ISO tasteless, odorless, nausea-free pain relief
September 26, 2017 8:48 PM Subscribe
I've suffered painful injury, and the doctor has prescribed a take-as-needed painkiller in addition to rest, ice, and NSAIDs. The painkiller helps, but makes me almost unbearably nauseous. I live in a state with legal recreational & medical marijuana, but I don't smoke and really the taste & smell. I know edibles are an option, but I'm more curious about tinctures. Questions below the fold.
How fast to do tinctures work? Do they have a smell? A taste? Would they be a good option for nausea-free pain relief? Do you have experience using them for this?
I'm not concerned about dosage/potency variation issues because that's regulated here, so I trust that anything I get from a shop will be reliably labeled. I have experience with THC/CBD in the form of topical lotions and balms, but not in any other form.
I'm definitely planning to visit a local shop and ask the experts, but I'd like some idea of whether I'm on the right track before I go in.
Feel free to Memail me if you don't want to post a public response.
How fast to do tinctures work? Do they have a smell? A taste? Would they be a good option for nausea-free pain relief? Do you have experience using them for this?
I'm not concerned about dosage/potency variation issues because that's regulated here, so I trust that anything I get from a shop will be reliably labeled. I have experience with THC/CBD in the form of topical lotions and balms, but not in any other form.
I'm definitely planning to visit a local shop and ask the experts, but I'd like some idea of whether I'm on the right track before I go in.
Feel free to Memail me if you don't want to post a public response.
I've found tinctures to work a bit faster than edibles, which can sometimes take hours to work. Tinctures don't tend to taste very good, but a squirt in a shotglass with some water is bearable. I say go to your dispensary and get a bottle. Be conservative with the dosage until you know how much you need to make your pain recede. I hope it works for you!
posted by bink at 11:12 PM on September 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by bink at 11:12 PM on September 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
When I was prescribed tramadol, I had the worst nausea ever. I called my dr and asked if she would prescribe some Zofran for me to take before taking the tramadol, and. that helped a lot. Later I realized that taking dramamine before also helped a lot. If it's an opiate you're taking, it's best to take it on an empty stomach. If you have a lot of food in your stomach, then when the med starts slowing everything down, sickness can set in very quickly.
I've never used a tincture but I've heard really good things. If that's the route you definitely want to go down, you're getting some good info here. But if you would rather avoid trying to find the perfect dose and dealing with the taste, ask for Zofram or try popping a dramamine (you can use non-drowsy), and definitely take your pain meds on an empty stomach.
posted by mermaidcafe at 4:25 AM on September 27, 2017 [1 favorite]
I've never used a tincture but I've heard really good things. If that's the route you definitely want to go down, you're getting some good info here. But if you would rather avoid trying to find the perfect dose and dealing with the taste, ask for Zofram or try popping a dramamine (you can use non-drowsy), and definitely take your pain meds on an empty stomach.
posted by mermaidcafe at 4:25 AM on September 27, 2017 [1 favorite]
Nausea with strong painkillers, which I'm assuming is tramadol or some type of hydro/oxy-condone, is very common. Before checking out MJ, you could ask your doc for Zofran, promethazine or a similar med for nausea. Promethazine will also increase the potency of an opiate. Zofran is truly a lifesaver. Good luck and feel better soon.
posted by FergieBelle at 5:22 AM on September 27, 2017
posted by FergieBelle at 5:22 AM on September 27, 2017
It is also possible to take medical marijuana via suppository, thus avoiding the taste issue. The active ingredients get absorbed via the mucus membranes so time-to-onset is similar to tincture placed under the tongue. If you can't find suppositories at your local outlets you can make your own from tincture. It's pretty easy to find instructions for doing so on the web.
posted by Winnie the Proust at 6:13 AM on September 27, 2017
posted by Winnie the Proust at 6:13 AM on September 27, 2017
I'm assuming that the painkillers you're talking about are opioids, yes? You might want to try a different pill. I can take Percocet but not Vicodin, for example. My dad tolerates Vicodin but not Percocet.
posted by radioamy at 9:49 AM on September 27, 2017
posted by radioamy at 9:49 AM on September 27, 2017
You know Ricola cough drops? That's kind of what the tinctures taste like around here. Floral, spicy, some sugar.
I've used tinctures for insomnia and they seem to work fairly fast when used properly (held under the tongue)--half an hour to an hour, kind of what you'd expect from Tylenol. Things like capsules take much longer. I think it takes a good one to two hours to notice a capsule's effect. (Smoking is probably fastest, but I understand your ambivalence. )
There are edibles like chocolate bars and there are edibles that are sort of like Gummy Bears.
