Marijuana seems to intensify my pain!!

I know what you mean OP. When I'm in pain and I smoke there's a chance of it just intensifying my pain. I've come to notice two things about it though. Only when the pain is real bad does it feel amplified by marijuana. It works out feeling like the pain is just unavoidable and all the weed does is make me more aware of how much it sucks.

If it's more moderate than severe though weed can offer me pain relief with proper dosing though. I noticed when I had a surgery last year that getting a normal level high from just a bowl or two seemingly made my pain worse. Dosing higher on the marijuana however and getting supper ripped however did go a long way in making me feel better.

So I dunno.. maybe you're not dosing high enough?

 

I have been smoking for many years. I am in my early 40's. I have always been healthy and athletic. I have had the occasional episode where smoking weed has caused me to have severe lower back pain/spasms. In fact I took a few bonghits last night and my back has gone completely out. I could BARELY move all day. This has happened a few times, but not like this one. I almost went to the hospital. I could barely get out of bed to get to the bathroom this AM. The pain has been pretty bad, and my back is very weak feeling.

Not sure what the answer is. This is the first and only negative side effect I have ever experienced from smoking - - I couldn't even stand upright most of the day. I love burning up. It's one of the things i really enjoy. I hope that this doesn't force me to stop, but not being able to walk has it's drawbacks.

 

I have three herniated discs in my lower back from improper lifting. I have found marijuana releases the tightness, and makes me kind of decompress and relax. It's a Shame the opposite happens to you. Good luck.

 

I have numerous tumors on my right brachial nerve. Alot of pain. I have tried 4 hybrid types of marijuana. Experimenting on myself. The one variety that caused the most paranoid feelings also made my pain worse. At least made me focus on it.
The others gave me an euphoric feeling, happy, that settle into the warm body numbness. There are alot of strains and you need to find and listen to what works. Try a low thc and high cbd type. Remove the heady feeling. I would love to try a pure indica. Haven't gotten my hands on any.
I take 4800 mgs of neurotin a day and four 10/650 percosets to relieve my neuropathic pains. I'm in the midst of disability so I can't smoke. I gotta stay clean till this is over. So I'm back mmj free till then Sucks to suffer for nothing.

 

To the OP, hopefully I'm not to late and you stopped checking this page. I agree with many of the other blades. Indica = Relief Sativa= Hightened sensitivity. But i have some ideas. 1) Coughing is extermly stressul on your muscles and back. everytime you cough your muscles tense up and pull on the tendons near your back that could irritate the nerves along with hightened sensitivity so you feel the aches from those coughs even hours after smoking. 2) Use a tincture (specifically with CBD), tinctures are absorbed sub-lingually (under the Tongue) and spreads first through the CNS and the spine effecting the nerves in 5 to 20min. That is my first choice for patients with nerve damage. Hope this helps.

 

I know this is an old topic but I have been experiencing the same problem when smoking. I'm in the process of seeing several doctors about pain in my shoulders and arms and I have come to the conclusion that it is most likely caused by some sort of nerve pain derived from my neck, such as a herniated disc. I have always smoked recreationally and I have found that it is great for any ailment I have, especially nausea and back pain. Since this sudden nerve pain, every time I smoke it becomes much worse. Unfortunately I live in nj and the medial use laws are very strict and I don't even know anyone that gets it medically. It would be interesting to see if an indica would help but I never know what bud I am getting.

 

 
Smoking for pain does not do jack shit for me.
 
What works is Edibles but not during the initial buzz but later on as the buss winds down and the CBD gets to working I feel better for hours.
The CBD is what does the most for chronic pain.

 

 
So much can depend on the type  of pain one experiences. I have a friend who gets incredible pain relief, and others (myself included) who get minimal pain relief, and have noticed it can even intensify it sometimes. I had a friend who got a hash cap from me, because she was taking three of my daytime use ones to calm down at night. I gave her some CBD too, just in case it was overwhelming. Instead of trying to take it to relax, she took it after some major dental work, and then had to swear off cannabis entirely because she had an intense mental, and painful experience. ...and never took the CBD. 
 
This intesifying can be because it's a sativa and stimulates nerves and nerve pain, or because it's targeted application makes one aware of the healing that's happening, bringing attention to the pain. Like an itchy scar - it's healing, but it's a pain. Sometimes the healing process makes us even more aware, and then layering inappropriate meds makes it so much worse. When those scars are inside us, it can be really aggravating.

For back pain, patches are always a good option for calming that area. 

 

 
Here's some info lifted from Kushcreams website suggesting that Beaniegrl nailed it:
 
Your body's receptors are divided into two different types of responders cb1 (the euphoric) and cb2 (the medicinal). Your cb1 receptors are found mainly in your brain, responding to the thc. But your cb2 receptors are mainly found in your skin cells, spleen cells, stomach, liver, bones and immune cells and respond to the cbd and cbn cannabinoids. These non-pyscho-active cannabinoids are where the pain relieving qualities of cannabis lie; the anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, pain relieving properties of cannabis. When one is trying to find the pain relieving qualities of cannabis and smoking it, it is only a euphoric distraction….as your brain does not have cb2 receptors…your skin does!
\nOf course Kushcreams is interested in selling cannabis infused creams, but their points about cb1 vs. cb2 receptors and smoking being a euphoric distraction sound plausible.

 

Strains can vary the effects too, with responses to particular terpenes, which is why some strains may be more pain relieving, especially for things like muscle tension and inflammation, where nerve damage is not affected and then aggravated by the smoking. And vice versa. I get great relief from inflammation when smoking (or eating) CBD that I don't get from, really any, indicas. 
 
