[Beautiful_Pain]

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Some may know, some may not, that I have RA. Several other members I have seen have it as well. I'm wondering if anyone has any experience with the use of marijuana, medicinally?

My RA isn't being helped by Ibuproferen 800s presently, and my rheumatologist appointment isn't for two weeks. Not currently on any meds other than IB 800s. It has been suggested to me to try marijuana. I don't have a problem with it in general, but haven't touched it in years and won't unless I think it will help. This is where this thread, and anyone with experience, comes in.

I would be grateful if anyone has any feedback on this--positive or negative. Or even just views on medicinal marijuana in general. If you'd rather, feel free to pm me. =)

Thanks!

[jmo531]

Hi Beautiful Pain.

I am a huge advocate for the use of marijuana for medical puposes. I personally know that it has assisted cancer patients. It enables them to eat with out feeling sick. Otherwise they are unable to do so.

I think the government has placed a stigma attached to marijuana making it seem, bad, addictive and non-productive in assisting terminally ill patients. I totally disagree. I believe that if someone needs to use it to help them medically then it should be allowed.

That is Just My Opinion.


Jen

[kimmydawn]

I think there are benefits to using it when it's prescribed by a doctor for sure. Yes, there is the possibility of addiction. However, there are many drugs that dr's use that have the same potential.

For me, I used motrin 800's for years. The dr. finally looked at me and said, "don't even look at one of those again". They were destroying my stomach.

For those that suffer with chronic pain, there are some really good alternatives out there now. I think exploring each one is a very responsible thing to do so that we may live our lives more fully.

kd

[LMo]

Hi Beautiful Pain:
My personal opinion is that it is immensely helpful as a pain reliever, UNLESS:
- you get it from an unknown (ie. potentially risky) source
or
- you are someone who experiences paranoia after consuming it

I am generally very in favor of medical marijuana and decriminalization, but I don't advocate it as a self-medication option because unless you grow your own or get it from someone who does, you can never be sure of the quality, standardization, and possible contaminants.

Check the http://www.norml.org website for information about the laws in your state.

[Beautiful_Pain]

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LMo, we passed medicinal use last November, so I know that's not a problem, per se. And I do see what you mean about self-medicating. But, I was suggested it by this person because I can't get to the doctor and my IB 800s aren't helping much if at all. It would be short term until I get to the doctor in November.

Thank you to everyone who has shared their views so far =)
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[friedgreymatter]

What about a synthetic THC for pain?

It might be another option.

-Ray

[LMo]

Good idea, but I think that synthetic THC is also prescription-only, so that wouldn't help her if she's trying to find a solution to get her through until her next appointment.

i had a dear, dear friend who was in the final stages of cancer and i obtained marijuana for him. it eased his pain significantly and allowed him to eat and not throw up afterwards. personally, i wish that there wasn't such a stigma about the use of it. i strongly support it for pain control and the side effects of chemo, etc. and my ER doc friend really is an advocate for it. he says there is a tremendous difference in a patient on marijuana for pain and one who is heavily medicated with, say, morphine.

[Beautiful_Pain]

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Thanks for the responses so far =)

And thanks Down for the link

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[dogtanian]

yep, i've used it medicinally. but not so much for pain relief. i have real issues with sleeping. i can be knackered but as soon as i get in bed my brain wakes up and starts whirring - it's really annoying and it's been a problem as long as i can remember and my parents say i never slept as a kid either.

my old psych asked me once "does *anything* make you sleep easily??" and i said "well yes but it's sort of illegal" and he pressed me to tell him and i told him that if i have marijuana (the weed variety, not the resin) it makes me really happy and giggly for a while, then i just conk out and can't stay awake!

he told me i should continue with this, as he thought it was preferable to getting addicted to a benzodiaz drug. which i think is a fair idea. the only other things that make me sleep are benzos and anti-psychotics - but they make me feel really hungover the next morning and they put me into that dead sleep that it's hard to wake up from - when the alarm goes i feel groggy. with marijuana i just wake up as normal, really.

i have really bad joints at the moment (bursitis etc and my back is skewed) so i should maybe take it up again more regularly if it's likely to relieve the pains too.

i would say though, i wouldn't recommend this plan to younger people - there's a lot of talk at the moment that using it regularly at a very young age (below about 18) is potentially very dangerous, because if it's used while the brain is still in its relatively early development, it can skew it and lead to psychosis and/or schizophrenic disorders later on. they did some tests, and it seemed people over about 18 were generally not affected that way. i don't often believe medical scares of this kind, because i'm a born sceptic, and cynic, but i think this makes a lot of sense.

