5 ms·

I have a friend who has suffered from something known as juvenile idiopathic arthritis since he was still a teenager, and he doesn't function very well without

I have a friend who has suffered from something known as juvenile idiopathic arthritis since he was still a teenager, and he doesn't function very well without pretty decent doses of CBD for the past long while I've known him. I recognize legality issues are prohibitive in many parts of the world but if this is an option to you I would suggest trying this or anything else that takes the actual inflammation down instead of dulling the pain. The other thing a friend of mine practicing general medicine who was working in a country where CBD wasn't legal yet used very large doses of carefully sourced curcumin - it's not something you want to eat tons of from the grocery store in many places as apparently there's a ton of contamination in the supply [1] but it's actually really easy to just grow tumeric and make sure you're getting it from a decent source in much of the world One thing may be about it, much like oregano, is that it might just naturally be a nice absorbent of heavy metals in the soil but the fact that people add stuff like lead or cadmium in there to improve color or weight is just terrifying. We need raman spectroscopes in every phone already. [1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5415259/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5415259/

zabzonk 4y ago
thanks, but no thanks
- jamal-kumar 4y ago
  There's something like a downward spiral into hell that is opiates which starts with low doses like what you're on and escalates into worse and worse bullshit because you're not even trying to treat the underlying inflammation before masking the pain with opiates, and then the movement the pain is trying to prevent you from doing happens anyways and you just end up with more damage. I'm telling you these alternatives because I know many more people than the ones I just told you about who are just fucking dead now. Opiates are fucked.
  - zabzonk 4y ago
    believe me, i know all about pain, from experience. cannabis derived products are not going to do anything, and i have no idea what you were going on about with tumeric. the only real actual pain-killers are opioids.
    - agentgumshoe 4y ago
      Is that so? You haven't tried cannibis derived products or you would have said "did not do anything.". But ok sell the opioids.
      - zabzonk 4y ago
        believe me, i have used lots of cannabis products, and i am not selling anything
    - ad404b8a372f2b9 4y ago
      Arthritic pain can be treated by things other than pain killers, such as compounds with anti-inflammatory properties. That'd be the logic for turmeric I assume, in that same vein you have everything containing rosemarinic acid (Spearmint, oregano, rosemary).
    - yamazakiwi 4y ago
      You say only but I would say alcohol is decent at pain reduction in a lot of cases.
      - mharig 4y ago
        Ethanol seems to be an anti-inflammatory drug: https://heart.bmj.com/content/90/4/355 https://heart.bmj.com/content/90/4/355
  - DoreenMichele 4y ago
    They did not ask for health advice from random internet strangers. Trying to bully someone into following medical advice they didn't ask for is not cool.
    - archerx 4y ago
      [flagged]
      - zabzonk 4y ago
        > how dare the other guy suggest alternatives that do not work
        alkori 4y ago
        So I guess all that research from respected institutions like John Hopkins is just made up? Can you show me a peer reviewed study that would prove otherwise?
        DoreenMichele 4y ago
        I took it to mean "it doesn't work for me". If so, no peer reviewed study is required to back that up.
        archerx 4y ago
        [flagged]
        mrguyorama 4y ago
        You get that there are a world of treatment options for chronic pain between "Mainline heroin most days" and "Take lots of CBD", right?
      - seattle_spring 4y ago
        You don't have any idea what you're talking about. Please stay in your lane
  - seattle_spring 4y ago
    "just try weed bro" is the absolute worst most condescending advice you can give to someone suffering from chronic pain who didn't ask for advice. Do you really, really think someone just "went to opiates" before trying absolutely everything to identify and treat the underlying cause?
    - deleted 4y ago
      [deleted]
    - archerx 4y ago
      CBD is not equal to THC, its not psychoactive at all. So no it is not “just try weed bro” and the fact you are so confident about something you know nothing about is quite shocking to be honest. Also opiates are over prescribed for many things they shouldn’t be, so yes a lot of doctor “just went to opiates” and it is literally ruining lives. P.S. the only condescending person in this thread is you.
      - Shomon 4y ago
        [flagged]
    - nicoburns 4y ago
      > Do you really, really think someone just "went to opiates" before trying absolutely everything to identify and treat the underlying cause? Given that doctors regularly prescribe opiates and pretty much never prescribe cannabis that would seem highly plausible.
    - jamal-kumar 4y ago
      Depends on the medical system in whoever's country It's really different depending on where you are Also I think "weed" and "large doses of CBD" are really different things
