Chime in if MJ is truly pain-killing medicine for you - I'm confused

[JamieShoes]

I personally do not suffer from pain issues, but my close friend does. He is diabetic with chronic neuropathic pain in his legs and feet... some of the strains I've grown have helped him immensely, in particular northern lights crosses (in this case NHS - how ironic)


best wishes
j

 

[GeorgeSmiley]

No it's not a pain killer for me.... it helps take the edge off.

I've had my condition since highschool and had painkillers then and a few bouts later as I had insurance sporatically back then.

For the last 6 years insured I have refused all pain killers. i get headaches from muscle relaxers and the pain pills just aren't my thing, well, no meds is my thing. No xanax or any of that shit.

Don't drink but a beer or 2 when out once a month, don't smoke

Just herb, physical therapy, herb, accupuncture, herb stretching

Most importantly, I'm happy

Smiley

 

[intel2000]

Great stories guys - keep em coming

 

[dman16]

as others have said it takes the edge off but for me it has nothing on conventional narcotics for management. For me mmj is more useful for spasms although the doctor who wrote my rec said "no one has cards for spasms" even though thats one of the criteria in CO.

edit-i see ppl are mentioning the pain being more acute sometimes and i agree with that happens to me all the time.

 

[K.J]

In my experience, cannabis works best for me when used in conjunction with some amount of opiates.

A year and a half ago I was taking 5 different medications to control my neuropathic pain, my depression/anxiety issues, and other problems associated with the meds I was taking (and I'm talking serious medicines here, not child's play).

Now I take only one of those meds (and half the amount, at that), along with cannabis; this regimen serves to help me manage not only the chronic pain, but also my depression/anxiety conditions.

A goddess-send! And I know it'll only get better with time as I'm able to find the strains that work best for me and propagate only those cuts in my garden, and when I'm finally able to make my own edible/tincture that doesn't over/under medicate me.

 

[big ballin 88]

No it's not a pain killer for me.... it helps take the edge off.

I've had my condition since highschool and had painkillers then and a few bouts later as I had insurance sporatically back then.

For the last 6 years insured I have refused all pain killers. i get headaches from muscle relaxers and the pain pills just aren't my thing, well, no meds is my thing. No xanax or any of that shit.

Don't drink but a beer or 2 when out once a month, don't smoke

Just herb, physical therapy, herb, accupuncture, herb stretching

Most importantly, I'm happy

Smiley

Smiley we have similar situations. I've had chronic back pain since early in high school. I refuse any kind pills especially Xanax, as my mom is addicted and its made her rather crazy.

I do take a more natural approach to to pain pills with laudanum and than MJ supplements that. In the right dosages it keeps my pain to a minimum for an extended amount of time so i don't need to take extra opiates.

I have found that sativa's make the pain feel more extravagant in some cases, leaving me tossing and turning for hours. Than some real good strains put me right to sleep and can sleep a full night.

I also think the biggest benefit of Cannabis medicinally is for those of us with gastrointestinal problems. Due to my acid reflux i get real sick to the point of vomiting, but a little bit of bud will instantly relieve me of that. Almost the same way it works for hangovers(Don't really drink anymore though, makes me sick).

 

[Marywanna]

MJ does work well for IBD pts with gut pain and relieves the constant nausea....but I still have to take Zofran every 6 hours. As for other pain,no,for me it just barely takes the edge off. I cannot tolerate any opiates....so I can take nothing for pain.

 

[Hydro-Soil]

I am a huge MJ advocate - but I just don't see how it is a pain killing medicine. Now, I know these things are hugely personal and I am by no means trying to invalidate any another person's experience. But if I have even a minor pain when I toke up - no matter the strain, time of day or whatever - it becomes more acute. It does not get worse per se - but I become much more in tune with it. Sometimes I say "Wow - I didn't even realize my knee (or whatever) hurt until now" when I smoke. It seems to me that - if anything - MJ would be good for those that have a hard time pinning down their pain -to make it more clearly defined so they better get treatment. I go from "my wrist hurts" to "the pain in my wrist starts here - it travels up this way and gets worse here and ends there"

Just a topic for conversation

K... just a couple questions.

