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CBD oil and depression/anxiety
I am curious to know if anyone has had success with CBD or Hemp oil helping with depression/anxiety? I’ve been reading a lot about it and am curious.
I’ve been reading about this and am very interested but would like thoughts/opinions from anyone who has actually tried it or knows someone who has. TIA
Thank you,
Laura
Has anyone tried CBD oil to quit smoking cigs? My boyfriend is trying to quit and thinks this would help
Gail, I think you are spot on with the points you make. There has never been one iota of research that indicates marijuana is a gateway drug. People who enjoy the "high" from cannabis and want to try something that may give them a "bigger or better high", may very well try cocaine or heroin, but the same individual could have arrived there from huffing paint or cough syrup. There is also no evidence that it is addictive, but there are folks like me who have to exercise more care with anything due to an addictive personality – I know there is a more scientific name, but it does not spring to mind. I have taken the synthetic marinol for appetite enhancement post surgery and it worked incredibly well and also was the best pain med I have used.
The reason we talk about there being no research to suggests most of these claims is that the DEA slapped a series 1 narcotic label on it before any research was done and pharma companies never pursued it for fear of getting cross ways with law enforcement and the FDA. The FDA just recently approved the first medicine that has some part of the cannabis plant included and it is believed that it will be used for off label uses quickly and that more will follow. If we actually allow an effective pain killer that is non-addictive, we may begin making progress in "the opioid crisis".
You're right, @gailb. Because more research is needed, there will be contradictions in guidelines on the use of medical marijuana. On the point of addiction, the info sheet states, "The risk of addiction is likely to be higher … for persons who have already experienced addictions," which @gman007 mentioned as well. You're also right to point out that everyone is different. Thanks for being so thorough in the information you share.
I started using medical cannabis to relieve my intractable pain, although my primary diagnosis is PTSD.
I've found it worked extremely well for my anxiety. I also have Bipolar 1, and PTSD, for which the cannabis works beautifully! I also had extreme pain from a shoulder needing replacement. Again, it worked wonderfully.
The issues are ;
1. The docs who can "certify" are not really available (as far as i knew a year ago) in Rochester, so you have to go to the Cities, once you search out and find a doc. Look on line.
2. None of this is covered by insurance. Expect to pay $200 plus just for the doc who certifies you. Depending on what you get in terms of the medial cannabis, it can be expensive. None of this is covered by insurance! Just so you know…
3. You MUST have a current diagnosis that fits the parameters of what MN will allow legal treatment for cannabis. Research this.
4. DO NOT BE FOOLED THINKING SMOKING POT IS THE SAME THING! IT"S NOT! Medical cannabis is very specifically formulated. It is tested for actual percentages of cannabis CBN and THC levels. The pharmacist at the dispensary will help you decide what's best, what fits your diagnosis.
5. If you have the need for Pain control, or help with other illnesses or conditions that can be treated by MC, do your due diligence to make it happen. It's worth the trouble and time, and the money.
Best wishes for all who may be treated, and treated well by MC!
Did you titrate off slowly?? Those issues can be decreased and your rebound symptoms will not be as bad if you titrate off for a month. There are other meds now. Do you have a good psychiatrist who deals with mood disorders? Some are"t. Get a 2nd opinion if your insurance allows, or even if not. id a response about Cannabis below…
Don't EVER go off 2 psych meds at the same time. And NEVER just decide to go off yourself. Your symptoms sound like rebound symptoms from going off your meds.
Get a good doc, and don't try "self-treatment". You know they say a defendant who is his own lawyer has a fool for a client. Same goes for trying to be your own doc, or making med decisions on your own. DON'T!
You're right. NEVER go through that again. Cold turkey? it can actually not only make you sick, but kill you. Dead turkey! Be gentle with yourself and your illness. Treat yourself like a best friend. And don't deny your symptoms of pain and anxiety. See my post about medical cannabis, below.
After using it for about a year, i would tell you to not be afraid. Use as directed. IT WORKS IF YOU WORK IT!! A nb al-anon saying. But true with CBD. It can be miraculous!
