Rheumatoid Arthritis and MMJ

[AOD2012]

Hey everybody. First off I wanted to say thanks to eveybody on this site for always having answer to every question, no matter how small or big. Unfortunately my mother suffers from rheumatoid arthritis, and the past few months have been really bad for her. Her hands have swelled up incredibly, and unfortunately my mother does not have health insurance, and cannot afford to go to the doctor. It has gotten to the point where she can barely even hold a pen long enough to write out her bills.

Basically, I would like to know if I made some edibles for her, would this help? She is a little hesitant, but she really feels at wits end, and I have told her that it would help with the pain. Does anyone else have experience with this, and if so, has mmj helped?

Thank you for any input, all is welcome and appreciated.

Aod

 

[DoobieDuck]

AOD...sorry to hear of your Moms difficulties. The first thing you should do is get her a doctors rec for MMJ, be legal if you are going to try it. The doctor that prescribes it for her can give you mcuh more info on how to treat that specific ailment. Some information can be found in Storm Crows article. Good luck and our best wishes for her..DD

 

[AOD2012]

thanks a lot doobie. unfortunately, i live in a state that does not have mmj. recently a state bordering mine just voted on it, and passed it, so hopefully it will be happening sooner than later. once again thanks a lot for that link, it is very helpful.

 

[Marywanna]

Has your Mom been on any of the TNF drugs like Humira or Simponi yet? I find edibles work better for inflammation. I combine it with my therapy of Humira and Methotrexate and my Rheum Dr is aware that I am a MMJ pt.......He didn't see any problem with it and it helps stop the nausea from the other drugs. Let me know if I can help you,okay? MW

 

[Jack Dupp]

Hi AOD2012,

My step father has arthritis in his hands. He has tried almost everything his MD has prescribed, to no avail.

The last time I visited, I left him some cannabutter and told him to ingest some. He has never tried cannabis and was very wary, as he is afraid of being "out of control". I told him to try using the butter topically. Now my mother massages the cannabutter into his hands and he says it helps. He doesn't feel "goofed up" and can open and close his hands without as much pain.

The great thing about this method is that it is low profile for you that live in non MMJ states and cannabutter lasts longer than smoking. Plus the benefit of buttery soft hands.

I hope this gives you an idea to help your mother.

 

[Marywanna]

Excellent advice,thank you. MW

 

[grasspass]

Tincture works good for me osteoarthritis. But I build a tolerance . Always works better for me when I come back from a break.

 

[nattynattygurrl]

I was going to suggest a canna-oil lotion or salve, similar to what Jack Dubb mentioned, for all the reasons he mentioned.
I use it for pain caused (in part) by 'bone-on-bone' osteo-arthritis in my hip; as well as my hands and back (ie: 'degenerative disc'.)
I've even heard that it helps skin ailments, such as psoriasis and eczema. The woman who makes mine, uses it for pain from bone cancer. So if it can help her, surely it would help your mother, (I hope.) I have found it so amazing, I just want to tell everyone about it.

The other things I would suggest trying would be edibles, (butter or oil), or canna-milk.
In my limited experience w/ canna-milk, I have found it to be much stronger and much better for pain. Truly amazing method of ingestion, however it doesn't taste so good, so add chocolate or something. (some add it to coffee or chai tea. I'd go w/ chocolate.)

Your mother is lucky to have you to help her! Good luck.
I hope you both take care!!

 

[AOD2012]

sorry i havent responded, things have been a little crazy since school ended. thank you to all of you for your responses, i truly appreciate them all. unfortunately, my mom does not have any health insurance, as she was on my fathers for a long time, and once they got divorced she could no longer afford it. i am personally saving up money so she can go visit a doctor, but i actually got her to try and eat a few cookies that i made with some shake that i had left over for a while. things actually really well, for the first time in quite a while my mother slept a whole night without waking up in pain, so she was really refreshed in the morning. i am quite interested some sort of topical application like jack and natty have said. question to either of you: so i can just make straight canna-butter, and my mother can put this on her hands? is there anyway i could make an actual lotion? if so do either of you have some info i could look at? i really appreciate the input from everyone, you know my mother has always heard me talk about how great the cannabis community is, and i think for a real long time she has just thought i was blowing smoke, but after this experience and all the feedback ive gotten my moms eyes have really been opened. thank you all so much.

 

[Jack Dupp]

It seems that just using cannabutter as a topical is effective for pain and inflammation. There are probably better ways than butter. I am researching how to make it into a lotion. Myself and another caregiver are brainstorming and think there may be a way to use canna-milk and turn it into a lotion.
I have been busy lately building a new flowering room, but once done will jump back into the lotion research. In the meantime, have your mother try the cannabutter on her hands and let us know how it works.
I am glad to hear the cookies helped her get some rest. Being able to sleep well through the night will have a tremendous effect on a persons well being. I was someone who could not sleep well, until I was introduced to cannabis.

Good luck.

 

[Jack Dupp]

Tincture works good for me osteoarthritis. But I build a tolerance . Always works better for me when I come back from a break.

Grasspass - Do you use the tincture as a topical, or as an oral spray/dropper?

 

[nattynattygurrl]

Glad to hear she was willing to try the cookies and actually got a good nights rest.
I use a salve/lotion which is 18% canna-oil, in addition to other oils like vit. E, coconut, almond, apricot, olive, soy and "various essentials".
I have been trying to get my paws on a recipe; if I get one, I will certainly share it w/ you!

Until then, you should try the butter! I hope it helps!!

 

[AOD2012]

thanks, im gonna do some research on lotion myself, if i find anything out soon, ill let everybody know. once again, thank you so much.

