Hydrocodone 5-325 3x a day vs Medical Marijuana Option

@knocerine03 I am feeling connected to your journey as we have some similarities. And yes, after 13 othopedic/neurological surgeries and lots of opioids, and other debilitating and scary drugs like Ambien, I have now been on a program/protocol of medical marijuana for almost 3 years. Key to my ability to live reasonably well without opioids has been having good marijuana guides, a neurologist who accepts my choice and is a supportive partner. We work together to try to keep one step ahead of the progressive pain and debilitating issues of polyneuropathy, myofascial pain syndrome and SFN (small fiber neuropathy). The medical marijuana industry is a compassionate one. It also is having such phenomenal growth that problems are created because new products are being introduced every week. Let me explain. There are no RX's for MM (medical marijuana). You have to do some research and then find someone to help you through the maze of options and delivery systems. Be ready to experiment and evaluate . Start slowly and progress carefully. Choose products that fit your lifestyle: morning activity, afternoon rest, and pain free sleep. This may include, vaping cartridges with as pure an oil as you can find, topicals that tone down the needle like tingling, edibles that work well as long as you handle the dosage carefully. My daily routine begins with vaping and then moves to tinctures in my tea or coffee. The key here is what the ratio of THC to CBD works best for you. I use a 3:1 tincture, 3 parts CBD, 1 part THC. My topical is also 3:1 but this time it is 3 parts THC to one part CBD. I have not found any 100% CBD oil available everywhere and on line that works for me. It appears that you need some THC to potentiate the benefit of CBD. The other key issue is time. A vape will deliver help with your pain within a few minutes but only last15 or 20 minutes. A tincture can be subliminal or in a beverage and depending on the ratio may take longer to take effect but last several hours. For me, one dropper gives me an easy, comfortable morning. I may repeat this dosage in late afternoon or during the evening. Bedtime for me means some vaping, a tincture dropper and topicals on my hands/feet and bad myofascial knee. Edibles like infused cookies may take 45 minutes to take effect but last the entire afternoon. You must go slowly with edibles. Remember you can always have more but you cannot have less. So....I now have an older gentleman at the dispensary who helps me every time I visit. And one more tip...get a very good vaping battery. Some are pretty shoddy. And remember that I mentioned problems. Here it is: the industry is growing so fast that you can often not find the same products every time you visit. So you are always experimenting. And one final note: two no-nos. Do not use medical marijuana other than a bit of vape on an empty tummy. And number 2....do not drive after medicating. Most of all, be kind to yourself.

@knocerine03 I am feeling connected to your journey as we have some similarities. And yes, after 13 othopedic/neurological surgeries and lots of opioids, and other debilitating and scary drugs like Ambien, I have now been on a program/protocol of medical marijuana for almost 3 years. Key to my ability to live reasonably well without opioids has been having good marijuana guides, a neurologist who accepts my choice and is a supportive partner. We work together to try to keep one step ahead of the progressive pain and debilitating issues of polyneuropathy, myofascial pain syndrome and SFN (small fiber neuropathy). The medical marijuana industry is a compassionate one. It also is having such phenomenal growth that problems are created because new products are being introduced every week. Let me explain. There are no RX's for MM (medical marijuana). You have to do some research and then find someone to help you through the maze of options and delivery systems. Be ready to experiment and evaluate . Start slowly and progress carefully. Choose products that fit your lifestyle: morning activity, afternoon rest, and pain free sleep. This may include, vaping cartridges with as pure an oil as you can find, topicals that tone down the needle like tingling, edibles that work well as long as you handle the dosage carefully. My daily routine begins with vaping and then moves to tinctures in my tea or coffee. The key here is what the ratio of THC to CBD works best for you. I use a 3:1 tincture, 3 parts CBD, 1 part THC. My topical is also 3:1 but this time it is 3 parts THC to one part CBD. I have not found any 100% CBD oil available everywhere and on line that works for me. It appears that you need some THC to potentiate the benefit of CBD. The other key issue is time. A vape will deliver help with your pain within a few minutes but only last15 or 20 minutes. A tincture can be subliminal or in a beverage and depending on the ratio may take longer to take effect but last several hours. For me, one dropper gives me an easy, comfortable morning. I may repeat this dosage in late afternoon or during the evening. Bedtime for me means some vaping, a tincture dropper and topicals on my hands/feet and bad myofascial knee. Edibles like infused cookies may take 45 minutes to take effect but last the entire afternoon. You must go slowly with edibles. Remember you can always have more but you cannot have less. So....I now have an older gentleman at the dispensary who helps me every time I visit. And one more tip...get a very good vaping battery. Some are pretty shoddy. And remember that I mentioned problems. Here it is: the industry is growing so fast that you can often not find the same products every time you visit. So you are always experimenting. And one final note: two no-nos. Do not use medical marijuana other than a bit of vape on an empty tummy. And number 2....do not drive after medicating. Most of all, be kind to yourself.

