to our DEMO page.
As a subscriber, you will be able to access dashboard insights including chemotype overviews and dosing summaries for medical conditions and organ system and receptor breakdowns for cannabinoid and terpene searches. Study lists present important guidance including dosing and chemotype information with the ability to drill down to the published material. And all outputs are fully filterable, to help find just the information you need. Stay up-to-date with the science of cannabis and the endocannabinoid system with CannaKeys.
CannaKeys has 3 studies associated with Stiff Person Syndrome.
Here is a small sampling of Stiff Person Syndrome studies by title:
- 3700 Stiff person syndrome: a single centre’s experience.
- Medical Cannabis as an Effective Treatment for Refractory Symptoms of Paraneoplastic Stiff Person Syndrome.
- Cannabis derivatives therapy for a seronegative stiff-person syndrome: a case report
Ready to become a subscriber? Go to our PRICING page. Want to learn more about Endocannabinoid Medicine? Buy a book.
Endocannabinoid Medicine: 11 Keys to Deeper Healing
A clear, science-based guide to working with the endocannabinoid system for whole-body balance.
Buy Book
Cannabis for Chronic Pain Relief: A Dual Guide for Patients and Clinicians
A practical, evidence-based guide to using cannabis and cannabinoids for chronic pain.
Buy BookSelect New Condition
Overview - Stiff Person Syndrome
Description of Stiff Person Syndrome
Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS) is a rare and often confusing neurological autoimmune disorder that causes the body to tense and lock up in ways that don’t feel natural or voluntary. It usually begins gradually, with muscle stiffness in the lower back or legs, and over time, the muscles can become so rigid that movement feels restricted, as if the body is bracing itself even when there is no danger.
People with SPS often experience sudden, painful muscle spasms triggered by noise, touch, emotional stress, or even a simple startle. These spasms can be severe enough to bend the spine, pull joints out of alignment, or cause falls.
Underneath these symptoms is an autoimmune process in which the immune system mistakenly targets key components involved in regulating muscle tone, most commonly the enzyme GAD65. As a result, the normal braking system that quiets muscle activity is weakened, leaving the nervous system overly reactive, like a car stuck with the accelerator pressed down and the brakes only partly working.
Emotionally, living with SPS can be exhausting. The unpredictability of spasms and the fear of triggers can make daily life feel narrowed and fragile. Yet treatments, including immunotherapies, muscle relaxants, anti-spasm medications, and mind-body interventions, can meaningfully improve stability and quality of life.
In essence, SPS is a condition in which the body’s internal alarm system misfires, keeping muscles constantly on alert. It differs from common muscle stiffness because it arises from an autoimmune disruption of the nervous system’s ability to regulate tone, turning simple movements into something the body must fight for rather than simply perform.
Disease Classification
Condition: Stiff Person SyndromeDisease Family:
Organ System: Nervous System
ICD-10 Chapter: Diseases of the nervous system
ICD-10 Code: G25.82
Stiff Person Syndrome Symptoms:
Muscle stiffness (especially in the trunk), painful muscle spasms, exaggerated startle response, rigidity that worsens with stress or surprise, difficulty walking, hunched or stiff posture, muscle tightness in the abdomen or lower back, episodic whole-body spasms, anxiety related to fear of triggering spasms, sensitivity to noise or touch, impaired balance, falls, hyperlordosis (excessive inward curve of the lower spine), stiffness spreading to limbs over time, breathing difficulty during severe spasms.Also known as:
Stiff-Man Syndrome (older term), Stiff-Person Disorder, Stiff-Man Disease (historical), Moersch–Woltman Syndrome (original name after the physicians who first described it), Progressive Axial Rigidity Syndrome (descriptive, less common), Autoimmune Stiffness Syndrome (informal clinical description)Drug Interactions
THC Interaction with Pharmaceutical Drugs
- Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) can enhance the effects of drugs that cause sedation and depress the central nervous system, such as benzodiazepines, barbiturates, and alcohol.
- THC is metabolized by an inhibitor of several enzymatic liver pathways referred to as cytochrome P450 (aka CYP450). There are more than 50 enzymes belonging to this enzyme family, several of which are responsible for the breakdown of common drugs such as antidepressants (e.g., amitriptyline, doxepin, fluvoxamine), antipsychotics (haloperidol, clozapine, Stelazine), beta-blockers (e.g., propranolol), bronchodilators (e.g., theophylline), or blood thinners (e.g., warfarin). Thus, patients taking these medication classes may find that THC increases the concentration and effects of these drugs and the impact duration.
