Medical ?

[shaved88]

I smoked pot,as a teen. I stopped it because I became a family man. Now having MS and trying it again at 60, It helps. It is a plant! It is okay for me to take heroine, because it is pill form? LOL= What a joke! Alcohol is much worse, believe me because I drink like a fish & usually get nasty? I would rather kill my pain with something natural. Enough said!

[doublevision1]

Kyle - I use MMJ occasional for the dysesthesias that runs from my elbows to my fingertips. It's a tight, squeezing pressure, like MS hug of the hands, along with a rough, raw feeling like an abrasion. I treat with gabapentin and nortriptyline but when it gets really intense I use a small amount of low THC/high CBD marijuana with a vaporizer, and get some decent relief. Most helpful at night when I want to sleep. I notice my Lhermitte's almost disappears temporarily as well.

[kwarendorf]

Welcome to the group.

Having MS means many things. It means different things for different people. I'm curious about which aspects of your MS marijuana helps. Are there specific syptoms that it eases etc.?

Kyle

[PeninaD]

Everyone above has been straight with you.

You need to know also, that THC, the substance that gives the 'high', has not been shown to have benefit to MS patients, and in fact contributes to long term memory loss and brain shrinkage, things that MS patients need to avoid.

The Canabidiol is the compound from pot that has shown benefit for MS spasms and perhaps pain in recent laboratory studies.  But unless you can get certified, medical grade low THC/high Canabidiol product, your self-medicating most probably will bite you in the butt in the long term.

[davincidanes]

In all respect, when I first read this post, I wondered why this person's tone seemed angry. I'm new to this group and have only found everyone helpful and supportive, and I don't think anyone would argue the point that we have to make our own choices on how to best treat our disease and symptoms. I don't have any experience to offer other than it terrifies me that someone is admittedly a drinker and self-medicating with marijuana.  I can only hope and pray that shaved88 finds the fortitude to fight all of his obstacles and find relief of his pain.  I know this road... my 28 year old son was a mixed alcoholic and controlled substance abuser and he lost his life due to this "self-medicating" actions nearly 3 years ago.  A mother should never loose a child and a father, son, brother, uncle, cousin and friend should never lose a man.  You say you became a "family man". Please stay one for the sake of those who love you.  

Much love, courage and strength to you.  ♥


~Linda

[supermum_ms]

Hi and welcome,

Though to be honest, I'm not really sure if your post is actually advocating the use of medical marijuana or street marijuana which is probably what you used as a teenager, which pot do you mean?

Street grade marijuana is not the same as medical grade, street pot typically thought to be 'natural' and not as bad as other street drugs but when you buy pot off the street, it's often laced with metamphetamines to give it a stronger high, additional addictive properties etc.

Street pot is not natural or good for people and i personally don't think street pot is a justifiable pain relief option, temporarily trading pain relief whilst potentially gaining a drug addiction, police record etc is just not imho worth it......

"Unfortunately, this is where the case for medical marijuana gets complicated. The marijuana plant is made up of more than 500 chemical compounds. Many of these compounds are cannabinoids, which bind to receptors in your body and then affect your immune system and brain. Researchers have pinpointed two main cannabinoids—THC and cannabidiol, or CBD—as beneficial, Dr. ElSohly tells me. (The biggest difference: CBD doesn’t make you high.)

Trouble is, when exposed to the high temperature of a burning joint, the 500 or so chemical compounds in marijuana can produce hundreds or thousands of byproducts—many of which are thought to be carcinogens. Research suggests that marijuana smoke can contain up to 70 percent more carcinogenic materials than tobacco smoke." http://www.menshealth.com/medical-marijuana/

If you do "drink like a fish" and have been doing it for years, you might of unconsciously made your pain situation worse, and potentially a lot more complicated if you are additionally dealing with peripheral neuropathy from alcohol abuse, there are combination medication solutions for chronic pain and it may be in your best interest to consider seeking help at a pain clinic.

Your a 60 year old adult, you have a right to choose but don't make the mistake of assuming that it's a plant, so it's perfectly okay, better than the alternatives because it's a 'natural' product.......that isn't necessarily correct!

Cheers............JJ    

[essdipity]

Hi. I won't argue for or against your use of pot, which does help some people with severe nerve pain.

What I WILL argue about though, is the idea that 'natural' is the same as healthful and beneficial. There are millions of so-called natural substances that are poisonous, even deadly. Many kinds of snake venom are highly poisonous.

Heroin, which can be deadly, is derived from the opium poppy, a plant. So are the other opiates. Alcohol is the result of fermentation of plant substances. Too much is toxic, in the short or long run.

It peeves me when so many commercials extol whatever they're selling as being natural, as opposed, I guess, to unnatural things that are ultimately chemicals found in plants and animals. That's nuts, in my opinion, but it sells a lot of junk to people who buy into their pitch because they're not educated consumers.

Nature has lots of good to offer, and lots of bad as well. I say do or take whatever it is you decide to do or take, but don't justify it on the grounds of its being natural.

ess