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Crohn's Disease

Discussion in 'Medical Marijuana Usage and Applications' started by floating_by, Jun 17, 2008.

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  1. #1 floating_by, Jun 17, 2008
    Hey all,

    I have Crohn's disease and it's really taking a toll on my body. I'll spare you the gross details of this disease. I am experiencing a lot of pain and swelling in my joints due to this nasty disease. It's amazing to think that some swelling in the intestinal tract can cause so much widespread trouble.

    Are there others here that have Crohn's/Rheumatoid Arthritis that get relief from marijuana?
    I have tried a number of the traditional pharmaceuticals that they prescribe for Crohn's and the side effects have either been worse than the disease itself, or made things worse rather than improving symptoms. Great huh? :rolleyes:

    I have a few things on my mind about going down this path. One, I live in a state that does NOT have legalized medical marijuana. Very risky and I doubt that I'd find a friendly ear in the authorities if I were to get caught, and could lose my job if my employer found out (although its harder all the time to get up to go to work anyway.) Also, I haven't smoked for about 12 years. I checked myself into treatment at 21 because drugs were a problem for me and I tended to do Waaay too much. So to go down this path is a little daunting, but at the same time, less so than using pharmaceutical drugs that wreak havoc on my body.

    Interested to hear from people who are seeing medical benefits from marijuana. Thank you.
     
  2. #2 westcoaststyle, Jun 18, 2008
  3. #3 RealCaveman, Jun 18, 2008
    I dont think Crohn's disease has anything to do with IBS, but i got some major problems with that. And smoking whenever i get those "knifing" pains in my intestinal area, usually helps. I always have the D too and feeling nauseous...fucking annoying.

    I'm pretty sure Cannabis can help you with your disease, it helps alot of everything heh.
    Hope you feel better bud, GH23:wave:
     
  4. #4 CaliCoast, Jun 18, 2008
    My MMJ rec. is based on Colitis. Chrons is worse though, you should have no problem getting a rec. and you'll genuinely find relief by smoking some marijuana. One of my Dr.'s told me marijuana has been found to be an effective muscle relaxer and there's even early evidence that marijuana can stop and reverse the damage cause by rhematoid arthritis but more studies need to be done on that. But good luck man, too bad your state doesn't have a program.
     
  5. #5 floating_by, Jun 18, 2008
  6. #6 floating_by, Jun 18, 2008
    Thanks. I think both diseases fall under the general umbrella of "Irritable Bowel Disease."
    I can have the D but not too often. I just had a colonoscopy and there were just a couple fissures very low down in the rectum which causes bleeding. But the flares in the rest of my body are out of control right now. Rheumatoid runs in the family, so I think it's a combo of the two (I haven't been to a rheumatologist yet. They will want me to go on the same dangerous, unproven intravenous medications that my gastro seems to be convinced are the "cure-all." I've had moderate to severe reactions to just the pills they've given me. I can't imagine what the injectables might do to me. Scares the shit out of me. They just keep throwing drugs at me and saying, "try this." I'm looking for something "safe" to try, and mj more and more seems to be that safe alternative. I'm only reluctant to have to go to the black market. Last thing I need now is legal or employment problems on top of the pain I am experiencing. I guess I'll have to ask around if anyone can find some for me. Gulp. I feel weird about this, but only because of the cultural stigmas and not the mj itself. What a goofy country I live in. :(
     
  7. #7 floating_by, Jun 18, 2008
    Do you have joint pains at all from Colitis? I'm hoping the anti-inflammatory effects of mj will help me.

    Anyone out there in a non-medical mj state going through this? How does one ensure that what they are getting is, well, safe? Does it have to be "kind" buds to help, or does lesser grade stuff help? Not sure what I could find and if it would be on a consistent basis.
    (It's been a long time, is the term "kind" still used?) :p
     
  8. #8 OneHitter, Jun 18, 2008
    I take 3000 mg of Pentasa every day for my Crohns, and I swear to God, MJ makes me feel just as comfortable as a dose of that shit. I have never, ever felt or been sick when I've been just high.
     
  9. #9 The_Joker, Jun 18, 2008
    hey man i got Crohn's and i get joint pain every once in a while and mj helps to relieve it very well especially some real heavy sativa or somethin coughlcok like kush
     
  10. #10 TheWiseOwl, Jun 18, 2008
    Before I started smoking I was in the hospital at least once a year for a week or so to get my flare ups under control. Since I started smoking I haven't been hospitalized at all. I can stop taking my prescription medicines for months at a time and be fine just by smoking weed. Doesnt have to be great weed, doesnt even have to be daily. I recently my first year at UVM, none of my friends that I met there would have had ANY clue that I had Chron's if I hadnt told them. In high school everyone knew I had serious health issues.

