Beware Pot Users...Cannabis is not liver friendly!

[2B_C_Free]

Daily Cannabis Use by HCV+ Increased Odds of Moderate to Severe Fibrosis by 7- Fold

Reported by Jules Levin
57th Annual Liver Meeting (AASLD, American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases)
Oct 27-31, 2006
Boston, MA

“Influence of Cannabis Use on Severity of Hepatitis C Disease”

Authors Conclude: “Current daily cannabis use was strongly associated with moderate to severe fibrosis in persons with chronic HCV infection. Our results indicate that HCV-infected individuals should be counseled to reduce or abstain from cannabis use.”

J. H. Ishida1; C. Jin2; P. Bacchetti2; V. Tan3; M. G. Peters1; N. A. Terrault1
1. Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco , CA, USA.
2. Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco , CA, USA.
3. Pathology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco , CA, USA.

[FaithforHealing]

I've been punk'd again by an ancient post at the top of the list!  I would not recommend that anyone looking for relevant study data waste time on a 2006 post, unless it's a history project comparing old beliefs with new beliefs. Orphanedhawk's comment regarding her hepatologist's thoughts is a far more reliable source. Just my personal opinion.

[FaithforHealing]

Drug and alcohol tests...there are several (i.e., blood, urine, hair). Urine is usually the simplest.

[dontworry_behappy1]

What tests do they give to make sure your not smoking pot or drinking alcohol?  I don't expect they take your word for it.

[orphanedhawk]

One very real reason to not smoke pot if you have ESLD is that it can be a reason to disqualify your from getting a transplant. You can be disqualified if you are not clean of both mj and alcohol for 6 months.

If you are not in need of a liver transplant, then my renown hepatologist in S.F. has no objections to doing it. He is agreeable to most anything ( though not everything)  if it helps you get through tx.

[Carlhcv]

My gastroenterologist ordered me to not smoke pot even though it is prescribed for HCV in Michigan. His reason was that it can raise the risk of liver cancer. I believe that a lot of older doctors are simply anti-medical pot. Anyway, he is helping me get tx affordably and I will abide by his orders.

[dodropin]

yes thank you, that's what happens when you're 1/2 asleep from these nasty drugs !!
Took my 2d. dose on interferon yesterday, so far, no sides, except insommia.
Hope everyone feels just a little better than yesterday.
Jim

[BoceprevirGal]

Hi dropin, this thread was from 2006, so you should start a new post :)

[dodropin]

I have a good friend that refuses to even try mj because as she says, O god, I'd never do that !! She's treating breast cancer and doing radiation  and kemo, and I guess I just don't get folks that are so against a drug, that they wont even try it, even when it helps them !! No one will be able to convince me that mj does not help with those side effects. I watched my bro-in-law die last yr of cancer, and mj helped him more  than the morphine, and other potent pain killers. I'm vapeing my cannabis these days, and I can tell you that just that makes a big difference in your breathing. Smoking anything is bad. As for the fibrosis claim, I don't believe cannabis causes anything in anybody, even if you ate a trash can full of it. Like I say, smoking anything is bad news ! People 50 yrs. from now will say,' Damm,'  remember when them fools used to smoke pot and cigs. !! But anyhow, this is my 1st. post here, and it sounds like people here are letting personalities. get in the way of fighting hepc. I come here looking for a place to discuss hepc tx, and socialize a bit. But I can't converse with anyone who is so dead set against something, that they would refuse that treatment, knowing it might help them. Delphia forums don't allow mention af any drug except prescription meds., so I'm looking for a new place to hang my hat. i'm not here to be for or against pot, but I defend my right to use it. And forseegood, who's going to be doing the decision making in your case by case sanario ?  I been smoking pot most of my life and you'd think the people on your case by case panel would know the alcohol caused my problems, not pot. I'm a 70 y o young m, who took my 2d. dose of interferon today. No sides yet. I am geno type 1, and doing tx for 24 weeks. I can definately say insommia is a problem already, I'm usually in bed lights out asleep by 10 pm.

