A teenager with a rare form of epilepsy has seen the frequency of seizures reduce by 90 per cent since beginning treatment using cannabis oil, according to her mother.
Abigail Weightman, 16, has a rare form of epilepsy called Dravet syndrome that was causing eight to ten seizures a month, before .
âWhile this was a significant improvement from where sheâd been when she was younger, we still were looking for something for better seizure control, because every time she had a seizure she would lose more cognitive and developmental skills,â Laura Weightman, Abigailâs mother, told CTVâs Your Morning.
By April 2017, Abigail was experiencing four to five seizures a month. The teenager has had just three since December 2017.
âItâs been life changing. Before the seizures would make her tired, lethargic. She wasnât really aware of what was going on around her a lot of the time,â Weightman added. âNow sheâs so engaged with the world. Sheâs trying to say new words and sheâs interacting with her family and friends. Itâs just been fantastic.â
The Weightmans had tried a number of different treatments before the cannabis oil trial. Abigail had been on 14 different medications over the years, sometimes three at a time. Weightman revealed that none were as effective as the cannabis oil and that Abigail has suffered little to no side-effects.
âThe only side-effect we saw was that it initially decreased her appetite,â she explained. âBut within three months she was back to eating just like she normally did. Weâve seen no long term side-effects at all. In fact sheâs more awake and active than sheâs ever been.â
Weightman said the effects of the cannabis oil have been fantastic for her daughter.
âI think cannabis oil is a very effective treatment, with the side effects being minimal, of what weâve seen,â she said. âI think itâs a valid treatment for controlling these very uncontrollable seizures.â