Public Servant Abandons Hydroxychloroquine and Treats Arthritis with Cannabis

By Caroline Apple

In 2017, public servant Sheila Dantas Geriz, 46, had a box of hydroxychloroquine in her hands to start treatment for her newly diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis when she received a phone call that changed the course of her treatment.

After spending eight months without a definitive diagnosis, dealing with pain that left her bedridden and taking various anti-inflammatories and painkillers, Sheila finally received an answer to her suffering.

As soon as the doctor confirmed that the autoimmune disease was responsible for her debilitating condition, she quickly pulled out a prescription pad and prescribed Hydroxychloroquine, the conventional medication for arthritis cases.

An Unexpected Call

Sheila left the doctor's office and went straight to the pharmacy. There, she bought the medication prescribed by the doctor and went home.

The public servant is also the coordinator of the Cannabis League, an association of patients, families, and professionals who believe in the use of medicinal Cannabis, founded in 2015 by her.

The association was created when Sheila began treating her son Pedrinho's epilepsy and autism, who is now 10 years old.

Due to her position in the association, Sheila frequently received calls from patients.

On that day when she returned from the pharmacy with Hydroxychloroquine in hand, it was no different; however, this call sounded like a "sign" to the public servant.

On the other end of the line was a woman also with rheumatoid arthritis who complained of pain even while taking high doses of allopathic medications. Additionally, the patient reported developing tuberculosis due to the drop in immunity caused by the medications.

This patient wanted to know if Sheila could help her start an alternative treatment with Cannabis.

Sheila couldn't believe what she had just heard. Even though she was involved in the cannabis world, until that moment, she had not seriously considered treating the disease with Cannabis.

So, the public servant didn't think twice in light of that account, which seemed to be a prelude to what awaited her in the future, and she discarded Hydroxychloroquine and began treating herself with cannabidiol oil.

Quick Positive Effects

At first, the inflammation subsided, but the pain persisted. That's when THC entered the picture. With a 1 to 1 oil (CBD and THC), Sheila continued her treatment.

The result: two and a half years living without the symptoms of arthritis and never having used an allopathic medication as treatment.

Sheila is going to file her Habeas Corpus request and, as soon as possible, will undergo new tests to attach to the action. Her doctor remains skeptical, even though her patient's improvement is visible, but Sheila doesn't mind.

She knows that her disease has no cure, but what she wants is to be able, pain-free, to care for her autistic son and elderly parents, work as a public servant, and help others who believe in and experience the therapeutic benefits of Cannabis.

The public servant cannot say why her treatment had such positive and quick results with Cannabis, nor whether the absence of substances contained in allopathic medications may have positively influenced her condition.

However, it was in marijuana that she found treatment for her arthritis and for her son's seizures, who is currently only treated with Cannabis.