- Clinical observation (not yet confirmed by clinical trials) suggests no likely interactions with other pharmaceuticals at a total daily dose of up to 20mg THC.
If you are interested in the interaction potential of specific pharmaceuticals with THC, consider visiting these free drug interaction checkers: Drugs.com or DrugBank Online.
CBD Interaction with Pharmaceutical Drugs
- Cannabidiol (CBD) may alter the action of metabolic enzymes (specific drug-transport mechanisms) and alter interactions with other drugs, some of which may produce therapeutic or adverse effects. For instance, CBD interacts with the enzyme cytochrome P450 3A4 and cytochrome P450 2C19, increasing the bioavailability of anti-epileptic drugs such as clobazam (a benzodiazepine). This makes it possible to achieve the same results at significantly lower dosages, reducing treatment costs and risks of adverse effects.
- Groups of drugs affected include anti-epileptics, psychiatric drugs, and drugs affecting metabolic enzymes.
- Clinical observations (not yet confirmed by clinical trials) suggest no likely interactions with other pharmaceuticals at a total daily dose of up to 100mg CBD.
If you are interested in the interaction potential of specific pharmaceuticals with CBD, consider visiting these free drug interaction checkers: Drugs.com or DrugBank Online.
THC/CBD Interaction with Pharmaceutical Drugs
In general, when using cannabinoid-based therapeutics that contain both THC and CBD consider the ratio between them and weigh the relevant information displayed in the individual THC and CBD Drug Interaction windows accordingly.
If you are interested in the interaction potential of specific pharmaceuticals with both primary cannabinoids and THC/CBD, consider visiting these free drug interaction checkers: Drugs.com or DrugBank Online.
Concerns about Cannabis and Cancer-related Immunotherapies:
Some recent clinical observational studies have suggested that the co-administration of cannabinoid-based therapeutics and immunotherapy or immune checkpoint inhibitors in the treatment of certain types of cancer has been associated with worse overall survival rates (T. Taha et al., 2019; A. Biedny et al., 2020; G. Bar-Sela et al., 2020).
However, other studies have suggested that the co-commitment use of immune checkpoint inhibitors and cannabis-induced no such deleterious effects. More specifically, one trial was conducted on animals resulting in data suggesting that cannabis did not negatively affect the properties of immune checkpoint inhibitors (B. Waissengrin et al., 2023). The same authors compared the previous study results with findings from a cohort of 201 patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer who received treatment with monotherapy pembrolizumab as a first-line treatment and adjunct cannabis to treat mainly pain and loss of appetite. Their time to tumor progression was 6.1 versus 5.6 months, and overall survival differed between 54.9 versus 23.6 months in cannabis-naïve patients and cannabis-using patients, respectively. However, while numerically different, the authors write that these differences were not statistically significant, leading them to suggest that “These data provide reassurance regarding the absence of a deleterious effect of cannabis in this clinical setting.”
Dosing Considerations
THC Dosage Considerations
- THC micro dose: 0.1 mg to 0.4 mg
- THC low dose: 0.5 mg to 5 mg
- THC medium dose: 6 mg to 20 mg
- THC high dose: 21 mg to 50+ mg
CBD Dosage Considerations
- CBD low dose: 0.4 mg to 19 mg
- CBD medium dose: 20 mg to 99 mg
- CBD high dose: 100 mg to 800+ mg (upper limits tested ~1,500mg)
Disclaimer
Information on this site is provided for informational purposes only and is not meant to substitute for the advice provided by your own licensed physician or other medical professional. You
should not use the information contained herein for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease. If using a product, you should read carefully all product packaging. If you have or suspect that you have a
medical problem, promptly contact your health care provider.
Information on this site is based on scientific studies (human, animal, or in vitro), clinical experience, or traditional usage as cited in each article. The results reported may not necessarily occur in all individuals. For many of the conditions discussed, treatment with prescription or over-the-counter medication is also available. Consult your physician, nutritionally oriented health care practitioner, and/or pharmacist for any health problem and before using any supplements or before making any changes in prescribed medications.
