5 ms·

I was diagnosed with chronic pain syndrome, and when given the opportunity, had my doctor switch my prescription from opioids to cannabis. I don't think that o

I was diagnosed with chronic pain syndrome, and when given the opportunity, had my doctor switch my prescription from opioids to cannabis. I don't think that one can appreciate how effective it is for chronic pain, until you've had to use it for that.

poohbs 10y ago
similarly, those who have only had opioids for acute pain (injuries, post-op, and such) have a hard time appreciating just how much baggage comes with these drugs when they are taken indefinitely.
- WalterSear 10y ago
  Yes, the side effects of the opioids were as much of a reason for me to want to switch, if not more so.
- PastaMonster 10y ago
  Well, they lose effectiveness. The body adjusts to the constant input. Which is what addiction is. What many people don't understand is that addiction isn't drug abuse. We should fight to remove the negativity the word addiction have. Very annoying that the body do this. If you could figure out a drug that prevents this you could make billions! For example and something everyone can try: My body is addicted to coffee. If I don't take it for a few days I'll become very tired, headaches, etc. It's lasts for about two weeks. While addicted I don't abuse it. I've even switched to tea a few times.
seattle_spring 10y ago
Could you recommend what products specifically help you the most? I've had chronic neck and back pain for years. Smoking marijuana actually tends to make it worse, but I haven't experimented with specific strains, ingestion methods, etc.
- WalterSear 10y ago
  It's important to note that, unlike opioids, cannabis doesn't make the sensation of pain less strong, it makes it less urgent. This means that if you won't necessarily feel a direct effect on the pain, but that its subsequent effects aren't as strong - the pain is not as exhausting, distracting, or debilitating. In fact, the initial 'come-on' of cannabis tends to make me more aware of my pain for a few seconds. Moreover, my pain is neuropathic, rather than physiological in nature, and so what works for me, may not work for other forms of pain. That said, I had the best effect managing pain with high CBD low THC strains - meaning strains with over 7% CBD and one percent or less THC. For me, the pain relief is so profound and quick acting that I can pinpoint the second it starts to have an effect, and it has the added benefit of leaving me sober enough that I can go about my business. Unfortunately, while I found CBD strains most effective for pain, I personally have not been able to tolerate them - they cause me memory problems that I have not found any mention of in the literature, not anyone else who experiences them. So, what do I use, when I need to keep the pain at bay? Usually I reach for a concentrate of a indica-dominant hybrid, or an pure indica. I stay way from Sour Diesels, and the like, as they don't agree with me, but these things tend to be individual in nature. Sorry not to be much more help: all I can really recommend is low THC/high CBD strains, and smoking/vaping concentrates or hashish rather than eating, at least until you find something that works for you.
noam87 10y ago
Any specific strain / method? Weed does absolutely nothing for me in terms of pain mgmt. Tried a dozen strains, cbd pills... I just feel stoned :/
- sergers 10y ago
  I would say try edibles as others have had positive experience and relief, but my body digests it too quickly and usually doesn't do much (tricks to eat high fat food before, but doesn't always work), so I haven't had too much luck. However, What I actually recommend, and has helped for many of people, is the Phoenix tears/ Rick Simpson oil regiment. You can buy premade oil marketed as such or Rick Simpson provides diy on how to do this yourself. Essentially it is ingesting small amounts of concentrated cannabis oil daily, like taking a prescription. It vastly helped my mom's Chrons and I know of a few people help with chronic back pain
- WalterSear 10y ago
  I had the best effect managing pain with high CBD low THC strains - meaning strains with over 7% CBD and one percent or less THC. If you vaped or smoked them, I am surprised that they made you stoned - all the pain-free people who have tried it with me have complained that they didn't feel anything at all. For me, the pain relief is so profound and quick acting that I can pinpoint the second it starts to have an effect. Eating cannabis has very different effects to smoking it, due to liver metabolism. I am not sure what it does to CBD, but the psychoactive metabolite of THC does not have the same effects. Eating cannabis is more than just a different delivery method - it's essentially a different drug entirely. Unfortunately, while I found CBD strains most effective for pain, I personally have not been able to tolerate them - they cause me memory problems that I have not found any mention of in the literature, not anyone else who experiences them. It's important to note that, unlike opioids, cannabis doesn't make the sensation of pain less strong, it makes it less urgent. This means that if you won't necessarily feel a direct effect on the pain, but that its subsequent effects aren't as strong - the pain is not as exhausting, distracting, or debilitating.

poohbs 10y ago

similarly, those who have only had opioids for acute pain (injuries, post-op, and such) have a hard time appreciating just how much baggage comes with these drugs when they are taken indefinitely.