    Hooray weed! :hello:
     
  11. #11 CaliCoast, Jun 18, 2008
    No, no joint pains from the UC but the MJ definitely helps with "flare ups" or basic inflammatory discomfort. I would list some strains that might help the best but it sounds like it might be hard to get these specific strains. Maybe the only sure way is to start a small grow. ANyways good luck in your quest for relief.
     
  12. #12 RealCaveman, Jun 18, 2008
    Their doing the same exact thing on to me. Throwing you medicine that works for a week or two then stops working. grrr...i had a colonscopy too and nothing showed up but some slight acid reflux and whatnot. But nothing with my intestinal tract. Can't figure out what's wrong.

    Peace:smoke:
     
  13. #13 floating_by, Jun 18, 2008
    Hi,

    Yeah, they put me on Pentasa too, but it gave me horrible D. It took me a couple weeks to get my bum feeling better after that. It didn't help at all to say the least. :eek:

    Are the benefits you are seeing/feeling longer lasting than just when "high?" I guess I'm trying to determine if one feels better just because they are "high," or if there is a longer-lasting effect. Thanks!! :hello:
     
  14. #14 floating_by, Jun 18, 2008
    Good to know! The joint pain is the worst part of Crohn's for me right now so that is what I would hope to relieve. I'm living on Advil right now, which can't be good for me.
     
  15. #15 floating_by, Jun 18, 2008
    Wow. I wouldn't know where to start. Risky business to say the least. Damn, I wish I didn't have to feel like a criminal to try something to possibly make me feel better. I wrote my state rep recently before the MN bill went up for vote, and he said he was going to support it, but it never got to the floor for a vote I guess. Grrr... :mad: Yeah, I rarely knew what the strains were back in the day when I used to smoke recreationally. Every once in a while I'd get something "kind" of a certain strain like northern lights, but that was hit or miss.
     
  16. #16 floating_by, Jun 18, 2008
    Sorry to hear you're getting the run-around too. I've had some scary side effects recently from some of the drugs. I took Cipro (an anti-biotic of some sort) and my ankles swelled up to about twice the size. Ever since, I am having continual swelling in my ankles and wrists. To say that the pharmaceuticals are not "safe" is a gross understatement based on my experiences with them thus far. One of the Cipro side effects listed was TENDON RUPTURES! :eek: I feel like I stopped that drug just in the nick of time before it popped my ankles. I couldn't believe an anti-biotic could have such side effects. Unreal.
     
  17. #17 CaliCoast, Jun 18, 2008
    Exactly, you shouldn't feel like a criminal for supplying yourself w/ the medicine you need. And you can minimize risk if you grow by following a few simple rules, but you can get to that later if you decide to grow. As far as particular strains, that's why I suggested just growing it yourself. It's hard to rely on somebody else's word and product. As far as your states MMJ efforts go, it's hard to rely on politicians when it's your life huh? Maybe you could look at this grow as 'civil disobedience' rather than criminal :D. Anyways good luck in your quest.
     
  18. #18 HolyxXxCrapp, Jun 18, 2008
    well, i dont have crohns...so i wont even pretend i know what thats like. i do however have muscular dystrophy. and weeds my self given medication. it is really used in a lot of areas medicinal wise. its got such potential...but people dont see it sadly...
     
  19. #19 FlyUntilYuCrash, Jun 18, 2008


    i have crohns disease since i was 8 and the first 5 years of my diagnosis was insanely painful. i had the stomach cramps that literally left me bruised, my joints so swollen i cant move them at all, losing so much weight i looked dead. yuck. and all the medications i used would be great the first few months then they would just not work anymore or just make everything got worse.

    but after i started smoking i was like 13 i noticed each time i had flare ups that when i smoked it made things feel a lot better. i havent really had joint pain since, to be honest. my cousin has crohns disease and she lives in cali and she gets medical mj for it. so i have nothing but positive things to say about weed for crohnies haaa

    the best part is it makes the stomach pains go away for awhile and you can eat and not be SO sickly feeling

    love weed
     
  20. #20 floating_by, Jun 18, 2008
    Wow. That is awesome. :hello: I'm getting the sense that it certainly can't hurt to try some mj for my Crohn's. Now to find some... :cool:
     
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