Pot and fibrosis, HCV

[Cheesegrater]

I saw a post on a HCV website about pot and HCV and fibrosis.

Good point!

_________________________________________________

A study came out a little while ago on how higher fibrosis scores were associated with daily cannabis use.
An article apears at

http://www.hivandhepatitis.com/hep_c/news/2008/012508_b.html
and
http://www.hepatitis-central.com/mt/archives/2008/01/risk_of_fibrosi.html?eml=hepcen45

After reading the short write ups I have to ask myself the logical question...

Is it the health problems associated with advanced fibrosis that is causing people to seek relief from cannabis? Or is cannabis use actually CAUSING the fibrosis?

To have an association between 2 sets of data does not necessarily one causes the other!

ie: The researchers found that owners of 3 story homes tend to earn more money than those who rent apartments.
Conclusion: Renting apartments causes lower income.

Alp

[kcrandy]

i guess that makes me living in poverty with a 2 bedroom house.  :O)

[Bobby1952]

"Is it the health problems associated with advanced fibrosis that is causing people to seek relief from cannabis? Or is cannabis use actually CAUSING the fibrosis?"  

    Oh come on!!  I know a lot of people with HCV that smoke Pot. It is not because their condition causes the Pot use. It is because they have smoked it since they were in their 20's and don't want to stop. They like it too much and are mentally addicted.

    Most people like this are under the impression that Pot use doesn't affect their Livers?  Wether this is true or not I don't know.

I had a DR once that told me Heroin doesn't affect your Liver. It may not but the Life style definitely does. Ingesting drugs that are cut with god knows what, not eating properly or not at all. But "Heroin isn't bad for your Liver"....yeah right.

[Cheesegrater]

It is common public opinion that people with HCV have it due to their evil drug using lifestyle and that they get worse due to continued alcohol and drug use.

Yeah, even those thousands who got it from unclean operating instruments, tatoos, and the tainted blood scandel.  Bunch of junkies huh?

They go on to get fibrosis, and worse.
What relief do their doctors give them for day after day, month after month, years of symptoms from any one or more of the well documented extrahepatic symptoms. Anti-depressants???

People with all sorts of chronic illnesses smoke pot for relief. It would be wrong to say that smoking pot got them to that stage of illness where they feel they need relief.
What I find interesting is that the study that claims that pot causes fibrosis, did not condcut the study over a few years, the article states that the data was obtained from a single session with each subject.

"A major limitation of the study is the method, since only one examination was performed, which limits the ability to establish a temporal relationship between cannabis use and fibrosis stage."

Coming to the conclusion that pot causes fibrosis without following the subjects for at least a few months, if not years is quite a leap and should be questioned.

Cheesegrater

[Cheesegrater]

It is common public opinion that people with HCV have it due to their evil drug using lifestyle and that they get worse due to continued alcohol and drug use.

Yeah, even those thousands who got it from unclean operating instruments, tatoos, and the tainted blood scandel.  Bunch of junkies huh?

They go on to get fibrosis, and worse.
What relief do their doctors give them for day after day, month after month, years of symptoms from any one or more of the well documented extrahepatic symptoms. Anti-depressants???

People with all sorts of chronic illnesses smoke pot for relief. It would be wrong to say that smoking pot got them to that stage of illness where they feel they need relief.
What I find interesting is that the study that claims that pot causes fibrosis, did not condcut the study over a few years, the article states that the data was obtained from a single session with each subject.

"A major limitation of the study is the method, since only one examination was performed, which limits the ability to establish a temporal relationship between cannabis use and fibrosis stage."

Coming to the conclusion that pot causes fibrosis without following the subjects for at least a few months, if not years is quite a leap and should be questioned.

Cheesegrater

[jamimapuddle]

I have  major problems with the study too.  The study included drinkers and iv drug users and I'm sorry you cannot completely accept what people from this group say about how much they drink or drug on a questionnaire.  I should know, I lied or made myself look better on tons of medical questionnaires.

Another food for thought on the subject, how often has the medical community tried to find damning evidence on marijuana, only to have their little studies blown out of the water by larger ones?  There is a long history here.

I bet if you did the same study except with cheeseburgers instead of weed you would find the same thing. Or Oreo cookies...HEY THATS IT...it's not the pot, its the cookies that you eat when you smoke the pot. HMMMM, I think I'm on to something here.

[jdwithhcv]

Gotta be the cookies!

[kcrandy]

we can all justify the use of any type of drug illegal,  legal,  or otherwise, gimme a break!

there is positive uses for pot and there is positive uses for opiate based drugs
( morphine, synthetics, etc ).  i believe it is how the drug is used by each individual.  if you are abusing the drugs to the point that it dominates said persons, then said drug abuse could and most likely lead to an unhealthy and short term life span for said persons.  to use a drug ( pot, opiate based drugs ) for tx or relief and for just that is in all likelyhood going to give said persons a better quality of life.

i do not think there is such a thing as recreational use.  all drugs have a side affect to the bodys system, wether we see it right away or in the future we are going to see it.
and in some very rare situations some people will never realize said side affects in there lifetime.

for me i can abuse drugs and have and i am probably paying for it today, what it boils down for me is that i had a choice from 14 years old to my present age 51 and decided using for me had to end, as i believe it is a choice for all of us.

the bottom line drugs are just what they imply DRUGS.

i will finish by saying if i had a choice of suffering in pain and my only option would be morphine, pot opium,etc.  to ease my suffering i would take it.  believe me i am not into pain and suffering.

later you all.  :O)

[jamimapuddle]

    To equate pot with other drugs I think is a huge mistake.  When you look at the studies of Rastafarian's that have been heavy smokers their entire life, there is where you get the most startling evidence that pot is in a different league.  Perfect health, IQ and memory normal or above normal. Rastafarian's' are a good population to study because pot is all they do, according to their religion they cannot drink or smoke cigs etc...
   There has been some studies recently that were very interesting.  One study found that there was no link between pot smoking and lung cancer, not only that but they found that people that smoke cigs AND pot were less likely to develop lung cancer than people that just smoked cigs.
   Another study of people that use marijuana to alleviate pain associated with cancer showed that it might actually slow down tumor growth.
   I have been addicted to almost every drug out there: heroin,coke,crack,meth,alcohol,valium,cigs,fat and sugar.  I don't like getting stoned on weed. It makes me think too much, analyze my life, think about my relationship with my mother, think about what I AM doing wrong with my relationships. YUCK! I hate it, it's like going to a shrink.
   Clearly this drug is different.

[lindavalu]

I agree with what u say about Pot.I started smoking