A Case Report of Treatment-Resistant Agitation in Dementia With Lewy Bodies: Medical Marijuana as an Alternative to Antipsychotics

Palliative care teams are often consulted to assist in treating persistent dementia-related behavioral issues. Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) offers an alternative to traditional antipsychotic drugs in the long-term management of dementia with behavioral change. We present the case of an 85-year...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of palliative medicine Vol. 26; no. 5; p. 737
Main Authors Ramm, Rebecca M, Lerner, Zachary I, Levy-Meeks, Garrett S, Burke, Rebecca V, Raven, Mary C, Song, Amanda, Glass, Marcia H
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 01.05.2023
Subjects
Aged, 80 and over
Antipsychotic Agents - therapeutic use
Anxiety
Humans
Lewy Body Disease - drug therapy
Male
Medical Marijuana - therapeutic use
dementia
medical cannabis
neurodegenerative disease
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Summary:Palliative care teams are often consulted to assist in treating persistent dementia-related behavioral issues. Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) offers an alternative to traditional antipsychotic drugs in the long-term management of dementia with behavioral change. We present the case of an 85-year-old man with dementia with Lewy bodies with worsening aggression refractory to antipsychotic management. Multiple regimens of antipsychotics failed both in the outpatient and inpatient settings. After exhausting other options and in the setting of worsening agitation, a tincture of THC was prescribed. After starting THC tincture, the patient's behavior rapidly improved, and he was discharged home to the care of his spouse. The challenges of prescribing and obtaining THC are discussed.
ISSN:1557-7740
DOI:10.1089/jpm.2022.0343