Would medical marijuana help me?
March 8, 2010 5:40 AM Subscribe
Would medicinal use of marijuana help me?
For the last couple of years on an irregular basis i have had horrible stomach aches. I don't know how to explain them. What i can say is that have had really bad gas before, and it pales in comparison, they are just really horrible. Along with the stomach aches i get really anxious about the pain and start to panic. All of the research I have done on the sever abdominal pain suggest taking tylenol or IB proferen for the concern. I had not gone to the doctor for this, and the main reason was when i was younger I had stomach aches, that from memory weren't as sever but were more frequent. After countless trips to a normal pediatrician, a G.I specialist, countless test and even a sonogram to look for ulcers (on a 12 year old mind you) the doctors chalked it up to stress and anxiety and left it at that. In the past with these episodes I have learned that if i can get my mind off of it that they tend to go away. These easiest way, but least convenient is car rides(i close my eyes, stop thing about anything but trying to kind of guess where we are on the road).
The most recent was this friday. It hit me out of nowhere. I have no idea what the triggers could be. I didn't eat anything out of the ordinary (and the food i have eaten has been different each time). Friday's was the most severe i have experienced. I took 2 IB proferen because the pain resonated from my stomach all the way into my back but I vomited (not a normal part of this experience). my girlfriend basically insisted on going to the hospital. So on the way to the hospital I closed my eyes, concentrated on where we were on the road and fell asleep. Woke up with no pain at the hospital. Didn't really want to go in, but my girlfriend insisted. It flared back up. Walked into the hospital, talked to the receptionist, sat down to fill out the form and the pain was gone (never to return at this point. Normal hospital stuff from there, talk to the doc, pee in a cup, let them take blood and the results... "We didn't find anything, you might want to go to a GI specialist." It was what i figured and it was really frustrating.
The car rides have worked on two occasions, but they take 20 minutes and the stomach aches usually start at around 1130 or 12 pm (normally when i am settling in to bed for the evening), they use gas, which isn't cheap and (not to sound too much like a hippy) isn't exactly environmentally sound. Without something like the car ride, it last for hours and keeps me up all night. I think tylenol may have helped once.
After the one i had a few months ago, I by chance watched super high me, the union and heard an old lady talking about the use of medical marijuana in her nursing home and couldn't help but wonder if it would work for me. I have never smoked marijuana ever. It just never came up in my life the way it has in other people's. I'm not looking to become a habitual user or even start recreational use, my question being in these moments of intense pain, that may or may not be caused by stress or anxiety if this would work,. I'm not in one of the medical marijuana states but i am in a pretty marijuana friendly city (i personally know a cop who would tell people to just put it out) I didn't feel comfortable asking the ER doctor and I can't say i would feel horribly comfortable asking my personal physician. ( i understand if doing so is the recommendation, i'm just not sure if i would be able to do that).
One of the main reasons i ask is because it seems like the two opposing sides of the debate don't provide any middle ground. Pro-pot documentaries are all "it's the miracle cure, guaranteed to get you laid, cure what ails you and make you better looking" or at the least "the union" has a doctor (if i remember correctly) make the claim that THC is safer than the active ingredient in over the counter NSAIDs like tylenol. the anti-pot crowd seems to be "being within an inch of marijuana will kill you" There doesn't seem to be middle ground and determining the truth is feeling very difficult to me.
I know to many people this wouldn't seem like a big deal, but it kind of is to me. If i were to make the decision to try it I would need to be really well informed before doing so.
throw away email chinesebicyledictionary@gmail.com
thanks in advance.
For the last couple of years on an irregular basis i have had horrible stomach aches. I don't know how to explain them. What i can say is that have had really bad gas before, and it pales in comparison, they are just really horrible. Along with the stomach aches i get really anxious about the pain and start to panic. All of the research I have done on the sever abdominal pain suggest taking tylenol or IB proferen for the concern. I had not gone to the doctor for this, and the main reason was when i was younger I had stomach aches, that from memory weren't as sever but were more frequent. After countless trips to a normal pediatrician, a G.I specialist, countless test and even a sonogram to look for ulcers (on a 12 year old mind you) the doctors chalked it up to stress and anxiety and left it at that. In the past with these episodes I have learned that if i can get my mind off of it that they tend to go away. These easiest way, but least convenient is car rides(i close my eyes, stop thing about anything but trying to kind of guess where we are on the road).