 

[grasspass]

tincture

tincture

I put tincture in my herb tea. Does rubbing it on your effected area really make it to the joint pain?

 

[Mr. Mountain]

AOD2012> I use cannabutter on my hands and knees when my RA is really bad. I have not made a lotion or cream yet but it is on my list of things to do!

I have a few procedures for making your own lotions.
in the procedures that follow, the oil (or glycerin) is first infused with your cannabis/hash.

These were taken directly from The Chemical Formulary Vol V (Bennett, 1941)

Hand Lotion:
Formula No.1

Ingredient: Amount:

Camphor 3oz
Alcohol 2pt
Glycerin 2pt
Amaranth 10% Solution to suit
Perfume to suit


Procedure:
Above ingredients are dissolved into the alcohol.


Hand Creams:
Formula No. 1

Ingredient: Amount:

Stearic Acid 18.00 oz
Olive Oil 1.20 oz
Glycerin 3.00 oz
Caustic Potash 1.82 oz
Water 74.88 oz
Sodium Benzoate 0.10 oz
Pine Oil 1.00 oz


Procedure:
Heat stearic acid, olive oil, glycerin and sodium benzoate with 70 oz water, to 190 deg F. Make solution of potash with balance of water. Filter caustic solution if not clear. Pour the potash lye into the hot mixture of oil and water, while agitating briskly. Continue to stir until cream becomes a translucent jelly. Add pine oil and fill into jars.



I have many, many more procedures, if you want something different just say the word.

Hope that was of some help!

Mr. M

 

[CANNATOPIA]

Hope this helps friend. Much Info
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory disease of the joints characterized by pain, stiffness, and swelling, as well as an eventual loss of limb function. Rheumatoid arthritis is estimated to affect about one percent of the population, primarily women.

Use of cannabis to treat symptoms of RA is commonly self-reported by patients with the disease. In a 2005 anonymous questionnaire survey of medicinal cannabis patients in Australia, 25 percent reported using cannabinoids to treat RA.[1] A survey of British medicinal cannabis patients found that more than 20 percent of respondents reported using cannabis for symptoms of arthritis.[2] Nevertheless, few clinical trials investigating the use of cannabis for RA appear in the scientific literature.

In January 2006, investigators at the British Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Disease reported successful treatment of arthritis with cannabinoids in the first-ever controlled trial assessing the efficacy of natural cannabis extracts on RA.[3] Investigators reported that administration of cannabis extracts over a five week period produced statistically significant improvements in pain on movement, pain at rest, quality of sleep, inflammation, and intensity of pain compared to placebo. No serious adverse effects were observed. Similar results had been reported in smaller, Phase II trials investigating the use of orally administered cannabis extracts on symptoms of RA.[4]

Preclinical data also indicates that cannabinoids can moderate the progression of RA. Writing in the August 2000 issue of the Journal of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, investigators at London’s Kennedy Institute for Rheumatology reported that cannabidiol (CBD) administration suppressed progression of arthritis in vitro and in animals.[5] Administration of CBD after the onset of clinical symptoms protected joints against severe damage and “effectively blocked [the] progression of arthritis,” investigators concluded. Daily administration of the synthetic cannabinoid agonist HU-320 has also been reported to protect joints from damage and to ameliorate arthritis in animals.[6]

Summarizing the available literature in the September 2005 issue of the Journal of Neuroimmunology, researchers at Tokyo’s National Institute for Neuroscience concluded, “Cannabinoid therapy of RA could provide symptomatic relief of joint pain and swelling as well as suppressing joint destruction and disease progression.”[7]

REFERENCES

[1] Swift et al. 2005. Survey of Australians using cannabis for medical purposes. Harm Reduction Journal 4: 2-18.

[2] Ware et al. 2005. The medicinal use of cannabis in the UK: results of a nationwide survey. International Journal of Clinical Practice 59: 291-295.

[3] Blake et al. 2006. Preliminary assessment of the efficacy, tolerability and safety of a cannabis medicine (Sativex) in the treatment of pain caused by rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatology 45: 50-52.

[4] No author. 2003. Cannabis-based medicines. Drugs in Research and Development 4: 306-309.

[5] Malfait et al. 2000. The nonpsychoactive cannabis constituents cannabidiol is an oral anti-arthritic therapeutic in murine. Journal of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 97: 9561-9566.

[6] Sumariwalla et al. 2004. A novel synthetic, nonpsychoactive cannabinoid acid (HU-320) with anti-inflammatory properties in murine collagen-induced arthritis. Arthritis & Rheumatism 50: 985-998.

[7] Croxford and Yamamura. 2005. Cannabinoids and the immune system: Potential for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. Journal of Neuroimmunology 166: 3-18.

link to article from NORML:http://www.norml.org//index.cfm?Group_ID=7015

 

[AOD2012]

thank you so much everybody. i can not express in words how much of blessing you guys have been. once again, my mother and i both thank you you from the bottom of our hearts.

 

[MediRI88]

Hello I'm glad some one made a thread about this.... medical cannabis can really help if have any type of arthritis ... I have migrating rheumatoid arthristis and I'm young I'm in my 20s so having it young makes life a real shit whole... but pot make me allmost 85% better .... and it way better then taking 8 advil or Ty a day ... so I would so recommend looking into a medical card if its legal in your state...

 

[grasspass]

My neighbor took more than the recommended amount of alieve for hurting knees for over a year and it killed him !!!! Don't know the details but I was told too much alieve for too long was the root cause. He wasn't even 30 years old yet. The beauty of cannabis is its lack of bad side effects.

 

[AOD2012]

yea it sucks, im on the east coast in a state that does not have a medical law unfortunately. hopefully one day it will be. once again thanks a lot.