Medical Marijuana

[Nonnie62]

I have had severe neck, back, and leg pain since 1991 when I was involved in a car accident. I went to physical therapy for 3 years and things just got worse. I have been going to Pain Clinics for the last 14 years and get steriod injections and nerve blocks. I have also been on narcotics for the last 17 years and find very little relief from them,
I have now been reading and hearing alot about medical marijuana. I asked my Dr. at the pain clinic if I could perhaps try it and he told me that they do not use this practice in the clinic and that even if they did, he would not feel comfortable prescribing it.
I want to get off the narcotics and muscle relaxants because they do little for the pain and they make me sleep all the time.NH has passed a bill allowing medical marijuana and I would like to know how I can find a Dr. that is willing to prescribe it to patients like me who have long term pain issues and little relief from current treatments. Is there any way to get a list of MDs that can/will prescribe this med?

[Weffette]

I should have become a doctor...or a miracle worker!

[Weffette]

FDA controls EVERY single drug and every single food item you buy at the store and eat. The FDA has approved millions of chemicals used to preserve foods, approved 100's of drugs without long enough studies and have proven to be deadly.  How would they control marijuana? They can't...therefore the FDA will tell our government NO.
All the arguments that pot does this and pot does that to the human body...are you serious?  Red meat...soda pop...all pain killers...Fixodent...artificial sweetners...wheat...red dyes in food...oh my, the list can go on and on and on and on...all can have negative affects to a living, breathing human...and animal. BUT...ALL these are approved by the FDA.  Okay...whoever said that marijuana is only available in a brownie...ummm...your doctor is so wrong!  You can smoke it...you can bake it in ANY food and it does NOT take as much as the doc is telling you. If my memory serves me correctly (often is doesn't LOL)...but marijuana has been known to be made in pill form also.
Why is it such a controversy?? My goodness...its a WEED.  If you were told that maggots cleared infection would you try that treatment? What about leeches helping to control bleeding?  If you had no insurance, not much money and suffering from MS, would you allow a bee to sting you (if you had no allergy, of course)?  These treatments have ALL been used for YEARS! Marijuana is absolutely NO different in treating pain than a maggot is to help clear infections.
Open your minds...stop allowing "scare tactics" from relieving your pain. Cymbalta has caused me to gain 30 lbs. When I was 19 yrs old, I smoked marijuana, almost daily, until I was in my mid 20's. Guess how much weight I gained?  NONE. I no longer smoke as I did so long ago, but occasionaly, I will need a puff when the pain becomes too bad.
I am appauled that one would suggest to try every "legal" medication before "resorting" to pot.  Do you know what some of those "legal" pain meds could do to a person? Do you know how much they cost? Do know how quickly they could become addictive? Bouncing from drug to drug is NEVER good advice. I can attest to that scenario.
I am sorry if I seem upset...I am. It upsets me that so many people consider marijuana to be a "last resort" and would rather line the pockets of the FDA for drugs that are over priced and under studied.
I really am aware that some people have the choice and some feel it's wrong to use marijuana. That is fine...no problem...but to use your reasoning to try and convince another, whom is considering its theraputic uses, thats is BAD and DANGEROUS and FATTENING and ADDICTIVE, and blah blah blah...is outright outrageously wrong.  

Thank you for allowing me to spout off and blow my horn...LOL. marijuana is a creation of God that is for our use...not abuse.

[ChronicPain1]

It's not more widely used because of propaganda and ignorance in the governmental field. Places have tried to grow it or petition the government and they're shot down every time.

[sandee1818]

I was not saying it would be legal if it were a great CP medication. I was saying that if it was a safe effective alternative for CP then it would be more widley used as a prescibed medication.

[ChronicPain1]

Well Meth, the reason is marijuana is illegal is pretty simple. Greed, and moreso Racism. To say it would be legal if it was good at treating pain dodges the issue, look into why it was prohibited, most notably William Randolph Hearst and his fear Hemp would ruin his paper empire. Second, many Mexican immigrants smoked marijuana and then the racist propaganda ads were run against it.

It does treat pain for many people, hence why it's being allowed in more and more places. Furthermore it can be better in terms of potential dependence and addiction and a host of other things.

[NoMoMeth4me]

I would seriously consider asking your Dr about the Fentanyl patch, it is working wonders for me!!

I took the advice of MANY on MH and asked their opinions on ER meds. I have tried almost everything. It was them who suggested the patch to me. After careful consideration and research, and many follow up questions to members/friends on MH!!!!!!! I got the courage to ask my Dr about it, he was totally supportive and receptive to the idea.

I was recently on Methadone for a couple of years but WOULD NOT recommend that to anyone. It was a BEAR to get off of it. That's putting it mildly.

I feel so far that the patch has given me back a slice of my life that I thought was lost :-)

Best of luck.

Let us know what you decide.

Brian.

[sandee1818]

Brian,
Your post was fine. I agree if it was such a miricle drug it would be used wide spread by now.
I am not saying those who use it when and as prescibed are doing anything wrong, if it helps them that's great.
There are many many medications to try before resorting to this I believe.
There are complications with using this such as it is not good for the lungs and it does destroy brain ceells that has been proven.
If this question was posted in any other way than "medically prescibed" it would have been deleted. But this was a legitimate question and I hope the responses have helped.

