Kas, did you do just a few hits or the entire joint? Or did you do brownies or something else?
Another question, did you hurt WORSE the day after you had the pot, from overdoing it the day you smoked it and felt better?
At this rate, I'm desperate and will try anything. Well, not anything but pot at least.
Kitty,
Screw it. If it gives you your life back, screw the people who will judge you for using pot. And I mean that. If a fellow fibro person disapproves of it, I can respect them because they KNOW what we go through and if they choose to opt out of the pot usage, then that's cool. But what does Joe Average know about our pain? How can they judge us without knowing? They can't. And just the thought of you at home all alone with no pain relievers, in pain all of the time with IB on top of that, makes me cringe. As far as i know, pot is less dangerous than opiods and less addictive. If it works, God bless ya.
Thanks for sharing that with us. Thanks to everyone else, too, since this is a touchy subject.
I did four hits the first time because that is what it took to take 100% of the pain away. Swoosh/gone - just like that in an instant and it lasted four hours. Thus I never got high. Then four hours later I took 3 more hits as it didn’t take as much to ease off the pain that was creeping back in.
I have a friend that is a 20 year pot head who did tons of research when I got diagnosed and asked me to give it a try. I was dumbfounded at the results. Now smoking joints or a pipe will burn the back of your throat so vaporizing is definitely the way to go if you determine that it has a positive effect on you. There are quite a few you tube videos of fibromyalgia patients taking medical marijuana using a vaporizer device called the “volcano”, which my friend highly recommends. He calls it the “Bentley” of MJ tools if you can afford it but there are cheaper vaporizers out there.
I agree. I have tried many OTC herbs and supplements. I find that Hemp Oil does help when rubbed directly into the problem area. You can find good Hemp oil at whole food stoles by the vitamins in a refrigerated cabinet and it is very cheap. All the rest did no good.
I started on Hydrocodone 3 years ago for sciatic pain and quickly became addicted. I have gone through several days of withdrawal and would not wish that on my worst enemy. I was taking too many Hydrocodones a day so my general practitioner made me see a pain management specialist where I was put on Oxycotin extended release (15MG - 1 tablet at 12hr intervals) and Oxycodone immediate release (15MG - 1 tablet as needed every 8 hours). I found the it wasn’t enough to make a dent in my pain. Well he ended up bumping up both to 20MG/20MG respectively. My last script I was even given the Oxycodone at 4 times a day. However, the next visit I asked if we could try something else as the pain was just still overwhelming/all the time. I was then put on Opana. Again two types - in extended and immediate release form. Opana is morphine. I was on it for 2 weeks and asked to go back to the Oxy family of meds.
My doctor was on vacation at the time when I called and asked this but I have a good relationship with the center so they called him and he said ok. Their procedure though is that I must drop off/surrender both of the Opana bottles in order to pick up the new scripts. There was another doctor filling in for him that wrote the new scripts. Unfortunately he wrote the Oxycodone up wrong at 15MG 3x/day instead of 20MG 4x/day. I should have looked at the script. I have learned that lesson the hard way. Which brings me to a related topic of compounded frustration - Pharmacies!
Hydrocodone is easy to find at any CVS/Walgreens. However, Opana and Oxy is another story. Pharmacies do not like keeping stock of these drugs for fear of being robbed so they need to order them. Depending on the pharmacy, the order time can vary between 2 - 7 business days. You have to bring in the physical script before they will even check their inventory and because of the DEA database, almost all pharmacists check your order history before deciding to fill your order. Once you find a pharmacy that will take on as a client, they normally insist that you transfer all the rest of your other scripts to them. The problem is that these pharmacies that can get the pain meds in the shortest amount of time tend to be smaller and have limited business hours.
When I dropped off the Opana and picked up the new scripts, it was a Wednesday morning. I rushed to the pharmacy and they actually had the Oxycotin ER 20MG in stock. The Oxycodone had to be ordered. The problem was that they only place their orders once a day at 6am and so the next order would be placed Thursday at 6am and then would come in Monday at noon! That is five whole days without the IM tablets! This is when I found out that the script was for 15MG and only 3x/day. So I had no choice but to take 4 ER tablets a day until Monday which left me in a bind at the end of the 30 day cycle because if all that isn’t enough, I get migraines - and Advil doesn’t work on my migraines. The scripts are controlled so tightly because of the DEA and pill mills. Seriously. The real problem of pain pill over doses (in my opinion) comes from left over meds in parents medicine cabinets that kids take to school and trade or experiment with. I have more to add on the subject but I will close here on pharmacies.
Bottom line - Opiates are seriously addictive and destroy your liver and other internal organs very fast. I encourage you to watch the video from the link I posted above in this thread.
I would also like to know if anyone out there has ever stopped opiates all together and been able to manage their pain solely on marijuana. Some of the blogs I have read lead me to believe that both are needed (with the opiates at a really reduced rate) but I would really like to know if someone has tried and been successful using just the marijuana.
