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#1
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I found this forum a few weeks ago and joined today. I've struggled with ADHD symptoms all my life, I'm 29 now, and tried a prescription for ADHD several months ago which didn't work out so well, but I'm currently giving it another try (Strattera, side effects suck – nausea, sleepy, dizziness, and chill bumps, which don’t suck but are just there). I've been using marijuana for the last year and a half (I’d used casually when I was younger, but hadn’t since I was 19). In this time, I feel it has helped a lot, but at the same time, I'm uncomfortable depending on a substance (that's illegal, no less), to remain functional.
Anyhow, I did quit for a while when seeing a counselor, but after having been off it for nearly three months, I decided after making up a list of pros and cons (Basically, disorganization got really bad, I got way behind on housework, got behind in schoolwork, and gained 15lbs after having made great strides in weight loss, and my sex drive is nil without it) and talking with my husband, to start again, and quit seeing the counselor. So it's been about six months since then, and things are good. I smoke about three or four times a week in the evenings, and do my 'stoned' thing, which is clean the house like crazy, exercise like crazy, work on math, plan out projects, write and brainstorm on my book, and organize things and have some ‘quality’ time with my husband. Three months ago, I started waking up with lung pain, and realizing I had to quit smoking something. I stopped smoking cigarettes (yay! I'd tried for years to do that), and the lung issue cleared up. Since I started smoking marijuana eighteen months ago I’ve lost 75lbs (have about 25 to go to my ‘ideal’ weight and a size 8). The only ‘problem’ I see is that it’s illegal, and as I plan on going into a professional field once I’m done with school, it would cause problems if I ever get caught (which, as I only do it at home and in the evening, won’t likely happen). Anyway, I could see marijuana being used to treat ADHD the way I react to it (which is different from how most people seem to), but alas, I’m not in a state that allows medical marijuana. Has anyone else had an experience like this or have thoughts on this? I wasn’t sure whether or not to post here or to the substance abuse/dependence board, but since my usage is more about alleviating the ADHD I figured I’d post here (or maybe it’s just that I do so much activity and creative thinking, I can make up for days of disorganization in a few hours?). I did mention the marijuana when I started the Strattera to my doc, but he seemed to dismiss the way it alleviated the symptoms as me just wanting to be high, I think. Anyway, last time I tried the Strattera, it worked great for about six weeks, then tapered off to nothing, and the side effects got too much to handle even after I’d quit drinking coffee thinking that was exacerbating the stomach symptoms. My doctor says that with stimulant medication, he’d want me to make an office visit every month for an EKG and other tests, which seemed a little extreme and too expensive. |
#2
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I don't know; I've read the marijuana causes worse problems over the long run for those with ADHD despite some help here and there at first (which isn't consistent over time). It is addictive and the addiction isn't fun to deal with. I guess it is like alcohol seeming like it helps with a depression but is a depressor itself and ultimately makes things worse for those with anxiety or depression. And medical marijuana hasn't been approved for ADHD for any state that I know of; a doctor can't just prescribe it for whatever he feels like, only a small list of some illnesses (usually fatal anyway, like some cancers, AIDS, etc.)
Read this: http://home.iprimus.com.au/rboon/ADDandMarijuana.htm It has actual studies/references. There's a lot pro and con I read on the Web but I didn't find any actual doctors/research studies that were all for it. One newspaper article said it had helped an ADHD student drive better on one test but he was being tested because he had a zillion tickets and run-ins with the police! Apparently the active ingredient does screwier than the Strattera or Ritalin; acts on more than one important thing and you get mood changes, etc. Not good to add to the problems you have already?
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"Never give a sword to a man who can't dance." ~Confucius |
#3
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My husband has ADD and pretty severe anxiety. He is on a cocktail of Strattera, Lexapro, and Klonopin. He hates the side effects, and while they were VERY effective at getting him out of a major slump, they don't get him past short-term obstacles, the way marijuana does.
I don't like that he smokes it because I worry about his lungs and of course the legality of it (but then again, I think it's ridiculous that it's illegal). Plus, it smells really horrible to me at the moment. But I do have to admit that it seems extremely effective for him. He doesn't get wasted or anything like that -- just enough to lower the anxiety and allow him to focus. He sees a couple of specialists for his depression, anxiety and ADD, and while none of them advocate self-medication or illegal drugs, they all seem to agree that there is probably some legitimate benefit for him.
