Cannabis-Based Spray Reduced Tourette Tics by Over 90% | Research

The takeaway

A 25-year-old man with Tourette syndrome who had not responded to standard medication saw a greater than 90% reduction in tics after using nabiximols (a THC:CBD mouth spray) on an as-needed basis.

Neurologists, Tourette syndrome patients, movement disorder specialists

Greater than 90% tic reduction with as-needed nabiximols spray

What the researchers found

After standard treatment with Tiaprid 300 mg daily showed insufficient effect, a trial of buccal nabiximols spray used "as required" reduced motor and phonic tics by more than 90% in a patient with adult-onset Tourette syndrome.

Why it matters

Tourette syndrome can be severely stigmatizing, and many patients don't respond adequately to standard medications. This case suggests nabiximols could serve as a supplementary treatment option for refractory cases.

The numbers in context

25-year-old male; tics developed after cessation of daily cannabis use; Tiaprid 300 mg/day showed insufficient effect; nabiximols reduced tics by >90%.

How the study worked

Single case report of a 25-year-old male with adult-onset Tourette syndrome treated with nabiximols spray after failure of standard medication.

What this study cannot tell us

Single case report cannot establish efficacy; patient had prior daily cannabis use which may have influenced response; no blinded comparison.

How to read the evidence

Single case report providing preliminary evidence only.

When this study was published

Published in 2021.

The bigger picture

Small studies and case reports have suggested cannabinoid benefits for tics, and this case adds to the evidence base while highlighting the potential for as-needed dosing rather than continuous treatment.

Questions still open

Would nabiximols show similar tic reduction in controlled trials? Is the as-needed dosing model more effective or safer than continuous cannabinoid use for tics?

Common questions

What is nabiximols?

Nabiximols (brand name Sativex) is a mouth spray containing roughly equal parts THC and CBD, approved in some countries for MS-related spasticity. In this case, it was used off-label for Tourette syndrome tics.

Why did the patient develop tics?

The patient developed stigmatizing motor and phonic tics after stopping daily cannabis use, suggesting a possible relationship between cannabinoid activity and tic suppression.

Read the original research

Tic Reduction in Adult Onset Gilles De La Tourette Syndrome Using as Required Nabiximols Spray.

Tremor and other hyperkinetic movements (New York, N.Y.), 11, 33

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Schwittay, Maximilian A; Steinbrecher, Andreas; Lobsien, Elmar. (2021). Tic Reduction in Adult Onset Gilles De La Tourette Syndrome Using as Required Nabiximols Spray.. Tremor and other hyperkinetic movements (New York, N.Y.), 11, 33. https://doi.org/10.5334/tohm.613