Tolerance vs. Chronic Pain

I'm at that awful point where I'm no longer getting the kind of pain relief I need, so I know I need a break to decrease my tolerance. However, I'm also in an incredibly physically and mentally stressful time of the year that makes my pain far more frequent and  intense, so this is when I need the MMJ (and yoga, therapy, acupuncture, therapeutic massage, a healthy diet, laughter, etc....) the most. 
 
While I'm trying to cut down wherever I can, a complete break would almost certainly render me non-functional; that's not an option at all because I'm running our household by myself for another few months while my husband's away for work. I'm going to be forced to take a break for a month-long trip to Canada in another 6-8 weeks. Should I just wait until then, unless I have a good enough stretch health-wise to cut way back, or stop, in the meantime? That good stretch may very well happen, but they're often more of the good-day-here-and-there variety during the summer.  
 
What do you do when you really need a break from the cannabis, but also desperately need any kind of pain relief it provides?
 
Would switching to a CBD-only strain like Charlotte's Web (if I'm in good enough shape to do so) for a while potentially help me pain- AND tolerance-wise? Is there a tolerance to CBD and the rest of the good stuff in the plant, or is it primarily to the THC? Have you heard of anyone trying to get around the tolerance vs. pain issue by doing something like this? Or do you have any other tips or ideas for me? 
 
I'm sorry if these are silly questions; I've only been using cannabis for the past 2-ish years (I'm 34), so I still have a lot to learn! On the bright side, these forums have been an AMAZING resource for me, and I fully credit members such as BadKittySmiles for helping me find a regimen  that has allowed me to become far more active, lose 80 lbs in the past 16 months, and become a happier, healthier person all around, so quickly.  
 
Thank you in advance for your thoughts!
 
 
 
P.S., If it's relevant to you, I make & use a high CBD infused organic coconut oil and some budder in triple ginger cookies as a staple for chronic pain, and usually take 1-2 doses (spaced 6+ hours from when it kicks in) per day. The strain I've been using for several months has some THC in it as well, but it's just enough for pain relief without impairment. If I upped the dosage on that any more, I would be impaired, which is unacceptable before bedtime. I vape or smoke for breakthrough pain when I don't have to drive, and also use a topical oil I make. I have strong kief-coconut oil caps for really bad evening pain, migraines, etc., but I don't take those often. 

 

I'm so sorry I posted an ran! It's just been that type of month, where my free time comes in tiny increments at odd times throughout the day/night.
 
I've been reading your posts with great interest as they hit my inbox, though! And then last night my computer wiped out the long reply I had already started...I never quite seem to learn my lesson on leaving unsubmitted posts in open tabs/windows! 
 
So, I'm digesting and researching, as time allows, and I'd still love to participate in this conversation (ALL of you have posted some incredible food for thought!) if you don't mind being a patient with me for a little longer.  Subscribe and we'll call it a 'slower summer' thread, maybe, since I'm guessing A LOT of us have crazy schedules?   
 
BTW, I'm totally geeking out on the complementary medicine ideas! I just took a quick look at the research on some of them last night as I was writing the post that was wiped out, and even though I don't have time to dive into it much right now, I'm eagerly waiting for my calmer schedule to come. Super cool, guys; I didn't expect anything like that to be part of this thread, but I'm very excited that you've made it so! 

 

Fortunately, we have some great canna-farmers'-markets in this area, so I took your advice and got myself a good selection of indicas, sativas and cbd strains to rotate through. And that is definitely helping, so thank you! 
 
I suspect you're correct about CBD because I'm still doing well with the high-CBD strains. I need more than I have in the past, but that may be the THC my body's missing due to the tolerance. At any rate, I can't wait until there are more studies on the intricacies of CBD so we don't have to guess so much anymore! 
 
I've been researching black pepper/extract recently, so that's really interesting to me! My husband has quite severe plaque psoriasis and some psoriatic arthritis in his toes, so we're giving turmeric/curcumin a go, and I'm taking it as well for my inflammatory issues. Turmeric isn't readily absorbed without black pepper, so supplements need to contain an extract to be effective. I'll get serious about taking my turmeric, and I also add black pepper to my spice cookies, so I'll see if I notice a difference. 

Very interesting. I believe I read the folklore is based on green tea containing EGCG, which can increase metabolism. Of course to get enough EGCG to increase your metabolism significantly enough to burn fat (thus helping to eliminate the THC), you'd need to drink an excessive amount of green tea. Green tea bothers my tummy, so I prefer taking a decaf green tea supplement that contains a sufficient amount of EGCG (it's like 90mg three times a day, according to studies, IIRC). Anyway, I kind of let my green tea supplement fall by the wayside when I started on turmeric, but I'll give it a try. 
 
Thank you, too, for that advice on switching strains!   I can't believe I'd never heard that before this thread, but like I said, I'm relatively new to this herb. 
 
I'm going to follow your suggestion and just wait until Canada to take a break. It won't clear me out entirely (with my slooooow metabolism, I'd probably need 6 months for that!), but it'll reset me enough that maybe I'll be able to decrease my pain meds again. 

Interesting!