[NoMoMeth4me]

Not judging or trying to dis-respect or dis-regard others opinions but I can only speak of my own opinion.

I'm with Sandee on this one. There are MANY good medications out there to treat CP before we should resort to medical marijuana.

Why do I say this??? As a father watching my six year old son go through 6 years of very painful cancer treatments, how can marijuana use for medical reasons for adults be ok, but children with MANY painful ailments aside from cancer are left with legal prescription meds to help control pain? (perhaps we will someday?)

If marijuana is so effective at treating pain, would it not be legal now and be seeing widesparead use in the medical field?
I'm not writing this to get anyone upset so please don't take it this way, let's remember that's what this forum is about, putting our opinions forth in a non-confrontational way.
I hope I was able to do that?
All the best.

Brian.

[Mollyrae]

Nonnie:

I should add that this is a great forum, don't get me wrong.  It's a nice place to post. Some members in this forum might feel differently about the use of Marijuana in the treatment of pain and the reaction might not be what you want to hear. I was just for-warning you about some comments you may get...or not get. Please take care.....and keep posting.

Molly

[Red931]

If they have made marijuana legal in your state for medcinal purposes then I don't see any problem with you finding a doctor that is comfortable prescribing it to you to see if it may work. If it doesn't, you could just discontinue use and try something else.

I am more concerned that you said that you have considered suicide over the years. There are pain management practices that have teams of doctors available to treat all of your needs at the same time. I suggest that you try to get reffered to one of those practices so that you can get support and treatment from a Pain Specialist, Mental Health Specialist, and Physical Therapist that work in conjucttion with each other.

You may find a practice in your state that prescribes the marijuana, especially if they have Mental Health Specialists on board that will be monitoring you while you are on it.

I wish you luck and hope you find relief from your pain soon.

[Mollyrae]

Hello Nonnie:

Medical Marijuana has helped many many Aids, Hep C and Cancer patients and in California is widely used for these diseases. California is the leading growing state with large plant based factories run by the Government.

I think that in extreme cases where opiates do not work, Medical Marijuana should be implemented. There are Doctors out there that do prescribe pot, you just have to do an extensive search for them.

I have not always agreed with this practice but after watching a good friend become very ill and in extreme pain...very hard to watch someone you care about suffer so badly, I was open to the idea. After the prescription was dispensed, this person finally had comfort they could not achieve with conventional opiates.

Nonnie, I think that if you do an extensive search and in my opinion not in this forum because of the negative feed back you might receive, you may find a Doctor willing to prescribe this to you.

I hope that you find the comfort you're looking for. I know first hand what it's like to have little or no relief from many pain meds.

Please take care,
Mollyrae

[ChronicPain1]

It should be available everywhere for pain, it's a crime that it's not. This country is held hostage by anti-marijuana propaganda and lies, and I'm sorry Tuck but what you said isn't always the case. Much like opiates not everyone reacts the same and weight gain and being tired are something a lot of people don't experience.

This country is moving towards intelligent discourse on the subject as it should, it's so wrong that this natural pain remedy is barred, not to mention how keeping it illegal puts otherwise innocent people in jail and funds drug cartels.

[opus88]

hi...I live in Canada first off..I did ask my PD abt medicinal MJ and he told me YES he does prescribe it and yes it does work especially for nerve pain....however he told me the only way it works is mixed in a brownie (baked) form and it would take sooooo many that the weight gain would be extreme!! so 4 me not an option
keep searching, good luck

[RunningMom]

I personally would not like to try this option even if it were offered.  I do hope there is something that you find works for you.  I have severe neck pain, had the surgery and it didn't even help with the pain.  

[Nonnie62]

Thanks so much for our helpful comments. I did not know about the weight gain. And you are right, eventually something will work for me.

[sandee1818]

The marijuana will cause marked drowsiness so if it does relieve your pain your still going to be dealing with sleeping alot and not to mention that you will gain weight from using it.
I would seriously talk to your doctor and explain that the current medications just are not working and see what other options he can offer.
there are many different medications and though you have tried alot of them you just have to keep on until you find the right combination.

[Nonnie62]

Like I said before, I had 3 years of physical therapy. I had a cervical fusion, medial nerve blocks and steroid injections. I've had hydro therapy, tens treatments, gone to chiropractors, massage and acupuncture. Nothing helps.
I have no life. I sit in my apartment watching TV or reading until I can't sit any longer then I go lay down for a nap. I don't go out , I don't have friends and my live-in boyfriend dumped me 5 years ago. I am willing to try marijuana or anything else that may relieve the pain. I've even considered suicide over the years. I am desperate for help.

[sandee1818]

I am not comfortable with the idea but there are some who have gotten relief from using it.
I know of no list that would tell you which doctors would prescibe it.
What other things have you tried such as procedures or surgeries or other medications?
There are other ways to treat pain than simply using narcotics, in fact taking medications is only a very small part of pain management.