Aa
Pot warning ... extremely long post
I'm writing this in the hopes it may help someone & they can avoid going through what we've gone through. My 17-y/o son smokes pot. It's something I was very upset by & had argued about. My son is he is very honest & respectful. If I ask him something, he will answer honestly. And when he answered yes to my question of "Were you smoking?" he would answer yes despite knowing there would be some consequence.
In late July he got a sinus infection & had a bit of nausea. The doc gave him amoxicillin & the sinuses cleared up but still wasn't feeling great. Often nauseas & had a diminished appetite, though he was eating, drinking & still going to the gym & to the muay thai class he takes.
We went to the Cape for a long weekend, in part to see his girlfriend (who was his first love and unfortunately she broke up with him last week & he is so brokenhearted in addition to what's going on with him physically.) While at the Cape, he went off with her to do some things in town. He called me & said he was feeling really sick to his stomach & it was getting bad. I asked him if it was bad enough to see a doctor or should we wait until we got home, & he said he didn't want to home but there was an urgent care in town &we went there.
The doctor thought the nausea was related to the antibiotic, though I told her it had started before taking it. She told my son the pot probably was helping so don't stop that. (I'm like, "Really? Did you really just say that?" She suggested an OTC antacid, which we tried & it helped a little.
We get home & he's no better. The appetite is gone & he's not going out much. He's spending less time at the gym & the mixed martial arts class. We head back to the doctor a few days later & she suggests a change in the antacid & thinks the nausea is due to a combination of likely a stomach bug that was aggravated by the antibiotic. Through all this there wasn't much vomiting but the nausea was pretty much 24/7.
Now he's getting weaker & not eating much. He's still drinking fluids but is definitely looking unwell. Back to the pediatrician who now decides this is going on too long. She orders blood & stool samples & adds culturelle. That was last Thursday. By this point he's not eating but was still drinking fluids.
Friday morning things were worse; he couldn't even tolerate drinks. Took him to the ER. Within a 1/2 hour the doc admitted him. Blood & urine samples taken & nothing by mouth to give his stomach/bowels a rest & will get GI consult. Also had bad adominal pain. Was given Zofran IV for the nausea, though it didn't help as much. GI ordered a CT scan & endoscopy. I asked about something for pain but it seemed like no one wanted to prescribe anything. The pediatrician & GI agreed that Toradol was not an option due to possible stomach bleed. They felt a narcotic was no good due to bowel complaints. I was sort of aggravated because he was in a lot of pain & he's not a kid who complains. (As an aside, he told me he was planning to quit smoking pot on 9/4, the first day of school. I asked why wait & he said he wanted to enjoy the summer, etc. I did believe he wanted to stop on that date & he's always been a kid who when he says he's going to do something, he does it & he gives it his all.)
Saturday morning more IV Zofran & also gave him IV Ativan as he was increasingly nauseas, the pain was worse & he was definitely anxious. Ativan seemed to help the Zofran w/the nausea & for a few hours felt slightly better. The pain was bad & the doctor ordered a small dose of morphine. That helped a lot. The morphine wore off & now they're trying to get him to do the drink for the CT scan & the vomiting starts. The pain & nausea are back full force. The doc comes in with/the nurse. She's quite smug & had an attitude. She sits down & I ask what her plan was & was told again about the scan & endoscopy. I told her he was having trouble getting the drink down for the scan but he said he'd do his best. I asked what they would give him in the meantime for pain until we knew what was going on & was told she was not inclined to give any pain meds. I asked why & she very smugly told me he tested positive for marijuana. I told her I wasn't surprised & he had stated that in the ER. I was very clear that I had never approved of his smoking. I told her despite the positive pot screen, I felt he still needed a workup & help for the pain. She's still copping an attitude with me. I am worried, frustrated, and exhausted. She changed the Zofran to a stronger antacid & said he could have a dose of IV Ativan & melatonin to help him sleep. She stated the cause of all this was pot.
I was very surprised. I told her, in a nice way, I had never heard of that & I was under the impression, like a lot of people I think, that pot often helped nausea. She told me this is a very common thing, marijuana use causing the stomach trouble & in fact, they had four people inpatient for it this month.
