Medical marijuana for nerve pain

[trobert]

www.webmd.com/pain-management/news/20080625/pot-may-ease-nerve-pain-study-shows

Has anyone tried this? Any effect?

[sharma]

I'm sure it helps, but smoking has such secondary effects on the lungs and heart that I would not try it personally as I have asthma.

I say whatever works, everyone's chemistry is different, there should never be shame in pain relief.

[trobert]

How about pot brownies? I was just curious. I smoked some pot in college but it made me antsy and paranoid.

[billanschell]

I'll own up in the name of sharing information: Sometimes it's helpful for me (I smoke it very infrequently; only at night, and when I don't need to have great mental clarity).

My opinion is that it does help, but mainly as a form of distraction. That's not to be discounted, though; the more treatments I've tried (you name it, I've tried it), the more I've realized that distraction is just about as good as anything out there. Other than Neurontin, not many meds seem to really hit any of the pain straight on.

I found it interesting that the study summary included this: "Participants also took tests of mental skills including memory and coordination before and after each smoking session. Their scores, many of which were low to begin with..."

The last sentence implies that the pain itself lowers people's mental skills. I wish it weren't true, but it's not hard to believe that pain affects concentration. I imagine that the other pain meds factor into this, too.

After reading this, you shouldn't be surprised to hear that I think marijuana should be legalized. I think it's less harmful than alcohol (pot smokers don't become belligerent, and don't drive as recklessly); to me the fact that alcohol is legal and marijuana isn't is sheer politics and propaganda.

--Bill

[Todd]

there are ways to use humidifiers or other non-smoking methods to take in the medical grade cannabis. you actually get better drug affect without the harmful smoke.

I've never tried it, but might after I exhaust other methods to control pain.

[billanschell]

There is much more discussion of this topic on the SCI Care Cure Forums (http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=51), which are a great place to get information on pain management. Most of the participants on that forum are victims of spinal cord accidents, and their trauma is usually greater than ours (paraplegia and quadraplegia are pretty common), but the pain they feel is similar. Here's a link to one of their many long discussions on marijuana for pain relief: sci.rutgers.edu/forum/showthread.php?t=101429

--Bill

[Jeff Boyd]

My first surgery was Feb 2002. My third was April 2003
I was in a study using Medecial Marijuana in Canada 2005. I tried Smoking Did not like that. My wife is a great cock, but it took many trys to get it right. 1 brownie is equal to 1 joint. I have been on Gabapenten, Demerol,Diladid, Morphine, Ocycontin and the list goes on and only limited success. I know use diladid long acting morning and evening and 1 brownie on bad days in the evening or 1/2 brownie on good days. I smoked a little in the seventies. It is not the same as it work on the pain first.

[laughingbuddha]

To Bill: Cannabis is legal as medical marijuana in Washington, isn't it? Have you ever had a doctor recommend it? I asked one, and she told me without a beat that is illegal. She is supposedly a "top doc" in Seattle. In any case, I'm heading to the hemp fest this Spring. I'm pretty sure I'll get better information about legal cannabis and how to obtain it with a Rx in this state.

[chefpattyo]

if it helps with pain you cant tell me it does not affect the mind or your driving so you should not be driving a car while smoking it

[billanschell]

I'm not sure exactly what you're trying to say. Pretty much all the meds we take to address pain affect the mind, and their labels usually warn us not to drive after taking them. We all have to assess our body's reaction and drive responsibly.