Crohn's and marijuana

[Gwynne]

Hi Everyone,

I was wondering what everyone things abut smoking pot to help battle some of the symptoms of crohn's disease.

Although controversial, I do believe it helps. I have smoked now for around 8 years. When I was in university and horrible sick (90lbs and could not eat, and had no desire to eat) it was introduced to me and I believe it saved my life.

I don't believe in being a "stupid pothead". I do it for medicinal reasons. I have a job, a family, graduated university with a chemistry degree and now am back in grad school.

It's something I do very privately, and only when needed. I get a lot of abdominal pain and it's works so much better to relieve the pain then my other alternative, percoset.

I do not buy drugs off of the street that could be contaminated, I have access to medicinal grade marijuana from the Toronto Compassion Center. Crohn's disease is one of the diseases on their list that qualifies you to gain access.

Now, i'm not saying it will cure you, but it can help along with all the other ****** up medications that I will be on for the rest of my life.

 

[Samboi]

I am considering discussing this with my GI to try and manage my pain better.
The last 12 months have been difficult and I am willing to maybe give it a try if I can ingest it rather than smoke it, and as long as I don't get a high from it.
I feel a bit at the end of my tether.

 

[Ihurt]

I have not been dx yet, going through some tests to find out. But I will say that my sons friend has crohns and cannabis has really helped him a lot. He is not on any crohns meds at all for the last three years and is doing real good.

I use to see an intergrative medicine doctor ( she leaned more towards the holisitc side rather than western medicine). She was a strong believer in cannabis and it's ability to be very helpful with people with chronic pain issues. It is unfortunate that is some states ( at least mine here in Illinois), they will not pass the use of medical cannabis. It boils down to the "Big pharmaceutical companies". They do not want to legalize nor make prescription cannabis available. They would lose big money I am sure. They cannot make any money off of it as it is pretty cheap and in abundance. They actually did have a drug out there that has derititives of cannabis, it is called marinol. I knew a lday who had horrible IC pain( bladder disease) and she took this medication and it shut her kidneys down! She said that regular plain old cannabis helped her out much better and at least did not shut her kidneys down or cause side effects....

Yeah, I really wish they would make it medically legal here as well. I think it would help out a lot of sick people who are in pain......

 

[Jam300]

I'm pretty new to the forum but i've seen plenty posted about positive links between the two. I'd recommend the search function if you want to find out more from a scientific and research point of view.

 

[Ihurt]

Yep, I hear ya there. I guess it's off to Amsterdam we go huh!!! Lol

. I I wish I lived in a state that allowed medical marijuana my quality of life would be so much better.

 

[Sam07301985]

Ihurt let me know when you go ill go with you lol

 

[kelie]

This sounds so much better than the cycle of pain meds that stop working and then the horrible withdrawal! I'm for it!

 

[sarahsoda29]

Pot is actually a hell of a lot better for us than the medications we are on! And I personally don't see anything wrong with smoking it AT ALL. No one ever gets hurt from someone who has smoked Marijuana....it's a fact. There's no reason for it to be illegal. I used to smoke it on a daily basis, not because of Crohns, but because I wanted to. I wasn't ashamed of that fact and I'm not now either. The ONLY reason I stopped is because I started getting serious with my now boyfriend of almost 3 years, and I knew he didn't do it, and didn't agree with it, and I couldnt' very well still smoke and be dishonest with him. So I gave it up because yeah it was fun and made me feel good but it's not like it was essential in my life. My relationship with him is important and weed just wasn't that big of a deal. You can't actually get addicted to it, you don't 'act weird' on it, you don't hurt anyone else, all it does is mellow you out and make you feel good. I had migraines for years and it fixed them every time. If they make it legal I probably will go back to smoking it for my Crohns as long as my boyfriend is ok with it. I think he actually would be if it was legal and for that reason.

So many unfortunate misconceptions to marijuana, and it's sad really. It's a natural plant that actually helps alot of people and it's PEOPLE who make it into something bad.

 

[Ihurt]

for sure!! Lol!

Ihurt let me know when you go ill go with you lol

 

[skibaboo]

I was 12 when diagnosed in 1983, always in a flare. Lost part of my small intestines along the way, my colon in 97 and then a revision of my ileostomy in 2002. Started smoking weed because someone recommended it to me in 2004. Been in remission ever since. I am 100% pro weed for Crohns treatment.