@redhedplus Thank you for the information and all of the areas where you have achieved relief. The only thing I am curious about, and you don't have to answer this if you feel it is too personal, but have you simply smoked cannabis before stating that is not the same or is that what you know from research. I did have access to Rick Simpson Oil – the highly concentrated paste that is the carmelization (I think that is the process) of the plant and it worked for nearly everything I have ever complained of. I also know those who simply smoke the weed and get great relief from pain, anxiety, PTSD, depression, lack of appetite and a host of other things and it is so much less expensive than dealing with dispensaries – street sellers are not nearly as greedy as pharma or those receiving tax revenues for the legal sale.
@gailb, @parus, What is sold as CBD oil in states where weed is legal is very different in the level of THC than what I can legally purchase in SC – zero THC. Am I off base in my research surrounding CBD oil? One thing is certain; legal/not legal, ingredients/lack of ingredients, how your dose it, etc…is all much more confusing than when I was a teenage neer-do-well!
@gman007
I think it's OK that you are trying the CBD oil with no THC. It's certainly worth testing. My bottle of CBD indicated what they recommended as a single dose. I started at their recommendation and then increased the dose until I felt the resulting relaxation. I tried a higher dose but didn't like it, so I dropped back to the previous dose. My CBD comes with a pump spray which I spray under my tongue and hold there for 30 seconds. I use 8 sprays now. They recommended starting at 3 sprays.
You do have to experiment with the doses on your own. You could be more or less sensitive than me. Don't expect to feel the way you did when you were a teenager, it won't. You should feel less anxious and feel your muscles relax. I found I could breathe more easily and freely. I really hope you find relief with the CBD you purchased.
GailB
Volunteer Mentor
@dbrown72
Welcome to the Mayo Connect community. I am a Volunteer Mentor and am not a medical professional so I don't provide diagnosis nor medical recommendations. I share my experience and other members and I will support you. We hope you will feel free to share issues you may not be comfortable sharing with family or friends.
To answer your question, I used marijuana to help me stop smoking many years ago. It was illegal at the time, but I was so anxious and shakey that I needed something. I was smoking 2 packs of cigarettes a day at the time I quit. There were no medications to help me quit as this was 1982. I wanted to quit so I could become a programmer in Silicon Valley and we couldn't smoke around the computers which were very large and kept enclosed in glass rooms with raised floors. There were special air systems to keep everything stable. Today we use laptop computers and tablets with more power than the big ones I worked with. My point is that I was highly internally motivated to quit. I had "quit" many times before this, but I felt different this time.
I had such heavy withdrawal symptoms that afterwards I said I would have put myself in the hospital if I had realized how bad I was going to feel. For at least 2 weeks I had shakes, sweating, nausea, bad mood, headaches, and anxiety. My hands would sweat so bad I couldn't hold an ink pen or pencil. I've never had my hands sweat before that or after that. I would get up from my desk and walk around the office building when my anxiety got too high. I took deep breaths to remind myself of the healthy life I was choosing. A friend finally recommended that I smoke some pot to help. I was not a drug user (too chicken to try any) but I finally agreed to try it. I smoked it in the evening so I wasn't high at work during the day. It really helped my anxiety, shaking and nausea, which helped me have a better attitude/mood.
I was able to stick to my cold turkey stop of smoking cigarettes because of the marijuana. I smoked marijuana whenever I thought I wanted a cigarette. At some point within 3 months I realized I no longer craved cigarettes, so I stopped smoking marijuana. I didn't want to trade one addiction for another. However, I never had a problem stopping marijuana cold turkey. I have most recently used CBD tincture orally to help me withdraw from Tramadol 50 mg that I was prescribed for pain from my back surgery. I was addicted to it, but using the CBD oil under my tongue a couple of times a day as I reduced my doses of Tramadol helped me to relax. I had a lot of anxiety withdrawing and the CBD really helped me. Now I use CBD orally for the occasional pain that Tylenol doesn't resolve.
@dbrown72, I hope this is helpful for you and your boyfriend. Please let us know how things go for him.
Gail
Volunteer Mentor