A different doc saw him Sunday & he confirmed this illness was due to pot & it's getting more & more common. He felt the endoscopy would be the test that would tell us what was going on. He decided to let my son have some juice and could try some bland food and he was able to get a small amount of food down. The GI doctor came back & concurred this was likely due to pot use. By now I've done some research & though there's not a ton of info(that I could see that was current & there were different opinions about it but at this point I am convinced this is very real. My son was still doubting that he could become that ill due to pot use.)
Monday had endoscopy. That department confirms they're seeing more of this, mostly in males in the upper teen years to around age 30. Endoscopy showed substantial damage to esophagus & stomach. Was given a script for Prilosec &discharged. We get home & talk & he is still not convinced pot is the cause of. He's feeling better though still has some pain and slight nausea. He went out w/a friend & he felt really sick when he came home, nearly as bad as when he was admitted. Being a teen who knows everything, he had to test things out & he smoked a bit of pot while he was out. Now he has had a huge turnaround. He is convinced this illness was was at the very least exacerbated by the pot and most likely was the cause of it. He has told some of his friends (who of course don't believe it.) He told them he hopes none of them get sick like this and it is so not worth it.
Despite his pot smoking, he was a kid who was very anti-drug. He didn't consider pot to be a drug. My son drew a big distinction between pot & other drugs. Now he does believe that pot is dangerous & says if he had known, he never would have tried it. He has a long way to get his health back. This has scared him & I'm concerned for him as well.
He has to make big changes in his life. I wrote this because I'm sure lots of people don't know about it & even a lot of doctors are unaware of it. But it really did some serious damage to him. The GI doctor who did the endoscopy said he had severe esophagitis and severe gastritis and the damage she saw on endoscopy was consistent with what she has seen in other patients with this. (I think it's actually called cannabinoid vomiting syndrome.)
I hope anyone reading this understands how serious this can be. Smoking pot isn't as innocent as it seems. It has a lot more dangers than a lot of people thought.
In late July he got a sinus infection & had a bit of nausea. The doc gave him amoxicillin & the sinuses cleared up but still wasn't feeling great. Often nauseas & had a diminished appetite, though he was eating, drinking & still going to the gym & to the muay thai class he takes.
We went to the Cape for a long weekend, in part to see his girlfriend (who was his first love and unfortunately she broke up with him last week & he is so brokenhearted in addition to what's going on with him physically.) While at the Cape, he went off with her to do some things in town. He called me & said he was feeling really sick to his stomach & it was getting bad. I asked him if it was bad enough to see a doctor or should we wait until we got home, & he said he didn't want to home but there was an urgent care in town &we went there.
The doctor thought the nausea was related to the antibiotic, though I told her it had started before taking it. She told my son the pot probably was helping so don't stop that. (I'm like, "Really? Did you really just say that?" She suggested an OTC antacid, which we tried & it helped a little.
We get home & he's no better. The appetite is gone & he's not going out much. He's spending less time at the gym & the mixed martial arts class. We head back to the doctor a few days later & she suggests a change in the antacid & thinks the nausea is due to a combination of likely a stomach bug that was aggravated by the antibiotic. Through all this there wasn't much vomiting but the nausea was pretty much 24/7.
Now he's getting weaker & not eating much. He's still drinking fluids but is definitely looking unwell. Back to the pediatrician who now decides this is going on too long. She orders blood & stool samples & adds culturelle. That was last Thursday. By this point he's not eating but was still drinking fluids.
Friday morning things were worse; he couldn't even tolerate drinks. Took him to the ER. Within a 1/2 hour the doc admitted him. Blood & urine samples taken & nothing by mouth to give his stomach/bowels a rest & will get GI consult. Also had bad adominal pain. Was given Zofran IV for the nausea, though it didn't help as much. GI ordered a CT scan & endoscopy. I asked about something for pain but it seemed like no one wanted to prescribe anything. The pediatrician & GI agreed that Toradol was not an option due to possible stomach bleed. They felt a narcotic was no good due to bowel complaints. I was sort of aggravated because he was in a lot of pain & he's not a kid who complains. (As an aside, he told me he was planning to quit smoking pot on 9/4, the first day of school. I asked why wait & he said he wanted to enjoy the summer, etc. I did believe he wanted to stop on that date & he's always been a kid who when he says he's going to do something, he does it & he gives it his all.)
