I have been searching online for any new pain medications that actually work that don't have many side effects, and what I found most often was medical marijuana! Does anyone use it or have you tried it? if so, did it help and how well compared to other pain meds? I am considering it. I read that it has many benefits and comes in various forms. It reduces inflammation and can suppress the disease without dangerous side effects. I tried it about 40 years ago and didn't care much for it. I was 20 and unlike my friends I enjoyed mental clarity more. However, I didn't have PsA and pain then. Now that I am retired I don't need MENTAL CLARITY. LOL It is not legal here in Ohio, but it is pending. Please let me know about your experience with it.
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MMj is more complicated to use than most of the meds we use. To use weed that is NOT coming from a certified grow operation and a known hybrid is asking for trouble. There are two major strains (breeds if you will) Sativa and Indica, The high produced from smoking Indica bud is a strong physical body high that will make you sleepy or ‘couch-locked’ and provides a deep relaxation feeling compared to a Sativa high, which is known to be more energetic and uplifting. But that being said Indica dominant marijuana strains tend to have a strong sweet or sour odor to the buds (ex. Kush, OG Kush) providing a very relaxing and strong body high that is most helpful body pain, and sleeping disorders. The problem is that it also produces a type anxiety that will make PsA symptoms worse
The blend the various strains to produce different effects the better dispensaries have actual hybrids and will mix according to leaf, bud etc etc for specific effects. Get the wrong one and things can get real bad real quick. This isn't the pot of any of our youths. Street Pot is incredibly dangerous. The sad fact is this. the vast majority of Medical Marijuana growers, providers, users, and proponents are burned out old hippies living in a world of rationalization and made up "facts"
That being said getting stoned for an evening isn't entirley a bad thing,. But that is all it is. it doesn't treat or Cure PsA so take the rest of your meds. Scotch is cheaper and tatses better (unless of course its baked into brownies..... then itsd ALMOST as tasty as scotch
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Reply by annroberts54 19 minutes ago
I asked this very question on a separate thread the other day. Didn't get a lot of responses, compared to what other threads seemed to get. Only a few people said that they had tried it, had gotten some relief from it.
I don't have a source for legal but on rare occasions have gone for the illegal. I have to totally agree with you on the mental clarity issue. I stopped using it as a young person because I had to have a clear head to deal with my responsibilities at the time. Now I have only a few minor things to take care of and honestly, when my back is relaxed I can get things done so much easier. I can just take a few puffs and my muscles start to relax and I can stop before I get silly or wasted, as we used to say.
I have major side effects from all over the counter anti-inflammatories. And all pain meds make me sick to my stomach. I am not yet on biologics so what options do I really have? And why should I have to depend on meds that can damage my stomach, kidneys and liver when I can have just a self regulated dose of something that is not known for having damaging side effects. Other than the risk if you smoke and drive, or eat too much from the munchies. I guess there is still some evidence that smoking too much might raise the risk of lung cancer. Then I would be glad to eat it instead.
But I do know, from working with kids with cancer and their families, that none of the pill forms of MM they prescribe do much at all. And when those same parents went and got the real thing, they found their children benefited greatly. So I don't want anyone to prescribe this waste of medicine for me. Just legalize MJ and it would not only benefit those of us with chronic pain disorders, cancer and epilepsy but also totally reform the prison system along with the welfare system.
The only prescriptions I take now are: MTX, Enbrel, Folic Acid, Celebrex & Leucovorin. Recently, after several years, I stopped: Prozac, Norco, Tramadol, Simvastatin, Metolprolol, Triamterene because I felt like a zombie! I feel much better, losing weight, and my hair is getting thicker. I researched all of the side effects of these drugs that I have taken for years and I had most of them! I am taking supplements to replace them. Sometimes I have severe shoulder, low back, and hip pain and I need something for acute pain. My family doc had me try Cymbalta for a month, it helped but it has many side effects, withdrawal, and it has to be taken every day. So I didn't refill it. I am considering Marijuana for acute pain, only when it is severe so I would not leave my house. Since I am not working, I don't have to have clarity, just pain relief so I can sleep. Thank you for the information. 
Andy, PLEASE do not smoke pot. (I'm not against it for any moral reasons) I do not have your charts but Simvastatin, Metolprolol, Triamterene are some very VERY heavy duty meds. Even if you are not taking them NOW the condition for taking them earlier prolly still exists. The chance of stroking out because of the effects are high.
