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.

Didn't do anything for me except make me dizzy

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@dougs411

I take 10/20 mg of gummy based TCH when my arthritis or broken rib hits hard. While the TCH doesn't really get rid of the pain it does take my mind off it. Sometimes you can smell and taste the Marihuana. Doctors just don't give out drugs that work anymore (that's my experience), and the non-opioid drugs doctors have prescribed me for chronic pain were not effective. The worst non-opioid drugs for me was Cymbalta and Lyrica. Those are really nasty - especially to get off them. I'd stay away from those. For me, I'd rather have access to the opioid, these work best for me I could function almost normally, the TCH makes me useless. When I did have access to opioids I did not become an drug seeking addict when I stopped using them. Also I tried high doses of CBD, which did nothing but take my money. Oh there is nothing different about medical or recreational marihuana, its all the same. Hope this helps.

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Two days ago I was prescribed 2mg twice a day Buprenorphine. I was offered this or oxycodone, and although the oxycodone works I was looking for something for severe pain control so I chose the Buprenorphine. I'm an hour-and-a-half into the dose. My knee pain has come down about two notches down, and ankle has eased up but still burning. See what sides effects I encounter. This is the start of my 14 day trial. From what I read, it's 40x stronger than morphine but doesn't provide the side effects of euphoria. Doctor told me if you want to get euphoria use the THC. I'm satisfied with that answer. Just want to be out of pain as much as possible and possibly get my life back. By the way, I agree with you that THC doesn't necessarily take the pain away but it sure does create a side note to taking your mind away from it.

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I’ve been trying different strains for my chronic migraines for the past two years. It is a very individualized thing and all trial and error. You can get good advice at the dispensary, at least here in PA, but again, I tend to get a different person every time I go. Had really good results with a vape but then was diagnosed with a lung infection so that is now not an option. Am currently using tinctures, Peaches and Cream and Shine. Both will give some relief. Again, may not be consistent with where you are. Start low and slow and build up. Especially with THC, a little too much can cause some scary results! They tell you you can’t overdose but the results are not the “high” you would anticipate.

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@dougs411

I take 10/20 mg of gummy based TCH when my arthritis or broken rib hits hard. While the TCH doesn't really get rid of the pain it does take my mind off it. Sometimes you can smell and taste the Marihuana. Doctors just don't give out drugs that work anymore (that's my experience), and the non-opioid drugs doctors have prescribed me for chronic pain were not effective. The worst non-opioid drugs for me was Cymbalta and Lyrica. Those are really nasty - especially to get off them. I'd stay away from those. For me, I'd rather have access to the opioid, these work best for me I could function almost normally, the TCH makes me useless. When I did have access to opioids I did not become an drug seeking addict when I stopped using them. Also I tried high doses of CBD, which did nothing but take my money. Oh there is nothing different about medical or recreational marihuana, its all the same. Hope this helps.

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I was prescribed medical marijuana for back pain which was caused by my Gelsolin cancer. Anyway, it only cost me a little over $1,000 to pay for the resultant car crash in my own driveway when I could not find the brake pedal to stop my car from hitting my RV two hours after taking the marijuana. Now my doctor and wife ban me from driving, partly because I also have CPVT. CRAP! oldkarl

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@irr4et

Chris, I am on 75mgs of Lyrica three times a day. If I take even a very small amt of Indica THC at bedtime, I still can’t fall asleep after lying there 1 hr, so I take 2 mgs of Zolpedim and then fall asleep. The next afternoon if I sit on the couch, I can’t stay awake. What do you recommend I do differently at bedtime so I can avoid the sleepiness the next day?

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Good afternoon @irr4et. Thanks for joining the discussion. I haven't seen that name for a while. I am not a medical professional so I cannot diagnose conditions nor prescribe medications. I have some experience with Ambien (Zolpidem) for pre-surgery pain. I found that getting off of it post-surgery was a very scary experience. As we all realize, everyone is different, especially with medications,

I did review your posts and found that you were on different medications back in March, except for Lyrica. Did you make some changes then?

Here's the deal!,,,,,, as they say on TV. In my experience, finding workable sleep patterns is sometimes quite difficult and requires a rather strong commitment to making it work. That is especially true when we are dealing with multiple conditions and four or five different medications.

My issue is that I get caught up in activities, and find that the time between 9 pm and 2 am is devoted to Mayo Connect. When my morning starts early I always feel draggy in the afternoon and generally nap. After a while, I have established a sleep pattern that is not the most supportive.

I also use medical cannabis as a sleep aid......it works at a 2:1 CBD/THC or sometimes a 1:1 CBD/THC. If I overdo it then I sleep until 10 or 11 in the morning. Unfortunately, then I play catch up all day which leads to anxiety, etc., etc. If I am having difficulty getting to sleep, I do some mindfulness meditation practice. That also works for me.

So.....you are in control. You can define when you choose to sleep so that you are refreshed and prepared for the next day. Then, you need to embrace that pattern and stick to it. When you have the answer, please share it.