Saturday morning more IV Zofran & also gave him IV Ativan as he was increasingly nauseas, the pain was worse & he was definitely anxious. Ativan seemed to help the Zofran w/the nausea & for a few hours felt slightly better. The pain was bad & the doctor ordered a small dose of morphine. That helped a lot. The morphine wore off & now they're trying to get him to do the drink for the CT scan & the vomiting starts. The pain & nausea are back full force. The doc comes in with/the nurse. She's quite smug & had an attitude. She sits down & I ask what her plan was & was told again about the scan & endoscopy. I told her he was having trouble getting the drink down for the scan but he said he'd do his best. I asked what they would give him in the meantime for pain until we knew what was going on & was told she was not inclined to give any pain meds. I asked why & she very smugly told me he tested positive for marijuana. I told her I wasn't surprised & he had stated that in the ER. I was very clear that I had never approved of his smoking. I told her despite the positive pot screen, I felt he still needed a workup & help for the pain. She's still copping an attitude with me. I am worried, frustrated, and exhausted. She changed the Zofran to a stronger antacid & said he could have a dose of IV Ativan & melatonin to help him sleep. She stated the cause of all this was pot.
I was very surprised. I told her, in a nice way, I had never heard of that & I was under the impression, like a lot of people I think, that pot often helped nausea. She told me this is a very common thing, marijuana use causing the stomach trouble & in fact, they had four people inpatient for it this month.
A different doc saw him Sunday & he confirmed this illness was due to pot & it's getting more & more common. He felt the endoscopy would be the test that would tell us what was going on. He decided to let my son have some juice and could try some bland food and he was able to get a small amount of food down. The GI doctor came back & concurred this was likely due to pot use. By now I've done some research & though there's not a ton of info(that I could see that was current & there were different opinions about it but at this point I am convinced this is very real. My son was still doubting that he could become that ill due to pot use.)
Monday had endoscopy. That department confirms they're seeing more of this, mostly in males in the upper teen years to around age 30. Endoscopy showed substantial damage to esophagus & stomach. Was given a script for Prilosec &discharged. We get home & talk & he is still not convinced pot is the cause of. He's feeling better though still has some pain and slight nausea. He went out w/a friend & he felt really sick when he came home, nearly as bad as when he was admitted. Being a teen who knows everything, he had to test things out & he smoked a bit of pot while he was out. Now he has had a huge turnaround. He is convinced this illness was was at the very least exacerbated by the pot and most likely was the cause of it. He has told some of his friends (who of course don't believe it.) He told them he hopes none of them get sick like this and it is so not worth it.
Despite his pot smoking, he was a kid who was very anti-drug. He didn't consider pot to be a drug. My son drew a big distinction between pot & other drugs. Now he does believe that pot is dangerous & says if he had known, he never would have tried it. He has a long way to get his health back. This has scared him & I'm concerned for him as well.
He has to make big changes in his life. I wrote this because I'm sure lots of people don't know about it & even a lot of doctors are unaware of it. But it really did some serious damage to him. The GI doctor who did the endoscopy said he had severe esophagitis and severe gastritis and the damage she saw on endoscopy was consistent with what she has seen in other patients with this. (I think it's actually called cannabinoid vomiting syndrome.)
I hope anyone reading this understands how serious this can be. Smoking pot isn't as innocent as it seems. It has a lot more dangers than a lot of people thought.
Woah!!
What did they say specifically was going on with him medically that was caused by the MJ? I personally in almost 20 years of being an RN have NEVER heard of such a thing, and also, it is COMPLETELY wrong for them to deny treating his pain because of a + MJ result (that they knew about because he was honest about it). Addict or not, pain is something that needs addressed if a patient is having it.
I'm sorry to say, but they seem to have tunnel vision about the pot and are relating everything TO it and are not treating him properly because of it. I wouldn't be okay with that.
