Marijauna users
 

Which type of strains are helpful to you? What percentage of thc to cbd is working for u? Do u need a strain high in thc? I've tried low and no thc and I feel NO different . I've been vaping every 2 hours for a couple days thinking it needs to build up or something. But nothing... No diff even in calming my anxiety. Why? Shouldn't I feel something? Anything?

While I am sure they can share some ideas, individual body chemistry comes into play. I hope one of the in the know folks can help.

Sorry to hear you have a step back.

My 2 cents
 

Firstly, I cannot pick strains or shop percentages. You must live in a place where it is legal. Secondly when I first smoked back in 1970 I didn't feel a thing. I think that I didn't get "high" until the third time and also, are you holding your breath after every inhale? Do you appreciate any form of music? Next time play some of your favorite. Pandora App on I-Phone w/headphones is liberating, you can spin-bike,shop,walk, etc. Make your own distractions and try to have some fun. My smoking does not stop symptoms but allows my mind to take a break from the rut of routines it is so familiar with. I have had 32 years of random drug testing and have always been "clean" because I would never jeopardize my family. I have smoked twice since retiring and I guess that once it is in your system it must stay because I got results after only a couple of puffs. Plus the potency of the herb is much better now than 40 yrs. ago. My 2 cents may have turned into a nickel but I hope that you benefit. Good Luck, Ken in Texas.

That's too bad u don't get symptom relief. The Dr told me it was very useful for neuropathic pain ( has yet do anything) and I also don't get the mental relief u speak of. I'm not looking to get a high, just to get sympton relief and it mental releif

Sorta symptom relief
 

I do get relief as follows. I don't think about my pain. If I stop and do a muscle and joint reality check, the pain and stiffness,weakness are all still there but I have to focus to bring them to the forefront. When I'm "high" it is as if my brain is distracted from my symptoms and I can think about something else for a change. My friend was injured in a rodeo w/failed pelvic reconstruction. His smoking does not stop him from limping, but for a time he can forget about his limping. No miracle cure, perhaps another coping mechanism, no harm-no foul.Good Luck, Ken in Texas.

Hey Canagirl,

Hmm, if I remember correctly, you've been using mj for quite a while. I use it for pain, so we may need different routes toward relief. Here's some things that came to mind while reading your post...

Can you handle smoking a joint ok? Vaping seems very weak compared to joints when i do it.

I smoke mainly Sativas, instead of Indicas, which is the opposite of what one would expect from a pain sufferer. I go as high in THC as I can get my hands on. Sativa allows me to be coherent with the wife after I smoke, but helps with the pain pretty well. If you've been mainly using sativa, try indica (or vice versa). Mix it up. You may have built up a tolerance towards whatever your using.

High CBD/low THC didn't work for my pain. I need the THC for relief.

Honestly, I always wondered how mj helps with anxiety, because it makes me a little anxious when I use it.

I don't have a lot of faith in strains, because I think you never get the same type twice. That being said, my favorite is called Veganics Strawberry Cough. Its an expensive, 25% thc Sativa (which is very unusual). It can only be bought in two places and it won the 2013 Cannabis "Best flower in the U.S." I can smoke an entire joint (I haven't) and act completely sober. Very unusual. My normal strain would be Jack Herrer or Green Crack. These are two common sativas that are available about anywhere.

So that's my breakdown of strains I typically use. I'm sorry I don't have better anxiety advice for you.

One last thing, Leafly.com list most strains and what they are best at helping.

Good luck and I hope you start feeling better soon!

I was asking questions a little while ago in preparation for when I received my licence, but I just started last week.

I don't like smoking it... I cough, it hurts, I smell afterwards, I feel awkward doing it public.

I'd like to keep vaping and give It a good try. Interesting, that u say it's weaker. Maybe, I just need to do a bit more if I'm vaping. I have increased the amount and I do "feel" it in my body. It helps calm the sensations ( more than gabapentin) but I feel an odd heaviness? Pressure? ( hard to explain) in place of my sensations ( I would much rather have the heaviness! :winky: ) it doesn't make them go away completely but it does a pretty good job ( compared to everything else i have tried). The problem is I'm doing it about every three hours. I worry about dependence and the effectiveness decreasing over time. Oh well, it works ok for now. I'm going to try and wean off gabapentin soon to see if the mj can handle everything.

