Does medical marijuana work for chronic pain?

Posted by mmoss @mmoss, Mar 27, 2021

Does Medical marijuana work for chronic pain. Looking for alternatives to Vicodin.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Chronic Pain Support Group.

@mtnmarge

I have a warning re cannabis. I asked my cardiologist if it is safe to use cannabis while taking
Eliquis, high blood pressure med and beta blocker. "Sure" he said. So I went ahead and bought it. I just did not feel 'right' after the first few doses so stopped taking it. Looked up drugs that are not recommended to take with cannabis and.....wait for it: There have been very few studies on this issue and it was recommended that cannabis should NOT be used until it is proven to be safe to do so. I did not want to stop taking my heart/blood pressure meds so will grin and bear the pain. I don't want to stop seeing him but I will certainly check out any information he gives me from now on.

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@mtnmarge Hi, Very interesting! I was also looking at drugs my wife is taking at found even CBD could interfere with the drugs she takes ability to do their job. I think the rule of thumb is anything that you can't take grapefruit with may react the same way with CBD. I always thought this was mumbo jumbo for years, but it appears valid. I've been having shortness of breath or what feels like my heart is pounding, I am a shallow breather, but this all is concerning me now. I hate seeing the doctor, it seems like I can figure it out faster than they can. I agree a doctor is trying to help you, they don't always. I just hate going and hearing oh you're ok, when I don't feel OK! It is frustrating, what insurance will pay for or won't. I often chalk it up to being over 60, physical trauma from operations. I can't tell if I'm having muscle, heart, lungs, or some other issues. All of them quit during an ICU event and survived on machines for while. Hospital said there were no severe long term effects from it. I don't believe any that. Good news is they saved my life, I 'm still here 13 years later. I need to follow up on this thing! Deep breaths seems to make it better.

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@artscaping

Good evening @queenofhearts921, I am trying to figure out your question. CBD is cannabis. So how do you get CBD oil without any cannabis or marijuana in it? Am I missing something? It is legal as long as there is no more than .05 percent THC. This can all be confusing. You can use Leafly to learn more about CBD. There is also a new site that has helpful dosing assistance.

https://www.projectcbd.org/guidance/cbd-dosing

Please let me know if you have experiences to share or questions looking for answers.
Chris

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There is CBD that has THC in it and CBD that doesn't have THC in it and a full spectrum of ratios in between. It takes much trial and error to figure out which ratio is best for you, your child, or your animal and your doctor as this is not standardized by conventional medicine yet. However, yes you can get CBD oil without any THC nowadays and with no "high" like there is on pot at most CBD stores and almost everywhere but question is " it going to be as effective for your pain as the CBD with the small amounts of THC is?" My sister uses CBD and she keeps buying higher doses of the non THC kind and she is elated with the effects on her pain, anxiety, sleep, depression, even bi polar so that is one person's experience. I am more skeptical but I have seen a change in her demeanor when talking to her when she takes it. They say when in doubt start with a lowest dose possible and titrate up unless you are already used to using cannabis. Adding the THC will make you high and smoking it as opposed to taking it in oil or gummies will usually be stronger. Check with local authorities to find out what is legal for your state. I'm not looking to get high. I just want pain relief. I want to try it. Your link in your reply was excellent for info.
Mia

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@jenatsky

In what state do you reside in? I’m surprised that your product gives specific instructions like that. I’ve never seen a hemp derived product with specific use instructions

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Massachusetts.

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You should definitely meet with the pharmacist from your local dispensary to get some advice on the best regime for yourself

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@artscaping

Good afternoon..

I have just reviewed the SDAK update on adult marijuana legalization vote last month. Here is what I found......."After a lawsuit overturned a voter-approved ballot initiative in South Dakota to legalize cannabis in 2020, MPP led the charge to put the issue back on the ballot in November 2022. Unfortunately, the statutory initiative that would have legalized cannabis for adults known as Measure 27, was defeated 52.9% to 47.1% in the 2022 midterm election where voter turnout was significantly lower than 2020."

Here is the site URL for you to have in the future.
https://disa.com/maps/marijuana-legality-by-state

I would also check on physician-prescribed medical cannabis. There may be a loophole.
Does this help get you started?
May you be free of suffering and the causes of suffering.
Chris

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What is the difference between physician prescribed, medical cannabis and medical cannabis? Thank you. I have 3 chronic pain conditions on my medical charts Sd laws state chronic pain qualifies !!how do I go about it from here?

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@jenatsky

You should definitely meet with the pharmacist from your local dispensary to get some advice on the best regime for yourself

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I’ll try that 😊 thank you!!would be nice to try something besides Botox,for the rest of my life as it only helps about 50% or less..

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@clmiller

What is the difference between physician prescribed, medical cannabis and medical cannabis? Thank you. I have 3 chronic pain conditions on my medical charts Sd laws state chronic pain qualifies !!how do I go about it from here?