Do you think you need both the Indica and the Ambien? Does your clinician know about your medical cannabis use?

May you be free of suffering and the causes of suffering.
Chris

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@sallyw133

I’ve been trying different strains for my chronic migraines for the past two years. It is a very individualized thing and all trial and error. You can get good advice at the dispensary, at least here in PA, but again, I tend to get a different person every time I go. Had really good results with a vape but then was diagnosed with a lung infection so that is now not an option. Am currently using tinctures, Peaches and Cream and Shine. Both will give some relief. Again, may not be consistent with where you are. Start low and slow and build up. Especially with THC, a little too much can cause some scary results! They tell you you can’t overdose but the results are not the “high” you would anticipate.

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I usually choose strains that do not cause anxiety or paranoia. Cereal Milk is a strain that causes absolute calm in the brain.

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Tell us more about the Cereal Milk strain please. That would be such a help for me bc my brain neurons either inside or outside (undetermined) my skull burn and flutter. I guess u could call it fasciculations or perhaps it’s micro-glial cell inflammation. This keeps me awake bc even if I take Indica THC it doesn’t stop the fluttering movement. Therefore I have to take 3 mgs of Ambein to fall asleep. Any suggestions Chris or Chuck?

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@irr4et

Tell us more about the Cereal Milk strain please. That would be such a help for me bc my brain neurons either inside or outside (undetermined) my skull burn and flutter. I guess u could call it fasciculations or perhaps it’s micro-glial cell inflammation. This keeps me awake bc even if I take Indica THC it doesn’t stop the fluttering movement. Therefore I have to take 3 mgs of Ambein to fall asleep. Any suggestions Chris or Chuck?

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Naltrexone is supposed to activate glial cells in the nerves in low does around 4.5 mg. The downside it blocks opioid response. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3661907/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34445130/

Not sure if I can post this without being flagged but I will give it a shot. Moderators if this is unacceptable please remove the links. Cereal Milk does not give me anxiety at all. Google keywords. https://www.leafly.com/strains/cereal-milk
Breath Taker:
https://www.iheartjane.com/products/82074/breath-taker

Day 2 of 14 for Buprenorphine trial:
This medication is strong (40x stronger than morphine) and to squelch the side effects even minor would be nice. Buprenorphine isn't overly strong in side effects compared to other opioids I've taken and it won't give you euphoria but that's okay. Yesterday my knee stopped hurting for the first time in 21 years and the burning was significantly less around my leg and ankle. I was wired and slept two hours, then went to work and worked through lunch because I didn't want to leave. Tempted to take half pills and see what the results are.

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@irr4et

Tell us more about the Cereal Milk strain please. That would be such a help for me bc my brain neurons either inside or outside (undetermined) my skull burn and flutter. I guess u could call it fasciculations or perhaps it’s micro-glial cell inflammation. This keeps me awake bc even if I take Indica THC it doesn’t stop the fluttering movement. Therefore I have to take 3 mgs of Ambein to fall asleep. Any suggestions Chris or Chuck?

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Also, years ago when my 3rd surgery was healing I had skin crawls and flutters too. I befriended a guy that had a grand maul brain seizure and ultimately had brain surgery awake as the doctor was testing things and restoring functions while testing for brain damage with cognitive function and mechanical questions. Not sure this applies to your situation but thought it may help in sharing knowledge in the case it does.

Anyways, during that flutter period he shared with me when he was healing he had similar symptoms and said it's because the nerves are regenerating or trying to fire for a connection. I don't know if that's true but a few months later I went into what I can best describe as a remission for close to a decade.

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@frobvt

Hi Folks,

Medical marijuana has been a God-send, because I can't take a lot of the traditional medications. I had mild MS (which has been in remission for years), Fibromyalgia most of my life, Arthritis, Raynaud's Idiopathic Small Fiber Neuropathy, migraine disease and more. I take as many natural products as possible. I have my medical marijuana card, and have found significant relief in my pain levels! I mostly use cbd, "healing without the high". (Our bodies have naturally occurring cannabinoid receptors too). I do use 1/1 ratio, ir 2/1 ratio products with TCH, but not enough to impair me. I take 10 mg of CBD in the morning in liquid form or capsule, sometimes as a gummy. Hours later, I might have 10 mg more of CBD, or one draw on a vape pen, in 2/1 ratio. 8:30 PM, I have 10 mg of CBD. At bed time, I use a CBN gel pen which absorbs through the skin (I put on my wrists). That doesn't cause me to get high, but for some reason, it really helps with the neuropathy. Medical marijuana is my only medicine, I'm not on any prescription medicines because this is all I need. My doctors are aware I use MMJ too. In my state, marijuana is legal; and soon, stores will be able to sell it. This is my medication regimen, and I will stick to my medical dispensary! I don't recreate, I medicate. I hope this helps you folks.

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Have you researched buprenorphine?
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16148422/

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