The most recent was this friday. It hit me out of nowhere. I have no idea what the triggers could be. I didn't eat anything out of the ordinary (and the food i have eaten has been different each time). Friday's was the most severe i have experienced. I took 2 IB proferen because the pain resonated from my stomach all the way into my back but I vomited (not a normal part of this experience). my girlfriend basically insisted on going to the hospital. So on the way to the hospital I closed my eyes, concentrated on where we were on the road and fell asleep. Woke up with no pain at the hospital. Didn't really want to go in, but my girlfriend insisted. It flared back up. Walked into the hospital, talked to the receptionist, sat down to fill out the form and the pain was gone (never to return at this point. Normal hospital stuff from there, talk to the doc, pee in a cup, let them take blood and the results... "We didn't find anything, you might want to go to a GI specialist." It was what i figured and it was really frustrating.
The car rides have worked on two occasions, but they take 20 minutes and the stomach aches usually start at around 1130 or 12 pm (normally when i am settling in to bed for the evening), they use gas, which isn't cheap and (not to sound too much like a hippy) isn't exactly environmentally sound. Without something like the car ride, it last for hours and keeps me up all night. I think tylenol may have helped once.
After the one i had a few months ago, I by chance watched super high me, the union and heard an old lady talking about the use of medical marijuana in her nursing home and couldn't help but wonder if it would work for me. I have never smoked marijuana ever. It just never came up in my life the way it has in other people's. I'm not looking to become a habitual user or even start recreational use, my question being in these moments of intense pain, that may or may not be caused by stress or anxiety if this would work,. I'm not in one of the medical marijuana states but i am in a pretty marijuana friendly city (i personally know a cop who would tell people to just put it out) I didn't feel comfortable asking the ER doctor and I can't say i would feel horribly comfortable asking my personal physician. ( i understand if doing so is the recommendation, i'm just not sure if i would be able to do that).
One of the main reasons i ask is because it seems like the two opposing sides of the debate don't provide any middle ground. Pro-pot documentaries are all "it's the miracle cure, guaranteed to get you laid, cure what ails you and make you better looking" or at the least "the union" has a doctor (if i remember correctly) make the claim that THC is safer than the active ingredient in over the counter NSAIDs like tylenol. the anti-pot crowd seems to be "being within an inch of marijuana will kill you" There doesn't seem to be middle ground and determining the truth is feeling very difficult to me.
I know to many people this wouldn't seem like a big deal, but it kind of is to me. If i were to make the decision to try it I would need to be really well informed before doing so.
throw away email chinesebicyledictionary@gmail.com
thanks in advance.
For one thing, getting high smoking some grass would make lots more things function pretty much the way your car rides do: you become distracted and forget the pain, and whatever is causing the stress is elsewhere as well.
DO NOT even think about using ibuprofen for stomach pain. It is known for causing it!
Do you drink alcohol at all? A nice hoppy beer (ale, really) is likely to be beneficial. Hops are very kind to your stomach, and have calming properties. Surprise, they're related to marijuana. When I moved to Germany and started drinking the locally popular "Altbier" (ale, in English), some chronic problems went away, which is how I came to look in to why that might be the case.
posted by Goofyy at 6:05 AM on March 8, 2010
DO NOT even think about using ibuprofen for stomach pain. It is known for causing it!
Do you drink alcohol at all? A nice hoppy beer (ale, really) is likely to be beneficial. Hops are very kind to your stomach, and have calming properties. Surprise, they're related to marijuana. When I moved to Germany and started drinking the locally popular "Altbier" (ale, in English), some chronic problems went away, which is how I came to look in to why that might be the case.
posted by Goofyy at 6:05 AM on March 8, 2010
Dude, go to the GI doctor first. This could be anything from nothing to gallbladder stones to IBS to lactose intolerance to... I don't know, I'm not a doctor. But if it is any of those things, there are treatment steps to be taken.
Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but medical marijuana is mostly meant for people in chronic pain or with chronic anxiety that might not respond to anything else.
Go to the doctor first.
posted by sugarfish at 6:14 AM on March 8, 2010
Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but medical marijuana is mostly meant for people in chronic pain or with chronic anxiety that might not respond to anything else.
Go to the doctor first.
posted by sugarfish at 6:14 AM on March 8, 2010
I'm not anyone's doctor, but your symptoms sound exactly like my experience with gallstones; you haven't said whether your tests included checking for that.
The main symptom of gallstones is a fairly sudden, often excruciating pain in the upper abdomen (just below where the breastbone ends) that radiates to your back. An attack can last from half an hour up to many hours. In my case it was curl-up-on-the-floor-and-try-not-to-scream painful. Symptoms start and end quite quickly - over ten minutes or so; when the attack ends you feel absolutely fine again. Attacks can be triggered by fatty foods (even small quantities). My doctor prescribed some pretty strong codeine, and that was the only thing that could take the edge off the pain.
Anyway, just a suggestion for one more thing to rule out. But really, you need to find out what's causing the pain. Just treating the pain is not the way to go.
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 6:19 AM on March 8, 2010
The main symptom of gallstones is a fairly sudden, often excruciating pain in the upper abdomen (just below where the breastbone ends) that radiates to your back. An attack can last from half an hour up to many hours. In my case it was curl-up-on-the-floor-and-try-not-to-scream painful. Symptoms start and end quite quickly - over ten minutes or so; when the attack ends you feel absolutely fine again. Attacks can be triggered by fatty foods (even small quantities). My doctor prescribed some pretty strong codeine, and that was the only thing that could take the edge off the pain.
Anyway, just a suggestion for one more thing to rule out. But really, you need to find out what's causing the pain. Just treating the pain is not the way to go.
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 6:19 AM on March 8, 2010
If you're still considering this after seeing a specialist, keep the following in mind:
- If you're prone to anxiety or panic, marijuana could either really help or really hurt. It depends on whether or not you get paranoid. Often this is dependent on dose.
- Marijuana and marijuana withdrawal can also cause stomach pain. Everyone reacts differently. When I stopped smoking for a few weeks once, I dislocated my jaw!
- Even if it does work for you, I'd be wary of masking any symptom for which you don't know the cause.
posted by acidic at 6:53 AM on March 8, 2010
- If you're prone to anxiety or panic, marijuana could either really help or really hurt. It depends on whether or not you get paranoid. Often this is dependent on dose.
- Marijuana and marijuana withdrawal can also cause stomach pain. Everyone reacts differently. When I stopped smoking for a few weeks once, I dislocated my jaw!
- Even if it does work for you, I'd be wary of masking any symptom for which you don't know the cause.
posted by acidic at 6:53 AM on March 8, 2010
Would medicinal use of marijuana help me?
As a curious coincidence, this is exactly how you might phrase this question to a physician (not necessarily your current physician), who is of course the only type of professional qualified to make such a recommendation. If were in your shoes, though, I would visit the GI specialist first in the hopes that your condition is something common for which a treatment less speculative (in this context) than medical marijuana is often prescribed.
posted by Inspector.Gadget at 7:00 AM on March 8, 2010 [1 favorite]
As a curious coincidence, this is exactly how you might phrase this question to a physician (not necessarily your current physician), who is of course the only type of professional qualified to make such a recommendation. If were in your shoes, though, I would visit the GI specialist first in the hopes that your condition is something common for which a treatment less speculative (in this context) than medical marijuana is often prescribed.
posted by Inspector.Gadget at 7:00 AM on March 8, 2010 [1 favorite]
i have had very similar stomach issues my whole life, starting when i was 10 or 11. mine always resulted in levels of pain that always made me throw up, or, you know, the other end. but always radiating pain that nothing really seemed to help. i was taken to GI specialists and doctors too, and they chalked it up to the same thing - stress/anxiety. i was on anti anxiety meds and depression meds, intermittently, but nothing worked for any of my problems, physical or psychological. i actually tried marijuana for this specific reason, to see if it would do anything. it didn't cure everything, but it is by far the best thing i've tried so far. since i started smoking once or twice a week, the stomach episodes have stopped. my mood has balanced out pretty nicely for the most part.