[GoofyDad]

Forsee, You're a DUDE!! You've living a lie this whole time? Oh well, I can live with that.... please just tell me you weren't kidding about the stilettos, the strap-on, and the toilet plunger. OK?

[new-sojourn]

If you don't like pot, don't smoke it.  if you do, smoke it b/c it  can help you.

everything is a poison now days.  the air is poison, the water is poison, the veggies, meat and fish are poison.  AD's are poison that some people can never get off of.

Emotions-negative emotions about anything are poisons. not enough sex is poison and raises blood pressure.

Mother's breast milk is poison,  sperm is poisoned.  out blood and bodies hold lead, florides, pcps and flame retardents in 'mind damaging' amts.

So Choose Your Poisons wisely.

clean up your diet and the clothes and the lotions you put on yopur body-they are all poisoned.  transfats and perservatives and food dyes made from insect parts are poison.  Corn syrup and colas are poison.

hatred and racism and war are poisons.  the chemicals made by our own bodies in association w/negative emotions andd stress are poisons.  North Korea put more neuclear poison in the air than a life time of smoking pot can ever come close to.

And there are no studies currently being done on the medical effects of marijuana.  only things coming out about marijuana are 'accidental' findings-like pot stops Alzeheimers and slows lung cancer and helps hcv patients achieve svr.

If pot was so bad, I think we would have studies coming out of the Netherlands saying it is b/no we don't b/c there aren't any.

So if you don't like it, don't use it.  If you can use it, use it b/c it c can help-alot.

[Forseegood]

funny how I don't agree with many of your analogies as any kind of proof of your main position...but I do think it was nicely written...once again, our bodies are so different..I kinda regret that I was a big pothead in my early twenties, because for me, it almost completely wiped out my memories in the span of time I used it a lot...and since I'm in my early fifties now, I'd sure like to access those memories now...but that particular span of time is a haze, shall we say...oddly, once I quit smoking it, I can access those memories much better...

Memories are extremely important to me, so you can see why I'm not singing the praises of the stuff, plus it began to make me as paranoid as hell...(though I do remember how it enhanced music for me, though maybe that's just something I thought at the time, because now I find myself appreciating music just as much as anytime in my life)

There have been some studies talking about how pot can wipe out long term and short term memories for some people, though not all...I do agree with your premise that people can basically do what they want with their own bodies... if someone wants to shoot heroin with liver disease, it's their basic right...I just think part of the function of these boards is to put these issues up for discussion, hopefully with opinions on both sides of the issue, so we can make up our own minds about them...and of course I have an often irritating "mother hen" personality, so I would advocate against people hurting themselves...it's all relative, many people would submit that I've been hurting myself putting off treatment for so long, so there you go...

I am for medical marajuna use, on a case by case basis...

[sfbaygirl]

Yes, having a good relationship with John has been a bit tuff on tx, that's for sure. When I am angry at him, he laughs and says, "oh riba rage again?" Not realizing I am DEAD serious! Grrrrr....Or I love when he doesnt' trust what I say now, because of Brian Fog. Should have never told him about that guy! LOL Good thing we go to therapy.

You better get on that stuff Girl, or I'm gonna have to come down there and drag you to the clinic! hahahaha

How's the teen life? My teen is about to drive me round the bend...can't wait for college!

Monterey, Phoenix and this week Tahoe...at least I get some exercise in airports...Hey, I got on the exercise bike this week and did it! I am so proud! Things seem to be getting easier on tx, I guess I am getting use to the poison.

