Chronic Pain members - Welcome, please introduce yourself

@grandmar , thank you for sharing your story. It is very similar to mine. I need to get back in the habit of going to the water aerobics classes. I do get a massage every month. I get a pedicure once a month, and I sit in a massage chair that is awesome. I go around my neighborhood picking up litter. I do a bit of yard work, and all my housework. I have lost fifty five pounds and I homeschool my Grandson. I still have flares, and have no idea where they come from. I take the least amount of meds that I can get away with, because it becomes very difficult to lose weight on these meds. I don't know what I would do without you all. Love and hugs!

I agree completely. It isn't always enough to follow the doctor's instructions though, they may tell you to take a dose that will take care of your pain and get you high. That will get you addicted. I laid this out in a post yesterday about not trying to get completely out of pain but settle for a pain level of two to three to avoid addiction to make sure there's no extra drugs running around your brain after your pain has been taken care of cuz if there are your brain will say Party Time party time and you will get high and you will get addicted. I've used these drugs for years and never got addicted now I'm on such a small dose I wouldn't care if I did get addicted I don't think it would be that hard to kick from two and three milligrams of Dilaudid a day. The pump the pump the pump. Love and blessings.

I don't want to tell you what to do but whatever legal forms of marijuana will do for you the illegal forms of marijuana will surely do a better job of it. You don't have to smoke it you can vaporize it you can eat it you can drink it period hard to get most of those products unless you live in a state where things are legal but even if you don't you can always go to the head shop and get a vaporizer and vape your pot which is a lot safer than smoking it and should they catch you they're not going to put some old sick person in jail for trying to ease their Pain by smoking a little dope. Just saying you know maybe it's bad advice from a child of the 60s. I don't use it myself but that's only because I've only got one long left and I had to sign a contract promising not to when I became a patient at the Pain Management Center. Love & blessings

@mamacita you are a breath of fresh words for all us with pain You are very positive in your wisdom thanks for me its a great pleasure to hear from you

@aernst , I just saw this and just had to respond. Hi, I'm mamacita, a fairly new Volunteer Mentor here on Mayo Clinic Connect. What struck me the most was your comment about not having many friends. I know it doesn't help much, but you are not alone. I have lost so many friends because of all my illnesses. One of my best friends, or so I thought, of over thirty years, hasn't laid eyes on me since January. Looking back, I can see now that everything was all about her. Always was. The friends I have now understand my limitations. They like me for who I really am, not for what I can do for them. I hope that you can find friendship and comfort hete. We can all learn from each other and we don't judge. I pray you find some answers and have a pain free day tomorrow! We really are better together!

@mamcita
I love your screen name!
Sounds like you are doing what you can!
Funny, I've been thinking about homeschooling my 7 year old granddaughter.
I am a former teacher and I am not all that thrilled with the education my granddaughter is getting.
She is VERY smart and I worry about her losing the momentum.
She is talkative in class. I believe it is because she is bored.
However, she is an only child and she needs to socialize.
In addition, she has me wrapped around her finger and she knows it.
When she is older, it might be an option.

I am new to where I live. I've had issues since we moved here so I rarely get out.
My hubby golfs so we have socialized with some of his buddies and their significant others.
Sadly, I've either had to cancel or not accept an invitation due to my limitations..
Luckily, my daughter and her family live 5 doors down so I at least get visits from them and when I feel well enough, we will all go out for dinner.
I worry about my relationship with my granddaughter because I am always turning her down for this or that because of my pain and inability to do things.
I don't want my legacy to be 'my sick grandma.'

Anyway, today I find out (I hope) what is going on with me and how (I hope) we can take care of it.

Here is to a painfree day for us all!
Ronnie (GRANDMAr)

Hi All!
Sitting in the exam room of my neurosurgeon waiting for him to come in.
Not sure he is even here.
I am excited and nervous at the same time.
I am hoping the Mylogram CT shows something but afraid of what it might be.

More later.........
Ronnie (GRANDMA r)

It is against the Terms of Use (https://connect.mayoclinic.org/terms-of-use/) to advocate the use of anything unlawful in discussions on Connect.

