Neurontin made me suicidal. I think I'd take my chances with the MJ if it worked in that way for me.

All drugs have sides. Some worse than others. When a drug creates more problems than what it was given for...well, that makes no sense to me.

you aren't selling are you?

you aren't breaking any rules. it's a good discusion.

I totally agree, Curious. It's a topic many people are afraid to bring up, and many more just don't know anything about it. I have had many discussions about mj with people in the oddest places, lol... mainly in game rooms online. You might be surprised how many elderly ladies playing bingo are interested in the subject.

It usually starts out with us discussing aids, another subject many people have troubles talking about. But once they find someone online willing to be open about it, the questions come flooding out. And once they find out I use Marinol and have smoked pot in the past (and would again today if someone had some, lol) they have even more questions, mainly about how it would pertain to their particular health complaint.

There is only one serious side effect to consuming (no, you don't have to smoke it, although that is the usual method) mj... it's a possible weight gain. But from what I hear, the meds like Neurontin are even worse. Not all mj gives one "the munchies", most do. But you can counter-act that by keeping good healthy snacks at the ready. Have carrot sticks, broccoli celery and dip available in the fridge... don't wait to make it after you've taken your medicine. You will probably say "why bother?" and reach for a candy bar.. or call pizza hut, lol.

If you smoke it, alot of damage can be done. It is highly resinous and the smoke in general is worse that cigs. Cig smokes usually do worse as they smoke more often. Eating it is relatively safe.

I totally disagree with the statement that the smoke is worse than cigs. The fact that you smoke much less of it than you do cigs makes a huge difference too.

Also, smoked mj is an expectorant... it helped me cough up the nasty junk the cig smoking left behind! (It also doesn't cause cancer... maybe emphazema, but not cancers.) As the peeps in the rsd forum know, and I'm pretty sure this is true in other conditions... the active ingredient in expectorants is a major no-no. It can have some horrible reactions with other meds.

But instead of traditional smoking methods, a vaporizer is a much better way to consume your meds. There are others who can explain it much better than I... such as NORML. Here is a link: http://www.canorml.org/healthfacts/vaporizers.html

However, it is highly recommended that you eat it instead of drawing it into your lungs. There are many ways to do so, from salads to cookies/brownies. I was a moderator on a medical mj site, and one of my fav areas was the recipes section. I still know some of them if anyone cares to PM me.

Hello Sky spirit
I want to response to your questions about taking herbs. Along with an anti-depressant taken at low dosages to take care of neuropathic pain, I also take omega 3, vitamine C's, for summer time. In winter I add salmon oil. The natural elements of my daily intake targets the pain in my joints specifically.
Last year I was taking vitamine C's at the dosage of 3-4,000mgs daily. It helped me tremendously. I now lowered the vit C's because my body tells me that I don't need as much.
Personally I believe that conventional medicine and allopathic medicine can be friends and complement each other as long as one has studied the interaction between the two. My pain level can become quite intolerant to say the least, I refused to be in pain constantly and become inactive as a result of it. So I take both. My neurologist is aware of it as well and has approved.
It is thought that herbal preparations are not as potent or damaging as chemically prepared meds. I have a different outlook about that. I feel the herbal preparations can be as damaging as the chemical meds if not taken properly. One has to be careful not to damage the liver which is the Great Filter of all.

louise
arachnoiditiscanada.com