[Beautiful_Pain]

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Thank you for your reply, dogtanian. I'm well over 18 (30, in fact). I've heard it helps pain, but was wondering if anyone has personal experience using this way. If you do go for it, let me know how it goes, k? =) I have another agonizing week to get through before I see my rheumatologist =/
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[Zorah]

Hi Beautiful_Pain,
We have been using marijuana this way for many years, it does work, PM us any time. Got husband on oxygen machine, schizophrenic son, us been t many years,

[LMo]

It really bugs me that medical marijuana isn't legal everywhere. It has historically been so helpful. I just recently read a book about the history of cannabis, and it was very interesting to learn about the political obstacles that have only recently been put in place. Marijuana used to be available in pharmacies in several forms. It is so much less harmful than alcohol, yet anyone over 21 can buy that in unlimited quanitites. Grrrrr....

[Zorah]

Hi LMo,

Medicinal marijuanan was prescribable in our fathers day, he get it for asthma, & bronchiectasis, now H not get it, he die soon,


We don't know how we could eat without it !!!

We hates them all !!!!!!

[Beautiful_Pain]

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Thank you Zora, I will have to pm you to talk soon! =) Sorry about your dad, though =(

Thanks LMo I hadn't done 'older' research on cannibis.
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[Beautiful_Pain]

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Today was the worst. I went shopping with my sister, we walked around a small store once and I was in so much pain from my RA. I could barely walk, sitting if I had to get up fairly soon was out of the question. So I had to stand and walk on my heated, red, swollen knees. I fell when I got home, hit my knees (of course). I layed on the bed thinking how life would be if my RA meds don't help. I cried, I was still in pain...but also because that picture of life was very grim and limited. I don't want that, even though I didn't get actively suicidal, I got passively so. If ___ happened and I died, I wouldn't care. =/ My ankles, wrists, shoulders, fingers, toes were swollen, my back and neck hurt. You know the dr's scale 1-10 with 10 being the worst? I was 9.75 tonight, I hurt so bad I thought I might die from the pain itself. =O I've decide to try it, it can't make it worse, and a chance that it will help, makes my decision. I will be getting some tomorrow (X wasn't home tonight) and trying it.

I thank everyone again for your views and posts. I just wanted you to understand where I was coming from on this.
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[Zorah]

It's worth a try (((((Beautiful_Pain)))))
Our h's mother died from cortisone poisoning when they trying to treat RA.
Good luck we think it might help the pain, cause muscle relaxation,

They should never have made it illegal, as silly as prohibition !!!!!

[Beautiful_Pain]

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Thank you Zorah...hope they don't try and use cortisone on me then =O Sorry to hear about your MiL.

Thank you for the luck! I'll post this evening after I use
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[Beautiful_Pain]

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Or today =) I used it both last night and this morning right away. Both it and ibuproferen by themselves don't help hardly at all...together, they help me go from 8 to 5.5 on the dr's 1-10 scale =)

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[LMo]

I'm glad it worked for you. Be gentle to your lungs, though, BP. If you have the means, vaporizers are expensive but much MUCH safer and healthier than smoking or eating.

[tracylee]

This is a strange one, I was watching a documentary on tv here in England recently and although the old weed of wisdom has a lot of pain relievers, it is actually a depressant and people who have had long term exposure to smoking the old bob hope have actually been found to have a lot of problems, for instance the high rate of 'schizophrenia' and depression that has been documentated and the NHS is now screaming out. There is however, a form of cannabis/hemp which has had the 'tripping' feeling removed and it is used for people who need pain relief. I would rather take that form of 'joint' than have the side effects of smoking the stuff you would buy on a street corner from your local merchant! Good luck and here's hoping you manage to find the pain relief you need.

Tracy

[eskielover]

Beautiful pain,

I think if I was in the situation where my Dr appointment was so far in the future I you are hurting so much,,,,,,I would call up & try to get in to see the Dr before your appointment time because of your condition getting so bad.

The use of marijuana is usually used for appetite issues....When I was in the hospital for anorexia at the beginning of this year, I had a Dr come in to check my central line & he was the first one that actually suggested my use of marijuana. I kinda just laughed at first, but he kept telling me how good it works. I told him he could suggest it to my GP & see if he would go for it. Nothing ever came of it......& I don't smoke due to asthma......

As for pain from my migraines, I just couldn't find anything that worked at all...leaving me with one huge migraine that lasted 24/7 for years until I was put on the duragesic fentynal patch which in a high level of narcotics. Works great for the migraines, but in asking my pain specialist about what will happen if I need surgery for anything & it complicates matters so much I hope I never have to experience that.

Hope you can find something better than just taking the pain from an 8 to a 5.5......that wouldn't be good enough for me now that I am used to a 0 now. When I had my horse accident, I was up to a 5.....a 75mg of demoral in the ER helped relieve some of the pain for a while.....but just had to live with the hurting that was above what my fentynal could control.

Good luck...hope your Dr will be able to find a solution that will provide you with more relief that you have right now.

Debbie