The second type seems to work faster, as they dissolve in the mouth mostly and that seems to help speed it up a bit ('sublingual' I think is the term). They have more citrus/fruit flavors if you're not into chocolate (I'm not). So they sort of behave like a cross between tinctures and edibles.
It sounds like you would be best off with both the tincture and some small dose Gummy-Bear-equivalents. Tinctures don't travel well -- you can't put it in your bag and have any assurance that they're not leaking weed slowly into your handbag.
The gummy things come in little doses so you can play with what works for you. In general, the range of dosage is kind of nuts, I got some little jelly things that are less than 2 milligrams but you can also buy single candies that are up to 100 mg. 10 mg is often used as the dose to start but you could start lower than that. Both the little gummy things and the tincture allow for easy titration and a reasonably fast physical response.
I have a medical license in a legal state and the staff in the dispensary are just about as nice and knowledgeable as you'll find anywhere. They tend to be very enthusiastic about answering questions. It's a labor of love. Pain management, and nausea management for that matter, are common usages and you should be able to get good advice.
If your dispensary has an online component (here, they do have one but aren't allowed to advertise that...it exists) it may have a breakdown of what they sell and what types are recommended for what.
I also grow it. This all makes me sound like I'm super-duper into weed but I'm not, I'm actually struggling to get used to the idea that it's normal and legal.
I hope you feel better soon!
posted by A Terrible Llama at 11:26 AM on September 27, 2017 [1 favorite]
I've used tinctures for insomnia and they seem to work fairly fast when used properly (held under the tongue)--half an hour to an hour, kind of what you'd expect from Tylenol. Things like capsules take much longer. I think it takes a good one to two hours to notice a capsule's effect. (Smoking is probably fastest, but I understand your ambivalence. )
There are edibles like chocolate bars and there are edibles that are sort of like Gummy Bears.
The second type seems to work faster, as they dissolve in the mouth mostly and that seems to help speed it up a bit ('sublingual' I think is the term). They have more citrus/fruit flavors if you're not into chocolate (I'm not). So they sort of behave like a cross between tinctures and edibles.
It sounds like you would be best off with both the tincture and some small dose Gummy-Bear-equivalents. Tinctures don't travel well -- you can't put it in your bag and have any assurance that they're not leaking weed slowly into your handbag.
The gummy things come in little doses so you can play with what works for you. In general, the range of dosage is kind of nuts, I got some little jelly things that are less than 2 milligrams but you can also buy single candies that are up to 100 mg. 10 mg is often used as the dose to start but you could start lower than that. Both the little gummy things and the tincture allow for easy titration and a reasonably fast physical response.
I have a medical license in a legal state and the staff in the dispensary are just about as nice and knowledgeable as you'll find anywhere. They tend to be very enthusiastic about answering questions. It's a labor of love. Pain management, and nausea management for that matter, are common usages and you should be able to get good advice.
If your dispensary has an online component (here, they do have one but aren't allowed to advertise that...it exists) it may have a breakdown of what they sell and what types are recommended for what.
I also grow it. This all makes me sound like I'm super-duper into weed but I'm not, I'm actually struggling to get used to the idea that it's normal and legal.
I hope you feel better soon!
posted by A Terrible Llama at 11:26 AM on September 27, 2017 [1 favorite]
I’m super annoying about textures and things - just to preface this.
I hated the tinctures I’ve tried. They were very ... oily. One tasted very strongly of mj. One didn’t, but I still couldn’t hold it under my tongue for 30 seconds. I don’t think I felt much different either.
But!!
I know this because I went to my local dispensary and they gave me a sample! So if you’re in a place that is legal, I suggest doing the same. The staffs are always super helpful.
(As an aside, topical CBD - not hemp, actual cannabis - is magical, if you’re hurt in a place that would benefit. )
posted by crankyrogalsky at 6:29 PM on September 27, 2017
I hated the tinctures I’ve tried. They were very ... oily. One tasted very strongly of mj. One didn’t, but I still couldn’t hold it under my tongue for 30 seconds. I don’t think I felt much different either.
But!!
I know this because I went to my local dispensary and they gave me a sample! So if you’re in a place that is legal, I suggest doing the same. The staffs are always super helpful.
(As an aside, topical CBD - not hemp, actual cannabis - is magical, if you’re hurt in a place that would benefit. )
posted by crankyrogalsky at 6:29 PM on September 27, 2017
Response by poster: Thanks all! I ended up going to a local shop, joking that I wish I could just take a pill, and LO AND BEHOLD: you can get pills now. Also there are transdermal patches. So I'm good now.
posted by rhiannonstone at 6:48 PM on October 13, 2017
posted by rhiannonstone at 6:48 PM on October 13, 2017
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