No doubt it would be best if your son stopped using it, but right NOW his issues need handled.
"Endoscopy showed substantial damage to esophagus & stomach."
I've never heard of such a thing. Does your son smoke the pot or consume it in food products? If the latter, I could maybe see that. I'm just not convinced. Never hesitate to get a second opinion, okay?
I hope your son has a speedy recovery, and I hope he decides that it's time to be done with the MJ.
What did they say specifically was going on with him medically that was caused by the MJ? I personally in almost 20 years of being an RN have NEVER heard of such a thing, and also, it is COMPLETELY wrong for them to deny treating his pain because of a + MJ result (that they knew about because he was honest about it). Addict or not, pain is something that needs addressed if a patient is having it.
I'm sorry to say, but they seem to have tunnel vision about the pot and are relating everything TO it and are not treating him properly because of it. I wouldn't be okay with that.
No doubt it would be best if your son stopped using it, but right NOW his issues need handled.
"Endoscopy showed substantial damage to esophagus & stomach."
I've never heard of such a thing. Does your son smoke the pot or consume it in food products? If the latter, I could maybe see that. I'm just not convinced. Never hesitate to get a second opinion, okay?
I hope your son has a speedy recovery, and I hope he decides that it's time to be done with the MJ.
I agree that they had a huge attitude problem as soon as the urine screen came back. But he has always been honest about this. He told his primary care pediatrician last year and they had a long conversation about it. They agreed to disagree about the risks/benefits of pot. There was one woman pediatrician who came in Saturday early evening. I had asked them about treating his pain and the nurse kept saying the doctor won't order anything other than Tylenol. I asked for the doctor to come talk to me and she was the most smug, rude person I've ever met. She also said she it was noted that I condoned his MJ use and even have procured it for him.
I was very angry and so was my son. She actually filed a complaint with the Department of Children's Services, though after talking with the case worker, she said she doesn't feel there is any reason to open a case. But it was for the same reason, that I condoned his pot use. Which I have never done.
My son will never smoke again. He said if he had known this could happen he would never have smoked. I had never heard of this (and I worked in the medical field and legal field for years.)
I'm not sure if I'll have to take him back to the hospital. He was discharged on Monday but the nausea is so persistent and he is having a very hard time eating. He hasn't thrown yet but he is very weak. He has lost close to 15 pounds since last week. The pain is still there as well. I just called the pediatrician's office. I know they won't give him anything for the pain but I asked to see if they would give him Zofran or Compazine or something. School starts next week and the way he is now, he'll never make it through a day.
My son is 6'2 and was 185 pounds. Despite his pot use, he is very anti-drug. He considers pot to be in a different category. Or he did. He's an athlete and takes very good care of his body. (When he had 4 impacted wisdom teeth out in April, he only used Advil, despite the oral surgeon's near insistence to take a script for Percocet.)
This syndrome is very like cyclical vomiting syndrome.
The GI doc who did the endoscopy was great. She was very nonjudgmental but very honest. She says she has seen a lot of this and it is largely unrecognized. There are some ER doctors who are familiar with it but tend to consider the patient drug seeking as patients often return quickly to the ER. (Some articles suggest IV Dilaudid is often given.)
When we went to the ER, we were expecting some IV fluids and then to go home. I think it's outrageous that his pain wasn't treated properly. I intend to file a complaint. If I do have to take him in again, I most likely go to a different hospital. Not sure I want to go all the way into Boston but there's another hospital about 15 minutes away that could let me go back and forth fairly easily. (I slept at the hospital with him from Friday to Monday but I have 3 other kids (though the oldest is away in college) and an 85-year old dad I care for.
Seeing my son this weak is killing me. I am hoping they'll give him something to help with the nausea.
I really just posted to make people aware of this. Maybe it's not overly common but I wouldn't want anyone to have to go through with this.
He was given a script for 40 mg of Prilosec twice a day and the GI doc said it could take up to 3 months to heal his stomach and esophagus.
I was very angry and so was my son. She actually filed a complaint with the Department of Children's Services, though after talking with the case worker, she said she doesn't feel there is any reason to open a case. But it was for the same reason, that I condoned his pot use. Which I have never done.