@knocerine03

Hi, I'm Gail, and I'm extending another welcome to Mayo Connect. I too am a Volunteer Mentor on the Connect site and as such am not a medical professional. I can only offer my support and my experience. I have used CBD, which is a derivative of Marijuana / Cannabis, without the "stoned"/high effect from the THC in marijuana. I used it to help me withdraw from Tramadol, 50 mg, which I had been taking for my back pain and surgery. I'm so sorry to hear of your pain and struggle to be whole again.

First, let me say that I was prescribed hydrocodone for my back and hip pain and took it for a couple of years. It never really helped my pain, but I felt high, so I didn't care as much. I had been having this hip pain off and on for about 20 years. Then a few years ago the pain was there every 3 months, progressing to daily about 5 years ago. Three years ago I was leaning forward to cut some roses, when I suddenly felt extreme fatigue in my right hip and leg. That became constant grinding pain that kept me from going up stairs and walking freely. I still didn't talk to the doctor about it. I finally was forced to see a doctor for my acute and suddenly debilitating pain that put me in a wheelchair 2 years ago. I had an MRI and found I out I had multiple problems, including that my L5-S1 was impinging on my spinal cord, and my L4 was herniated and had slipped onto my L5. I had spondylitis, stenosis, degenerative disk disease, a compound fracture of my C7, and radiculopathy. I had outpatient surgery called a laminectomy to remove part of my L5 disk to relieve the pressure on my lumbar spine December 22, 2016.

The relief of pain on my left side was immediate. I was so grateful for that. However, the pain on the right side from my L4 continued. I continued to take medication for the pain, but I had trouble walking and could hardly go up steps anyway. I was prescribed Tramadol, 50mg, 4 times a day. It is a synthetic opioid that really helped me with the pain. I took it 4 times a day. My surgeon said I would need major surgery to repair the L4, so he wanted me to try other ways to relieve the pain. I had 2 rounds of physical therapy, acupuncture, massage, and nothing helped. I explored stem cell therapy. Then I read about ART, Active Release Technique, on the Mayo Connect community. I decided to try it and within 3 weeks of treatment, my pain was almost completely gone. I was very happy. I go monthly now for a tweak.

I decided to stop my Tramadol, and used CBD during the time as I reduced one pill a day for 3 weeks, then another pill reduction for 4 weeks, then I stayed at 2 pills a day for another 4 weeks using the CBD to help me with the anxiety and brain fog I felt. It really helped me to be able to keep reducing my pills. I broke my last pills in half and continued to take half in the morning and half in the evening. I now only take half a pill when I have pain. I'm moving right now, so I've managed to hurt my back again unfortunately. I go for an ART treatment tomorrow.

It sounds as if your problems are worse than mine. I don't know if ART is appropriate for you. I recommend that you Google, Active Release Technique, and read about it. If you think it might help, then look for a practitioner in your area. Chiropractors are the ones who have gotten this training. Research who has the most training and certifications for different aspects of ART. Before deciding to do any treatment, show your MRI to the ART practitioner and be certain you talk with your doctor about what you're thinking about doing.

It is possible that CBD or THD/marijuana could help your pain level. Researchers have found that neither CBD nor THD are addictive. However, THC will make you feel high. Since we are all different, you may be able to function just fine with the high it produces, or you may not function well when you are high. I don't know if you will be helped by the marijuana, CBD, or ART, but I believe they are worth trying as long as your doctor agrees and it's legal in your state. I am including 3 links so you can learn more about the marijuana/CBD option. I'll post them separately. Please let us know how things are going for you. I'm hoping the best for you.

