Pain Question...

[BuddhaJenn]

Hey, Ive been sick for about 4yrs now. They still cant figure out whats wrong. They think its some kind of auto immune disorder though. Anyways, I have been in constant, severe pain for almost as long as ive been sick. Im basically in pain all over my body, the upper right side of my abdomen and my joints. I always am weak and fatigued. I feel nauseas alot, and just sick. Ive tried almost every pain medicine. I just recently tried marijuana, and it helped alot the first couple times. Then I didnt smoke for like 2 months. I started smoking again a couple days ago, ive smoked like 3 times so far. I dont know if its the kind of pot, or if im not smoking enough. But, its not helping the pain very much, and it doesnt last very long. Its actually kind of uncomfortable because my head is foggy, but im still in pain. I just wondered if anyone could give me some suggestions.:) Thank you.

[Storm Crow]

There are two basic types of cannabis used for medicine Sativas and indicas. They have rather different effects.

Indicas are usually better for pain relief. They tend to "couch-lock" you. They have fat shorter leaves and rock hard buds.

Sativas are more "cerebral" and are nice for partying. They have long skinny leaves and fluffy buds.

Most cannabis is a hybrid between these two types.

Cannabis has a complex mixture of several cannabinoids. THC affects CB1 receptors - that the ones that gets you high- among other things. CBD (the #2 chemical in cannabis) affects the CB2 receptor and won't get you high, but kills pain and mellows you out. Different strains of cannabis have varying amounts of these two cannabinoids (and a mess of other minor ones) all of which affects your high and pain relief!

The first batch of cannabis had the right balance for you. The second did not. Ask your dealer what you are getting. Does it have a "brand name"? Is it indica or sativa dominant? Are the buds hard or fluffy? A little more experience will help you figure out what you need.

I hope I haven't confused you too badly! Now, to continue your education, I want you to read this- It's long and hard to read in spots, but you NEED the info!

Clinical Endocannabinoid Deficiency (full - 2004)
http://www.freedomtoexhale.com/clinical.pdf

When you finish that, go down to the links in my sig. See the one that says MMJ studies? Click it and start reading! :thumbsup:



Granny :hippy:

[BuddhaJenn]

Oh, Ive already learned all that stuff. I was researching it for over a year before actually trying some. Unfortunatly I live in a state that doesnt have MMJ. But, ive tried everything, and nothing helps as much as marijuana. I dont have a dealer. I have like 3 friends who get it for me. I have no idea where they get it, and they probably get it from a friend too. The kind I had before and the kind I have now both look the same. Small buds, kind of hard. This one I have now smells better than the other though. But, I have no idea which kind it is. Both feel pretty much the same. I think the other was maybe stronger or something. Idk. I smoked more the other day, and it helped more. It doesnt make the pain go away completely, but it makes my muscles relax, and it numbs my body up a bit, so I dont feel the pain as intense. Its also really helping with the nausea. Only problem is, sometimes I dont feel like smoking. But, I dont want to mess with cooking it or anything like that, because I dont trust that method. It takes like an hour to kick in, and you dont really know how much is in it.lol I also cant afford a vaporizer. Would a bong be better? I use a small pipe right now. Thanks for the help.:)

[WashougalWonder]

Just info for you....
Not much of your age or medical condition was stated, but....

Anyone consider fibromyalgia?
Are you taking any type of statin drug to lower your cholesterol?

[BuddhaJenn]

Just info for you....
Not much of your age or medical condition was stated, but....

Anyone consider fibromyalgia?
Are you taking any type of statin drug to lower your cholesterol?

I said as much as I know. They havent been able to figure out whats wrong. They thought fibromyalgia, and ive been on literally every medicine for fibromyalgia, and they didnt do anything. So, they were like, guess you dont have that. Then they did tests, and found some stuff pointing to an autoimmune disorder. They are just doing more testing now...

And, im 19. Been sick since I was 14.

[FlyinPolynesian]

Unfortunately youʻre in florida, and itz gonna be an issue for ya trying to find medicine. I would suggest you trying to hook up with the Local NORML chapter in your area. They might be able to help in some capacity, but florida is like Texas when it comes to ganja:(

[NewOptionsWelln]

RE: "upper right side of my abdomen and my joints. I always am weak and fatigued. I feel nauseas alot"...

While not a licensed naturopath, I have experience with similar symptoms, and you may want to look into finding either a naturopathic or doctor of oriental/chinese medicine (OMD, ND, TCM) which I find to be most affordable and helpful for chronic issues; I too have given up on conventional/allopathic medicine for this kind of health issue, they only can prescribe drugs and offer surgery, none which help the root cause. Sounds like you could benefit greatly from a Liver/Gallbladder cleanse/flush (upper abdomen and nauseau). There are several versions that you'll find on the net or in health food stores, but I recall the first time I did one years ago, it was amazing how much more energy and freedom from overall pain I experienced literally the same day I did the cleanse; now I do it once or twice a year and it never ceases to amaze, even my eyes are then much less sun-sensitive, esp for light colored eyes (eyes and liver are recognized to be closely connected in both these practices, and if you try this you'll see).