Back in the 90's my NP started me on Darvocet and that's what she kept me on until 2011 for my fibromyalgia adding Nrotin and Tramadol in 2011. I got the shingles and that changed everything! I now have Geniculate neuralgia (cranial neuralgia) and post herpetic neuralgia's affecting my limbs. My pain meds are Oxycontin 40mgs X 2 a day, Neurontin 800 mgs 4 X's a day,Amiltriptiline 50mgs X 3 daily, Requip x 3 a day,Cymbalta 60mgs, Norco 10/325 every 6 hours for breakthrough pain but I usually need 2 Norco to stop the breakthrough. I see my GP today and am asking to be switched to Morphine equivalent as the Oxycontin is $650.00 a month...no can do.
I have been a legal Michigan Medical Marijuana patient for 4 years now. I grow my own and make medibles, tinctures and balms for achy muscles. I've even undergone minor surgery using the tincture.(long funny story involving a 110 year old sliver of wood 3 inches long...I hate the ER!!)
I am 100% for using MM for pain, relaxation, sleep, nausea. The medibles work mainly on the body pain, smoking or vaporizing create a cerebral high. The higher the CBD's the better for pain....THC percentages can also alleviate pain symptoms, the higher the percentage the more "couch lock" or Narcotic effect you get.
I have never felt more pain by using, rather I feel relieved and desensitized by using pot. Certain strains have more medicinal value than others. You have been given all sorts of good info there. I would urge you to give it a try and without judging yourself in any way. It's medicine!
Because I am going through a medication change I had to detoxify the Oxycontin from my system. Not fun at all!! I get no 'high' from the oxy and never have...none of my meds give me any 'high". I can smoke myself stupid...easily, and do, but on purpose for migraines and to help me get through the interim period until my pharmaceuticals kick in.
My husband just saw his cardiologist and was talking to him about me and my afflictions....he told my husband to tell me to smoke more pot. I will certainly try!
I make rock candy and have a list of folks who would tell you it's the best thing they have found that works on body pain and is long acting. They can take it where ever they go and it makes the work day more bearable and manageable. I make all natural honey/hemp cough drop that has been praised with kicking the cold right out of them. It does these things for me as well.
I am disabled, do not drive and live with hubby, 2 of my sons,my daughter/son in law and their 3 children. It's my daughters house and I am quite dependent on them and my husband for my needs but I do work very hard at what I can do and it provides me/loved ones with medicine, critical medicine. I feel so fortunate!
I never felt addicted to anything, just did or didn't get good effects from it. My family says that while on the Oxycontin it put 20 years on me. It feels like a weight to me and am feeling better health wise since stopping it and getting over withdrawals. I have an appointment today to discuss these very things.
I may come back and update. I wish you the very best and if I can help further, please let me know.
Be sweet to yourself!
Always~Laurel aka Northwoods G-Ma
Thank you for sharing. When you say “rock candy” I assume you mean eddibles in that you have infused the MM into candy. When you say you can travel with it does that mean airports as well? Can the dogs at the airports pick it up? I travel a lot on business and am looking for a solution to make me feel normal during the day to deal with my pain but you can’t travel with MM.
I personally have never tried air travel carrying medibles on me but others have ingested my candy prior to air travel...yes the candy is made with CannaCoconut oil and highly flavored but I don't know about dogs being able to detect it/smell it. Perhaps if it was jarred/sealed?
I hope this helps. Good luck to you!
Always~Laurel
Laurel, I appreciate you sharing this part of your story. I know that some people really struggle with the mmj issuel I was a young hippie myself, but we stopped using mj when we had kids. So, to me it's been a little of a quandry. But, I've made my choice.
I got my card several weeks ago. I've been seeing the same woman at my local mmj dispensary. They keep track of what type I have purchased and how I did with each type. She suggests certain types for me depending on what they have in stock at the time. I seem to do best with the high THC and some CBD's. It is wonderful. It even relieves some of the confusion that comes with anxiety. Makes my mind sharper if you can believe that. It's really hard for me to explain at this point, but it's been helpful. Yes, it is medicine.
I was able to get off of vicodin (not fun at all) some time ago, maybe 2010. I was addicted to it. My body was. I use it maybe twice a month now as an emergency fix. I seem to be doing ok with that. My life style has changed since I was on vicodin every day. I was able to keep a real busy lifestyle on vicodin. I have since adjusted my life according to my true ability, which has put me in the position of head cook and chief bottle washer around here. That's ok with me. My husband works hard and I don't mind being the one at home who takes care of those things. Now with the mj on board I am much more content in general.
Laurel, I know it's not possible but I would love to try some of your rock candy. I haven't tried any of the candy edibles yet, because there isn't any specific labeling. The mmj cooks can use a mix of herb to make the candy and since I seem to do way better on certain types I stick with the smoke. I do have some cream that I put on my temples if I can't sleep. It makes me sleepy immediately. My son has been using it on his wrist for his arthritis and it takes away the pain.
Someone asked about the effect on the lungs. I've heard different arguments. I hear that cigarette smoke is much more harmful. Apparently with mj you actually cough more of the bad up and out of the lungs.
Laurel, you have been through it. You are so lucky to be surrounded by family. Thanks again.
Be well,
Kitty