Gastroparesis and cannabis success-story!

Greetings, Earthlings and Aliens. New user here, though I'm certainly not new to browsing these forums.

Some time after my first year of college, I began waking up light-headed for no reason, and even find myself passing out at random occasionallu (not even from standing up too quickly). I really had no idea the cause, nor did any doctor I visited. I showed zero signs of sickness, weight was up to par (I was always pretty lean and lanky), and my mental health was great at the time. And being that I was staying with my parents at the time, I was not medicating my cannabis like I normally would daily (and all day! Haha).... Well, this weird morning light headedness went on and off for a month or two. Then came the PARESIS. The paralysis. The strangest medical issue I've ever had. I was no longer able to eat. It was gradual while the nausea and fainting episodes started, but boy did it kick into full gear.

As much as a Saltine Cracker would have me throwing up water fland dry heaving for 15 minutes. I dropped from about 185 to 145 in probably a month and a half. No doctor had an answer. I had blood tests and food traced through my GI tract - everything came out normal. A quite renowned doctor told me Iprobably have what is called gastroparesis. Basically, paralysis of the stomach. My stomach's clock was stopped, muscles had spasms when food digested and throwing up would always occur, because my stomach hasn't pushed anything through the intestinal tract and it's full.

Well, one day, being the genius that I am, and a marijuana fanatic, I decided, I'm getting stoned! Within an hour I had a gram or two delivered my way, I made a dumb little waterfall gravity bong out of a plastic bottle, packed a big hit and bam!! Within five minutes I found myself browsing mom and dad's fridge, thinking about what I can put together, thinking "Am I really doing this?" I hadn't had more than applesauce, water, and a piece of bread in weeks. So I started slow - a plum, then a tangerine. OH SO GOOD!!! Sure enough, I made a PB&J with a side salad, downed it, and no problems! Went to my room and played some guitar feeling great.
Well, I tried really really reeeally hard to respect my parents wish for me not to smoke or bring any weed around them. But every few days, I'd pack a TINY little bit, one nice grav hit (no more than a tenth of a gram) and I could eat a whole meal with no pain, no puking. My only cure. After a month of that, I made sure to medicate regularly. And surely, I regained almost all that weight lost, I was eating three healthy meals a day, and my nausea and light headedness went away ALMOST entirely. Every few months it would come back for a few days at the most. Now, it's been a few years and I have had no signs of stomach problems. I medicate daily and maintain a very healthy diet.

I've also found that edible cannabis helps my digestion even more than smoking (though smoking worked just fine lol). Also, some high CBD oil I recently had did fantastic things for my appetite and relieved stomach pains/constipation unrelated to my gastroparesis.

Just wanted to share my experience with medical marijuana. If digestive issues are an issue for you, it's at least worth a consideration! Hope this information was helpful, and I'd love to hear your similar experiences.

Amazing story.

For the first time in a long time, I cold turkeyed my cannabis use. I use solely Concentrates at this point, even for my edibles.
Day 1: Dizziness, nausea, and inability to eat returned. I really didn't think it would..
Miserable, unable to move without needing to dry heave or almost faint.
Day 2: Stomached some crackers and fruit early on, and managed a decent sized dinner even. But all throughout the day and after dinner, sporadic Dizziness episodes hit me HARD and I'm throwing up. And I barely mope slowly throughout the day.
Day 3: Much of the same, ate one meal early in the day and one later in the day. If I don't lie down, I feel about to faint.
It also leaves me unable to sleep, and getting heavy night sweats immediately after FINALLY falling asleep.

I really don't like the idea of being "dependant" on cannabis for my health, but it slaps me in the face it is so obvious. I saw one of the best gastroenterologists around years ago (he's quite credible, but I refrain from naming him/her), and still was told that there's not much I can do but "wait it out" and come back if it gets worse....well, I found my cure, so screw it. I've found so much benefit from cannabis physically, mentally, emotionally, etc at this point, and I have quite a passion for the plant. So I chose to position myself so that I can maintain a healthy diet every day. For me, a part of the diet is cannabinoids.
Just wanted to share my experience. People on other open websites that discuss GP seem to be at a complete loss for options and expect to just live nauseaus 24/7 for the rest of their lives. It's a hell of a disease that ruins your ability to function whatsoever. And how quickly a tiny amount of cannabinoids can do for my digestion...
I love you, Mrs. Mary.