1# What strains (specifically) have you tried?

2# Is this always the same pain you're talking about? Or is it simply any pain you have at all?



So.... nobody mentioned edibles/cannacaps/tinctures. That's kind of odd since that's really the only way to TRULY get rid of the deep and intense pain. Just goes to show how much prohibition prohibits people from being able to afford enough to eat.

It really does depend on the strain and the person as well.... generally speaking though a strain that's "good for pain" will do great in a pill for MANY people... even if the strain isn't quite 'perfect' for them.

Personally.... I have issues with strains that have cannabinoids from indica genetics and so I have to stick with the upbeat, cerebral Sativas. Trainwreck is absolutely marvelous for my body pain... while still keeping me energized enough to complete my day. Princess Diesel does it as well.... with the added benefit of a giggle and clear thoughts to accompany me through the day.

I've been on opiates for extreme nerve pain and cannabis wins... Hands down! They wanted to even upgrade me to the Fentynl(sp?) patch. Totally clueless doctors... blindly following their training. *sigh*


My advice is to sample a different strain for a few days to a week each. This will give you an idea of which strains/lineage you should be looking for that help you best. Once you know which strains you're going to start with... you'll need to get it in tincture/cannacap/edible form. I prefer the cannacap/tinctures because I don't have to "Eat" something 2-4 times a day... just swallow a pill or put a couple drops under my tongue.


It's the only thing that's ever let me sleep through the night, when the pain was intense.

Stay Safe!


Edit: Forgot.... 3# Do you eat for you blood type and avoid any processed/artificial/modified foods/drinks/gum/breath-mints/ANYTHING? This has a SIGNIFICANT affect on the ability of your body to "alert" you to things.

 

[Tony Aroma]

I think it really depends on the cause/source of the pain. I have migraines, and sometimes a little smoke makes a headache disappear completely. Other times it has little or no effect. Same with all the other migraine medications I've tried over the years, although none of them ever really got rid of a headache the way mj often does. My conclusion (I'm not a physician) is that I get two different kinds of headaches -- one kind treatable with mj and the other kind not. At least that's my working hypothesis.

FWIW, I believe that mj is really only an effective treatment for conditions that involve the endocannabinoid system (the parts of your body that produce THC-like chemicals). If the problem is caused by an endocannabinoid imbalance in your body, then mj may help. If not, it probably will have little effect other than taking your mind off the problem.

 

[Bulldog11]

Cannabis helps me out with a ton of different ailments. I like to use edibles if I have more intense pain. Smoking pure oil also helps with intense pain. Smoking buds seems to help alleviate everyday wear and tear. I find I can wake up with less pain and less stiffness if I smoke a bowl before bed or during the middle of the night.

I have heard that cannabis does not help, but intensifies post-surgery pain. Anybody to comment on that?

 

[Danks2005]

I've hade 10 herniated discs in my back since car accident in high school, every disc in my c-spine, and a few in t and l-spine, with 2 pushing into the thecal sac(nerve bundle). That said, i have chronic pain throughout my back, mostly in the neck, muscle spasms in the lumbar. I take hydrocodon, tramidol, and soma's. Which all have their place, but the problem is the tolerance builds very quickly, and increasing dosage leaves you wrecked w/ side effects. When I have a constant supply of mj my pills last much longer, and i feel more normal more often. Without mj I feel more like a druggie, and it's harder to function throughout the day somtimes. In my experience injesting the mj is the ticket to pain releif. My back also makes it very hard to sleep most nights, and for this i like to smoke something indica dominant. Also in my experience NOTHING takes the pain away completely, just help get my mind off it (specially the opiates and mj), though the soma's are fantastic for spasms, and can't be replaced when the muscle pain and spasms are bad.