The cleanse I do is really simple: 2-3 days eating only apple products, ie applesauce, diluted applejuice, whole apples etc; pear also has the malic acid that works to soften any potential gallstones, but apple is easy to find and cheap, and of course organic and fresh are best over canned or pasteurized if you look for it. You will have enough energy from this to usually continue your daily routine though rest when tired is essential to really heal anything, but no other foods or drink except lemon juice is ok (not fake lemon drinks) diluted with water but no sweetener other than maybe stevia which does not trigger the usual sugar problems. Then just before bed on the 2nd and 3rd nights, you take 4 oz each of good quality olive oil and lemon juice mixed, a blender works well. Suck this down quickly with a straw (hold your nose helps) so you don't gag from the oil separating from the juice, kinda wierd but I do it fast in like 10 seconds and hold my nose. Then go directly to bed, lay on your right side with your right knee pulled toward your chest and try to go to sleep and stay in this position - it concentrates the cleansing mixture through the gallbladder and works to carry out the old bile and junk accumulating in the gallbladder. In 3-7 hours you'll wake up with an urge to visit the bathroom, maybe with a bit of nausea but this passes when you evacuate the bowel. Out will come green gallbladder sludge, from sand size to possibly marble size, which from what I've studied is the material that could potentially become gallstones, but others suggest it's the coagulating oil. Whatever it is, it feels incredible to have this come out, and this mixture carries gallbladder waste sludge out very efficiently, and your body will work better digesting fats, which is part of the cause. I will never forget how much better I felt instantly after doing this - it affected my entire body and sense of being well, and the pain under the right ribcage disappeared - and I had that since about 16 too. I am now careful not to consume bad trans-fats, high-fructose-corn-syrup, or even factory-farmed animal products of any sort. I did this first at about age 22 and have done them every year for more than 20 years, and it always feels great, esp now during spring a cleanse is terrific.

I highly recommend 2 websites for health and proper diet info: WestonAPrice.org, and Mercola.com. You will almost certainly feel better instantly, and it's so easy to do when you have the motivation from pain, nausea, chronic fatigue, etc. I find MMJ to work well for ongoing pain issues unrelated to the liver/gallbladder issues, but when you cleanse the system it just works better in every way. I would like to hear your experience if you'd like to send me a message. Food is such a panic topic in our lives, most people freak at the thought of going for a few days without their regular food and drinks, but that's often what causes problems over time. If you're a normal teenager who glugs slurpies and all kinds of frankenstein chemicals sold as "food" products, eats plenty of fast-foods loaded with the worst kind of fats, these are called "junk foods" for a reason. They fill you up but it's like maybe filling your car with crap oil and tainted gas - it won't run well or long. Choose what you put into your body based on how it supports your health (physical, emotional, mental, spiritual) and you will see your life improve and change dramatically, in all facets of your being.

Chinese medicine takes a little different approach, using herbs to slowly cleanse the liver and gallbladder, but I have definitely found that the faster cleanse is quite easy to do and creates a really dramatic positive shift in health that you feel throughout your being. Only the first time did I have any nausea, now when I do it no big deal, so I truly feel it's because I keep my L/GB clean with a proper diet (above sites) get some regular exercise, and stay away from alcohol with these sensitivities - it makes it worse.

Also, IF you us MMJ I highly recommend vaporizing or using CannaTincture, for everyone but especially in your case with classic symptoms:thumbsup: :D

[NewOptionsWelln]

meant to mention how supportive and helpful colonics, especially coffee ones, are. Colonic Therapists are pretty easy to locate in most areas, and charge usually $50-100 per session depending on where you live. Here in Boulder they run about $75. It really accelerates the cleansing process because likely your large intestine - the bowel - is often congested with all the crap most of us have shoveled into our mouth all these years, and coffee used in this way stimulates the bile duct too, while not having a caffeine buzz, and feels great immediately after. It greatly augments the cleanse, and I cannot give it enough thumbs-up. Some people like purchasing a "Colema Board" which allows you to do these at home, and is more thorough than an enema and I think can do as well as a colonic. Also eat light, fresh food after, ie try to not revert back to any old, harmful ways of eating or living. IF you smoke cigs, you should stop, period. If you crave sweets, salty chips, junk food, just try to build some self-control and courage to really eat healthy everything for even a month; it'll amaze you. Get well, BE:thumbsup: well

[zelgadis21]

It sounds like chronic fatigue syndrome but I'm not a doctor. Chronic fatigue syndrome - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronic_fatigue_syndrome)

[Purple Banana]

I have had fibromyalgia since I was 16- I'm 22 now. Yours sounds similar; I've taken many of the FDA approved and not approved medications for the pain, and the majority of times, they DON'T work. I've had physicians push anti-depressants, anti-convulsants, and heavy opiates on me, all with negative or no effect.

