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.

@artscaping

Good morning @joycemarie, Welcome to Connect. Thank you for posting your cannabis usage and the benefits. Voltaron is kind of scary to me. What CBD oil do you use as a topical? I use a P & B balm. 1:3 CBD/THC for acute pain and then 3:1 CBD/THC for chronic pain. The only RX medications I use are gabapentin and duloxetine. You mention a teeny spoonful at meal times. Is that CBD only? I used to put a dropper in my beverage. Now I just use it as a tincture. Stay with us, We need your feedback,

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

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Does the deloxitine work good with gabepinton

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Great webinar John, thank you

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@kathylewis

Does the deloxitine work good with gabepinton

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Good evening @joycemarie, I appreciate your response. I don't know if I understand your question about Duloxetine and Gabapentin. I take 120 mg of Duloxetine in the morning to control my anxiety which, if not controlled, leads to more pain. Then at bedtime, I take 600 mg of Gabapentin to calm down the numbness and tingling in my hands. So....two different medications at two different times for two different symptoms......don't know if they even interact. Maybe someone else will have a better answer for you.

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

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@kathylewis

Does the deloxitine work good with gabepinton

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Hi @kathylewis, I took Cymbalta (deloxitine) with Gabbapentin for many years. The Cymbalta was given to me for depression. I was on max doses for many years. Cymbalta was one of the first I tried to reduce and wean off, as well as slowly lowering pain medications. This was not easy, as withdrawing pain for me was horrid. All the drugs seemed to be hurting me more than helping after 5 years. So getting on them easy, weaning off, slow and painful. I weaned off them one at a time to start with the help of medical cannabis. Long journey. The decision to get on or stay on/ increase these drugs should not be weighed lightly. Homeopathic cannabis topicals and tinctures have returned me to a quality of life that pharmaceutical drugs, and their side effects including withdrawal caused more pain, and maybe even damage. So combo with caution is my opinion in hind sight. I take .5 mg xanax twice a day now for anxiety and pain with my a small amount of Medical Cannabis. That's it! praise God! Regards, Don

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@frobvt

I'm so happy that you found it and that it works so well for you! True, we could all benefit by sharing our knowledge so we can help one another. Sour Kush is a hybrid that is Sour Diesel crossed with OG Kush. It starts out like a Sativa, but finishes as a Indica. Amazing pain control. I need very little, just to get good benefits. This is one strain that could kick somebody's butt if they had too much!

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There's an article/study I read recently explaining THC tolerances and how low-, medium-, and high-dose THC affects pain levels. I find all this stuff once I activate my brain after smoking to relax, lol.

Anyways, this article could explain why some have different experiences using THC. I have since accepted less as more, not getting blasted because I too have noticed too much causes more pain oddly enough. https://profofpot.com/cannabis-can-worsen-pain/

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@chuck406

There's an article/study I read recently explaining THC tolerances and how low-, medium-, and high-dose THC affects pain levels. I find all this stuff once I activate my brain after smoking to relax, lol.

Anyways, this article could explain why some have different experiences using THC. I have since accepted less as more, not getting blasted because I too have noticed too much causes more pain oddly enough. https://profofpot.com/cannabis-can-worsen-pain/

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That's quite an interesting read, thanks for the info. Just enough THC to take the edge off pain is what I choose. I use mostly CBD with a small amount of topical gel or a quick vape, perhaps an edible of THC. I haven't gone over more than 2 to 3 mg of THC at one time, have been using medical marijuana for 3 plus years. I have a rule that I follow: I allow four to six hours in between having any more THC or cbd. Also, I have been dealing with migraines most all my life and wouldn't want to get blazed, because it could cause me to feel dizzy or unwell. That coupled with having to be dairy-free and gluten-free, well you get the picture- I need to lead a very clean and healthy life. Too much THC would be detrimental for most people. I've heard others comment that too much can cause a lot of pain. In summary, THC plus CBD combination is really my only medicine that I use!

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@artscaping

Welcome @bonnieh, you are not jumping in you are just joining us as we explore medical cannabis options and opportunities, Do you still see your Mayo doctor? Do you live in a marijuana legal state? In some states like Minnesota you must have a specific diagnosis and chronic pain is one. In other states you can just register with a dispensary. They often have pharmacists who specialize in helping you get started and monitor your experience,

In other states you are your own prescriber and must monitor your own experiences, Choosing medical cannabis doesn’t mean you are replacing prescribed medications,, You only need two products, topicals and tinctures, And you need to memorize this phrase....you can always have more, you cannot have less. Take it easy. Here is a good site to start,

If you would like to get started please let me know where you live and what you are now using for pain.

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

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Hi Chris,
I am in Wisconsin. Degenerative disc disease very painful in neck and back with sciatica. I want to avoid surgery in neck or back. Painful osteoarthritis
I have no idea where to start. Any suggestions and links to share please? I am a senior on Medicare and cannot afford the expensive products

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Just relieving pain will not prevent legs and feet getting weak. Your doctor should be checking your muscle strength in your legs and feet regularly. I wanted to avoid surgery, but my ortho surgeon made it clear that I would end up in a wheelchair if I did. Pressure on the nerves damages them.

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@frobvt

That's quite an interesting read, thanks for the info. Just enough THC to take the edge off pain is what I choose. I use mostly CBD with a small amount of topical gel or a quick vape, perhaps an edible of THC. I haven't gone over more than 2 to 3 mg of THC at one time, have been using medical marijuana for 3 plus years. I have a rule that I follow: I allow four to six hours in between having any more THC or cbd. Also, I have been dealing with migraines most all my life and wouldn't want to get blazed, because it could cause me to feel dizzy or unwell. That coupled with having to be dairy-free and gluten-free, well you get the picture- I need to lead a very clean and healthy life. Too much THC would be detrimental for most people. I've heard others comment that too much can cause a lot of pain. In summary, THC plus CBD combination is really my only medicine that I use!

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Topicals have zero psychotropic effect as it absorbs through the skin slowly. Caution if you are on blood thinners, as sometimes cannabis too is a blood thinner along with many other spices. I have found high THC or at least a 50 50 ration of CBD THC on topical (salves) work quickly and can last over a day. Depends on the type of pain. Ingesting Cannabis I lean towards higher CBD and lower THC because the THC raises my anxiety. They need to have some THC higher than over the counter to bring up the effectiveness of the CBD. Some sublingual products,....under the tongue, or (tinctures) may be infused with THC, that gets the job done for me. I only take 1 ml, of 20 to 1 CBD once a day now. I believe after a while you may need less as it stays in your system, and its role is to block pain in our systems CBD receptors. For the occasion head aches, I take a couple Tylenol. Stay Clean

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@joyce1109

Hi Chris,
I am in Wisconsin. Degenerative disc disease very painful in neck and back with sciatica. I want to avoid surgery in neck or back. Painful osteoarthritis
I have no idea where to start. Any suggestions and links to share please? I am a senior on Medicare and cannot afford the expensive products

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In response to @joyce1109…. I share a similar diagnosis. I am only one opinion. I have tried medical marijuana and am unsuccessful with this intervention due to the amount I need to take for pain “distraction”, which is very low….causes me pretty significant dizziness. There are many people on this forum who have had excellent success. Thus, I think it is a very individual journey. Good luck and may you have as good a day as you can.

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