The Medical Cannabis and Mast Cell Activation Syndrome Patient Survey provides valuable data about patients’ experiences with the mast cell stabilizer medical cannabis (THC). If you’re interested in learning more about how medical cannabis (THC) works as a mast cell stabilizer, check out our article “Medical Cannabis and Mast Cell Activation.”
Q. Have You Been Diagnosed With Mast Cell Activation Syndrome?
A total of 114 diagnosed or suspected mast cell activation syndrome patients took part in this survey. 72% of patients were diagnosed with MCAS and 28% of respondents reported suspected MCAS. Patients ranged from 18 to 75 years of age. Respondents assigned-sex were 91% female and 9% male. Patients’ responses show that 89% of respondents were White, 3% were Hispanic, and 8% were listed as Other.
Q. Have You Been Diagnosed With A Tick-borne Illness?
A total of 52% of the 114 respondents reported having been previously diagnosed with tick-borne illness.
31% of patients were previously diagnosed with Lyme disease.
30% of patients were previously diagnosed with Alpha-gal syndrome.
15% of patients were previously diagnosed with Bartonellosis.
13% of patients were previously diagnosed with Babesiosis.
10% of patients were previously diagnosed with (OTHER) Anaplasmosis, Borrelia mayonii, Tularemia, Tick-borne relapsing fever, STARI, Ehrlichiosis, and Mycoplasma. Pneumonia.
6% of patients were previously diagnosed with Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.
To learn more about signs, symptoms and treatment options for tick-borne disease, make sure to checkout our article “Disease That Can Be Transmitted By Ticks!“
Q. What MCAS Symptoms Do You Experience?
114 patients reported experiencing the following MCAS symptoms:
| Skin: itching, flushing, hives, sweating, swelling, rash. | 93% |
| Eyes: irritation, itching, watering, inflammation. | 72% |
| Nose: itching, running or stuffy nose, sneezing, sinus pain or pressure. | 77% |
| Mouth and throat: itching, swelling in your tongue or lips, swelling in your throat, a burning sensation, ulcers on the tongue or in the mouth. | 70% |
| Lungs: trouble breathing, wheezing, coughing, increased mucus production, asthma-like symptoms. | 69% |
| Heart and blood vessels: rapid heart rate, passing out, and/or vascular permeability (inflammation and swelling), abnormal blood pressures (either too high or too low). | 77% |
| Gastrointestinal tract: abdominal pain, cramping, diarrhea, bloating, nausea, vomiting, difficulty digesting certain foods, food intolerances. | 93% |
| Nervous system: confusion, nerve pain, headache, neuropathy, vertigo, tinnitus, insomnia, depression, anxiety. | 90% |
| Malnutrition and dehydration. | 48% |
| Pelvic pain disorders: endometriosis, painful bladder syndrome, vulvodynia. | 46% |
| Musculoskeletal system: muscle and bone pain, migratory arthritis, muscle weakness. | 81% |
| Cognition: difficulty concentrating, reduced attention span, brain fog, trouble with memory. | 81% |
| Liver: enlarged spleen, increased bilirubin levels, elevated liver enzymes, high cholesterol. | 36% |
| Seizure or seizure-like activity. | 17% |
| Anaphylaxis, chemical and environmental sensitivities. | 75% |
Q. Have You Found A Mast Cell Stabilizer That Has Helped You?
97 diagnosed or suspected MCAS patients reported improvement in their symptoms after treatment with the following mast cell stabilizers:
85% saw improvement after treatment with Medical Cannabis (THC).
41% saw improvement after treatment with Cromolyn Sodium.
33% saw improvement after treatment with Quercetin.
23% saw improvement after treatment with Ketotifen.
Q. Have You Tried Any Mast Cell Stabilizers That Did Not Help Or Made Things Worse?
49 diagnosed or suspected MCAS patients reported no improvement or a worsening in their condition after treatment with the following mast cell stabilizers:
53% saw no improvement or a worsening in their symptoms after treatment with Cromolyn Sodium.
39% saw no improvement or a worsening in their symptoms after treatment with Quercetin.
35% saw no improvement or a worsening in their symptoms after treatment with Ketotifen.
35% saw no improvement or a worsening in their symptoms after treatment with Medical Cannabis.
Please note, a person can have an allergy to marijuana, as with other plants.
Q. Have You Tried Medical Cannabis As A Mast Cell Stabilizer? If So, In What Form Do You Tolerate It?
102 diagnosed or suspected MCAS patients reported tolerating medical cannabis (THC) as:
26% of patients tolerated smoking or vaping the organic medical grade marijuana flower.
26% of patients tolerated ingesting the medical grade (THC) oil, tinctures, or edibles.
47% of patients reported tolerating both smoking or vaping the organic marijuana flower and ingesting the medical grade (THC) oils, tinctures, or edibles.
