type 1 stage 2 after nearly 40 yrs of being HCV positive. Daily use of MJ the entire time!! No fibrous side affects to my liver. My Liver Dr. 17 yrs ago said its OK to use MJ as it is NOT metabolized by the liver.
I use a vaporizor to minimize the affects to my lungs, which by the way at last check were totally clean!!
Late response, sorry:
Well, the question was "why no". If the question had been "why yes" I would have made the points you make. I was merely stating the obvious reasons "why no".
If you think this is a free country, try sparking up a fat one next time you are in a Federal Building, or any Police Station, for that matter.
I am certainly not judging anyone. If MJ would cure my disease or make TX easier, AND I did not care about possible trouble with the law, I would be lighting up right now.
I thought I made it clear that I am personally against the criminalization of MJ. Apparently it was too subtle.
Californiaguy: I apologize if I made you feel judged. My intent was quite the contrary.
i couldn't have made it thru tx without lots of it.
The additives and hormones and preservitives they add to foods are more dangerous than the pot plant.
If Californiaguy641 wants to get stoned, don't judge him. This is supposed to be a "free country". His use of Pot has nothing to do with the safety of any one else but himself.
Go for it if it helps.
Steve
Your question wasn't directed to me, but I would say the legal issue is probably the most important one. I am not necessarily (actually, not at all) in favor of the current criminalization of MJ usage, but it is still the law. The idea of respect aside, there are some serious penalties you can pay in many states for even possession. I think a reasonable person should consider these things. think a conviction would not look good on a resume, either. ;)
why no? what do you have against marijuana?
i say ya... as long as its in moderation...when i was on tx its was very helpful on shot night and even now with stomach issuees i have now its is the ONLY thing that helps me
I don't know about the weed, but I wouldn't do it if I were you, unless I was sure it was really necessary.
I also want to thank you in advance for signing up for military service. But I have to say, as a former soldier, do not believe much the military tells you, and nothing your recruiter says, unless you have it in writing and notarized twice! I definitely would not take medical advice from the recruiter. I do not know if the military routinely tests all entrants for HCV. I do not know what the military medical protocol for this is if they do test and detect infection, but they might just say "geno 1, no liver damage, no treatment needed at this time".
You could certainly go through the Marines with HCV without a problem and not sustain symptoms or liver damage until years or decades later. How would the military treat you then? Would it be their obligation to treat you after discharge when they could clearly show that it was a pre-existing condition? I do not know these answers, but you may want to find out.
Do not misunderstand. I am not bashing the military. I am proud to have served (even though drafted) and have nothing but respect, gratitude and admiration for those who choose to serve and sacrifice.
Good luck. I hope your health and military service are not imcompatible, but mostly wish for your good health.
Umm..eating it is a really comfy option..overall affects are slightly different due to alternate consumption method...helps with nausea and general state of blerk..for some. Plus no lung damage.
Brownies are goood.
it grows where the sun never sets,the plant even twists up in a rope following the sun non stop....i love alaska
Cops up here let you carry small amounts
even cops smoke the stuff up here
Washington State? Canada? So you understand that BC stands for ‘Bring Cash’ :o)?
I am a canuck and i smoke a little herb...not very much either...believe it or not....i have a tiny water pipe and i smoke a pinch the size of match head...its wakes me up ...its gives me energy...i know some here proberly thingk im a fool for doin this....but eh...its not as bad as booze ...coffe is proberly worse...3 grams will last me 2 months
I am at week 45 of 48 on TX and also used marijuana for the nausea. The 3 different kinds of "legal" drugs I tried didn't work because I couldn't keep them down. I have still lost 98 pounds, so it didn't really help to give me an appetite. As far as the high from pot, I was so out of it with all my other rescue drugs, not to mention TX, it did allow me to sleep more then 2 hours at a time, and I was grateful for that.
Interesting, that here in Washington State, it is legal to obtain a prescription for marijuana under six different medical conditions, Hep C and/or TX for it was the last to be adopted back in 2002. The catch is that it is not legal to sell, buy or grow in the State, and, of course, it's illegal to cross state borders with it.
But I truly LOVE my Canadian friends ;-))
Shannon
Marijuana helped me get through cancer chemo and then got me through HCV tx. I smoked tiny amounts only when needed. Took care of the nausea and gave me an appetite when I was losing more than one pound per day. Also helped with the anxiety. I don't much care for the high - too much like that anemia feeling - but it saved my treatment for me both times I had to fight for my life!
jd
very interesting stuff. definitely Bill1945, my recruiter seems to know a lot about HCV and marijuana lol. yeah overall ill probably steer clear of it unless I feel really sick during treatment or anything. and yeah FLguy I am in the delayed entry program but if I need to take treatment I wont be in it for at least a year and six months tests don't detect that long.
I would say that if you don't need it, don't use it. But I lost my appetite during tx and MJ really helped me get at least some food down. Although I appreciated the weight loss, the loss of energy was excruciating. You really do need to eat something every day.
LOL, you could always consult with your recruiter :o).
Seriously, this topic is highly controversial, and goes on and on. Opinions and studies are allover the map on this subject. The majority of evidence now seems to indicate that heavy MJ use promotes advancement of liver disease in HCV infected individuals. This data needs to be weighed against the possible therapeutic benefits that MJ might have in keeping patients compliant with their treatment meds.
Additionally, heavy, moderate and light MJ use is often a subjective term; and is not always well defined in studies. It’s also important to way the impact of use against career, family and health as well.
Dunno what to say; like everything, keep it in moderation whatever you decide—
Bill
Not a good idea during treatment, and I would not do it before treatment either.
http://www.natap.org/2008/HCV/012908_01.htm
in addition marijuana is metabolized by an enzyme from a group of enzymes called cyp450. These enzymes have been found to help the hcv replicate. Other things metabolized by cyp450 enzymes include: caffeine, valium, xanax, nicotine, charbroiled foods,....
you can google cyp450 and find lists of drugs, foods, etc. that encourage this enzyme as well as foods, drugs, that inhibit this enzyme.
good luck!
bandman
I think that you said, in other posts, that you are about to go into the Marines on a delayed entry program. They test for that stuff.
I would say go without it if you can and only use it as an aide to the side effects, including mental impact if it helps you deal better and it helps you stick with treatment. If it's purely recreational and you can manage treatment without it, I'd set it aside the same as alcohol during treatment. Studies do show the impact of daily cannabis use on fibrosis so not using it daily is a no-brainer, yet the medicinal effects are such that studies stop short of recommending abstinence entirely. In my personal opinion, the question is whether it's medicinal or recreational.
Weigh it out in your own big picture.
Good luck with treatment.
Trish
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/592277?post_id=post_3254542
Check out the thread above and look through the links that Bill1954 provided.
Or put HCV and Marijuana in medhelps search engine (top right)
I'm sure you'll get a lot of posts regarding this subject.