Post by terry on Aug 27, 2016 14:50:10 GMT -6
Given the topic, I logically should post this thread under the “Pain & Sensation“ section of this forum but I felt it was too important to be buried. I have a NST in my lumbar spine that was finally diagnosed after several years. Although it took some time before this symptomatic tumor was treated, my doctors ultimately decided to treat this tumor with a CyberKnife procedure [i.e. radiation]. While the medical literature indicates that a fair proportion of patients that undergo CyberKnife treatment for NST see some pain relief, I had the unfortunate experience that my symptoms [primarily pain down my upper, right leg] got worse.
My higher levels of pain “motivated” me to start searching for effective pain control. Before the CyberKnife procedure, I was primarily on Gabapentin to treat my pain. This drug was effective in helping with my pain but post-CyberKnife treatment, Gabapentin could not really offer an adequate pain control. I was in sufficient pain that I started researching cannabis [marijuana] based medication. I live in California which allows the use of cannabis based products. I consulted with a nurse [who has a business advising chronic pain patients in the use of cannabis in the East Bay in Northern California] and got some idea of what to purchase and how to use it. This is a complex topic and it really requires a great deal of research and/or expert guidance. But here is my bottom line: I was amazed at the amount of relief I obtained through a couple of different cannabis products. One of these products was concentrated cannabis oil that is “vaped” and one is a tincture that is administered under the tongue. I was NOT interested in getting “high” and I found out that it is entirely possible to use cannabis products for pain relief WITHOUT ANY psychoactive results. The key thing is the type of cannabinoids you are using and their ratio to one another. I use a product that contains both CBD and THC in roughly a 1:1 ratio. Obviously another key thing is the amount of cannabinoids that you ingest. In general, you always want to start with a LOW dose and evaluate what happens when you gradually increase that amount. People have a very wide range in how they respond to these products so you need to monitor this process [e.g. track your response] and hopefully discuss it with a knowledgeable person.
I was very reluctant to try anything that is listed as a “Schedule 1 Drug” under Federal/United States guidelines. However, it is now clear to me that cannabis based products ARE very effective for neuropathic pain. It has often been claimed that there is not enough medical evidence to justify the use of cannabis based products but our Federal Government makes it very difficult to do any large scale research into this area of pain relief. There are, however, plenty of research studies done out of this country that demonstrate how effective cannabis based medicine can be. Do your own research and you will find these studies. It is truly unfortunate that the USA has taken such a backwards stand on this important plant.
As Dr. Baaj [who recently started posting on this forum] pointed out to me when I wrote him: it is likely that the treated NS tumor will not be reabsorbed quickly and surgery is not likely going to be the “answer” . [My translation and not Dr. Baaj's words]. The idea of facing intractable pain for a significant amount of time [or possibly the rest of my life] is not an attractive scenario. I don’t expect that pain will disappear from my life BUT I am hoping that it will no longer continue to dominate my existence. I thought I would share this information with others who are dealing with the repercussions of NSTs.
My higher levels of pain “motivated” me to start searching for effective pain control. Before the CyberKnife procedure, I was primarily on Gabapentin to treat my pain. This drug was effective in helping with my pain but post-CyberKnife treatment, Gabapentin could not really offer an adequate pain control. I was in sufficient pain that I started researching cannabis [marijuana] based medication. I live in California which allows the use of cannabis based products. I consulted with a nurse [who has a business advising chronic pain patients in the use of cannabis in the East Bay in Northern California] and got some idea of what to purchase and how to use it. This is a complex topic and it really requires a great deal of research and/or expert guidance. But here is my bottom line: I was amazed at the amount of relief I obtained through a couple of different cannabis products. One of these products was concentrated cannabis oil that is “vaped” and one is a tincture that is administered under the tongue. I was NOT interested in getting “high” and I found out that it is entirely possible to use cannabis products for pain relief WITHOUT ANY psychoactive results. The key thing is the type of cannabinoids you are using and their ratio to one another. I use a product that contains both CBD and THC in roughly a 1:1 ratio. Obviously another key thing is the amount of cannabinoids that you ingest. In general, you always want to start with a LOW dose and evaluate what happens when you gradually increase that amount. People have a very wide range in how they respond to these products so you need to monitor this process [e.g. track your response] and hopefully discuss it with a knowledgeable person.
I was very reluctant to try anything that is listed as a “Schedule 1 Drug” under Federal/United States guidelines. However, it is now clear to me that cannabis based products ARE very effective for neuropathic pain. It has often been claimed that there is not enough medical evidence to justify the use of cannabis based products but our Federal Government makes it very difficult to do any large scale research into this area of pain relief. There are, however, plenty of research studies done out of this country that demonstrate how effective cannabis based medicine can be. Do your own research and you will find these studies. It is truly unfortunate that the USA has taken such a backwards stand on this important plant.
As Dr. Baaj [who recently started posting on this forum] pointed out to me when I wrote him: it is likely that the treated NS tumor will not be reabsorbed quickly and surgery is not likely going to be the “answer” . [My translation and not Dr. Baaj's words]. The idea of facing intractable pain for a significant amount of time [or possibly the rest of my life] is not an attractive scenario. I don’t expect that pain will disappear from my life BUT I am hoping that it will no longer continue to dominate my existence. I thought I would share this information with others who are dealing with the repercussions of NSTs.