When you have something going on for many years, and can't figure out what's wrong, that's one of the most frustrating and painful aspects of what you're going through. in the case of Fibromyalgia, I was always told I was making it up, there was no such thing, it's depression, or I'm a pain medication addict- none of which are even slightly true.

Cannabis does help with my flare-ups, but day-to-day pain is another thing. If nothing has been working, you have two choices- wallow in pain, become depressed, and maybe lead to disability, or you can accept that this pain is now a part of you, and do everything you can to make each day count. I didn't figure out the second option until I was about 21, and I do have pain every day, but it's so much easier to deal with when I strive for happiness in everything I do.

Meditation has worked wonders for me- not only as a mental AND physical break from the pain, but in grounding me as someone who can easily deal with it, much better than I could have ever before.

Best of luck, man. Hang in there.

[WashougalWonder]

I've taken many of the FDA approved and not approved medications for the pain, and the majority of times, they DON'T work. I've had physicians push anti-depressants, anti-convulsants, and heavy opiates on me, all with negative or no effect..... in the case of Fibromyalgia, I was always told I was making it up, there was no such thing, it's depression, or I'm a pain medication addict- none of which are even slightly true.
...
Cannabis does help with my flare-ups, but day-to-day pain is another thing.



Wow, I sure hear that, the looking for drugs, making it up, blah. Fibro sucks, and it does exist. Being a male, it was impossible to get docs to even consider it. I ended up with the DX, but I still am out to lunch on that because it has been much better since getting off one type of medication. I still have to total body discomfort, but now more isolated to specific joints.

I whole heartedly agree that the MJ helps with flares. It depends on the type of pain. Anything that has associated muscle spasms it does resolve the pain. Arthritic joint type pain, it makes it less intense. More than anything, the MJ helps me TOLERATE the frigging discomforts my body throws at me. Even high end narcotics don't kill the pain, just dull you to responding to it. The side effects of the narcotics are so bad for me I prefer to deal with the pain...we are talking after major surgery I make them stop the narcotics...they think I am crazy. Most folks do not understand a person who lives in pain.

Do not let your pain make you a bitter person. I went through a phase of that and it only intensifies the pain. Been living in pain since 1993, like eating, peeing, and sleeping, part of everyday life. Use it to make you stronger.

Personally I think the high colonic is a crock of crap, provide me with medical documentation why this can cure pain and why the action in the colon causes the pain. (Verifiable medical published documents please)

[Kanepes]

Great info, thanks for sharing!

[Nancy007]

I really hope they can find out what you have, so you don't have to wonder. I worked at a hospital for 4 years, so I'm aware of some things that it could be based on what I've been around, however I am not an actual doctor. It does sound like fibromyalgia, but it also sounds a bit like lupus, which is an autoimmune disease. Any history of lupus in the family?

[WashougalWonder]

I really hope they can find out what you have, so you don't have to wonder. I worked at a hospital for 4 years, so I'm aware of some things that it could be based on what I've been around, however I am not an actual doctor. It does sound like fibromyalgia, but it also sounds a bit like lupus, which is an autoimmune disease. Any history of lupus in the family?

Good one, I forgot about Lupus, but don't they usually feel okay and have flares now and then?

[Purple Banana]

Personally I think the high colonic is a crock of crap, provide me with medical documentation why this can cure pain and why the action in the colon causes the pain. (Verifiable medical published documents please)

The evidence for a lot of CAM (Complimentary and Alternative Medicine) is weighed more against than with. I'm definitely all for an open mind, but the bowel (unless afflicted by Crohn's, diverticulitis, etc.) is a wonderful self-cleansing machine. When colonics are performed, the residue comes out, and the practitioner claims "Oh! Look at all that toxic sludge that was in your bowels, and causing you :insert condition X here:!"

The bowels don't deliver stool in one little minute package. As long as you're eating, there is constantly stool or variations thereof nestled and being digested in the pockets of your small and large intestines. This is normal. If it's excessive, it doesn't mean the person needs a hose stuck up their rectum, it means they should incorporate more fiber in their diet.

As for the olive oil and lemon juice? These things do not "cleanse" the liver. They just go through your system. Gallbladder sludge and excessive bile salts accumulate only with cholecystitis- a clogged bile duct, or gallstones. Bile and bile salts are necessary to digest many fats- including the fat in the olive oil, which the author of the above post seems to think will clean it out- the liver itself is a sophisticated and very competent toxic filtering device. What it can't filter, I can guarantee you won't be eliminated by lemon juice and olive oil.

The malic acid argument is invalid- Malic acid is digested in the stomach and the bowels... The gallbladder is a one-way valve system which empties into the stomach/intestine via the common bile duct- drinking malic acid will only effect the stomach and bowels after the gallbladder. It won't magically go back up and clear the gallstones.

Be skeptical of treatments. Doesn't mean be cynical, but review as many published peer-reviewed journals if you have doubt about treatment for your pain.