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Different states have different regulations and rules governing how doctors prescribe cannabis. Example in Pa the doctor nay certifies you meet the required illness necessary to obtain a MMJ card. A pharmacist located in dispensaries speak with you to make recommendations for treatment.

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@artscaping

Hey there @luann262 ...... glad I could help. CBD alone is not my choice either. None of my tinctures have any hemp. The studies I have read claim a need for THC to jump-start things. I use a 1:3 CBD/THC. This is for my worst days and most difficult pain. It works and also forces me to take a nap. Maybe that is a good thing.

The 2:1 CBD/THC is my usual nighttime mix. It is calming and I go right to sleep. The THC amount just works well with the CBD. I usually sleep all night. Sometimes I have a toss and turn period at about 4 a.m. Depending on what my day holds I may decide to add a little and sleep a little more. As we use these medications, you will find that it takes a little more as our usage time lengthens, especially with the 2:1. The standard cannabis rule is: "You can never have less, you can always have more." I have made my way to a whole dropper at night and even more if I need it.

In the morning or at least when I get up, shower, and get dressed, I have a morning 1:1 CBD/THC dosage at about 3/4 of the dropper. This is my "get going girl" dose and is perfect for me right now. Once again, I use 3/4 of a dropper right now.

So....you are your own prescriber and administrator. I have been on this flexible tincture program for several years and a medical cannabis user for about 7 years.

May you be safe, protected, and free from inner and outer harm.
Chris

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Dear Chris - I'm responding to this old post of yours, particularly your observation that "we use these medications, you will find that it takes a little more as our usage time lengthens.". Can you tell us more about what the curve of increased look like for you?

I'm trying to make good decisions about this therapy, because an experimenting for the last few weeks, I have found that pure CBG tincture (50mg dose, Lazarus Naturals) works well for controlling nerve pain and anxiety, but my body seems to react badly (with worsening symptoms) when I try to reduce the dose, even after only a few weeks.

I'm a bit worried about dependence, especially if I should expect to increase dosage steadily over time. If I took the same amount every day and got relief, I would be happy to take it forever, but I'm worried if I will have to keep steadily upping the dose to get relief, as I'm still in my early '50s.

Can you share, in the last 2 years since your post, how much has your dose had to increase, relative to the first 7 years that you described? Or any other concrete details about the rate of increase you've had to use to keep a steady effect? Many thanks!

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@erin123

Dear Chris - I'm responding to this old post of yours, particularly your observation that "we use these medications, you will find that it takes a little more as our usage time lengthens.". Can you tell us more about what the curve of increased look like for you?

I'm trying to make good decisions about this therapy, because an experimenting for the last few weeks, I have found that pure CBG tincture (50mg dose, Lazarus Naturals) works well for controlling nerve pain and anxiety, but my body seems to react badly (with worsening symptoms) when I try to reduce the dose, even after only a few weeks.

I'm a bit worried about dependence, especially if I should expect to increase dosage steadily over time. If I took the same amount every day and got relief, I would be happy to take it forever, but I'm worried if I will have to keep steadily upping the dose to get relief, as I'm still in my early '50s.

Can you share, in the last 2 years since your post, how much has your dose had to increase, relative to the first 7 years that you described? Or any other concrete details about the rate of increase you've had to use to keep a steady effect? Many thanks!

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@erin123 Hi Erin,

I'd like to chime in on this. CBD is not addicting. There is not proof that THC is addicting, meaning you need to use more or have withdrawal. . You may have heard 100 year old propaganda that it is. There are issues that it can interfere with other drugs, like Benzos. That can intensify and sometimes diminish the effect of other drugs. So when you say worsening symptoms?, the key is to find out why this is happening. Are these symptoms caused from the original condition or ailment? Did they suddenly appear after taking the tincture? Are you taking drugs that interact with THC and CBD?
Cannabis does interact with your immune system, it can so micro dosing or reducing the amount is often helpful to make your system work. Meaning more is not always going to work better. Less can be more.
Kind regards Don

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@erin123

Dear Chris - I'm responding to this old post of yours, particularly your observation that "we use these medications, you will find that it takes a little more as our usage time lengthens.". Can you tell us more about what the curve of increased look like for you?

I'm trying to make good decisions about this therapy, because an experimenting for the last few weeks, I have found that pure CBG tincture (50mg dose, Lazarus Naturals) works well for controlling nerve pain and anxiety, but my body seems to react badly (with worsening symptoms) when I try to reduce the dose, even after only a few weeks.

I'm a bit worried about dependence, especially if I should expect to increase dosage steadily over time. If I took the same amount every day and got relief, I would be happy to take it forever, but I'm worried if I will have to keep steadily upping the dose to get relief, as I'm still in my early '50s.

Can you share, in the last 2 years since your post, how much has your dose had to increase, relative to the first 7 years that you described? Or any other concrete details about the rate of increase you've had to use to keep a steady effect? Many thanks!

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It might be easier to say that Cannabis is not a pain killer, it is more a pain blocker.

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