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thatsallicantypewithonehand |
#4
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first of all....whatever works.
second...try to learn patterns and make good habits while on it and then try to incorporate what you've experienced all the rest of the time. that's the real "cure". |
#5
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Just a quick comment. No. Although the somewhat calming affect it may have, may seem to enable one to focus more clearly. It does not. It may be good for some things like nausea but definately not for mental clarity.
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"Life is what you make it, at least that's what the people say and if I cant make it through tomorrow, I'd better make it through today." (Eric Clapton) |
#6
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</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
Joepesto said: may seem to enable one to focus more clearly. It does not. It may be good for some things like nausea but definately not for mental clarity. </div></font></blockquote><font class="post"> I agree that that is true for the average person, but in my husband's case, he does focus more clearly. I can see it even as an outside observer.
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thatsallicantypewithonehand |
#7
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Joepesto, many drugs work differently ( via side effects) than intended or specified. adhd symptoms are relieved by some antidepressants which work immediately on those symptoms, instead of taking weeks to work on other people who take them for depression.
so...the mj may in fact be having the opposite effect of what it normally does, i.e. focus improvement |
#8
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Hi again everyone. Thanks for the replies and thoughts. I've read the link, Perna, and it did have some good information, both pro and con for me.
I do want to be very careful. I talk with my husband about my behavior since he's more an 'outside observer' but unfortunately, he isn't great at detailed communication, and a shrug and "it seems okay" is pretty vague for me when I'm trying to use his feedback as an analysis tool to see warning signs of me going off the deep end. But I don't think I am. I've had other feedback from friends and family (who don't know what I'm smoking) that they think I've done wonderful things with my life lately, and how great that I'm getting fit/ organized / ect. and can do the projects I do. I feel a little twinge of guilt at times, wondering if I should be wearing a disclaimer that says "All this accomplished with THC." If I weren't smoking it, I think I'd be back to being fat and slovenly and never accomplishing anything. GTRPLAYER: "second...try to learn patterns and make good habits while on it and then try to incorporate what you've experienced all the rest of the time." Yes, I'd agree here. This is something I work on. Getting good routines is essential to running a busy household. I’ve started a lot of positive habits and routines on it. I believe smoking it and doing some equivalent of watching the lava lamp and commenting “Woah, the colors man…” is not only useless but depraved. JOEPESTO's Signature: "I am what I think" Philosophical difference here: I believe I am what I do. When I do better, accomplish more, work harder, I *am* better. Anyway, thanks everyone. First couple of days after I posted and there were no replies, I got worried, tried to delete the post and it was too late, then realized I should check and see what's come of the post today. It was nice. :-) |
#9
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True, everyone is different. People have told me it does help them focus. I stand corrected. Gtrplayer I like your comments about actions and thoughts. Makes sense to me. Thanks.
__________________
"Life is what you make it, at least that's what the people say and if I cant make it through tomorrow, I'd better make it through today." (Eric Clapton) |
#10
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When I was much younger I smoked off and on for a few years. I stopped because, even though I didn't know I had ADD at the time, I knew that something wasn't right and it was destroying my concentration. Also, I had asthma. I figured that anything that left that much gunk on a bong or joint could not possibly be any good for my lungs. I also had serious questions about the black market economy that made the drug available.