Gail
Volunteer Mentor

@knocerine03 I am feeling connected to your journey as we have some similarities. And yes, after 13 othopedic/neurological surgeries and lots of opioids, and other debilitating and scary drugs like Ambien, I have now been on a program/protocol of medical marijuana for almost 3 years. Key to my ability to live reasonably well without opioids has been having good marijuana guides, a neurologist who accepts my choice and is a supportive partner. We work together to try to keep one step ahead of the progressive pain and debilitating issues of polyneuropathy, myofascial pain syndrome and SFN (small fiber neuropathy). The medical marijuana industry is a compassionate one. It also is having such phenomenal growth that problems are created because new products are being introduced every week. Let me explain. There are no RX's for MM (medical marijuana). You have to do some research and then find someone to help you through the maze of options and delivery systems. Be ready to experiment and evaluate . Start slowly and progress carefully. Choose products that fit your lifestyle: morning activity, afternoon rest, and pain free sleep. This may include, vaping cartridges with as pure an oil as you can find, topicals that tone down the needle like tingling, edibles that work well as long as you handle the dosage carefully. My daily routine begins with vaping and then moves to tinctures in my tea or coffee. The key here is what the ratio of THC to CBD works best for you. I use a 3:1 tincture, 3 parts CBD, 1 part THC. My topical is also 3:1 but this time it is 3 parts THC to one part CBD. I have not found any 100% CBD oil available everywhere and on line that works for me. It appears that you need some THC to potentiate the benefit of CBD. The other key issue is time. A vape will deliver help with your pain within a few minutes but only last15 or 20 minutes. A tincture can be subliminal or in a beverage and depending on the ratio may take longer to take effect but last several hours. For me, one dropper gives me an easy, comfortable morning. I may repeat this dosage in late afternoon or during the evening. Bedtime for me means some vaping, a tincture dropper and topicals on my hands/feet and bad myofascial knee. Edibles like infused cookies may take 45 minutes to take effect but last the entire afternoon. You must go slowly with edibles. Remember you can always have more but you cannot have less. So....I now have an older gentleman at the dispensary who helps me every time I visit. And one more tip...get a very good vaping battery. Some are pretty shoddy. And remember that I mentioned problems. Here it is: the industry is growing so fast that you can often not find the same products every time you visit. So you are always experimenting. And one final note: two no-nos. Do not use medical marijuana other than a bit of vape on an empty tummy. And number 2....do not drive after medicating. Most of all, be kind to yourself.

@knocerine03 I am feeling connected to your journey as we have some similarities. And yes, after 13 othopedic/neurological surgeries and lots of opioids, and other debilitating and scary drugs like Ambien, I have now been on a program/protocol of medical marijuana for almost 3 years. Key to my ability to live reasonably well without opioids has been having good marijuana guides, a neurologist who accepts my choice and is a supportive partner. We work together to try to keep one step ahead of the progressive pain and debilitating issues of polyneuropathy, myofascial pain syndrome and SFN (small fiber neuropathy). The medical marijuana industry is a compassionate one. It also is having such phenomenal growth that problems are created because new products are being introduced every week. Let me explain. There are no RX's for MM (medical marijuana). You have to do some research and then find someone to help you through the maze of options and delivery systems. Be ready to experiment and evaluate . Start slowly and progress carefully. Choose products that fit your lifestyle: morning activity, afternoon rest, and pain free sleep. This may include, vaping cartridges with as pure an oil as you can find, topicals that tone down the needle like tingling, edibles that work well as long as you handle the dosage carefully. My daily routine begins with vaping and then moves to tinctures in my tea or coffee. The key here is what the ratio of THC to CBD works best for you. I use a 3:1 tincture, 3 parts CBD, 1 part THC. My topical is also 3:1 but this time it is 3 parts THC to one part CBD. I have not found any 100% CBD oil available everywhere and on line that works for me. It appears that you need some THC to potentiate the benefit of CBD. The other key issue is time. A vape will deliver help with your pain within a few minutes but only last15 or 20 minutes. A tincture can be subliminal or in a beverage and depending on the ratio may take longer to take effect but last several hours. For me, one dropper gives me an easy, comfortable morning. I may repeat this dosage in late afternoon or during the evening. Bedtime for me means some vaping, a tincture dropper and topicals on my hands/feet and bad myofascial knee. Edibles like infused cookies may take 45 minutes to take effect but last the entire afternoon. You must go slowly with edibles. Remember you can always have more but you cannot have less. So....I now have an older gentleman at the dispensary who helps me every time I visit. And one more tip...get a very good vaping battery. Some are pretty shoddy. And remember that I mentioned problems. Here it is: the industry is growing so fast that you can often not find the same products every time you visit. So you are always experimenting. And one final note: two no-nos. Do not use medical marijuana other than a bit of vape on an empty tummy. And number 2....do not drive after medicating. Most of all, be kind to yourself.