  - s5300 4y ago
    >>I'm telling you these alternatives because I know many more people than the ones I just told you about who are just fucking dead now. Opiates are fucked. Please don’t project the irresponsibility of others onto those with self control, especially those with chronic conditions that induce extreme, long lasting, & completely debilitating pain.
  - bleep_bloop 4y ago
    Opiod abuse is no joke and they are about as addictive as prescription drugs get, and yet the abuse rate is something like 50% in developed Western countries (Abuse ranging from taking them slightly longer than you're supposed to, to taking more than your prescribed dose all the way to crushing and injecting). There are many millions of people who take opiods and don't get addicted or abuse them in any negatively impactful way. Your comment is based on a personal bias and in no way based on medical fact. There are many types of pain that only opiods can treat. We absolutely need more options that are as powerful and less addictive. The mechanism for addiction is well understood, but what we don't understand is why some people can take opiods, even extremely powerful ones and don't become drug fiends. I am sitting here with two 250ml bottles of Morphine next to my bed, there is nothing stopping me from drinking it all. I know how it makes me feel, I know it eases my depression, removes my pain, clears my mind and calms my anxiety, I have restful sleep when I take it right before bed and yet I have never taken it when I didn't need to, never increased the dose, in fact I often take a lower dose than prescribed and sometimes don't take it as scheduled and subject myself to some of the pain until it reaches a point where I require relief, my goal is not to completely escape all pain, all the time, I like to remind myself that i am in control and that I'm not afraid of the pain and that experiencing 'some' pain is not a bad thing. However, I have seen all the documentaries and dramatisations and accounts of people who do the complete opposite. Perhaps it's because I have taken Ritalin for most of my life and am used to the sensations of cravings, perhaps it's because I don't drink alcohol and don't smoke, I do not have any addictive tendencies whatsoever (unless we're talking about chocolate!), maybe it's genetics, maybe it's socioeconomic, but for sure, for me in any case opioids have vastly and dramatically improved my quality of life and I'm grateful that we have such drugs available. Obviously there is work to be done on education, monitoring and support. I wonder if the opioid crisis is so bad in the US because of the private system and lack of coordinated care between specialists and clinics as well as lax pharmacy monitoring.
unwind 4y ago
According to Wikipedia [1] there is no proven medical effect to curcumin (the yellow substance from turmeric): Laboratory and clinical research have not confirmed any medical use for curcumin. It is difficult to study because it is both unstable and poorly bioavailable. It is unlikely to produce useful leads for drug development. [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curcumin#Stability https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curcumin#Stability
- ad404b8a372f2b9 4y ago
  There are no proven medical effects to many medicines that work wonderfully.
  - dTal 4y ago
    That's oxymoronic - if there are no proven medical effects, definitionally they do not work wonderfully.
    - ad404b8a372f2b9 4y ago
      It's not, proving a medical effect and having a medical effect are orthogonal concepts. The world doesn't wait on medical science to keep turning. A lot of medical recommendations are based on expert opinion, which means there is no proof of their effectiveness but there is a logical basis based on our current understanding of the human body. New studies come out every day proving the effect of certain herbs, extracts or therapies for certain pathologies, yet these therapies were known to work long before the studies came out. Even some synthetic drugs are approved without having been demonstrated to be effective at what they claim, for example osteoporosis drugs still haven't been proven to reduce fractures yet get prescribed every day for that very use.
    - ifyoubuildit 4y ago
      Except proven has a strict definition here that leaves out other possibilities. You could find some compound that reliably induces an effect in your own body, but has never been studied by anyone else. By the definition we're using here, that could be something thats working wonderfully but has no "proven" medical effects. Not saying this is advisable, only that pharma companies and their trials don't dictate reality.
News-Dog 4y ago
'list of Types of Arthritis' Arthritis Types : https://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/basics/types.html https://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/basics/types.html >Arthritis means inflammation or swelling of one or more joints. It describes more than * 100 conditions *, that affect the joints, tissues around the joint, and other connective tissues. Specific symptoms vary depending on the type of arthritis, but usually include joint pain and stiffness.
natdempk 4y ago
Thanks for posting about the lead in tumeric issue. Never knew this was a thing, but it seems pretty widespread based on that study.

