Chronic pain and medical marijuana

Sorry for typos...apparently u is substituting for I. New phone. Sorry

Agree. I'm 70+ and have used Medical Cannabis for about 4 months and I swear by it. It decreased my pain by about 85%. Why would anyone respond negatively if they have never tried it. 3-4 puffs vaping is NOT a fair trial. I suffer NO ill effects from it's use. The ONLY negative that I can think of is how my feet and legs feel while taking Marijuana. They are numb. Dead numb. When you remove pain, what is left for me is a profound numbness. I'll take it over the pain any day.

to Medic 7054-   I tried but had no effect with vaping, but never smoked before .  Does it last much beyond the vaping?  When I need it is when I am going to be active, but one cannot be high and out in public. I fear it did not work on me with 4 puffs is that no meds work on me and my pain gets as high as 9 to 10. Trying CBD spray, expensive, but no response to that either....        @ladyjane85

@lauriedr It is illegal to send any form of pot through the US Mail because it is not legal throughout the country. There are some companies that sell and mail very low grade pot. I would be wary about c Colorado company that does it.

It is a hemp product, called Charlotte's Web. It is even available OTC at pet boutiques around the country. It is guaranteed to have less than .03% THC. It may come through in a drug test, depending on your body, metabolism, and frequency of use. I have contacted reputable companies around the country. So far, these products are not illegal to ship across state lines. They are available on Amazon. I am not worried about breaking the law at this time. I don't think anyone else should either, at this time.Laurie

ladyjane85 Dronabinol is used to treat nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy in people who have already taken other medications to treat this type of nausea. Is this your major problem?

lauriedr, Please research your facts regarding medical marijuana in Minnesota. I live here and have taken medical pot since August. I take a 50/50 dose of THC/HBP orally along with a sub-lingual spray of 100% THC for breakthrough pain.

Thank you @medic7054. I have begged and begged my primary, neuro, and pain clinic physicians to allow me to try medical Marijuana in MN. Without exception, they all dismissed it immediately as anecdotal and not based on medical facts. It is a Catch-22! If I see another doctor on my own who provides a diagnosis (chronic pain) and recommends medical marijuana for a qualified pharmacist to prescribe, I will immediately be in violation of my pain contract. I would then lose all access to pain medications, biofeedback, acupuncture, botox, nerve ablation, steroid shots and nerve blocks, etc., as well as psychological counseling. It makes me so angry that I do not have the ability to partake in legal medication in my state. It took me well over a year to get off the wait list and obtain comprehensive care at the only accredited pain clinic in the state. I cannot risk losing the coordination of care I receive. I do have a psychiatrist, headache specialist, PT therapist, and other professionals I see separately. But none of them will sign on either. I have been out of work for 10 years; I just turned 50. Why are doctors so afraid of this alternative treatment? They approve e-stim, dry needling, essential oils, mega doses of vitamins, minerals, herbs of all kinds, massage, all kinds of crazy things. But this just stymies me. I did my due diligence, made my case, and never got even a smidgen of hope or medical reasoning to back up their opinions.  It is like they just want to CYA. At the same time, they want me off Fioricet and oxy, with nothing to replace it. Preventives and triptans provide me with little, if any, relief. This has been a 15+ year odyssey for me. I have still not been approved for disability. I am at the end of my rope. Thank you for your concern. Sometimes it helps to vent.Laurie Demit Rusin

@lauriedr I don't understand how/why these doctors object to medical pot so strenuously. Don't they, as doctors, have YOUR best interest at heart???? At the very least they should let you do a trial, let's say one month, to determine how much relief you get from medical pot. That would be the humane way of dealing with you, and this should be your reply to their objections. I'm just a retired/disabled Paramedic and this is MY opinion. I'm going on seven months taking medical pot and am like a new man. If I wasn't so damn old (70 years old) I would be able to work again.
As for your disability, I would find a good attorney who specializes in helping people navigate the process and get you approved. Additionally, Mayo has an excellent Pain Management program that will help you get off Opioids and help you "deal" with your pain. Many insurances will pay for it.

Good luck. If you need anymore help, let me know.

Thank you @medic7054 for your thoughtful response. I am a strong self-advocate, but my doctors are all about CYA. I have disability attorneys, but it's appeal after appeal for the last 7 years. For me, opiates are the only meds that provide any pain relief. Preventive and other abortives don't touch my pain. I am in no hurry to get off opiates. I would prefer more of them, actually. In 15 years I have not had problems with addiction or drug-seeking behaviors. I use oxy because vicodin was like taking a tic tac for me. Ever since Prince died from illicit fentanyl, the whole medical community has freaked out. I looked into Mayo last year, but I was told I had to be drug-free for 2 months before I could even make an appointment. No thank you. I cannot surrender the few hours of relief I get each week in exchange for nothing. I am broke from not working, in debt from alternative treatments; two of the best neurologists in the state tell me there are no tools left in the toolbox until new drugs come to market. Medicine today is not about the patient. I have been told by Dr's and pharmacists that they fear for their licenses. I am so tired of it all. If it weren't for my grown but still-dependent children, I would have cashed out years ago. My loving, supportive Husband is now my caregiver. He has to be set free; this unremitting pain has ruined both our lives. I appreciate the time you have taken with me. I will continue to fight for medicinal pot oil, and for my right to pain relief. I will try anything to end the pain, anxiety, depression. I will look into moving to a pro-euthanasia state when my children are settled in careers, or when I can't take the agony any longer. It breaks my heart that relief is out there, in the Form of a responsible opiate regimen and medical Marijuana, and I am not able to have it because I am a law-abiding patient. Thank you again @medic7054. You have been very kind to me and I appreciate that so much. You must have been an excellent paramedic. I wish you many more pain free days ahead for you.