My son will never smoke again. He said if he had known this could happen he would never have smoked. I had never heard of this (and I worked in the medical field and legal field for years.)
I'm not sure if I'll have to take him back to the hospital. He was discharged on Monday but the nausea is so persistent and he is having a very hard time eating. He hasn't thrown yet but he is very weak. He has lost close to 15 pounds since last week. The pain is still there as well. I just called the pediatrician's office. I know they won't give him anything for the pain but I asked to see if they would give him Zofran or Compazine or something. School starts next week and the way he is now, he'll never make it through a day.
My son is 6'2 and was 185 pounds. Despite his pot use, he is very anti-drug. He considers pot to be in a different category. Or he did. He's an athlete and takes very good care of his body. (When he had 4 impacted wisdom teeth out in April, he only used Advil, despite the oral surgeon's near insistence to take a script for Percocet.)
This syndrome is very like cyclical vomiting syndrome.
The GI doc who did the endoscopy was great. She was very nonjudgmental but very honest. She says she has seen a lot of this and it is largely unrecognized. There are some ER doctors who are familiar with it but tend to consider the patient drug seeking as patients often return quickly to the ER. (Some articles suggest IV Dilaudid is often given.)
When we went to the ER, we were expecting some IV fluids and then to go home. I think it's outrageous that his pain wasn't treated properly. I intend to file a complaint. If I do have to take him in again, I most likely go to a different hospital. Not sure I want to go all the way into Boston but there's another hospital about 15 minutes away that could let me go back and forth fairly easily. (I slept at the hospital with him from Friday to Monday but I have 3 other kids (though the oldest is away in college) and an 85-year old dad I care for.
Seeing my son this weak is killing me. I am hoping they'll give him something to help with the nausea.
I really just posted to make people aware of this. Maybe it's not overly common but I wouldn't want anyone to have to go through with this.
He was given a script for 40 mg of Prilosec twice a day and the GI doc said it could take up to 3 months to heal his stomach and esophagus.
The first thing I thought is what nursegirl said above:
I'm sorry to say, but they seem to have tunnel vision about the pot and are relating everything TO it and are not treating him properly because of it.
Cannabis is prescribed in my state primarily FOR stomach issues and vomiting. So the danger I see is that there's some other issue that they're conveniently blaming on cannabis.
All that being said, I've heard of the symptoms you describe from people smoking pot that had been doused by pesticides by the growers or herbicides by the government. Of course, if it's legal (like it is in my state), this is never a concern. Might be worth it for his peace of mind to see if other people smoking the same weed had any similar issues.
I'm sorry to say, but they seem to have tunnel vision about the pot and are relating everything TO it and are not treating him properly because of it.
Cannabis is prescribed in my state primarily FOR stomach issues and vomiting. So the danger I see is that there's some other issue that they're conveniently blaming on cannabis.
All that being said, I've heard of the symptoms you describe from people smoking pot that had been doused by pesticides by the growers or herbicides by the government. Of course, if it's legal (like it is in my state), this is never a concern. Might be worth it for his peace of mind to see if other people smoking the same weed had any similar issues.
He was a heavy pot smoker. No one he smokes with has become ill. They ran every test there was and GI who did his endoscopy says she sees this fairly often and it does damage the esophagus and stomach. There isn't much online about it but he's done with pot. He has never been this sick. If you google it, you will see it seems to exist. I was pretty shocked.
I just wanted to put my two cents in here as a former pot smoker and with more than a few friends with heavy pot habits. While pot does tend to settle the stomach it also definitely alters the way the digestive system works. When I would smoke pot my stomach would always feel good when the high hit me. After an hour or so though I definitely had some reflux and other issues. All of the friends I had who were much heavier smokers than I was all seemed to have complaints of ulcers, and stomach issues. I remember one who would always describe it as his "gut reeling" . When a medication or substance provides an effect there is always an opposite rebound effect. Even constantly using visine can cause rebound redness after using it too frequently. There are also many modified strains of weed out there these days. As said above too,it could be a batch or strain of tainted weed causing this. I just would not be so quick to rule out any harmful effects strictly on the grounds that it is "just weed"
I agree with the Above. One thing that stands out to me is the "Smoking" Just like cigarettes can cause this kind of damage too. I would check further into this. I sure wish him some peace. I am so sorry he has to live in so much pain. THAT is not right!!!