I'm using a strain with about 11% thc and 11% cbd. I think it's 60% indica and 40% sativa but I'm not sure.

I will be ordering a strain that's higher in thc soon just to see the difference in pain, and to see if I feel impaired.

Canagirl,

I would say that most of us are, or have been, on combinations of meds. With your symptoms still being so severe I would think long and hard about weaning off Gabapentin. In your position I would be going the other way with meds that are proving to help even a little.

Dave.

I know... I might go back on. I just don't know how much gabapentin is helping. If I wean off I can see how much it's helping and if I need to I can go back on. I don't know... I just worry about long term side effects and the possibility that gabaoentin causes neuropathy. What if its making me worse? I know I shouldn't worry about these things, but I do.

Is there any harn in getting off and then going back on?

For the my users. How long does mj relief last? ( however much u get, I know some may get a little lessening and some complete lessening of their symptoms). Two hours? 4? 8?

Thanks

my take- You have not found enough relief from the tone of your posts to walk away from anything that is helping that has negligable side effects.

As far as relief, it is so individualized. Not just by strain or type (indica vs sativa) but the ever present individual chemistry. If I'd tread carefully on following any advise on dose/time frame due to this.

An example, you say?

20 years ago my twin brother came over. A friend and I were more practiced smokers. My twin thought he'd try to keep up. A fun panic attack later and a walk around the block he understood he didn't need an ambulance.

If you decide to continue to experiment on that path you will want to start a notebook or start keepung track in one you already have.

I hope to have access to medical when NYS goes live. I have good reason to believe it will be a useful tool for me. All of this is purely symptom management.

While I think you should continue to ask questions and educate yourself getting into how it will affect you is more unknown to everyone on the planet than you. From browsing Leafly.com (which makes sure to note none of anything is available to me, hah) Purple Haze has a nice high THC level. I'm not saying you should top out, but a three little bears approach may give you perspective.

Just don't pull a Maureen O'Dowd and eat a whole infused candy bar. If I were inclined to hold her as a bastion of intellect prior to that I'd have rethought that afterward.

Canagirl,

Why worry about possible, minor chances of risk of side effects WAY in the future when it is now that you need the relief. Who knows, in a year everything may have settled, you may have found a med combo, or you could have NO side effects from higher doses of Gabapentin.

As to the harm in titrating down, then going back on, you are running the risk of increasing your symptoms again and you have no Baseline to judge whether any other meds - like MMJ - are working (or their effectiveness) for all the time you are altering doses, then getting used to the new 'Normal', as you will never know what med is doing what. Remember, combinations are Key. I take 5 pain meds for Neurological, Arthritic, Referred and Musculoskeletal pain.

Dave.

Well I think I got my answer about what the gabapentin might be doing. I forgot to take by nighttime dose last night and things I thought were getting better ( a tinsi bit) came back. My limbs were extremely hot when I woke up ( not externally, but an internal warmness and burning). Also, when I wake up I have this habit of stretching and contacting my muscles really hard for a few seconds, what follow after this is that my muscles stay contacted then deflate like a balloon, then they twitch like crazy. I thought this had been getting better a bit but no. This actually has spread to my lower abdomen.

I wonder if my sfn is now in my lower abdomen too ( one tiny area where I haven't had most symptoms). I say this because for the last two weeks or so I have been getting what I assume to be gas pain. I've never had this in my life. I wonder if this is a symptom? Along with my wierd thing about muscle staying contracted and then twitching wildly , I think this is not the direction I was wanting my body to go in.

My hands and lower legs including feet have been burning much more lately. I kept telling myself that this was good, it's a sign they r getting better. Maybe due to increased blood flow from the mj, hot tub ( really a warm tub Cus temp at 99) and massage. But I don't think so...