@knocerine03 I am feeling connected to your journey as we have some similarities. And yes, after 13 othopedic/neurological surgeries and lots of opioids, and other debilitating and scary drugs like Ambien, I have now been on a program/protocol of medical marijuana for almost 3 years. Key to my ability to live reasonably well without opioids has been having good marijuana guides, a neurologist who accepts my choice and is a supportive partner. We work together to try to keep one step ahead of the progressive pain and debilitating issues of polyneuropathy, myofascial pain syndrome and SFN (small fiber neuropathy). The medical marijuana industry is a compassionate one. It also is having such phenomenal growth that problems are created because new products are being introduced every week. Let me explain. There are no RX's for MM (medical marijuana). You have to do some research and then find someone to help you through the maze of options and delivery systems. Be ready to experiment and evaluate . Start slowly and progress carefully. Choose products that fit your lifestyle: morning activity, afternoon rest, and pain free sleep. This may include, vaping cartridges with as pure an oil as you can find, topicals that tone down the needle like tingling, edibles that work well as long as you handle the dosage carefully. My daily routine begins with vaping and then moves to tinctures in my tea or coffee. The key here is what the ratio of THC to CBD works best for you. I use a 3:1 tincture, 3 parts CBD, 1 part THC. My topical is also 3:1 but this time it is 3 parts THC to one part CBD. I have not found any 100% CBD oil available everywhere and on line that works for me. It appears that you need some THC to potentiate the benefit of CBD. The other key issue is time. A vape will deliver help with your pain within a few minutes but only last15 or 20 minutes. A tincture can be subliminal or in a beverage and depending on the ratio may take longer to take effect but last several hours. For me, one dropper gives me an easy, comfortable morning. I may repeat this dosage in late afternoon or during the evening. Bedtime for me means some vaping, a tincture dropper and topicals on my hands/feet and bad myofascial knee. Edibles like infused cookies may take 45 minutes to take effect but last the entire afternoon. You must go slowly with edibles. Remember you can always have more but you cannot have less. So....I now have an older gentleman at the dispensary who helps me every time I visit. And one more tip...get a very good vaping battery. Some are pretty shoddy. And remember that I mentioned problems. Here it is: the industry is growing so fast that you can often not find the same products every time you visit. So you are always experimenting. And one final note: two no-nos. Do not use medical marijuana other than a bit of vape on an empty tummy. And number 2....do not drive after medicating. Most of all, be kind to yourself.

@knocerine03 I am feeling connected to your journey as we have some similarities. And yes, after 13 othopedic/neurological surgeries and lots of opioids, and other debilitating and scary drugs like Ambien, I have now been on a program/protocol of medical marijuana for almost 3 years. Key to my ability to live reasonably well without opioids has been having good marijuana guides, a neurologist who accepts my choice and is a supportive partner. We work together to try to keep one step ahead of the progressive pain and debilitating issues of polyneuropathy, myofascial pain syndrome and SFN (small fiber neuropathy). The medical marijuana industry is a compassionate one. It also is having such phenomenal growth that problems are created because new products are being introduced every week. Let me explain. There are no RX's for MM (medical marijuana). You have to do some research and then find someone to help you through the maze of options and delivery systems. Be ready to experiment and evaluate . Start slowly and progress carefully. Choose products that fit your lifestyle: morning activity, afternoon rest, and pain free sleep. This may include, vaping cartridges with as pure an oil as you can find, topicals that tone down the needle like tingling, edibles that work well as long as you handle the dosage carefully. My daily routine begins with vaping and then moves to tinctures in my tea or coffee. The key here is what the ratio of THC to CBD works best for you. I use a 3:1 tincture, 3 parts CBD, 1 part THC. My topical is also 3:1 but this time it is 3 parts THC to one part CBD. I have not found any 100% CBD oil available everywhere and on line that works for me. It appears that you need some THC to potentiate the benefit of CBD. The other key issue is time. A vape will deliver help with your pain within a few minutes but only last15 or 20 minutes. A tincture can be subliminal or in a beverage and depending on the ratio may take longer to take effect but last several hours. For me, one dropper gives me an easy, comfortable morning. I may repeat this dosage in late afternoon or during the evening. Bedtime for me means some vaping, a tincture dropper and topicals on my hands/feet and bad myofascial knee. Edibles like infused cookies may take 45 minutes to take effect but last the entire afternoon. You must go slowly with edibles. Remember you can always have more but you cannot have less. So....I now have an older gentleman at the dispensary who helps me every time I visit. And one more tip...get a very good vaping battery. Some are pretty shoddy. And remember that I mentioned problems. Here it is: the industry is growing so fast that you can often not find the same products every time you visit. So you are always experimenting. And one final note: two no-nos. Do not use medical marijuana other than a bit of vape on an empty tummy. And number 2....do not drive after medicating. Most of all, be kind to yourself.