Oh, it's also great for nausea, headaches, hangovers (though I haven't drank in years), stress, and just plain ole good for the head

 

[Hydro-Soil]

completely disgusting to see so many people on opiates.

If you're on opiates and you've never had canna-caps or tinctures that were strong enough and of the correct strain.... You're truly missing out. Do yourself a favor and seek it out, especially if you are going to be on them for a looong time. You'll thank yourself for YEARS and YEARS and YEARS for getting off that bullshit.

Opiates are F'n crap and have a limited use. Billions served though.


Stay Safe!

 

[FarOut1]

completely disgusting to see so many people on opiates.

If you're on opiates and you've never had canna-caps or tinctures that were strong enough and of the correct strain.... You're truly missing out. Do yourself a favor and seek it out, especially if you are going to be on them for a looong time. You'll thank yourself for YEARS and YEARS and YEARS for getting off that bullshit.

Opiates are F'n crap and have a limited use. Billions served though.


Stay Safe!

Do you have a serious condition with cronic pain so bad you can't function, something thats there everyday?

Yes opiates suck, but so does livin with cronic pain.

If i ingest enough mj to help the pain i will be so high i can only eat & sleep so for me mj cant replace them coz a dose of opiates that will help with the pain, still leaves me in a mode where i can do something.

MJ is Essential coz it's much more than pain relief...

Essential

 

[Rip Bong Winkle]

There is no evidence MJ helps with pain at all.

It might either:
A: be a placebo and people want it to work, so it works
B: you just forget about the pain because you are high.


If it works, it works, but it isn't a true pain reliever.

 

[hard rain]

There is no evidence MJ helps with pain at all.

It might either:
A: be a placebo and people want it to work, so it works
B: you just forget about the pain because you are high.


If it works, it works, but it isn't a true pain reliever.

I think there is loads of evidence that cannabis helps reduce pain. I use it for back pain from a disc protrusion. It is not a miracle cure, however it is on par with some of the prescribed opiate based products and also helps immensely with depression that can be associated with chronic pain. I also have a friend with MS and she swears it helps with pain.

cannabis and pain:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080626150628.htm
Edit: You do need to shop around for the right varieties for effective pain management.

 

[Rip Bong Winkle]

I think there is loads of evidence that cannabis helps reduce pain. I use it for back pain from a disc protrusion. It is not a miracle cure, however it is on par with some of the prescribed opiate based products and also helps immensely with depression that can be associated with chronic pain. I also have a friend with MS and she swears it helps with pain.

cannabis and pain:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080626150628.htm
Edit: You do need to shop around for the right varieties for effective pain management.

Did you read the very article you linked, or did you just copy and paste from google? The article is about neuropathic pain, pain caused by damaged nerves. Working for neuropathic pain doesn't mean it is a true pain reliever. Study doesn't show it will help me if I tear a muscle or bruise a bone. I know morphine will though.

 

[johnnybhang]

Some people use aspirin others use tylenol. Some people kill pain with alcohol others mj. Its pointless to argue these types of things. Its like saying one kind of music is better than the other or one color is nicer than another. Its entirely a personal preference or what you feel better with. The important thing with mj though is proven health benefits that go along with what is seen as subjective pain relief by many.

 

[EatMoGrass]

I have chronic back/neck pain from a car crash almost ten years ago. I have found that for my pain smoking even the most potent organic buds to be only moderately effective. Smoking good hashish is much more effective. However eating cannabis is every bit as effective as my prescribed Oxycontin for my pain management. Eating homegrown organic cannabis has helped me reduce my use of Prescribed Oxycontin by over 80%! And this is with an extremely limited stash of homegrown do to unrelated problems. I feel that with enough quality organic homegrown cannabis I could be free of narcotics for good.

 

[One Love 731]

Ganja is the only medicine.

 

[One Love 731]

Ganja is the only medicine.