A car crash after my dad's funeral left me without proper sleep for 13 years - this is how I finally found relief
A car crash on the way home from his dad’s funeral left Eric Morton struggling for more than a decade with insomnia and restless leg syndrome - but he says he’s finally got relief from an unexpected source.
Eric, an internal auditor from Blackpool described how the car was ‘violently spun around’ and he was left with severe physical trauma - including trapped nerves down the entire left side of his body.
The 54-year-old said: “After the accident, I started to get this low tremor in my legs when I was relaxing. Sitting down, I’d get a really weird crawling sensation. It was Restless Leg Syndrome, and I suffered from insomnia and discomfort surrounding that for many years.”
Prescription medication
Eric’s symptoms worsened over the years, and nothing seemed to help. "I went 13 years without a decent night's sleep, and that really took its toll on my body," he said. As his condition escalated, he was prescribed a variety of medications, including gabapentin and pramipexole, but the side effects were unbearable. "Gabapentin gave me awful suicidal thoughts, and pramipexole was even worse," Eric explained. "I didn’t know anything about it, but when I read the case studies, I was terrified."
Alternative
Frustrated with conventional treatments, Eric decided to explore alternative options. He is now a medical cannabis patient at Releaf and uses cannabis oil to help manage his symptoms. He said the results were immediate.
He said: After my first treatment, I couldn’t believe the difference. I slept through the night for the first time in years. It was a total game-changer”. Describing the emotional impact of his first full night’s sleep, he said: "I woke up as a different person. I felt more energetic, and even my family noticed the change."
Since starting his legal medical cannabis treatment, Eric has experienced a remarkable improvement in both his sleep and his restless legs symptoms. He added: “We focused on treating my insomnia first, and now we’re tackling the restless legs. The daytime medication for inflammation has helped immensely, and I feel more productive and creative than I have in years."
He added: “I’m not just a lazy person sitting on the couch. I’m more active, more engaged, and even started learning the piano," he adds. "I didn’t expect that. It’s a bonus I didn’t see coming." With improved sleep, reduced pain, and a renewed sense of energy, Eric has reclaimed his life. "I’m looking forward to retirement in a few months, and I’m excited about the future," he says. "Medical cannabis has made all the difference."