[kebsa]

Sorry you guys are having to deal chronic pain, i have had to deal with for close to 20 yrs ( way before the ms) and i did try MJ out of desperation and did not get any relief- i eventually went to a pain clinic and after several yrs of trying different options i eventually had an intrathecal medication pump surgically implanted that delivers a continuous dose of morphine to my spine- it is also programmed to give me a small bolus first thing in the morning then early evening to help cope with the times my pain usually gets worse- i have to go back to the pain unit to have the pump refilled once a month- the pump is programmed using a hand held computer so i cannot alter it. The pump has been a not so minor miracle for me, i still have bad days but every day used to be a bad day and i was close to suicide- chronic pain is no joke, it is a killer. As for the addiction issue, my body would be dependant on the medication now in much the same way that ones body gets dependant on blood pressure medication but i don't get any kind of buzz or high from the medication, when the talk of drug addiction they are referring to how the persons whole life becuase centred on getting the next fix- my pump helps function like a normal person. I also have some neuropathic pain both from MS and phantom pain from an amputation, lyrica seems to cover that for me. I guess all i am trying to say is that there is usually some relief available for chronic pain, it may take much longer than we want to find the right answer but tht is mainly becuase pain is a much more complex issue than one would think ( it is only in recent yrs they are realizing just how true that is) i would encourage anyone with chronic pain to seek referral to a pain management clinic, just as it is wise to see an MS expert to deal with MS, pain needs to be assessed in its own merits and therefore should be seen by a pain specialist even when it is part of a condition such as MS. There are no miracle cures for chroinic pain but there are some answers to make it more tolerable and i hope you can find you solution soon

[FlyFishin Momma]

Thanks Kebsa......very well spoken.........I do not have any idea if there is a pain center anywhere near me..........I live in a very remote country place and dr are hard to come by...esp good ones. I may begin looking into that.
I also am thinking yoga or some sort of streaching would be a good way for me to start working out the stiffness and kinks rather then jumpin on the pain killer/pain center band wagon......
all i know is something has gotta give............I am already sick of this and its only year 2 for me........I refuse to become a refuge from ife and hide away in my home from PAIN......
I have to much life to live...........I am knocking on 40's door and I am much to young to feel this damn old!!!!!!!!!

[Jodylee]

Originally Posted by FlyFishin Momma

okay snoops...lets have a convo about this MJ business okay..........
This past 2 weeks have been probably the worst for pain in my MS lifetime........I am misserable and making all around me just as bad.........
I have tried all the drugs in the med cabnit and still suffering everyday to the point of insanity. (the b word comes to mind)

Now, I happen to have in my nightstand, 2 homegrown wacky smokes..........they have been there since last summer. A family member got them for me.........I have not used them....but been thinking of trying it.

I will not play innocent here. I smoked it some as a teen and younger adult. Not often but some. The last time was about 14 years ago....(I remember that my dd was 2 and thought momma was losing her marbles lol)

I was sitting on the floor leaning against the foot of my then Husbands recliner. I took 2 hits as it was passed around the room. I woke up there covered up the next morning.
XDH said...."you giggled, then slid down the recliner and passed out" huummm did that mean it was good stuff or was I just wore out, or does it just not mix well with me? I dont know but...........

I was not in the pain then that I am now. I am desperate. I am off of my DMD, off the cymbalta and only taking a bp med and my zanaflex. I have ultram and I take them as needed. but they only take the edge off. I have vicodine, they work but only for maybe an hour...then it starts comming back on. I wont take both of those two together.....

The MJ is just sitting there....waiting.........I dont wanna feel loopy or crazy headed. Lord knows I dont need munchie attacks, my colon is on overload right now as it is with spasams,I have spasticity kickin my rear...actually its in the groin and in my left side below rib cage on the side along with my rt hip area and my shoulders and calf in the left leg but the total worst is the neck pain and the never ending headaches.........I am a mess.........

I wanna try it.........I was wondering if you had.I was glad to see this post.........(i think.........)...lol.
Since you did it so bravley......I just dont want an addiction...and I am afraid if it "works" for me....that it may become just that.........
What to do?What to do?

Hi Kay! I can't smoke the stuff because my workplace (when I can go) drug tests. But I have smoked in the past. A lot . When I was a teenager.

If I were you, I would get rid of those 2 home grown ones and start fresh. If I remember correctly, home grown is not the way to go.

I was never physically addicted. Just liked it a lot. I quit cold turkey and did not have a problem.

If I had the choice, I would be using MJ rather than the pain meds they have me taking now.

Good luck and I really hope you all get some relief soon!