Aside from that, if the smoking part is the only thing that worries you, you could cook it. Near the end of my using days I read somewhere that THC can be brought out in fat. Hence the good ol' brownies. I also experimented with sauteéing it in butter. |
#11
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Or a vaporizer... there is no residue (or none that is visible, anyway)
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thatsallicantypewithonehand |
#12
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i,m rather new to this forum but not to the subject ive used marijuana in the past as well usually to get over a bad situation or a death of a friend or family member . I've dealt with a learning disability my whole life ive struggled with math ,ive dealt with depression my whole life seeing how my parents from the time i was 5 were alcoholics in denail for most of my life.I feel if one mixes different drugs the effect of the drug prescribed loses its ability to do the work it needs to do.MJ is for self medication for me dealing with different problems .im 45 years old have a 6 year old son whom i love dearly. im unemployed and atm unemployable because of residual pain to my head and neck due to an injury in 99 that leftr me bedridden for 9.5 months misdiagnosed 2 times by workcomp docs who wanted to use the bandaid approach to save my employer alot of money.im divorced now going on nealy 5 years now and im looking to get into a voc rehab program and try to go to school my memory is shot to hell i cant hold a thought for too long and the words tyhat used to flow off my tongue no longer do so. ive dealt with depression my whole life ive self medicated anyway i could to deal with the hurt and the shame. I do believe that the mind body and soul are connected and with the right tools and medications and can get a whole healing to myelf. I suffer with chronic pain almsot everyday that leaves me tired and restless for a change in how my life is going ive been a medical guinea pig as well once i got with professionals from kumed they determined that i suffered from a sub dural hemotoma . im not looking for a miracle im looking for an answer to what works for me and perjhaps along the way i can help others too.
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#13
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Hi, Gallant One, welcome to PC. Hope you find some help and support here. Looks like you are starting on the right road to me. I'm glad you were able to "survive" your difficult times and are beginning to look toward the future and rehab.
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"Never give a sword to a man who can't dance." ~Confucius |
#14
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I have a friend who says that pot works better for his ADHD than anything else he's ever been on. Though I doubt that MJ is a drug or a treatment option that would help in very many cases of ADHD but it does seem to help some people.
I think some of the reasons that MJ helps some people get motivated and focused is that for some people it makes them MORE aware of what the issues are in thier lives and bodies, and can cause a sort of anxiety/hyper-awareness about stuff that should be being done by the person that isn't being done, and that anxiety pushes them to do what they normaly wouldn't. For me, in the past year and a half since I started taking meds for my Bipolar Disorder, pot has changed from something that made me giggly and "out of it" and sorta stupid, to something that I can barely handle because it makes me HYPER-AWARE of the issues in my life that I have not been taking care of. Problem for me is that it doesn't help me stay focused on one thing at a time or put me in a state where I am more able to be more effective in my life. Yeah it will make me realize and bring to the forfront of my mind the fact that I should be exercising, that I need to get my life organized, that i need to get off opiates etc... I mean it really brings EVERYTHING I need to be doing/should be doing, into my awareness.... So it tends to overwhelm me a bit and cause some major anxiety issues if I take more than one half hit. I would say that it helps with motivation for me except that once I am stoned, well I am STONED, so I am not very effective. I get scatter brained and will start doing one thing, then get sidetracked by another. You get the idea. The only thing it really helps me with is that it has helped me at least be able to sit down and make lists of things I know I need to do in order to become a more healthy person... but beyond that it is not helpful because of the anxiety issues. Mostly it makes me worry about my health a bit too much. I would say if the anxiety was half of what it is for me when i smoke, that I think MJ would be a very helpful tool for me as far as boosting my motivation etc. Simply because it makes me notice and think about things that are important parts of my life that I usually ignore. (Seroquel doesn't help with motivation and clarity of thought, being able to think ahead make goals etc. -it makes me pretty "out of it"). I think that smoking it a few times a week in order to get the benefit of better motivation and focus on things that usually aren't in the forefront of your mind without MJ in your system, is perfectly fine. If you start using it every day though, that's when i worry that it can start causing problems with worsening of depression and lowering motivation. Everything in moderation right? I just wish that BP meds could be used in moderation ![]() Let me know if my theory about MJ causing a hyper-awarenesss/ anxiety sort of state of mind makes any sense to you as a reason as to why it helps you do the things you know you should be doing. I know for my older sister it seems to have this same sort of effect. She uses it to help her "keep on top of" things in her life she might otherwise let slip and become big problems... basicaly that it makes her more aware, and forces her to pay attention to the hard work that needs to be done to keep herself healthy and her life balanced. Stuff that might otherwise, without the MJ, be pushed to the back of her mind because of all the other day to day stuff that comes up in life and needs her attention. I think it can be used as a tool for certain people because for some people it has this effect rather than the usuall sort of dissacossiative, silly giggly sort of high or the sleepy "I don't care/whatever" sort of high. |
#15
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My husband is ADHD, and I am ADD. We have both smoked marijuana to control it and it has done the job. It is interesting to hear that you are losing weight while smoking, that is a bit different. People react differently to drugs, both legal and illegal. Without marijuana my husband bounces from project to project and never finishes anything (as well as having a very short temper.) I can focus on my homework without getting distracted, and that is huge!! Eventually someone who has some power will realize the truth about marijuana...until then we just have to be careful.