@knocerine03

Hi, I'm Gail, and I'm extending another welcome to Mayo Connect. I too am a Volunteer Mentor on the Connect site and as such am not a medical professional. I can only offer my support and my experience. I have used CBD, which is a derivative of Marijuana / Cannabis, without the "stoned"/high effect from the THC in marijuana. I used it to help me withdraw from Tramadol, 50 mg, which I had been taking for my back pain and surgery. I'm so sorry to hear of your pain and struggle to be whole again.

First, let me say that I was prescribed hydrocodone for my back and hip pain and took it for a couple of years. It never really helped my pain, but I felt high, so I didn't care as much. I had been having this hip pain off and on for about 20 years. Then a few years ago the pain was there every 3 months, progressing to daily about 5 years ago. Three years ago I was leaning forward to cut some roses, when I suddenly felt extreme fatigue in my right hip and leg. That became constant grinding pain that kept me from going up stairs and walking freely. I still didn't talk to the doctor about it. I finally was forced to see a doctor for my acute and suddenly debilitating pain that put me in a wheelchair 2 years ago. I had an MRI and found I out I had multiple problems, including that my L5-S1 was impinging on my spinal cord, and my L4 was herniated and had slipped onto my L5. I had spondylitis, stenosis, degenerative disk disease, a compound fracture of my C7, and radiculopathy. I had outpatient surgery called a laminectomy to remove part of my L5 disk to relieve the pressure on my lumbar spine December 22, 2016.

The relief of pain on my left side was immediate. I was so grateful for that. However, the pain on the right side from my L4 continued. I continued to take medication for the pain, but I had trouble walking and could hardly go up steps anyway. I was prescribed Tramadol, 50mg, 4 times a day. It is a synthetic opioid that really helped me with the pain. I took it 4 times a day. My surgeon said I would need major surgery to repair the L4, so he wanted me to try other ways to relieve the pain. I had 2 rounds of physical therapy, acupuncture, massage, and nothing helped. I explored stem cell therapy. Then I read about ART, Active Release Technique, on the Mayo Connect community. I decided to try it and within 3 weeks of treatment, my pain was almost completely gone. I was very happy. I go monthly now for a tweak.

I decided to stop my Tramadol, and used CBD during the time as I reduced one pill a day for 3 weeks, then another pill reduction for 4 weeks, then I stayed at 2 pills a day for another 4 weeks using the CBD to help me with the anxiety and brain fog I felt. It really helped me to be able to keep reducing my pills. I broke my last pills in half and continued to take half in the morning and half in the evening. I now only take half a pill when I have pain. I'm moving right now, so I've managed to hurt my back again unfortunately. I go for an ART treatment tomorrow.

It sounds as if your problems are worse than mine. I don't know if ART is appropriate for you. I recommend that you Google, Active Release Technique, and read about it. If you think it might help, then look for a practitioner in your area. Chiropractors are the ones who have gotten this training. Research who has the most training and certifications for different aspects of ART. Before deciding to do any treatment, show your MRI to the ART practitioner and be certain you talk with your doctor about what you're thinking about doing.

It is possible that CBD or THD/marijuana could help your pain level. Researchers have found that neither CBD nor THD are addictive. However, THC will make you feel high. Since we are all different, you may be able to function just fine with the high it produces, or you may not function well when you are high. I don't know if you will be helped by the marijuana, CBD, or ART, but I believe they are worth trying as long as your doctor agrees and it's legal in your state. I am including 3 links so you can learn more about the marijuana/CBD option. I'll post them separately. Please let us know how things are going for you. I'm hoping the best for you.