Ugh, i have to figure out a way to cope that doesn't involve this wall of denial ( comprised of me telling myself that I am getting better because "x" feels different this week and of me saying that I just have to get through this year because I will start to heal next year, this won't be my fate.). This is the wrong way to "cope" ( as much as I am " coping"). This method still not working great

I keep reading previous posts from u guys and I understand all the advice, it all makes sense. But, I can't seem to cope still! I'm still a silly, weak mess. I can't help but be so frightened of the future... Will i be able to see next year, walk? Etc

I can't .... I just cry and cry all day. Why? I know many of u say u struggle to hold it together sometimes but u are holding it together sometimes. Why can't I hold it together and and accept this " new" life? How come I cant implement ur advice
My husband says I have to hold on to hope because he's found some stories online about people healing their sfn with diet. But, I csnt. Nobody here in nt has healed and u all talk about having good diets. Plus, I tried this for a few months and saw NO dofference.

None of us knows how our disease will progress from year to year or even day to day. All the more reason to enjoy whatever level of functionality we have on any given day.

I have three basic priorities each day:
1. Work to support my family (some days its very difficult).
2. Enjoy life as much as possible.
3. Take care of my body the best I can, so that I can keep doing #1 and #2 as long as possible.

Carpe Diem :)

Hi canagirl. Unfortunately I live in a state where mm is not legal for neuropathy. However, I do have friends in other states and have been gathering information for a trip to Colorado Springs sometime next year.

That being said, for Neuropathy, according to a doctor friend of mine, studies have shown mm to be the best thing for relief. Sativas seem to be the preferred type with preference for higher CBD then THC for symptoms. It is a personal choice I guess. There are pros and cons to smoking, vaping mm. It takes less time to act but lasts a shorter time then edibles. If you want the effects to last edibles seem to be the way to go. I have been recommended this book which is supposed to contain all the info one would need and is pretty current and comprehensive. "Cannabis Pharmacy: The Practical Guide to Medical Marijuana" by Michael Backes. I have not ordered yet but plan to before my trip. I hope this second hand information help.

For me it lasts about 3 hours.

Stretching should be done very gently and slowly. There are many nerves in the tendons, and if you stretch too hard you pull on them and irritate them.

Twitching and nerve symptoms are common upon awakening. Often this is due to low blood sugar, and goes away after one eats something. When you lie in bed for sleeping your heart rate goes down, your blood does not move around as much and tissues like muscles with a high need for glucose and oxygen may react until both are restored by movement and food.

I strongly suggest you stop aggressive stretching. Do a gentle stretch lying on your back, toes pointing up with heels on the bed. This will open up your back. Hold for a count of 10 and repeat once. Then sit up and do simple extensions of your arms and neck before standing up. This will prevent any orthostatic blood pressure symptoms if you have that.

I think after reading your posts for a while, that you should guard your joints and muscles until your PN trigger passes.
No acupuncture, no massages, no hot tubs, no strenuous stretches,...baby yourself and you might feel much better and get better faster.

Has anyone tried the Charlotte's Web strain? It's been gaining a lot of popularity in the mm world. I know you can order the oil extract from CWbotanicals but it's very expensive and not sure how effective it is.

I haven't tried that Specific strain but I've tried a similar strain that has no thc and high cbd. It didn't work well for me but I'll try it again Cus I only did it fur a day. I'm better on the low thc high cbd strain

I'm bummed that I live in a legal state & THC does not agree with me. I get very anxious, dizzy & nauseous, it seems to amplify my symptoms and 5 minutes feels like an hour, lol. I haven't tried the oil with just CBD.

I've read some literature that suggests ratio of cannabanoids can perhaps influence the side effects like that, but with it being so useless in the eyes of the federal government in scheduling it doesn't get tested out that well.

Of course, individual body chemistry comes into play as well. Maybe when it finalky gets studied well there can be jenng strain, because thc is decent analgesia for some people and for others as you know not worth it.