If you're smoking it, you're still getting some of it to your CB 1&2 receptors, it's being pumped through your blood, but I would think that most of it gets converted and then doesn't respond to those receptors, but to the brain, and/or terpenes alter, and the dominant effect is the CB1 responses, which makes you hyper aware of any stimulation to the CB2 receptors. The patch stimulates those CB2 receptors without stimulating the CB1 receptors (since it doesn't pass the skin barrier into the blood), allowing for targeted pain relief. It can still only go so far, but it can make a big difference in nerve pain, or pain from severe tissue damage, especially. I doubt that putting a patch on your back will calm your spleen, but... it couldn't hurt trying!
 
So, they were certainly spinning it to their advantage. Then again, if pain relief without the euphoria is what you need, then it is to your advantage too. lol marketing. sigh. However, it's not specifically the stimulation of CB1 receptors that creates the euphoria, but the conversion of THC into something... eleven something, by our liver that allows THC to pass the brain barrier. At least the way I understand it. There can be other responses of those receptors for other variations. We know so little, with so many factors at hand!

 

This honestly is my experience with unbalanced THC and some sativas, for some pain uses. Most weed helps me with my joint pain - but for menstrual cramps, it's another matter. Some weed will just make me more aware of my cramps. 

My daytime pain formula is just a high-CBD strain (I use Jamaican Lion - a high-CBD sativa - for the moment - it's somewhere between 1:1 and 2:1 CBD/THC).

My nighttime pain formula is half high-CBD sativa (Jamaican Lion) and half a heavy hitting indica. It gives me better results for night pain than the indica alone. Also, indicas with a strongly relaxing effect help me better than ones that don't have that. Normal (non high-CBD)  sativas just make me hyperaware of my pain. 

Some strains will just make me *more* aware of my pain. 

You can also try doubling up - take your normal OTC pain relief with your weed. That works well for me sometimes. 

 

I was searching for info about an increase in pain with sativa use, and I found this thread and other articles.
 
I used a sativa strain of medical marijuana a handful of times, and within about an hour of smoking, my pain significantly increased so that it was unbearable (I want to cut off my limb unbearable!). I have chronic pain, and I never experienced an increase in pain after taking my opiate pain med. Then after smoking mmj sativa, I would at first get massive munchies and then become very nauseated to the point of feeling like I'm going to vomit. My anxiety levels increased, too. I ended up going to bed because it made me feel awful.
 
I haven't tried an indica or high CBD strain yet (that's what I'll buy next), yet I'm reluctant to use a sativa for the time being from all the increased pain, anxiety and nausea it gave me. I made sure I was hydrated and ate or drank something with fruit in it before smoking to make sure my blood sugar wasn't low. I didn't smoke too much, either. Is it possible I got a sativa strain that doesn't agree with me?
 
I read a study in which researchers found that cannabis increased pain. Plus, cannabis increases the intensity of what we feel/experience, so it makes sense that it may increase the awareness and sensation of pain. Although, something does take place in the body that acts to increase pain.
 
My post isn't to put sativa down. I wanted to post that I also had extreme, increased pain every time I smoked it. I had high hopes that it would help me, since I've mostly had positive experiences with weed (sativa & indica) way back in the 80s... tho weed is so different today that you can't even compare weed from back then to what we have now. My next purchase will have to be a high CBD or indica strain, so I'm hopeful that I'll find something that works.

 

I started smoking weed to dull my lower back pain.. not only did it make the lower back pain twice as bad, but my hip my, mu upper back and my legs started hurting as well.  and if i sat in any one position too long my whole body hurt.. people that say it dulls pain are just morons that have been smoking way too long.. i have real back pain and MJ made me roll on the floor in pain

 

This happened to me after smoking for the first time in five months. I had back pain but it was never this bad. If marijuana is going to affect my training I'm not going to use it anymore.

 

Edibles and topicals together work best for chronic and severe pain

 

I have found it depends on the circumstances. Under pain, I have smoked a variety of both indica and sativa as well as oil and edibles. Particularly with the weed, when I was bedridden with spondolisethesis for ten days and a ruptured disc, weed intensified my pain horrifically and encouraged great muscle spasms. I was smoking hybrids. It was more reliable for turning on my pain than anything I could consume.

When undergoing high dose interferon treatment for melanoma I would come home and if I took Theraflu the 105 degree fever from the interferon would not occur. However, a friend brought a bag of vapor to me from his machine for me, and when I inhaled it, my temperature immediately skyrocketed. In both instances I had to swear off weed for the duration of treatment, both vapor and smoke.

These things are so obvious that I cannot ignore. However, I have many other circumstances, such as suddenly injuring my back after picking up something heavy, and the weed immediately and dramatically took the pain away. Now with my broken leg bone (fibia), it has both dramatically helped but now is increasing my sciatic and leg pain. Strains with sativa tend to intensify and indica kills the pain. (But not for me in all circumstances). I think it makes our physical senses more sensitive and increases our awareness of pinched nerves and muscle cramps and sciatica, but I would say it depends on an individuals experience and what the problem is. Hangovers and nausea are obviously good candidates.

 

you would think mary jane could temporarily heal a toothache, you will be sadly mistaken.

 

It is the first time in my life seeing somebody who says that mmj intensified their pain. every time I only see people saying that it is easing their pains. and that's true. I have not had any mmj in a while now, but I used to enjoy the back pain relief I got from it. in fact, it is not in the fact that it relieves pain because in fact, it doesn't, but the fact that made me forget about the pains.

 

My friend tried edibles for her back pain, but it became much worse. I am a scientist, so I researched how this can happen and wrote an article about it: Cannabis can paradoxically worsen pain - Professor of Pot