Gail
Volunteer Mentor

@knocerine03 I am feeling connected to your journey as we have some similarities. And yes, after 13 othopedic/neurological surgeries and lots of opioids, and other debilitating and scary drugs like Ambien, I have now been on a program/protocol of medical marijuana for almost 3 years. Key to my ability to live reasonably well without opioids has been having good marijuana guides, a neurologist who accepts my choice and is a supportive partner. We work together to try to keep one step ahead of the progressive pain and debilitating issues of polyneuropathy, myofascial pain syndrome and SFN (small fiber neuropathy). The medical marijuana industry is a compassionate one. It also is having such phenomenal growth that problems are created because new products are being introduced every week. Let me explain. There are no RX's for MM (medical marijuana). You have to do some research and then find someone to help you through the maze of options and delivery systems. Be ready to experiment and evaluate . Start slowly and progress carefully. Choose products that fit your lifestyle: morning activity, afternoon rest, and pain free sleep. This may include, vaping cartridges with as pure an oil as you can find, topicals that tone down the needle like tingling, edibles that work well as long as you handle the dosage carefully. My daily routine begins with vaping and then moves to tinctures in my tea or coffee. The key here is what the ratio of THC to CBD works best for you. I use a 3:1 tincture, 3 parts CBD, 1 part THC. My topical is also 3:1 but this time it is 3 parts THC to one part CBD. I have not found any 100% CBD oil available everywhere and on line that works for me. It appears that you need some THC to potentiate the benefit of CBD. The other key issue is time. A vape will deliver help with your pain within a few minutes but only last15 or 20 minutes. A tincture can be subliminal or in a beverage and depending on the ratio may take longer to take effect but last several hours. For me, one dropper gives me an easy, comfortable morning. I may repeat this dosage in late afternoon or during the evening. Bedtime for me means some vaping, a tincture dropper and topicals on my hands/feet and bad myofascial knee. Edibles like infused cookies may take 45 minutes to take effect but last the entire afternoon. You must go slowly with edibles. Remember you can always have more but you cannot have less. So....I now have an older gentleman at the dispensary who helps me every time I visit. And one more tip...get a very good vaping battery. Some are pretty shoddy. And remember that I mentioned problems. Here it is: the industry is growing so fast that you can often not find the same products every time you visit. So you are always experimenting. And one final note: two no-nos. Do not use medical marijuana other than a bit of vape on an empty tummy. And number 2....do not drive after medicating. Most of all, be kind to yourself.

@knocerine03 I am feeling connected to your journey as we have some similarities. And yes, after 13 othopedic/neurological surgeries and lots of opioids, and other debilitating and scary drugs like Ambien, I have now been on a program/protocol of medical marijuana for almost 3 years. Key to my ability to live reasonably well without opioids has been having good marijuana guides, a neurologist who accepts my choice and is a supportive partner. We work together to try to keep one step ahead of the progressive pain and debilitating issues of polyneuropathy, myofascial pain syndrome and SFN (small fiber neuropathy). The medical marijuana industry is a compassionate one. It also is having such phenomenal growth that problems are created because new products are being introduced every week. Let me explain. There are no RX's for MM (medical marijuana). You have to do some research and then find someone to help you through the maze of options and delivery systems. Be ready to experiment and evaluate . Start slowly and progress carefully. Choose products that fit your lifestyle: morning activity, afternoon rest, and pain free sleep. This may include, vaping cartridges with as pure an oil as you can find, topicals that tone down the needle like tingling, edibles that work well as long as you handle the dosage carefully. My daily routine begins with vaping and then moves to tinctures in my tea or coffee. The key here is what the ratio of THC to CBD works best for you. I use a 3:1 tincture, 3 parts CBD, 1 part THC. My topical is also 3:1 but this time it is 3 parts THC to one part CBD. I have not found any 100% CBD oil available everywhere and on line that works for me. It appears that you need some THC to potentiate the benefit of CBD. The other key issue is time. A vape will deliver help with your pain within a few minutes but only last15 or 20 minutes. A tincture can be subliminal or in a beverage and depending on the ratio may take longer to take effect but last several hours. For me, one dropper gives me an easy, comfortable morning. I may repeat this dosage in late afternoon or during the evening. Bedtime for me means some vaping, a tincture dropper and topicals on my hands/feet and bad myofascial knee. Edibles like infused cookies may take 45 minutes to take effect but last the entire afternoon. You must go slowly with edibles. Remember you can always have more but you cannot have less. So....I now have an older gentleman at the dispensary who helps me every time I visit. And one more tip...get a very good vaping battery. Some are pretty shoddy. And remember that I mentioned problems. Here it is: the industry is growing so fast that you can often not find the same products every time you visit. So you are always experimenting. And one final note: two no-nos. Do not use medical marijuana other than a bit of vape on an empty tummy. And number 2....do not drive after medicating. Most of all, be kind to yourself.