Pain control and helping with restorative sleep

[Greg50]

I'm very frustrated with doctors because many of them won't prescribe pain meds or they prescribe the wrong meds. I realize that all meds work differently for everyone but I took to handling my pain and lack of restorative sleep by a different way that isn't available to everybody but to some people. I am trying medical marajuana but I don't smoke it - I inhale it using a vapourizer. It doesn't take away all my pain but it reduces the intensity of it and my restorative sleep is much better-I feel more refreshed in the morning. If you can, you should maybe look into this. Cheers! Greg

[looneylane]

As a fellow Canadian I can totally relate to the ineffective nature of how dr's prescribe things and how hard it is for medical marijuana to be dispensed here.

[Robby]

I grew up being taught how bad mj is, and I actually made it through my 'wild" years without ever taking the first puff of a joint. But, to be fair, I have to say that I can't count how many times I had a contact high because I was the only person in the room not smoking, I would take the joint from the person on my left and hand it to the person on my right. So I wasn't like one of those, "oooo that is so evil" people, I just choose not to partake because of my personal belief and desires. That being said, if I could ever get the chance I would try it in a heartbeat. I have heard too many people tell how much good it does them. Unfortunately I am drug tested every time I go to the pain clinic, so I can't. But if I was ever given the opportunity, I wouldn't hesitate.

[ronr]

They sell certain pills and liquids to take before you go for a drug test and they do work -- so I hear.

Vaporizers are not cheap from what little I have looked for them but reports indicate that it is a very efficient way to use MMJ, and less toxic that smoking.  It still gives the opportunity to cease when you feel you have had enough rather than taking a certain quantity as with a pill.

One of the points I have heard recently is that the doctors that prescribe it do not state a certain number of puffs a certain number of times per day as they do with other meds which leaves the patient wondering how much is enough.  IE: Drugs are usually prescribed as in 3 tablets twice a day.

Governments attempting to redirect the "War On Drugs" have doctors extremely apprehensive about all pain patients prescriptions.

[DEL]

Things sure aren't any better here below Canada-The docs here are running scared due to new regulations on pain meds-
between that and Obamacare many are probably rethinking their choice of vocation.

Personally I believe the real reason for this is that they couldn't win against the Cartels, so vulnerable doctors without machine guns
and endless money are better targets for the government.

[Jeeph]

Cannaboids in MJ is one of the two ways known to induce Stage 4 sleep. The stage we skip and is the restorive/healing stage. The other is anesthesia so I think you made the right choice. Fells so good to get a good nights rest.

[Greg50]

Thanks Jeeph for the information. You're right-it feels great to finally get a good nights sleep. Cheers,Greg

[Actinggrad]

As said above, things aren't much better here south of the Canadian border- It's rumored medical mj will be a state ballot initiative in 2016, but that's always tricky with the regulations differing state by state.

Like you, my mj helps me a lot, I smoke and vaporize, and am thinking about making some edibles (it's just so expensive to make a batch!). Like you it doesn't relieve all of my pain or tension, but for me, it puts me in a point where i care less about it. I smoke up and then am able to clean, or go to work. Doctors always find it amazing I don't have problems sleeping, and I almost smirk when I think it's because I smoke myself stupid before I go to bed each night.

Ron brings up an interesting point about dosage, but then I think of the pain pumps in the hospital, designed to shut off only at a certain dosage, so the patient (within medically safe boundaries) decides the dose. There have been stories out of Colorado about overdosing with edibles, and regulations may need to be applied better there, but it's usually because someone is stupid and doesn't take it following the directions on the package.

It's amazing what all of the different cannabinoids do and how they interact with each other to alleviate different symptoms. For example canabidiol has been shown in some lab examples (not conclusively) to inhibit cancerous tumor growth- there are some cancer survivors who swear they wouldn't be alive without their CBD oil. Growers in California have made a strain with the thc removed to treat small children with extreme forms of epilepsy- the strain is called charlotte's web.

It's amazing what science can do with this one plant, if the federal government gets out of the way.

[ronr]

The federal government still is of the opinion that it has "no known medicinal use."  It has however been used medicinally for hundreds of years if not more.  It will be interesting to see what becomes of this now that regulations are easing enough that science can actually research what has been taboo for many years.

Edibles is the only way I have heard of any overdosing because of the delayed reaction involved and even then it does not kill.

[augoldminer]

There have been stories out of Colorado about overdosing with edibles

edibles are slow acting but longer acting.

some people that are use to smoking MJ don't understand that edibles are slow so when they do not feel a effect in 15 minutes they take more.

[looneylane]

It is possible to od on edibles quite easily digestible are deceiving because of how long it takes to make it into your system. I am amazed at how many young people do not understand have no understanding about dosages with "Natural" medicines and think you can't.

[Greg50]

I am really grateful that so many people have read my comments. Thank you everyone for reading it. Using medical marijuana is definately starting to improve my quality of life.  Like I said before, my sleeping has really improved! With regards to the conversation about using marijuana in edibles, I agree that you can od on them. I heard that you shouldn't try edibles until your body gets use to marijuana.

[Lonesome George]

The government is using the states to work out the kinks in the legal pot trade. As soon as they find a good system they will take over control of all pot sales, and impose a federal tax on all sales just like the federal tax on gasoline sales. That is unless the kick backs and pay offs from the big drug companies ends up lining the power peoples pockets more.

Around 20-25 years ago every doctor was pushing anti-depressents. Why? The patents on Benzos had ran out and they could be bought for pennies on the dollar in generic forun compared to name brand.  The same recently for Norco, Percoset, and any other Oxy or Hydo drug. The government and drug companies were pushing these like M&Ms until the patents ran out, then suddenly like benzos, the opioid drugs were a menance to society and had to be replaced.  The real truth is generics were cheap, and big drug companies were not making billions off them.

Watch and pay attention. Any drug that is in wide use and the patent runs out will be villianized and declared addictive as soon as a new, very expensive replacement comes along. Research the difference between Prilosec and Prilosec OTC. The OTC is the original Prilosec that the patent ran out on. The manufacturer knew that finding a new drug to replace it would take years and cost billions with drug trials and FDA approval.  Upon studying the drug laws they found the loop hole they needed. Adding to the drug meant a whole new approval process, subtracting from an approved drug did not. The company took out an inactive ingredient, which did not change the actice ingredients and effictiveness of the drug. The FDA approves it, and they now have the same drug as the now non-prescription offering, only at a huge price difference from its OTC counterpart. No difference, same drug, big price difference. This is true. The information is all over the internet in news reports with some research.

It's as a doctor told my wife when he tried to push a new high priced drug on her when she asked for a simular generic drug that worked better. When asked why this paticular drug, he stated, "It's the drug of the month". No lie.

[looneylane]

Terrible.