Marijana

[Ginmoney]

I have just been diagnosed with Hepatitis C and I smoke Marijana because I like the feeling!  The question is does pot have toxic chemicals that could harm my liver?

[oneatenuff]

I began smoking good hooch (daily)  in 2001  (after not smoking it since the 80s).  Druggie in the mid-70's - had put is all down in the early 80's including pot.)   Started smoking it again though because I thought it might help me feel better, sleep better, etc    (had no idea I had CHC; had just begun to feel awful but didn't know why or didn't know about HCV.)  Docs could find nothing wrong - labs were all on the money and AOK in 2000, 2001, and 2002.   My complaints of feeling sick and tired and like a dog was chalked up to "major depression."    (I had nothing to be depressed over, though, and I was convinced I had something .... maybe undiagnosed cancer.??)  I refused antiD's.   In 2003 my ast/alt had  (after being in normal range for years)   shot up to in the 90's and near 100.   Since I had acute hep in the mid-70s  (yellow as canary, sick as dog, almost died)  and since I had told the docs for the last two years that I felt "heppy sick" like I did in the 70's, and since my enzymes were now up and docs knew a little more about hep C than they did when I presented with complaints, they tested me.   Positive.   Biopsy was grade 3/ stage 2.   Platelets only 70,000.  I'd had zero alcohol since 1982.   No other "toxic" things.  Healthy otherwise  (very.)   Athletic, energetic  (or was until I wasn't.)    The only thing different was..... I was just smoking pot for two years prior and had undiagnosed hep c.

If you have hep C and you're smoking pot, you're taking a chance that you might be killing yourself a little quicker.   I love it, I love drugs, I love alcohol, I love candy, I love it all - drug wise - and I love my liver and life, too.  

I stopped smoking pot right away.   Studies on its use and the "speeds up fibrosis" weren't even out yet.   I just decided I had lived without it before and could surely live without it again - considering I had hep c.    Within a few months, my enzymes were back down to the 30 range and then to the 20s.   Within a few years of putting the pot down I read the new research on pot and hep c   (studies were showing that smoking it was not harmless and that it had been shown to be a contributing factor in worsening fibrosis.)   My doc agrees - it's bad stuff for the liver no matter how you cut it   (he's leading hepatologist).  I'm 50, and after 34 years of carrying this virus and choosing to not treat and choosing to put the pot down, I'm so glad I made both of those choices.   For having this virus this long, I'm doing good.   I can wait for treatment.  Platelets are in 140 range  (not great but not bad), enzymes and all other labs are AOK within normal range for past two years.    Smoking pot is thought by some experts to be worse than drinking booze for those with hcv - based on my personal use of it and what happened to my enzymes on and off it and being a T-totaler on the booze since the 80's, I firmly believe it was the pot I had started smoking again that caused my enzymes to spike.  

You're playing with fire if you're smoking dope.  You might not get burned; but you might.

[Magnum]

This is a subject close to my heart, as I smoked in college and stopped for about 40 years until I started treatment. I smoked during treatment and for some time after because of nausea and insomnia. I read about the possible connection between smoking pot and fibrosis progression, and after some studies, I found what I feel was a half way point.

I bought a vaporizer and smoke through that because I still have insomnia, although I have cut down dramatically in case of the fibrosis progression theory. A vaporizer is a product where you put your pot in a small glass bowl and inhale through a heated element by way of a hose. No paper, no pipe, you just smoke the vapor of the cannabis. This greatly reduces the toxins from hundreds to about 24. Read up on it and see if it's something for you.

Magnum

[winner727]

I smoke daily. it helps me w most symptoms . yes it is a gamble .just to let you know, in MY case I smoked ,up to and during , treatment . my blood work is stellar ,UND after 4 weeks . I am 8 wks in  . the only down side of smoking ,for me has been conjestion ,were as before tx ,I had none . dont smoke ciggs ,4 yrs clean from a  25 yr     heroin habit  .16 yrs sober. iI notice now ,{i grow my own afgani#6} tolerence levels dropped. or I mean I get high w less . hope this helps  , good luck w everything  .   bob

[granitekonig]

Your liver is a filter and has the job of taking the "trash" out in your body. Smoke from anything, including pot which doesn't have a filter, puts toxins in your body. I smoke about once a month. I like pot. No way would I smoke it often. I dunno, this is a common sense thing. People who don't have common sense do stupid things to themselves.

[Fathom500]

Hi GinMoney

   There have been some studies that smoking herb every day does cause a faster progression of liver fibrosis in folks with HCV. I hope these studies are wrong because I smoked daily for most of my adult life up until I found out I had HCV. One of the Dr's on the expert forum mention that smoking a little on occation may not do much harm.

I thought that pot would be less harmful to the liver then booze. However after reading some of the scientific evidence, I now believe that it is not as safe as I previously thought. Not on a daily basis anyway.

On the other hand alot of people use it to counteract the side effects of the treatment drugs that are used to treat HCV.  There was a study that mentioned that people who smoke grass seem to have better treatment completion rates. So I intend to test out that theory once I begin treatment. I'll use it sparingly as a rescue drug of sorts.

Regards
Fathom

[charm27]

Being that you were just diagnosed with Hepatitis C. Wouldnt it be wise to see what stage of liver damge you have first if any?? Having hepatitis C and not going for a biopsy is not such a great idea. Would you ever consider treating this disease once you found out the status of your liver?? This is not to be taken lightly.
I find it sad you just found out you have a progressve illness that  can eventually lead to cirrhosis and you like the way marijuana makes you feel??

Get your self to a GOOD hepatologist as soon as you can.
I hope you do the right thing for yourself.
You need to be educated on this disease.......