Bless
Bless
He could also be having an adverse reaction or be sort of allergic to the weed.
I have been from "Sir we are going to help you" to "get the F out" in an instant by doctors following a dirty tox screen but I would be inclined to listen to the doctors in this case.
I have been from "Sir we are going to help you" to "get the F out" in an instant by doctors following a dirty tox screen but I would be inclined to listen to the doctors in this case.
He's been tested for everything and everything was ruled out. I don't think this is an overly common thing that happens but I bet we'll see more of it. This has been a blessing, really. He says he will never touch it again. And I believe him. At one point in the hospital he couldn't even get from the bed to the bathroom and I had to bring him a urinal. It was very humbling for him to see how fast he could go from being incredibly strong to so incredibly weak. The GI doctor said it could be up to 3 months for it to heal. I hate that this happened to him but I am glad this came to light before it got worse. I wish the schools or doctors would let kids know this is a possibility. The GI doc felt it was more about weed be modified and additives, etc. Essentially it's not the same pot that was around when I was a kid.
Now the key is to get him into something positive. Right now it's easy for him to say no because he's still not a hundred percent better (far from it.) But sometimes when we have pain, once it goes away we tend to forget about it. I want to keep him busy!! (He was dumped by his GF the day before he was admitted to the hospital. It was totally unexpected and he's heartbroken. I think he could easily get depressed and I am hoping he will have a really good senior year.
Now the key is to get him into something positive. Right now it's easy for him to say no because he's still not a hundred percent better (far from it.) But sometimes when we have pain, once it goes away we tend to forget about it. I want to keep him busy!! (He was dumped by his GF the day before he was admitted to the hospital. It was totally unexpected and he's heartbroken. I think he could easily get depressed and I am hoping he will have a really good senior year.
I sure hope this is a lesson learned for him and I hope He has a great senior year too Mary ! best wishes ;)
Aspergillosis is a fungus that grows on curing marijuana, it is common in the compressed form of Mexican Sativa. This fungus can effect the nervous system and cause many seemingly unrelated symptoms. I think a stomach imbalance or other reaction is playing a role in combination with the damage marijuana may have caused. I live in pot grower Capitol of the world and have not seen that level of reaction due to marijuana alone. Without ruling out pot, I would get another opinion on his condition. A more open minded doctor may have a totally deferent explanation.
Aspergillus, not aspegillosis. Spell check had a bad diagnosis, automated responses can change the whole outcome.
I'm sorry that your son went through this, but I have to call BS on the Doctor blaming Pot for a digestive problem. They obviously have no proof and are just guessing. Pot is not perfect and some people hate it when they try it, but it's the most benign drug known to man.
It sounds as if there are a few Doctors out there that are anti-marijuana, and see that the public is finally coming out of the ether of "Reefer Madness", and are doing all they can to continue demonizing the weed.
Perhaps if your son was smoking out of a water-bong that had dirty water in it, and some of that water got in his mouth while the water was "bubbling" while taking a hit-maybe that dirty water had some bacteria in it that got into him and caused that problem. Could explain that he got to feeling better after some anti-biotics. Other than that, I don't know. Maybe he was smoking some Mexican brick-weed that had been sprayed with pesticides by either the growers or Police forces, and that caused the problem.
It is not the Marijuana. I have smoked for 30 years (only occasionally these days, since I got addicted to opiates) and have NEVER heard of ANYONE having these problems. I think it's a case of unscrupulous Doctors attempting to create any negativity they can about Marijuana, since the good herb has had a pretty good track record the last 4,000 years.
Glad that your son is doing better!!
It sounds as if there are a few Doctors out there that are anti-marijuana, and see that the public is finally coming out of the ether of "Reefer Madness", and are doing all they can to continue demonizing the weed.
