marijuana

[meg321]

Just curious..does anyone use medical marijuana ..??

[debgen]

I am bumping this post because I just attended a local conference on MS and medical marijuana. About 150 people attended. It was hosted by a  neuro of physical medicine and rehabilitation from NYU.  A guest speaker who has RRMS and has been using MJ for 15 years also spoke. The presentations were very informitive. They spoke about the significant results in reducing spactisity and pain relief.  As Bob stated in his post, the dangers of most other drugs had more dangerous side effects. The focus of the meeting ended with a push to legalize marijuana in NY. Being it is not legal here, it was only informative for me and the other people suffering with MS who attended. I must admit, the idea of using MJ through vapors to reduce my chronic spasticity sounded very appealing. Allmy stretching, Baclafen and Zanaflex still leave my left leg so painfully tight that my walking is very compromised. I was wondering if anyone who has tried it can add to this discussion.

Thanks,
Deb

[meg321]

Thanks Bob, I agree with you, a lot of other drugs are so much worse on you.  I have now tried it a few times and I have had different reactions every time.  It seems to be as unpredictable as my MS.

I would never smoke it due to my lung problems but a friend  grows his for medical reasons and this last time he mixed it with Hershey bars.

I really have not seen that it really helps me.

hugs,meg

[COBOB]

My neuro feels it can help spasticity and there are studies out of UCSD that prove this.   His facility will not recommend the use, but he supports the use if a doctor outside his facility recommends it.  In Colorado, it is legal (Amendment 20 to the Colorado Constitution)  and the recommendation costs about $60 a year.

I guess to address twopack, the idea is not to get "wasted" like highschool, but to get enough to function or sleep and reduce the prescription drugs.  No one has ever died from a Marijuana  "overdose,"  but Tylenol kills several people a year.  

The US government has done a great job selling the effects of the evil weed, but most are not true.  I don't think my edibles or vaporizer have ever gotten me to the "I don't care about anything point."  Two or three draws on the vaporizer and I'm good for 4-6 hours.  It is not like I could even think about smoking a whole joint or anything like that. Canada has allowed Big Pharma into the Medical Marijuana game (Sativex).  The US is not yet ready for that.  Marinol isn't even close.  All THC and no CBN, and there have been overdoses with Marinol.

I hold a great job with a fortune 20 company that knows I augment the treatment  my disease with MMJ.  They are not worried about it.  They have a bigger issue with alcohol and prescription drug use in other employees.

Bob

[twopack]

Not something I've had to consider.  Hope I never need to because it's already too much hastle to juggle the scripts and insurance and the pharmacy and dosage changes.  I'd have to believe it could help more than anything Pharma has to offer.  I'm interested in symptom control but NOT a drug that convinces me I don't care about disease limitations.

Mary

[meg321]

Dang, i keep forgetting that if I breathe wrong I will lose my post..

anyway, thanks for all the input..and Lu, i didnt have a specific question, just wanted to here what others have experienced.

I have used it twice but the first time i was sick with pnuemonia and the last time it helped a bit but with my dizzy's I had to stay close to the walls.  I  think it will  take more than once to get the dosage right and pay attention on how it is helping me.

darn, the medical cards are expensive and my insurance doesnt cover it..lol

hugs, meg

[fortywhat2]

Thanks Alex... you're right you never know :)

[metalbender]

I highly doubt if an insurance investigator is going to investigate anything regarding the use of marijuana...Let alone there is not enough information given by a nickname on some forum on the internet...

Michael

[HVAC]

Just be careful the internet is not anonymous and posts do not go away. If you were say in a car accident an insurance investigator could use such information against you.

Alex

[fortywhat2]

Not legal where I live but my neuro agrees with the use, I recently tried it and found it helped at bedtime... less muscle pain and better sleep.  I think everyone is different so it is all personal preference.
Debdie

[metalbender]

It is legal where I live but have not felt it is necessary for me to get a medical marijuana card ($200 a year) stating you can cultivate, posses and consume marijuana...I have tried marijuana (recommended by a friend and NOT a doctor) that it will help my pain and/or muscle problems...It did not help in my situation so I have not gave it another thought....BUT, if it helps others (because everyone is different) then it should be available for people that are truely suffering...Therefore I think it should be legal to those who wish this kind of treatment...

I think I had the same side effect as doublevision that it made me extremely hungry and I got VERY tired....Since fatigue is a major problem with me that is no good...For those who are worried about their weight (I am under weight), this also might be a bad side effect from marijuana...Very controversial where I live....

Michael

[jujuminx]

Not legal here where I live but I think it should be legal for medical use. Why not if it helps?

Julie

[doublevision1]

Barney Frank and Ron Paul have introduced a bill that would end federal legislation banning pot, leaving it to the state governments to decide whether to ban it or not.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/22/marijuana-bill-barney-frank-ron-paul_n_882707.html?ref=fb&src=sp#sb=1815790,b=facebook




I don't use it but do take Cesamet for neuropathic pain.  It's active ingredient is a synthetic cannabinoid.  It gives me modest relief and only marginally better than Neurontin and Elavil, so I may soon discontinue as the side effects are worse than these other meds.  The first dose I took was the worst; it made me very stoned and gave me the munchies.  Not good.  

[jensequitur]

MMJ has a lot of positive anecdotal evidence.  I personally think it helps me, but without quantitive measurement of my improvement, who knows?  What they do say is that MMJ helps spasticity, and helps with paresthesia.  

For example, I was feeling really crummy this morning - fatigued, my back ached, and I could feel a little of the back myoclonus coming back.  After I had taken my medicine (!) I had more energy, was able to actually sit up, and could think about stuff I had to do that day.  How does one measure that?  Is it psychosomatic?  I just don't know.

I wouldn't recommend it for anybody, because the federal government has laws against possession and distribution.

[Lulu54]

That option is not available in Ohio (yet!).  My symptoms would not warrant its use, but it could in the future.  A number of people here do use it - are you wanting to ask a specific question?
Lu