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#16
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I think mj like any 'medicine' has both some positive and negative effects that vary from one to another. I've had both positive and negative experiences over the decades past. I'm a very addictive personality so I was always challenged to not over use. I thought it was great for calming anxiety and stimulating creative thinking and even energizing me if that's what I wanted. It was staying within the limits of 'good medicine' that I had a hard time with. I'd progressively smoke more and until I was stoned all the time and sinking into depression. For me, I'd say used sparingly it can be helpful but too much and it can make me sicker.
The newest research points to dosage as the key factor determining effectiveness..... At least in studies related to depression. Determining an effective dosage is pretty hit and miss given how one usually sources and takes the drug. Unless you growing your own or buy direct from a grower you know then you can't know what growth hormones and pesticides and other mystery chemicals have been added. We used to grow our own outdoors organically. I can tell you its quite different than what's on the street. Especially now a days. It's not a hippy drug anymore. It's crossing into narcotic territory with all the lacing that goes on. Makes me worry about what's in that stuff on the street that so many people are buying blindly from who knows where. I also read recently something I'd heard many years back about MJ versus cigarettes. One joint of MJ equals 20 filtered cigarettes in terms of tar. Levels of chemicals common to both... like chlorine... are much higher in MJ. They also had a list of other deadly chemicals found in MJ that are not found in cigarettes. So while mj may be effective for some people it should not be used for long periods of time. It should be seen as a transitional or short term medication. At very least regular breaks in routine use should be taken. Dosage needs to be closely monitored, quality should be assured -- know your grower, alternatives to smoking should be used -- food, teas. A careful study of how mj may react to other medications being used or considered would be important too. Glad you found some relief.... just don't forget its still a drug and needs to be taken with care. |
#17
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I am pretty sure I have ADD (not hyperactivity) and pot was the worse drug for me it increased the ruminative negative thoughts for me. But I know others that told me of their increased abiilities to think. My friend used to smoke it on the way to school she said it made her concentrate better. Like most meds we all need a different cocktail and some don't work for some people. Pot seems like it has a variant composition as to where it is grown how it is processed and what is added to the mix...Quesera
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#18
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yeah i never heard of pot helping with add or adhd however it does help u focus better sometimes but should not be token as a pill replacement
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life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that take our breaths away |
#19
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Hope you are feeling better today. I suspect that Marijuana does help some people with ADHD. I also wonder if it would help with jaw pain or various other kinds of pain. I do think it should be made legal so the quality could be regulated. One day there will be drug companies that make it and marijuana will go corporate.
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#20
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Pot effects people individually...so not everybody would benefit from pot the way you did. Personally, for the longest time when I used pot it made me study harder...I'd really get into it and eventually it helped me for exams. But recently pot has made me feel paranoid and guilty...it's lost it's beneficial ways for me. I've stopped smoking it almost completely now.
My father has severe scoliosis and I remember as a child my father would smoke pot for both the pain and his depression. It seemed to help him immensely. There are productive medicinal uses marijuana could help with....pot isn't a moral issue like some people believe. That's my opinion. |
#21
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My friend's son used marijuana to cope with his severe ADHD, and it seemed to help really well, shockingly well.
However, that was short-lived as it was realized that it helped really well in the moment and was actually a negative overall. His drive diminished to nothing, he became depressed, etc. So while he might've felt (and shown) that he was doing better at first, and in the moment, he got even less accomplished, etc. than he did with zero treatment. That's the only personal experience I know of it. Now, she did say that, on the whole, one good consistent effect was it helped his rages throughout...the entire time they remained better. He determined, though, that there had to be a better way...trading the rage for such a deep depression and zero drive/energy was just choosing one evil over another for him...both feeling horrible and out of control. He went back to the dr. to try another med and I don't know how that's working. Good luck, KD
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