My total cholesterol was never higher than 182. I had a sepsis infection 3 years ago and my BP dropped so low that I had a heart attack, it didn't do any damage. My doctor prescribed those meds for preventative reasons. My BP is 120 over 80, much better and stable than it ever was on the drugs. I am planning to see my doctor Friday and discuss the Marijuana idea, before I would ever actually smoke it. I also have a tracheotomy from an auto accident when I was 22, so I would rather use it in a different form if possible.
speaking to your doc is the best choice
Interesting article about marijuana use.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/03/marijuana-deaths_n_3860418.html
I asked my doctor about this yesterday when she took me off sulfasalazine, she said she couldn't talk about it because I live in NY but she said use it at your own risk , she didn't say no,
I do know people who use it and get relief from inflammation HOWEVER , the biggest problem with this treatment is the product itself , you need to get it from a reputable source - the best source in my opinion being to grow your own so you can make sure you get the right kind and its pure
street pot can have all kinds of bad things in it- so I wouldn't recommend using street pot no more than I suggest you buy advil from a guy on a corner.
I would talk to your doctor
here is a link form national geographic, which I consider to be a good non hippie unbiased source on this
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/06/080624-marijuana.html
A few people in my autoimmune disease support group use MMJ (legal in WA). They've also reported some problems when trying new strains (paranoia, one person passed out and needed an ambulance!). But once they have something that works, they said one to two puffs is all they needed. They told me (it's always in the back of my mind as an option), to always have someone there just in case something weird happens.
Hi.. I have wondered about taking marijuana for PsA. I live also in California and can use medical Marijuana... but I would like to know if you can take a couple of puffs now and then if you are on Methotrexate... I know you cannot drink alcohol - I prefer pot anyway for muscle relaxation.
As I am in New Zealand at the moment.. I cannot ask my doctor here.... totally illegal in this country.
I live in Florida and it is not legal, Personally, I find it to be very effective at relieving pain, but I really don't like the mental effect. How far are you from Michigan? Try it
A recent thread that you will probably find interesting:
http://discussion.livingwithpsoriaticarthritis.org/forum/topics/medical-marijuana-journey?xg_source=activity
Let it be noted that medical marijuana is not always "smoked" but taken as a vapour with a particular hand held unit that creates the vapour. I have a friend that has a prescription for it for his chronic back pain. I really don't think anything should be ruled out until all the facts are in. It's only meant to be temporary relief. I think many factors on its effects will depend on how and how often it is used. Smoking pot will not get the chemical out that you may need for the relief of inflammation.
That being said, it is still relatively new as treatment and many people including doctors don't know much about it. Docs just don't like to admit that.
I would like to try a pill form. I have a tracheotomy, so smoking would be difficult.
Dini said:
Let it be noted that medical marijuana is not always "smoked" but taken as a vapour with a particular hand held unit that creates the vapour. I have a friend that has a prescription for it for his chronic back pain. I really don't think anything should be ruled out until all the facts are in. It's only meant to be temporary relief. I think many factors on its effects will depend on how and how often it is used. Smoking pot will not get the chemical out that you may need for the relief of inflammation.
That being said, it is still relatively new as treatment and many people including doctors don't know much about it. Docs just don't like to admit that.
I think it's good for us all to explore options.I don't know what all the options are for they type of treatment. Andy do you have a doc you can speak to about this ? Some are not always open to this type of discussion.
If you use pot, get a vaporizer. You get the good without the bad. In the fifties, my mother had hemp in the medicine cabinet. It’s been working on my pain for six years with MTX and marjuana. Also watch as much comedy as possible,especially before going to bed! Laughter is the best medicine!
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My rheumy said some of her patients use it and benefit from it. She said she doesn’t recommend it but that she’d sign my app for a med card. She also said to try it before going through all the trouble of getting a card to see if it helps me. I thought that was funny. I’m hoping to find tinctures or edibles. I think they’d be easier to dose consistently and hope to find a high-free option. I’ve smoked it and do feel it helps. Hydrocodone and tramadol cut my pain by maybe 20% often less. Hydrocodone causes me severe nausea and makes me edgy and jittery. Tramadol makes me high and mentally fuzzy. Smoking provides about a 30% reduction in pain. Even more valuable is the calming effect. I get so worked up and anxious about the pain. For me MJ helps but I felt it was really important to speak with my rheumy. Drug interactions are complex. If my state didn’t have medical pot I’d probably move to one that does. That’s how much it helps.
Very good point! I worry about effects of smoking.
Dini said:
I think it’s good for us all to explore options.I don’t know what all the options are for they type of treatment. Andy do you have a doc you can speak to about this ? Some are not always open to this type of discussion.