[Forseegood]

man, there are the SBaygirls, and the SFbaygirls, you guys are REPRESENTIN on this thread, ha ha! I had asked about you awhile back, I was wondering about you...I'm kicking and screaming, but I'm gonna run that dang interferon if it kills me (better not jinx it) I'm glad youre doing well...you sound like you have such a nice relationship with youre hubby...prob comes in handy on those meds...be well

[sfbaygirl]

Sounds fun down there. Reminds me of my ol' SF days painting album covers and hanging out with Rock stars. I even painted a  TV backdrop for the Monkey's once. Dolenz stiffed me when his new show didn't fly. Sure brings back memories....could be why I am where I am today! Hahaha

[Forseegood]

hey Lady Macbeth was only steeling herself up to do well in a man's world...she wanted to play with the big boys...it only looks worse on a woman cause no one expects it...too old for the broom buizzness this year, they gotta Salem Witch Trials tour bus I'm lookin at...

[headsrtails]

I don't know you either, Scotty. But I never defended potsmoking in the thread, nor do I smoke pot, nor do I care if peole do. Its imbeciles like you why I left California. And Brendan Mullen, are you talking about that hack writer? Is that what you do, drop names because you don't have one? Beam this Scotty

[headsrtails]

Let me see:
1. You pushed a cart with your clothes to a hotel in hollywood.
2. You cleaned windows
3. Your name dropping amounts to a wannabee.
4. You are f***king loser

[Forseegood]

yeah, I remember you, who could forget you? but I'm anonymous on this site, have to be for work reasons...all this dark side stuff you have is a defense mechanism, a little game...youre actually a very nice guy, a little on the sensitive side...I remember, I don't care what you say...

[Forseegood]

ha ha, whatever anyone wants to say about this crazy thread, no one can say it's run of the mill..ha ha ha!

[sfbaygirl]

Cool it down now, please!!!! Just sign off if you can't be nice. We will all agree you don't like each other okay? Just drop the insults. They are demeaning to the whole board.

Rev; I think I know whom you call the resident evil and I think/know you are wrong.

Both of you grit your teeth and walk on by people you don't want to like, okay? We all need the support you both bring to the forum.

[Forseegood]

I never went anywhere every Monday...it's okay, it's fun to guess...anyway, for all anyone knows, I could be Joe Pesci...

[Forseegood]

ha ha, Brendan and Janet might take exception to the fact that we are bandying their names all over a hep c site, ha ha! yeah, Monday night New Orleans rice and beans, who could forget that? yeah, I probably dropped more pot at the Zero then most people have ever smoked...

[Forseegood]

Girl: Hey, when I talk about diet restrictions or whatever, I mean when youre not treating...I'm fully aware that treating does things to the ole tastebuds...and you eat what you can...some idiot gave me a cannibis cookie at a restaurant (I had no idea) and I gotta panic attack of all panic attacks, went to the ER..thought I was having a heart attack, ain't it grand to be able to laugh at things like that in the afermath? (great Stones album...)

Heads: this is just the way I see it, when I first started coming to boards, if I got insulted, I really took it to heart and got very offended and verbally fought back, etc...and I'm not saying I never will again...but after I'd been around for awhile, I just put it together it's the internet, and I don't take stuff like that too seriously...Are they paying my bills or responsible for me in any way?....then why pay too much attention....Most people reading with any sense at all know what's what....Especially people on meds doing it...and I find when I don't take it too seriously, it doesn't get too serious if you know what I mean...it's different if someone is hounding you from thread to thread, that's more than irritating and I understand the frustration there...this is just my take...

[sfbaygirl]

What would I do if I couldn't add an ending to your nickname? LOL
Of course this is name calling too, but we know I am joking around. Those that work on being diplomatic seem to get along better, of course, this doesn't always work either! LOL John always comments on "Linda's school of diplomacy," meaning I don't have one! I too was offended by some rude posters, and still am, but as you say what can we do about it? Remind others to be nice and newbies not to be insulted and hurt? Yeah, but some leave anyway not liking the tone that hits the board sometimes.

I know what you mean about the food and I hope when I grow up I can eat no meat, but I do love my veggies! My diet has deteriorated on tx for sure. I never ate sweets! My stomach didn't stick out. Now it does! As my granddaughter says,"I can't like that!"
I had to stop the chocolate cake 'cuz john was getting fatter too! You will see when you start tx..it's really strange how food preferences change. When are you going to start anyway? Trial?