[tkrik]

Originally Posted by FlyFishin Momma

Thanks Kebsa......very well spoken.........I do not have any idea if there is a pain center anywhere near me..........I live in a very remote country place and dr are hard to come by...esp good ones. I may begin looking into that.
I also am thinking yoga or some sort of streaching would be a good way for me to start working out the stiffness and kinks rather then jumpin on the pain killer/pain center band wagon......
all i know is something has gotta give............I am already sick of this and its only year 2 for me........I refuse to become a refuge from ife and hide away in my home from PAIN......
I have to much life to live...........I am knocking on 40's door and I am much to young to feel this damn old!!!!!!!!!

FFM - I do a lot of stretching exercises through out the day. I don't just do it once a day like people who go to the gym and work out. I also bought some resistance bands that have really helped me with the spasticity. Yoga is also good and I do Yoga exercises throughout the day.

I am fortunate and bless that I have a high pain tolerance and a low medication tolerance. I can get away with very little medication.

Hang in there FFM. Try to stay relaxed as the more anxious you get about the pain, the worse it becomes. (The reason I am on AD's. To keep me relaxed during the painful times).

[kicker]

Snoopy, flashback to youth. I could roll great, now? Don't think I could try now.
Not looking towards MJ now. Don't think it would help unless I was interested in the munchies.

But very sorry it gave you no relief.

[Riverwild]

Hi Snoops!

Sorry to hear your experiment didn't work out for you. It's like every other drug, works for some and others feel no benefit. At least now you know.

I usually only do a puff or two and then it's out. I aim for relief, not to get high. When I feel the spazzing coming back I hit it with a puff before it hurts.

Kay, you got me laughing here. Those old dusty guys in the drawer may not work anymore. Try to get some that is a little fresher.

Try it just a little at a time.

If you would rather eat it, it works much better in oil. I usually put mine ground up in some butter, and just warm it for awhile on the woodstove, 30 minutes or so, and then make a small batch of cookies, usually spiced, with the butter and grinds. I take small bites of the cookies until I figure out how strong they came out, and figure dose from there.

When I do tea I steep some in water, just under boiling for at least 30 minutes, with a cover on the pan. I mix it with green tea and Chai spices, and sweeten with honey. Again, sip until you figure out how strong it came out.

These are of course, cooking lessons! and I am in no way promoting this for anything but relief of symptoms.

BTW LA, if you need to get rid of any leftover evidence let me know.

[SandyC]

Snoopy, I forgot to mention this earlier to you. Jim has this horrible pain in his upper left shoulder. He says it's like a tazor pain which in turn starts his legs to shake violently. This only happens when he is sleeping, never awake. It wakes him up out of a deep sleep. MJ doesn't touch it. He is scheduled to go to the pain clinic when we get home from my mom's surgery. So, yeah, mj doesn't always work for everything that's for sure.

But, last night I could have sworn we were in one of those old beds where you put a quarter in and it vibrates! LOL I had to look up and make sure there weren't any mirrors on the ceiling!

[Snoopy]

Originally Posted by FlyFishin Momma

Ya know I call this my spasticity but in all honesty it feels like tiny jerking spasams in some areas and then other areas feels like just a deep aching muscle...like in my shoulders its an ache but in my waist area and my groin area its sharp short twinges of pain...a spasam. I get them in my bladder and colon too.......and even having them in my wrists when I attempt tp pick up a glass of tea or something or heaven forbid try to write with a pen right now....the pen will spaz right out from my fingers....but its really in my wrist...

and the neck thing is a constant deep radiating pain that makes my head hurt on that side....IT IS A CONSTAINT... always 24/7 have a headache........

it is making me a not so likable person......(i am not happy about that cuz that is not who I am)

Snoopy is your pain anything like that?

I get that aching feeling, mostly in my legs. I have found heat helps with that. I spent 2 years with the constant leg aching and for the last 2 months it's been gone - I have no idea why but that's fine with me.

Most of what your describing does sound like spasticity, have you tried any meds for it? I have stiffness which is considered spasticity. I have found heat, stretching and exercise helps.

I really hope you find some relief

[Snoopy]

Originally Posted by SandyC

Snoopy, I forgot to mention this earlier to you. Jim has this horrible pain in his upper left shoulder. He says it's like a tazor pain which in turn starts his legs to shake violently. This only happens when he is sleeping, never awake. It wakes him up out of a deep sleep. MJ doesn't touch it. He is scheduled to go to the pain clinic when we get home from my mom's surgery. So, yeah, mj doesn't always work for everything that's for sure.

But, last night I could have sworn we were in one of those old beds where you put a quarter in! LOL

Ouch! I hope the doctor can help. Jim really needs a break from this disease

[SandyC]

Originally Posted by Snoopy

Ouch! I hope the doctor can help. Jim really needs a break from this disease

I agree. He also has ecoli (UTI) so this may be aggravating the symptoms as well. I started him on augmentin today to see if he can get some relief while we are gone. I wish I could take his pain away if only for a day to give him relief.