zabzonk 4y ago

thanks, but no thanks

jamal-kumar 4y ago
There's something like a downward spiral into hell that is opiates which starts with low doses like what you're on and escalates into worse and worse bullshit because you're not even trying to treat the underlying inflammation before masking the pain with opiates, and then the movement the pain is trying to prevent you from doing happens anyways and you just end up with more damage. I'm telling you these alternatives because I know many more people than the ones I just told you about who are just fucking dead now. Opiates are fucked.
- zabzonk 4y ago
  believe me, i know all about pain, from experience. cannabis derived products are not going to do anything, and i have no idea what you were going on about with tumeric. the only real actual pain-killers are opioids.
  - agentgumshoe 4y ago
    Is that so? You haven't tried cannibis derived products or you would have said "did not do anything.". But ok sell the opioids.
    - zabzonk 4y ago
      believe me, i have used lots of cannabis products, and i am not selling anything
  - ad404b8a372f2b9 4y ago
    Arthritic pain can be treated by things other than pain killers, such as compounds with anti-inflammatory properties. That'd be the logic for turmeric I assume, in that same vein you have everything containing rosemarinic acid (Spearmint, oregano, rosemary).
  - yamazakiwi 4y ago
    You say only but I would say alcohol is decent at pain reduction in a lot of cases.
    - mharig 4y ago
      Ethanol seems to be an anti-inflammatory drug: https://heart.bmj.com/content/90/4/355 https://heart.bmj.com/content/90/4/355
- DoreenMichele 4y ago
  They did not ask for health advice from random internet strangers. Trying to bully someone into following medical advice they didn't ask for is not cool.
  - archerx 4y ago
    [flagged]
    - zabzonk 4y ago
      > how dare the other guy suggest alternatives that do not work
      - alkori 4y ago
        So I guess all that research from respected institutions like John Hopkins is just made up? Can you show me a peer reviewed study that would prove otherwise?
        DoreenMichele 4y ago
        I took it to mean "it doesn't work for me". If so, no peer reviewed study is required to back that up.
      - archerx 4y ago
        [flagged]
        mrguyorama 4y ago
        You get that there are a world of treatment options for chronic pain between "Mainline heroin most days" and "Take lots of CBD", right?
    - seattle_spring 4y ago
      You don't have any idea what you're talking about. Please stay in your lane
- seattle_spring 4y ago
  "just try weed bro" is the absolute worst most condescending advice you can give to someone suffering from chronic pain who didn't ask for advice. Do you really, really think someone just "went to opiates" before trying absolutely everything to identify and treat the underlying cause?
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
  - archerx 4y ago
    CBD is not equal to THC, its not psychoactive at all. So no it is not “just try weed bro” and the fact you are so confident about something you know nothing about is quite shocking to be honest. Also opiates are over prescribed for many things they shouldn’t be, so yes a lot of doctor “just went to opiates” and it is literally ruining lives. P.S. the only condescending person in this thread is you.
    - Shomon 4y ago
      [flagged]
  - nicoburns 4y ago
    > Do you really, really think someone just "went to opiates" before trying absolutely everything to identify and treat the underlying cause? Given that doctors regularly prescribe opiates and pretty much never prescribe cannabis that would seem highly plausible.
  - jamal-kumar 4y ago
    Depends on the medical system in whoever's country It's really different depending on where you are Also I think "weed" and "large doses of CBD" are really different things
- s5300 4y ago
  >>I'm telling you these alternatives because I know many more people than the ones I just told you about who are just fucking dead now. Opiates are fucked. Please don’t project the irresponsibility of others onto those with self control, especially those with chronic conditions that induce extreme, long lasting, & completely debilitating pain.
- bleep_bloop 4y ago
  Opiod abuse is no joke and they are about as addictive as prescription drugs get, and yet the abuse rate is something like 50% in developed Western countries (Abuse ranging from taking them slightly longer than you're supposed to, to taking more than your prescribed dose all the way to crushing and injecting). There are many millions of people who take opiods and don't get addicted or abuse them in any negatively impactful way. Your comment is based on a personal bias and in no way based on medical fact. There are many types of pain that only opiods can treat. We absolutely need more options that are as powerful and less addictive. The mechanism for addiction is well understood, but what we don't understand is why some people can take opiods, even extremely powerful ones and don't become drug fiends. I am sitting here with two 250ml bottles of Morphine next to my bed, there is nothing stopping me from drinking it all. I know how it makes me feel, I know it eases my depression, removes my pain, clears my mind and calms my anxiety, I have restful sleep when I take it right before bed and yet I have never taken it when I didn't need to, never increased the dose, in fact I often take a lower dose than prescribed and sometimes don't take it as scheduled and subject myself to some of the pain until it reaches a point where I require relief, my goal is not to completely escape all pain, all the time, I like to remind myself that i am in control and that I'm not afraid of the pain and that experiencing 'some' pain is not a bad thing. However, I have seen all the documentaries and dramatisations and accounts of people who do the complete opposite. Perhaps it's because I have taken Ritalin for most of my life and am used to the sensations of cravings, perhaps it's because I don't drink alcohol and don't smoke, I do not have any addictive tendencies whatsoever (unless we're talking about chocolate!), maybe it's genetics, maybe it's socioeconomic, but for sure, for me in any case opioids have vastly and dramatically improved my quality of life and I'm grateful that we have such drugs available. Obviously there is work to be done on education, monitoring and support. I wonder if the opioid crisis is so bad in the US because of the private system and lack of coordinated care between specialists and clinics as well as lax pharmacy monitoring.