Perhaps if your son was smoking out of a water-bong that had dirty water in it, and some of that water got in his mouth while the water was "bubbling" while taking a hit-maybe that dirty water had some bacteria in it that got into him and caused that problem. Could explain that he got to feeling better after some anti-biotics. Other than that, I don't know. Maybe he was smoking some Mexican brick-weed that had been sprayed with pesticides by either the growers or Police forces, and that caused the problem.
It is not the Marijuana. I have smoked for 30 years (only occasionally these days, since I got addicted to opiates) and have NEVER heard of ANYONE having these problems. I think it's a case of unscrupulous Doctors attempting to create any negativity they can about Marijuana, since the good herb has had a pretty good track record the last 4,000 years.
Glad that your son is doing better!!
just want to add as others already have, that you SMOKE MJ. AND MOST SMOKE IT IN A ROLLED PAPER WHICH DOESN'T HAVE A FILTER SO THIS IS VERY HARSH ON THE BODY. People freely disapprove pf cigarette smoking, but MJ smoking is much much harder on the lungs and body. Just sayin...
Genetics and the amount used are more or as important as the experiences we have with the substance.
Oh Mary...this is a nightmare...
First of all, having lived and worked in your area for many years, I'm not surprised by his treatment and the biases of the medical staff. It's wrong and it's unbelievable that all those provincial attitudes still exist..it's shameful.
Seriously consider taking him into Boston for an evaluation. The minds are more open in the city...If its alright with you, I'm going to call my brother and ask him what he thinks and what he's seen recently. He's now at Beth Israel and not much gets past him in this area...
I do agree with the possibility of pot being the culprit here. No question about it and for various reasons which Ben and Rick touched on. We've all seen many untoward reactions over the years...and I have to admit, although I never liked pot myself, I've been a strong advocate of legalization for this reason: better control and purity of the product. Oh happy days! If only the rotten crap was "weeded" out ... there's a lot of poison out there...
I'm proud of you and your due diligence. Keep it up and check into some dietary measures or better yet contact a nutritionist. But I would sure continue this saga in Boston... I'll be in touch. Much love-
First of all, having lived and worked in your area for many years, I'm not surprised by his treatment and the biases of the medical staff. It's wrong and it's unbelievable that all those provincial attitudes still exist..it's shameful.
Seriously consider taking him into Boston for an evaluation. The minds are more open in the city...If its alright with you, I'm going to call my brother and ask him what he thinks and what he's seen recently. He's now at Beth Israel and not much gets past him in this area...
I do agree with the possibility of pot being the culprit here. No question about it and for various reasons which Ben and Rick touched on. We've all seen many untoward reactions over the years...and I have to admit, although I never liked pot myself, I've been a strong advocate of legalization for this reason: better control and purity of the product. Oh happy days! If only the rotten crap was "weeded" out ... there's a lot of poison out there...
I'm proud of you and your due diligence. Keep it up and check into some dietary measures or better yet contact a nutritionist. But I would sure continue this saga in Boston... I'll be in touch. Much love-
this is a load of bulls--t. You may be clouded by the aspects of getting a potfree kid. It almost seems like this is the answer you wanted. Blame the pot. I do not smoke pot, I haven't in many years but I much rather see the young people of today do that then drink and drive. Moderation is key. Your son is probably not suffering from puke-the-pot disease. There is something going on please find out the real culprit. The area your in is so anti-drug they force patients to suffer in extreme pain, which can be even more dangerous. They labeled you a drug supportive mom, that is plain crazy. Go to another area and get a second and third opinion. Don't even mention this cockamamie diagnosis. I am positive you will get another answer. One that isn't so off the wall. Best of luck.
Thanks, Vicki! (and others) I would love to hear what your brother thinks. Some doctors were very kind to both of us. Some treated both of us as druggies. I told one at one point that regardless of the positive tox screen, we stil have to go through everything to find out what's wrong and it is appropriate for pain meds considering the pain he's in. They took a giant leap from him being a pot smoker to him being a giant druggie. Vicki, I took him to our town hospital. I'm sure you can guess what the care there is like. There were some doctors who were excellent and also got their point across without shaming him.
