Hi there,
I have IBS, I also have cardiomyopathy and pulmonary hypertension. I get severe pain in my abdomen. It is beyond any other pain besides the worst migraine I've ever had. The pain is so bad I usually end up pouring sweat and putting as much pressure on my gut as possible until it passes.
I use guided meditation sometimes and that helps a lot.
My Dr. has run through all of the standard medications, and many are not available to me because of the cardiac problems. So, he perscribed marinol (he wanted to give me options) and told me vaporizing marijuana was ok too. This was actually after my cardiologist thought this would be a good plan for me.
So I tried it. The Marinol works fantastic, the marijuana works almost as well too. There's little to no pain when I use it before I usually get an attack, and during an attack, it stops the pain in its tracks. It's really amazing. The problem:
The problem is that I HATE the psychoactive effects from it. I actually get very happy and giggly, but I feel disoriented, and worst, out of control. The funny thing is the most people can't tell there's anything different. On the surface I appear totally normal, if not a little talkative. But on the inside, my thoughts race, I'm anxiety ridden. I feel "too high" when I use it, and I'm using the lowest dose possible (both marinol and vaporized), it's almost pathetic how little I use, which is why it's so surprising that I get such strong effects. It feels like I'm going insane when I use it.
I'm a type-a and I like feeling in control. Sometimes it's so bad that I feel like I've slipped out of time, or I see inanimate things moving, like in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.
I was just wondering if anyone here has experience with this and has any wisdom on how to surpress it. Or anything that can help even a little bit. I can't take the pain; this works so well, but the price of losing my mind is a tough choice. Luckily the pain relief lasts longer than the psychoactive duration. So I do get to enjoy some time with a clear head, and no pain.
I've been avoiding using it lately because I'm scared to use it and lose control or fall into an "experience," and I've been in a lot of pain as a result.
Thank you for any help/advice or anything anyone can provide!