unwind 4y ago

According to Wikipedia [1] there is no proven medical effect to curcumin (the yellow substance from turmeric): Laboratory and clinical research have not confirmed any medical use for curcumin. It is difficult to study because it is both unstable and poorly bioavailable. It is unlikely to produce useful leads for drug development. [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curcumin#Stability https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curcumin#Stability

ad404b8a372f2b9 4y ago
There are no proven medical effects to many medicines that work wonderfully.
- dTal 4y ago
  That's oxymoronic - if there are no proven medical effects, definitionally they do not work wonderfully.
  - ad404b8a372f2b9 4y ago
    It's not, proving a medical effect and having a medical effect are orthogonal concepts. The world doesn't wait on medical science to keep turning. A lot of medical recommendations are based on expert opinion, which means there is no proof of their effectiveness but there is a logical basis based on our current understanding of the human body. New studies come out every day proving the effect of certain herbs, extracts or therapies for certain pathologies, yet these therapies were known to work long before the studies came out. Even some synthetic drugs are approved without having been demonstrated to be effective at what they claim, for example osteoporosis drugs still haven't been proven to reduce fractures yet get prescribed every day for that very use.
  - ifyoubuildit 4y ago
    Except proven has a strict definition here that leaves out other possibilities. You could find some compound that reliably induces an effect in your own body, but has never been studied by anyone else. By the definition we're using here, that could be something thats working wonderfully but has no "proven" medical effects. Not saying this is advisable, only that pharma companies and their trials don't dictate reality.

News-Dog 4y ago

'list of Types of Arthritis' Arthritis Types : https://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/basics/types.html https://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/basics/types.html >Arthritis means inflammation or swelling of one or more joints. It describes more than * 100 conditions *, that affect the joints, tissues around the joint, and other connective tissues. Specific symptoms vary depending on the type of arthritis, but usually include joint pain and stiffness.

natdempk 4y ago

Thanks for posting about the lead in tumeric issue. Never knew this was a thing, but it seems pretty widespread based on that study.