As far as he is concerned, he's all done, never to pick it up again. I believe it likely has something to do with all the modifications of pot. It's not as benign as many think. (I got a bit of an education here. Over the days we were in, one GI doc said when people smoke cocaine, it affects the bowel and everything it can do to your nose, it can do the howe a well. Really interesting.
I am still thinking this is a blessing. My son will be fine and will remain healthy as long as he doesn't smoke. Hopefully he won't go back to it.
As far as he is concerned, he's all done, never to pick it up again. I believe it likely has something to do with all the modifications of pot. It's not as benign as many think. (I got a bit of an education here. Over the days we were in, one GI doc said when people smoke cocaine, it affects the bowel and everything it can do to your nose, it can do the howe a well. Really interesting.
I am still thinking this is a blessing. My son will be fine and will remain healthy as long as he doesn't smoke. Hopefully he won't go back to it.
I'm confused. You say that Marijuana is not as 'benign' as people think, and you came to that conclusion from some research you have done. I wonder, did these Doctors help you with that 'research' ? Remember this- many Doctors and PHARMA companies stand to lose A LOT of money if/when Marijuana is Legalized, since it has so many healing properties it's beyond belief. I'm talking they are facing losses of BILLIONS of dollars-so you think they aren't going to twist the truth in an effort to hold onto their Empire? Think.
Then , after mentioning the research you've done, you talk about how this Doctor told you that smoking Cocaine tears up the lining of the digestive system.
Which is it ?? Marijuana or Cocaine??! Because that's like comparing a BB gun to a Tomahawk Missle.
Then , after mentioning the research you've done, you talk about how this Doctor told you that smoking Cocaine tears up the lining of the digestive system.
Which is it ?? Marijuana or Cocaine??! Because that's like comparing a BB gun to a Tomahawk Missle.
I agree! My husband has Huntingtons Disease, an inherited untreatable genetic disease. He has been prescribed marijuana, he hasn't filled it yet due to lack of place to do so. I do not smoke marijuana but this could be the answer for him, as of right now he is on a lot of meds, zanax,ativan, vistril for naseau and anxiety, just to name a few, this pot could wipe out up to 5 of his meds. What you are saying is right because I am positive the pharmaceutical companies will stand to lose a lot when he does make the switch, but I don't care because it will improve his health, the meds he is on have a lot of side effects, they cause organ damage as well as make him lethargic and sometimes unable to function. These docs that tole her this are selfish and don't have her sons best interest at heart only the dollar factor and that is inhumane and sad. I hope she listens and gets a second opinion from a doc that cares.
It seems like it's found in heavy pot smokers (which he was.) There doesn't seem to be an overabundance of information on this topic. But he fits the criteria and they ruled out every other possible thing it could be. My guess is it won't happen to most people but it is a real syndrome. It could be a number of things that come together for it to get to the point he was at, genetics, type of weed, how big a smoker, etc.
I voted for legalization in MA, and I'm still all for that. I just wished that if this really was a real syndrome, why no one has ever spoken about it before. Last year his pediatrician had a very long talk about smoking pot and not once did this come up. I'm sure he'll be mentioning it from hereon in.
When I google it, it doesn't have a lot of information about it, and I wasn't able to find current information at all.
I voted for legalization in MA, and I'm still all for that. I just wished that if this really was a real syndrome, why no one has ever spoken about it before. Last year his pediatrician had a very long talk about smoking pot and not once did this come up. I'm sure he'll be mentioning it from hereon in.
When I google it, it doesn't have a lot of information about it, and I wasn't able to find current information at all.
I know!! I was trying to research it online, too but I am familiar with the varied & horrible effects that pesticides & fungus & variant strains (even with relatively brief use) can have.
I hope further info is forthcoming & you & your son figure this out. A lot of times physicians just don't want to admit they don't know something. Always a red flag in my book. My heartfelt wishes go out to you both for a speedier & full recovery!
I hope further info is forthcoming & you & your son figure this out. A lot of times physicians just don't want to admit they don't know something. Always a red flag in my book. My heartfelt wishes go out to you both for a speedier & full recovery!
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