As the discussion has turned to marijuana and cannabidiol (CBD), a naturally occurring cannabinoid constituent of cannabis and medical marijuana, I thought it wise to repost the following information. The articles and information below give some guidance about the evidence, regulation (or lack thereof), and legalities of CBD use in the US. It's not an exhaustive list, but a starting point to help you with your own research and decision-making.

1. Evidence vs usage
To date CBD to treat epilepsy (in children) is the only condition that has some scientific evidence supporting its use in some cases. CBD for pain, anxiety, inflammation and sleep remains as yet scientifically unproven and requires more validated research.

According to this article by NPR (https://n.pr/2HnI1SM), “By one estimate, the CBD industry has doubled in size over the last two years, and is now worth $200 million. But with this popularity the hype may have gotten ahead of the science.”

While there is promise and ongoing research into CBD effectiveness in managing pain, anxiety, inflammation and sleep, the jury is still out. Here are recent articles that help clarify.

– CBD Oil: All the Rage, But Is It Safe & Effective? (WebMD) https://wb.md/2K11QfD
– Does CBD Really Work For Anxiety? (HuffPost) https://bit.ly/2wF1VUs
– Anxiety Relief Without The High? New Studies On CBD, A Cannabis Extract (NPR) https://n.pr/2HnI1SM

2. Industry is unregulated
CBD is not regulated. “Because of the legally murky nature of marijuana, the FDA has not stepped in to regulate products like CBD oil.” States are struggling to put regulations in place. … Meanwhile, a 2017 study led by Bonn-Miller found that nearly 7 of 10 CBD products didn’t contain the amount of marijuana extract promised on the label.” Read more about regulation in this WebMD article (https://wb.md/2KCS4UW).

There are risks associated with medical marijuana CBD. See this post from a Mayo Clinic pharmacist (https://mayocl.in/2KDyip2). People should also consider interactions with other drugs and always discuss the use of CBD with their medical provider and consult with a pharmacist.

3. Concerns about attracting sellers and fraudsters
With the increasing activity related to CBD on Connect comes the unwanted attention of commercial sellers of product and fraudsters. Mayo Clinic Connect’s Terms of Use (https://connect.mayoclinic.org/terms-of-use/) prohibit “any material which … (viii) contains any information, software, or other material of a commercial nature; (ix) contains solicitations or advertisements of any kind; (x) constitutes or contains false or misleading indication of origin or statement of fact…”

Our Moderating team keeps a watchful eye for people with commercial interests posing as members on Connect. If you see posts that contravene the Terms of Use, please report them. Here's how: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/page/about-connect/tab/moderators/

4. Is it legal?
It has often been stated or asked about the legality of CBD in all 50 states. According to this article in Forbes “CBD is not legal in all 50 states (https://bit.ly/2KFY2nV) — even though it is widely available. At best, the law is murky and open to differing interpretations.” Canada is changing its laws for both medical and recreational marijuana use. It's important to know the law in your jurisdiction.

– Is CBD Legal? The Legal Status of CBD in 2018 (Medium) https://bit.ly/2EEuwYB
– The legal status of cannabis (marijuana) and cannabidiol (CBD) under U.S. law (Elsevier 2017) https://bit.ly/2tk68Zu
– State Medical Marijuana Laws (2018) https://bit.ly/1udxSs4

5. Information from Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic provides the following information on medical marijuana https://mayocl.in/2KyrGvp

6. Get informed
Information about the use, efficacy and legality of CBD and medical marijuana is constantly being updated. Do your research. It is advisable to talk with a health care professional if you have questions.

@colleenyoung - I appreciate your post, and will not start this with a "but" nor a "however". Simply to say that while there may not be clear-cut legal definitions or medical findings, there are many people who have reached out to non-traditional remedies for confounding issues we face everyday. It certainly is not a one-size-fits-all solution, no matter what we choose to do. And I, for one, am grateful to have different ideas to consider to alleviate discomfort.

@colleenyoung, thank you, thank you, thank you so very much for posting this. You're a true gem to pass on sources of information. Take care. @cognac