WalterSear 10y ago
Yes, the side effects of the opioids were as much of a reason for me to want to switch, if not more so.
PastaMonster 10y ago
Well, they lose effectiveness. The body adjusts to the constant input. Which is what addiction is. What many people don't understand is that addiction isn't drug abuse. We should fight to remove the negativity the word addiction have. Very annoying that the body do this. If you could figure out a drug that prevents this you could make billions! For example and something everyone can try: My body is addicted to coffee. If I don't take it for a few days I'll become very tired, headaches, etc. It's lasts for about two weeks. While addicted I don't abuse it. I've even switched to tea a few times.

seattle_spring 10y ago

Could you recommend what products specifically help you the most? I've had chronic neck and back pain for years. Smoking marijuana actually tends to make it worse, but I haven't experimented with specific strains, ingestion methods, etc.

WalterSear 10y ago
It's important to note that, unlike opioids, cannabis doesn't make the sensation of pain less strong, it makes it less urgent. This means that if you won't necessarily feel a direct effect on the pain, but that its subsequent effects aren't as strong - the pain is not as exhausting, distracting, or debilitating. In fact, the initial 'come-on' of cannabis tends to make me more aware of my pain for a few seconds. Moreover, my pain is neuropathic, rather than physiological in nature, and so what works for me, may not work for other forms of pain. That said, I had the best effect managing pain with high CBD low THC strains - meaning strains with over 7% CBD and one percent or less THC. For me, the pain relief is so profound and quick acting that I can pinpoint the second it starts to have an effect, and it has the added benefit of leaving me sober enough that I can go about my business. Unfortunately, while I found CBD strains most effective for pain, I personally have not been able to tolerate them - they cause me memory problems that I have not found any mention of in the literature, not anyone else who experiences them. So, what do I use, when I need to keep the pain at bay? Usually I reach for a concentrate of a indica-dominant hybrid, or an pure indica. I stay way from Sour Diesels, and the like, as they don't agree with me, but these things tend to be individual in nature. Sorry not to be much more help: all I can really recommend is low THC/high CBD strains, and smoking/vaping concentrates or hashish rather than eating, at least until you find something that works for you.

noam87 10y ago

Any specific strain / method? Weed does absolutely nothing for me in terms of pain mgmt. Tried a dozen strains, cbd pills... I just feel stoned :/

sergers 10y ago
I would say try edibles as others have had positive experience and relief, but my body digests it too quickly and usually doesn't do much (tricks to eat high fat food before, but doesn't always work), so I haven't had too much luck. However, What I actually recommend, and has helped for many of people, is the Phoenix tears/ Rick Simpson oil regiment. You can buy premade oil marketed as such or Rick Simpson provides diy on how to do this yourself. Essentially it is ingesting small amounts of concentrated cannabis oil daily, like taking a prescription. It vastly helped my mom's Chrons and I know of a few people help with chronic back pain
WalterSear 10y ago
I had the best effect managing pain with high CBD low THC strains - meaning strains with over 7% CBD and one percent or less THC. If you vaped or smoked them, I am surprised that they made you stoned - all the pain-free people who have tried it with me have complained that they didn't feel anything at all. For me, the pain relief is so profound and quick acting that I can pinpoint the second it starts to have an effect. Eating cannabis has very different effects to smoking it, due to liver metabolism. I am not sure what it does to CBD, but the psychoactive metabolite of THC does not have the same effects. Eating cannabis is more than just a different delivery method - it's essentially a different drug entirely. Unfortunately, while I found CBD strains most effective for pain, I personally have not been able to tolerate them - they cause me memory problems that I have not found any mention of in the literature, not anyone else who experiences them. It's important to note that, unlike opioids, cannabis doesn't make the sensation of pain less strong, it makes it less urgent. This means that if you won't necessarily feel a direct effect on the pain, but that its subsequent effects aren't as strong - the pain is not as exhausting, distracting, or debilitating.