Q. If You Use Medical Cannabis As A Mast Cell Stabilizer, What Symptoms Does The Medical Cannabis (THC) Help With?
75 diagnosed or suspected MCAS patients reported improvement after using the mast cell stabilizer medical cannabis (THC) in MCAS symptoms affecting their:
| Skin: itching, flushing, hives, sweating, swelling, rash. | 46% |
| Eyes: irritation, itching, watering, inflammation. | 28% |
| Nose: itching, running or stuffy nose, sneezing, sinus pain or pressure. | 28% |
| Mouth and throat: itching, swelling in your tongue or lips, swelling in your throat, a burning sensation, ulcers on the tongue or in the mouth. | 23% |
| Lungs: trouble breathing, wheezing, coughing, increased mucus production, asthma-like symptoms. | 15% |
| Heart and blood vessels: rapid heart rate, passing out, and/or vascular permeability (inflammation and swelling), abnormal blood pressures (either too high or too low). | 22% |
| Gastrointestinal tract: abdominal pain, cramping, diarrhea, bloating, nausea, vomiting, difficulty digesting certain foods, food intolerances. | 77% |
| Nervous system: confusion, nerve pain, headache, neuropathy, vertigo, tinnitus, insomnia, depression, anxiety. | 84% |
| Malnutrition and dehydration. | 32% |
| Pelvic pain disorders: endometriosis, painful bladder syndrome, vulvodynia. | 30% |
| Musculoskeletal system: muscle and bone pain, migratory arthritis, muscle weakness. | 69% |
| Cognition: difficulty concentrating, reduced attention span, brain fog, trouble with memory. | 23% |
| Liver: enlarged spleen, increased bilirubin levels, elevated liver enzymes, high cholesterol. | N/A |
| Seizure or seizure-like activity. | 8% |
| Anaphylaxis, chemical and environmental sensitivities. | 22% |
Q. If You Use Medical Cannabis (THC) As A Mast Cell Stabilizer, How Often Do You Have To Take It To See Results?
86 diagnosed or suspected MCAS patients reported seeing results after using the mast cell stabilizer medical cannabis (THC) every:
34% of patients reported an improvement in symptoms when using medical cannabis (THC) every 30 minutes to three hours.
34% of patients reported an improvement in symptoms when using medical cannabis (THC) every four to six hours.
10% of patients reported an improvement in symptoms when using medical cannabis (THC) every six to twelve hours.
22% of patients reported an improvement in symptoms when using medical cannabis (THC) every twelve to twenty-four hours.
Q. If You Use Medical Cannabis (THC) As A Mast Cell Stabilizer, Which Strains Help You The Best?
58 diagnosed or suspected MCAS patients reported improvement with the following medical grade cannabis (THC) strains:
64% saw an improvement in their MCAS symptoms with Indica strains.
45% saw an improvement in their MCAS symptoms with Hybrid strains.
29% saw an improvement in their MCAS symptoms with Sativa strains.
Listed below are medical cannabis (THC) strains that patients have reported using as a mast cell stabilizer. Please note: each cannabis strain has a different concentration of the cannabinoids tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD), as well as other compounds.
As a result, one strain may give you great relief from MCAS symptoms vs another may not. Another thing to remember is that most MCAS patients need their medical cannabis (THC) produced through an organically grown process as pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, ethanol, cutting agents or additives and even mold residues can cause a reaction in MCAS patients.
9lb Hammer (20% THC), Granddaddy Purple (17% THC), Velvet Glove (24% THC), Modified Grapes (20% THC), Blue Dream (18% THC), Mimosa (20% THC), Vader Haze (24% THC), Super Lemon Haze (19% THC), Double Grape (22-27% THC), Northern Cheese Haze (23% THC), OG Kush (23% THC), Fruit Flambe (19-25% THC), Pink Kush (18-22% THC), Cherry Gorilla (18% THC), Blue Cheese (20% THC), Ingrid (19-25% THC), Wedding Cake (24% THC), Bombs Away (20-26% THC), Apple Cake (18-20% THC), Afghani (15-20% THC), Blueberry Headband (12-18% THC), Purple Tonic Illicit (12-23% THC), White Widow (15% THC), Jack Herer (18% THC), Cronuts (17% THC), Bubba Diagonal (18-20% THC), Orange Bud (17% THC) I.V Royal (25% THC), Runtz (19-29% THC), Trainwreck (16-21%).
Q. Where Are You From?
The Medical Cannabis and Mast Cell Activation Syndrome Patient Survey is still ongoing. We will update it every six months as long as there are enough participants.
Looking for a support group? Check out our article “Looking For A Support Group?“.
Medical Disclaimer
This content is for informational and educational purposes only. We do not intend it to provide medical advice or to take the place of such advice or treatment from a personal physician. All readers/viewers of this content are advised to consult their doctors or qualified health professionals regarding specific health questions. Ticked Off Mast Cells nor the publisher of this content takes responsibility for possible health consequences of any person or persons reading or following the information of content on this site.