Has anyone had a positive experience with CBD for helping with tingling/ numbness or other sensory issues?
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I want to try CBD but I’m on so many medications now I dare not try anything different
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@garethc970 I totally understand that. I want to avoid prescription meds if I can. From my own research, CBD shouldn’t interact with the ones I’m on, but anything the GP is likely to prescribe probably will.
If I don’t try it, I won’t know but on the other hand, I don’t want to fork out a lot of money for something that hasn’t worked for anyone else. If that makes sense.
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That’s a bit long, but you can skip to the end (conclusion)
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Hi Trace,
Rosemary essential oil slows down my exploding sensation in foot
Copaiba helps with paraesthesia
I’m a fan of essential oils, and there’s a list of about 12 that help with peripheral neuropathy. I’ve taken CBD every night for a year and a half
good luck, Roland
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@pando Thank you, Roland. I’ve had a quick scan, read the conclusion and generally it’s been a happy read. Will invest more time in reading it properly later.
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@pando Thank you. I’m happy to try essential oils so I’ll look into this.
Are you able to reveal which brand of CBD you use? It must be doing something worthwhile if you’ve been using it for 18mths.
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Sorry Trace,
It’s from a friend of a friend, so to speak. I did find a CBD in the health shop once. It didn’t do much, though.
Have you tried Moskowitz pain desensitizing ?
This can help with peripheral neuropathy.
What problems are you having?
ciao, Roland
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I also drink Green Tea
Have a look how it interacts with the brain
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@pando I guessed you might say that about the CBD being from a friend of a friend😂 My husband has used it recreationally since he was a teenager but it doesn’t interest me in that way which is why I’m curious to know whether it still has analgesic effects without the THC🙈
Anyway. I don’t have what I would call pain; it’s all sensory stuff ie tingling and numbness mostly. A little bit of sporadic burning in the stroke arm but not enough to bother me. Very slight hypersensitivity to cold touch on 2 areas of stroke arm but no issues with water temperatures. Altered sensation on left side of face with some numbness which often makes me feel a bit disconnected and ‘out of it’ and is stopping me from driving for that reason. I usually sleep very well.
Immediately after the stroke(June 2023), I was totally paralysed down the left side but 12hrs later was able to move the arm and leg a little if I concentrated really hard. Physio and sensory re-education started within a few hours of admission. The following day, I started to get lots of pins and needles in the arm and sensation was coming back even though the arm felt numb.
Up until recently, left leg had been mostly numb apart from some pins and needles that started to develop in the foot towards the end of last year but seem to have mostly disappeared now. In January, I noticed a prickling sensation starting up in the leg and since then, I’ve become hypersensitive to most fabrics touching my shoulder and arm in terms of it exacerbating the tingling. No pain, just very uncomfortable. There’s also a lot of tightness (not stiffness)in the forearm and shoulder (X-ray shows possible rotator cuff impingement) which is more recent. I’ve considered whether any of this is cpsp but I’m not convinced that it is. (Or maybe I’m in denial??).
Overall, I’m functioning pretty well and can do most of the things I could do pre stroke and I’ve also noticed recently that I’m reverting back to doing things how I used to instead of compensating. But the sensory stuff is making life miserable and I don’t know how to get past it. I don’t want to experiment with prescription drugs that will likely do more harm than good but at the same time, I don’t want to stay like this, either. And I think I need to be doing something because it may get worse if I don’t.
I’ve watched all the Moskowitz pain desensitising videos - makes a lot of sense and it’s definitely worth a try. Thanks for sharing.
Apologies for the essay.
@Emerald Eyes and @SimonInEdinburgh, I am certain I have seen EE recommend the B vitamins, Especially B12 and Folic Acid. She could likely expand on that.
I keep reading nothing but good about the two as well. I need to get to a pharmacy!
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Just as a suggestion, cpsp does come with a range of sensations including stiffness, numbness, burning etc.
If you have an area of apparent stiffness where there isn’t an underlying reason for it, can a physio verify for you that there is no actual stiffness and it’s just sensation issues ?
Other common triggers are touch/movement, stress and for me, cold. All of these in normal situations would cause the body to tense up a bit which might be why with cpsp this leads to a sensation increase.
I don’t think there is a single test for it. It definitely seems to be the case that there is whole range of severities within overall cpsp. I presume it’s down to how many faults there are with the brain repair job that took place
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I’m going for CKs blood test this morning
The Wikipedia page isn’t an easy read but does suggest some important chemistry for brain tissue
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I, too, have a few areas where nerves are wired incorrectly. It’s great you started recovery the next day; I didn’t feel anything for 6 months. Also great you sleep well. I get huge amounts of paraesthesia when I walk; it builds until it’s unbearable. I’m glad you’re relatively okay, still life can be a bit rough, but I think it will settle more & more. Great you look for answers.
I think there’s a lot to be said for essential oils ; good supplements ; CBD ; quality food ; alternate therapies ; meditation ; Qigong ; yoga ; exercise ; walking ; fresh air ; sun ; stimulating brain ; listening to music ; good mood ; always being happy ; creative outlet ; healthy social life ; please add more !!
Ciao, I leave for Italy in a couple of hours, Roland
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Simon, let us know results, please, ciao, Roland
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@pando I’ll reply later but in the meantime, have a wonderful and blessed time in Italy. Should be lovely out there and not too hot!
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From my understanding of CPSP, pain (often intractable pain) is the main feature that is felt in relation to burning, tingling, numbness etc. And, as you say, there are triggers that make it worse. Also, for CPSP to be correctly diagnosed, there needs to be confirmation of a cerebrovascular lesion in the central somatosensory nervous system (MRI/CT scan).
I don’t have any pain in relation to sensation and there is nothing that makes the sensations worse, although I find them more irritating when I’m tired which I think is quite normal. I find walking/exercise helps (distraction and increase of oxygen).Now the weather is changing, I’ll start walking more outside instead of round and round downstairs 
There was a period of a couple of months or so last year where it felt like the bicep in the stroke arm was being squeezed but that stopped. I was also waking in the morning with uncomfortable muscle spasms in the stroke leg, again for a couple of months, but they’ve stopped now. As for the shoulder tightness, I know I have possible rotator cuff impingement due to age-related bone spurs which could be partially responsible for the arm/hand tingling. I’m still waiting on physio to help with that. I have to do lots of arm stretching to keep the arm straight and I often walk holding a 1kg dumbbell to keep it in position. I’ve been waking in the morning with muscle spasms in the arm for a month or 2 but am hoping they’ll stop in time.
It sort of feels like my brain is still healing. There was a time when a feeling rubbish day would keep me rooted in a chair until bedtime but I’m mostly past that now, not because I’m feeling better but because I realised my attitude towards the discomfort plays a big part in how I cope day to day. If I was in pain most of the time, I know I’d be in despair and probably very depressed. So for all of you who DO have to cope with pain, my heart goes out to you.
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Thanks, Simon. I’ll be seeing my GP in a couple of weeks to have a chat about CBD, essential oils and to ask for a blood test to check vitamin levels etc. If I wasn’t on BP meds and clopidogrel, none of this would have to be complicated. But then, of course, if I hadn’t had a stroke, I wouldn’t even be thinking about any of it anyway😳
How long before you get your blood results?
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Blood test results usually take about a week, but sooner if there’s something seriously lacking.
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