medical marijuana?

[bladder]

My pain clinic team listed medical marijuana as a pain option to consider. Has anyone tried it and had success? I really thinking it may not be as back for my body as all the other meds I am taking. ?????

[Tink22]

I've heard and read that for some people it works really well, although for some it causes flares. Unfortunately It's like with any other medication we with IC explore, you have to try it to see if it helps or hurts sadly.

I hope this helps.

And I hope it works for you, if you decide to do so!

[dlenore]

medical marijuana

why not try it? I live in NY where medical marijuana is still illegal so I am unclear about how it is prescribed. My instinct is to say that smoking would have carcinogenic as well as other detrimental side effects in the long term. Marijuana itself is very harmless (despite what Nancy Regan would have you believe). It is most definitely better for you than something like Oxycodone.

I have smoked marijuana in the past and found it helpful for insomnia, but found that consuming it in any form (smoking or eating) to make IC symptoms worse if I am having a flare already. This is because the effects of the marijuana amplify my sensations of pain. However, many people report exactly the opposite -many people with chronic pain report great success with marijuana. The effects are extremely subjective. I say that as with anything, try a small dose to start and see how it goes. For more information on medical marijuana research check out MAPS.org

....also, enjoy.

[Claire_A]

It’s Illegal for medicinal uses here but smoking it makes my IC and VV disappear I have only done it when desperate though. I think it is way better for you than pain meds if it works, use it!

[SuziQ64]

Bladder,

Just wondering if you tried the medical marijuana? I'm from the lower mainland of B.C. and it is available medically. Some in our support group have/still use it. For some it is the answer to the pain, yet for others it only serves to heighten the awareness or sensation of pain. Those that do use it use an inhaler. Would be curious to know if you had any success with it.

Suzi

[cassandraleae]

Used and Grew Medical successfully

I live in Oregon and it is legal with a medical card and for 4 yrs I grew for myself and 10 others and used it solely to treat my pain and it was the best pain relief I've had for my IC. At that time I was a married stay at home mom of two older boys in school so I could smoke for pain and at that time in my life it worked for me. Since then I've become a single mom and added 2 more little ones one a 3 year old so it is no longer an option for me to smoke and care for my younger boys all day so now I am taking Opana but I prefer marijuana for the pain but the trade off is being high which may or may not work for you and where you are at in your stage of life or situation at the moment. Hope this helps, I think you should try it anyhow.

[ICNDonna]

In many instances it does help. I know there are some states where it's legal, others where it's not. I STRONGLY discourage anyone from purchasing it illegally --- think about it --- if someone is dishonest enough to do business outside the law --- how can you possibly know what you are actually buying.

Donna

[paradiselost]

I'm taking Nabilone now, only been on it for three days so far, it's a synthetic canniboid and has similar effects to marijuana. From smoking it pretty frequently in my teens, I can testify that this medication gets you seriously stoned. It's actually really unpleasant, I haven't been able to go to work since I started it (not safe to drive at all) and have just been really high and woozy and sleepy and hungry every day. Tried to stay in this weekend and sleep the most of it off but it doesn't seem to be reducing in strength!

I know with tramadol I build up tolerance really quickly so I'm hoping it's the same here. To be fair it IS helping with the pain. I'm due to take it daily with oral morphine for flares and UTIs, on top of pregabalin. Its primary function is as an anti nausea medication for patients undergoing chemotherapy and isn't licensed for bladder pain but I got it prescribed off licence. I can only collect it directly from a hospital, with I.D. to prove it's me. It's strong.

[Sprockets]

My undertanding is that marijuana is at least as bad for the lungs as cigarettes, so if I went this route I'd want something I could swallow and not smoke. It would probably also be best to grow it myself so I'd know it was organic, but permission to do that isn't something I'll ever get in Ohio.

The other thing is, what about munchies? What about a craving for sex? Medical marijuana doesn't know it's medical, so I assume these side effects woud be the same as illegal weed. It's all the same plant, after all.

[jen74]

Is nabilone the same prescription drug as marinol? I believe this is derived from cannabis, except it has a bunch of other toxic ingredients in it. I knew a lady who was taking marinol for severe nausea ( she has gastroparesis), well it nearly shut her kidneys down. This is why I think they should pass the law for medical cannabis. It has less side effects and offers the same benefit.

Jen

[dlenore]

In many instances it does help. I know there are some states where it's legal, others where it's not. I STRONGLY discourage anyone from purchasing it illegally --- think about it --- if someone is dishonest enough to do business outside the law --- how can you possibly know what you are actually buying.

Donna

Let us be accurate about risks related to marijuana and breaking the law.

1. "If someone is dishonest enough to do business outside of the law" - Lets break this down for a moment. According to a 2007 study done by the US Government’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Data Archive (SAMHDA), 40.4% of adults in America age 18+ reported to have smoked marijuana in their lifetime. Given that medical marijuana is illegal mostly everywhere, at least 40.4% of adults in the US have broken the law with marijuana in their lifetime.

2. "how can you possibly know what you are actually buying." Are you implying that buying marijuana illegally risks purchasing a contaminated product? contaminated with what? After a bit of research online, the only thing I could turn up was a case in 2007 when an illegal batch of marijuana in Europe turned up mixed with sand and glass. Also, there is a rather obscure urban myth that marijuana might be 'laced' with embalming fluid or PCP. This is about as likely as finding a finger in your chicken nuggets and McDonalds.

Real risks/side effects: There are real risks associate with breaking the law. You can find more about your state's marijuana laws by visiting http://www.drugpolicy.org/

[dyno]

Let us be accurate about risks related to marijuana and breaking the law.

1. "If someone is dishonest enough to do business outside of the law" - Lets break this down for a moment. According to a 2007 study done by the US Government’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Data Archive (SAMHDA), 40.4% of adults in America age 18+ reported to have smoked marijuana in their lifetime. Given that medical marijuana is illegal mostly everywhere, at least 40.4% of adults in the US have broken the law with marijuana in their lifetime.

2. "how can you possibly know what you are actually buying." Are you implying that buying marijuana illegally risks purchasing a contaminated product? contaminated with what? After a bit of research online, the only thing I could turn up was a case in 2007 when an illegal batch of marijuana in Europe turned up mixed with sand and glass. Also, there is a rather obscure urban myth that marijuana might be 'laced' with embalming fluid or PCP. This is about as likely as finding a finger in your chicken nuggets and McDonalds.

Real risks/side effects: There are real risks associate with breaking the law. You can find more about your state's marijuana laws by visiting http://www.drugpolicy.org/

ICN Donna was simply stating that there are risks associated with purchasing marijuana illegally. I believe the information that is in this thread has answered the OP questions. There is no need to debate the cautions that were what ICN Donna was trying to convey. I will be locking this thread now.