I would love my own strain! :-) I'm sure polypharmacy comes into play here, as I take 50 mg of amitriptyline and 0.5 mg of clonazepam at night. I just started gabapentin, but was not taking it when I tried the MJ. I hope the rest of the country catches up with CO! Only thing that happened here after legalization is clearing out some room in the county jails for people that actually deserved to be there.

Coping
 

Wish there was a standard manual where we could say turn to page 42 and do this and that. There were three or four things that I would like to comment on. Firstly, there is a possibility of your non-releasing muscles after the stretch first thing in the morning being related to a state of mild de-hydration. I experienced this also as the muscles felt like they could roll into a full-blown spasm but slowly released instead. Make sure you are hydrated. Secondly, If I smoke one raw "hit" of MJ, one good puff and hold it in as long as I can hold my breath, at 11;00am by 2;00pm I am brave enough to drive a car. By 4;00pm I can interact w/people that have no idea that I am trying this. And my "sweating the small stuff" has been switched off until the next day. Being more mellow and allowing myself to think more about my wife and kids and how I must be percieved by them is a revelation in itself. If I cannot chill out and be a happier person I fear that I may wound the people that I love the most. We can do what we know to do for our bodies but that's it. Worrying never does anything exept steal. Stealing the quality time that is still left. Robbing one of the ability to make lemonade. We all have the same problems coping, If you read, we all are trying this and that, so don't think you are silly or weak, just human. Try not to worry, it robs you of the beauty that is still surrounding you and your family. Good Luck, Ken in Texas. P.S. I haven't smoked in 24 hrs and I am still mellow and waxing philosophic. Teeth are not in grind mode.haha.

Have you ever tried just cbd oil? That's the only thing available to me since i'm not in a legal state. I was going to buy a vape pen and some oil but it's almost $100.

I have gone off of gabapentin a few times because I hate the thought of taking it forever too. The pain and electricity went out of control and I had to go back on. It makes me so damn tired. I finally started taking my three daily doses just before bed. I fall asleep immediately and I don't wake up during the night in pain. My doctor did not tell me that this was harmful, just not correct because you should have it in your system at all times. It works for me though, probably because I am very active all day with the horses. I got so sick of feeling down and cappy that I decided to fight this thing tooth and nail. I am trying things that I never would habe made time for before and I power through. It's great if you can stay distracted through physical activity (two birds).. Please ask your doc before following my method of taking gabapentin. Good luck to you

Hi Canagirl. I have some more info from a friend who has the good fortune of living in a state where MM is legal. The most effective MM, for him, so far, is the vapor pen cartridge made by the CO2 Company, labeled CBD Critical Mass with THC 22.4% and CBD 39.8%. It is an Indica. He also uses "Cannatonic tincture" .60mg CBD & 1.08 mg THC. The CBD Critical mass works within minutes and can be used alone. The Cannatonic tincture assists but is not effective by itself. Hope this helps. Not everyone has access to this, but at least you have the percentages.

Cbn
 

Hi all!
Since my last post here my state has gone legal and I have my MMJ card. Unfortunately since it's so new here most of what is available just gets me high. (And CBD does nothing for me.) Not saying there's anything wrong with that but it's not what I want before bedtime. So, after much research and reaching out to people in the know I have learned how to convert perfectly good THC buds into CBN. I then made cannabutter and used it to make mini muffins. The result is I sleep at night. Full disclosure, before this I was taking 2mg Ativan every night and it didn't always work. I knew I couldn't just stop the Ativan so for the past 10 days I've been taking 1mg. I plan on cutting that in 1/2 next week.

Here's some info on CBN
What Is CBN and What Are the Benefits of This Cannabinoid? | Leafly

Carol

Very interesting! You said that CBN helps with sleep; do you also have pain and does it help with that? I read the article and the comments, which indicate that heat turns THC to CBN. Could you be more specific about how you do this? Thanks!

Yes, One of the great things about CBN is it keeps the properties of THC such as anti inflammatory and pain control but it makes it non- psychotropic so it helps with sleep. I have chronic burning and apparently it helps with that because I sleep and when I wake up I lie in bed and it's gone (for the time being.) I will PM you more info as it's a bit lengthy.;)