Marijuana and IBD

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David

David

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Joined
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If you have some form of IBD other than Crohn's Disease, let's utilize this thread since the affects may be different.

I personally have Lymphocytic Colitis, a form of Microscopic Colitis. In the 6 months since the onset of my pain, I was unable to get marijuana due to moving to a new state where I didn't know anyone and the laws are rather strict. To say I was jonesing to see if marijuana would help would be an understatement.

I finally got so bad I literally drove back to a state where I had a friend who could hook me up. Unfortunately, over the next 10 days, I didn't feel that the marijuana alleviated my symptoms. Thereafter I got a horrible lung infection (I don't attribute it to the mj) and haven't smoked since. I DO believe that marijuana can help most people in some form or another with IBD, but I don't feel that it helped me all that much. I think a lot of my issues were in large part do to reacting with some specifics foods so the initial key was to cut them out. I wouldn't be surprised if mj helped me more now that I've done that, but I'm going to be giving my lungs a LONG break to ensure they fully heal.
 
David, I just checked into Lymphocytic Colitis (from here on in I'm using LC), Wikipedia doesn't say much. But from the looks of it cannabis would help with cramping, nausea etc. if you have it. There is a great deal of anti-inflammatory properties in marijuana, I think long term use could help improve things. But because of the lack of ulcerations in the gut, I'm not sure if you would see the effects as fast as it would for CD or UC.

From some of the things I've read, the gut is lined with CBD2 receptors, which is why it can be so beneficial to IBD, regular use actually helps heal the epithelial layer of the intestines. With UC the inflammation and ulcerations are contained in that layer, with CD it runs deeper. So someone with UC will experience the healing properties of pot sooner that some one with CD. Because of the lack of ulcerations with LC, you should see improvement but you might not quite see it as quickly.
 
So, my doc's recently beleive I have chrone's (testing on its way) although I really don't have any major GI problems that I could think of. After some thinking I could think of many days w/ a morning stomach ach, being hungry but can't eat, & there were a few times I had awful stomach stomach pains. Thinking of the times this happend was during the times I was not smoking pot for a long period (say over a week). So I am now thinking that many of the typical symptoms have been surpressed by the daily pot smoking. If this is the case then I am a firm beilver that a little pot is better then some pain med that results in kidney failure.
 
I really find it helpful. But if you find that it wasn't as beneficial as you may have hoped with smoking it, then I would suggest ingesting it instead. It would certainly save your lungs as you would not have to smoke it and you could still enjoy the benefits from eating it. I would think that it may take some time to figure out what amount helps the most and when what amount are needed. For example, I tend to smoke more at night as it slows the D, alleviates the cramps, eases the nausea and lets me eat a little and unwind - ultimately resulting in a much better sleep; in the morning I smoke very little as it makes me too sleepy, too hungry (and AM eating is NOT an option for me if I intend on leaving the bathroom at all that day), but it does help with my "mroning rush" (massive D and cramps)!
As with diet and our disease, mary-j and the amounts is different for everyone, in saying that, most people I have spoken to with IBD have found it to be very efective once their (for lack of a better word) dosaging is figured out.

GG
 
Butter

I have CD. Actually, crohn's colitis. I am lucky in that I am in clinical remission. I eat a little pot butter every morn. That enables me to stay out of the toilet for about 5-6 hours while I work. When I don't use the butter, my gut is prone to those panic attacks, cramping and instant big explosive D. Then at four twenty, I vape---inhale the vapor of the weed--- which is supposed to be better than smoking it in that less tar is ingested. I still cough though.

The gastro doc I had at the time refused my pleas for medical mj. He urged me to take Xanax instead. The butter, while it doesn't make me feel stoned, does give me red eye and dry mouth. My dosage is very low...just a sliver does the trick. Once when I had too much, I puked. I find the pot butter is better than a Xanax in that I don't get sleepy or feel out of it.

The strain used to make the butter varies, but the variety I used to vape is not one of those super powerful body weeds or indica. I am a mom and chores and homework have to get done. I can not afford to be locked to the couch in a haze. That happens too much during a flare. I use c-99. A variety of Cinderella, a sativa varietal. I usually feel energetic, clear headed and cheerful. I can cook dinner, jog or go to aerobics class (someone else driving, of course).

Thanks for hosting this forum. I hope those seeking help from the herb find it.
Eppie
 
I reckon the doctor that gave you xanax instead of cannabis is a lunatic.....dump him immediately. Unless your complaint is psychological panic attacks, as in fight/flight response, or agoraphobia or similar;....xanax will do nothing for you except dope you right out. It is a dangerous, powerful, extremely addictive drug.

It is infinitely more likely to overdose on xanax than on cannabis......I believe it is also much more likely for you to have an accident, make mistakes at work on xanax.
 
I agree. I was able to obtain a signature from an infectious disease doctor. How I wound up with him is a story longer than I can tell right now. He laughed and gave this as an explanation.

"Some doctors are devoted academics. To become a dr. a person must forgo the lifestyle that makes one open to medical marijuana. If you think about it...there is no way you'd let the kid from the dorm room down the hall who had good weed operate on you, right?"

So I can cut the old dr some slack. But I have a new gastro guy I am very very happy about. And I do not want to jinx it with a confession about the pot. If the old doc charted it...he already knows. I am not bringing it up.

Eppie out.
 
Ok - do you eat the mj or do you need to smoke it for benefit? I've used mj once and I was in no state to know what the effects were... about 20 years ago. And now here I am as an adult thinking of it for all the wrong reasons. my gut :)

Like many of us I would lick a bus seat if I thought it would cure this disease... crazy.
 
For me, eating it gives me the benefit of less cramping and gut motility.

I hear ya on wanting to try anythi g to make the gut behave. I am sorry for your suffering.

Eppie
 
Ekaj said:
Ok - do you eat the mj or do you need to smoke it for benefit? I've used mj once and I was in no state to know what the effects were... about 20 years ago. And now here I am as an adult thinking of it for all the wrong reasons. my gut :)

Like many of us I would lick a bus seat if I thought it would cure this disease... crazy.
Click to expand...

There are several ways to use it, smoking is quicker and relieves some issues faster (nausea, cramps, pain etc.), however eating it is very effective as a longer lasting solution to the day. I quite often to both, eat it and then smoke for the immeadiate effects.
 
It's good to see a Judge in Ontario quash the laws so now the government will have to act to create a better medical M policy....we all kind of had a chuckle at work today when someone asked me if there was anything I could get for the pain...Pretty sure the Inspector will blow a gasket...:)
 
really wished id come here sooner, If anyone is aware of any trials in the UK id sign up tomorrow, I stopped being able to afford to buy weed when I got made redundant and then Crohns got worse, im now thinking there is a possible link there.

Really though if anyone is aware of any system of obtaining weed in the UK that is legal and medical I would be really interested to see if it helped me sleep for more than a few hours like i used to be able to and eat with vigour instead of concern. btw Im Crohnie in the ilium in response to op, when i used to smoke I could feel the scratchy hand squeezing my gut feeling become less noticeable eat a full meal in one sitting and was able to sleep. I had kinda just assumed that the whole being made redundant thing and not being able to get things together had led to Crohns being worse, maybe there was more to the weed than I gave it credit/
 

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