I'm going to link some people to this thread, and I imagine many of them haven't even considered cannabis as a cure. I'm very interested to see the responses.
I wouldn't even wish these constant flu symptoms on my enemies.

Anytime I am constipated or unable to eat (when I know I haven't had nutrition in too long), one simple dab, and I'm eating right, pooping beautifully bowel movements, sleeping well, working and lifting things about 18 hrs a day.
Ananda, for real.

Any sort of "back pain"? Kind of sounds like gall stones (frequently misdiagnosed).

Interesting. It's hard to answer that, considering I've been known to slouch a bit, have very minor scoliosis, and I do wake up with neck/back pains every now and then (knots that need massaging out mostly)...I attribute it to constantly lifting things/working, added to my not so pristine posture, and the thin pillows I've been sleeping on. No major back pains, just knots in render spots, which has been recurring my whole life. Tall people and our hips, necks, backs...
I don't get the stinging pain usually associated with gall stones. I just get light-headed and stomach uneasy, but it doesn't necessarily "hurt."
Blood tests and GI tract monitoring didn't lead doctors to believe it's that, but again, hence the term "misdiagnosis."

Day 4: slowly adjusting, still light-headed, not as nauseaus though. Able to get out/about but not enjoying car rides. Still preferable to lie down.

Salty foods are what I'm able to stomach the most, and was able to have some pasta as well. I'm also feeling up to a soup/salad type of dinner.

Update: I had things to do, had to go to work, etc, and couldn't continue at the time. Back to dabs, and I was fully functional as a human being, student, athlete, worker, etc. No stomach problems except for the occasional runny bowels.

BUT...I am now going on a few-week hiatus. Haven't had cannabis in me all week, and the light-headedness, nausea, and inability to put down anything beyond half a salad and some water per day is a mission.

My goal is to get the issue resolved without cannabis if possible. As magical as it has been for me, and allowing me to access my full potential physically and mentally, I think it only cures the symptoms, but is not appearing to be a permanent cure for the disease. I cannot say that it will not cure someone, but I think it just treated every symptom perfectly, with the disease still underlying (and coming back out when I can't medicate).

More updates coming. Thanks for anyone who has listened to my story ��

I would really like to make myself some CBD capsules and take those daily. For now, I am trying without any cannabinoids, but CBD capsules or infused-foods would be a great option for anyone who has no interest in smoking or tasting marijuana.

Cannabis and gastroparesis

Cannabis and gastroparesis

I have had the exact same gastrointestinal and apparent blood pressure symptoms that you describe and I have found cannabis very helpful. The condition is mostly under control for me but seems to be exacerbated during peak allergy seasons.

You mention that cannabis is simply a "treatment" and not a cure. The medically sanctioned treatment I was given is a dangerous drug with horrible side effects, metaclopromide, and is far less effective than cannabis. Since there is no cure I choose, during times when symptoms are worst, to use cannabis.

Well, I was just saying that it has been a treatment, not a cure, in my case specifically. I cannot say how it will affect others.

I'm really glad you've found it to help as well. I haven't heard of the drug you listed, but remember reading all the horror stories with the medicine given for these symptoms. Most people noted that the nausea got worse, and that's the worst part of it for me.

I've maintained a very "green" diet and have had no problems staying physically active, eating well, and not getting light headed at all.

Peace and love. Ananda.
Thanks for sharing, Connie2!

i am so glad my friend has cannabis. sometimes he doesn't eat. his body just doesn't tell him too and he had gastroparesis sometimes.

when we smoke he eats. it seems he is always eating, but he is just doing that because we always smoke cannabis together.

gastroparesis and berries

gastroparesis and berries

I was just diagnosed with gastroparesis as a type 2 diabetes complication, and I am unsure if the cannabis I take for severe osteo arthritis is helping the gastroparesis. But I have discovered that frozen berries, blackberries raspberries and blueberries, (I buy a 2 kg bag at No Frills for $10 and eat about a cup 3 to 4 times a day) and that helps keep stuff moving.