There is no harm in trying. nothing bad will happen to you, there are no long term or lasting effects. the only way marijuana can hurt you is if you smoke all day every day for years. the least it can do is make you happy for a few hours, the most it can do it make your stomach issues better.
posted by assasinatdbeauty at 7:45 AM on March 8, 2010
There is no harm in trying. nothing bad will happen to you, there are no long term or lasting effects. the only way marijuana can hurt you is if you smoke all day every day for years. the least it can do is make you happy for a few hours, the most it can do it make your stomach issues better.
posted by assasinatdbeauty at 7:45 AM on March 8, 2010
I have also had gallstones. Excruciating pain out of nowhere to disappear out of the blue. Ultrasounds were taken in addition to checking liver enzymes. I had my gallbladder removed laparoscopically and, no pain anymore! Go see a GI specialist.
While I'm by no means against using medical marijuana, for a person who has never used pot before and is wondering if this is a miracle drug - I would have to caution that pot can be extremely useful for symptoms that are chronic and somewhat debilitating. In some cases it has fewer side effects than the drugs that can be prescribed. Medical marijuana is not used for an undiagnosed condition, however.
If you want to smoke pot for recreational purposes, that is a whole other Oprah.
posted by Sophie1 at 7:49 AM on March 8, 2010
While I'm by no means against using medical marijuana, for a person who has never used pot before and is wondering if this is a miracle drug - I would have to caution that pot can be extremely useful for symptoms that are chronic and somewhat debilitating. In some cases it has fewer side effects than the drugs that can be prescribed. Medical marijuana is not used for an undiagnosed condition, however.
If you want to smoke pot for recreational purposes, that is a whole other Oprah.
posted by Sophie1 at 7:49 AM on March 8, 2010
Go to the doctor and explain your anxiety. Your pain sounds like my panic attacks were and having xanax at my disposal has been a godsend.
As far as marijuana, since you have never smoked it before, I would recommend that you smoke it when you are not in pain to see what your reaction is and evaluate if you think that reaction would counter your stomach pain. I've seen it work on people's pain, but I've also seen it make people really paranoid and so dizzy / lightheaded that they throw up (especially for newer users). If you do try to smoke, you won't die or even come close. Remember that if you get paranoid.
posted by WeekendJen at 7:55 AM on March 8, 2010
As far as marijuana, since you have never smoked it before, I would recommend that you smoke it when you are not in pain to see what your reaction is and evaluate if you think that reaction would counter your stomach pain. I've seen it work on people's pain, but I've also seen it make people really paranoid and so dizzy / lightheaded that they throw up (especially for newer users). If you do try to smoke, you won't die or even come close. Remember that if you get paranoid.
posted by WeekendJen at 7:55 AM on March 8, 2010
LIke everyone else said, GI specialist (try to go to the divison head--as high as you can go). It could be many things where NSAIDs or other like aspirin isn't a wise choice if it's a bleeding ulcer. Your symptoms could also be gall stones.
Marijuana may mask the symptoms but if you have something serious, it's not something you want to mask. Good luck.
posted by stormpooper at 7:59 AM on March 8, 2010
Marijuana may mask the symptoms but if you have something serious, it's not something you want to mask. Good luck.
posted by stormpooper at 7:59 AM on March 8, 2010
No one can answer this question without a diagnosis of what's actually ailing you.
Worst case scenario is that the marijuana "works" but ends up masking the symptoms of a real medical issue which you allow to go untreated and continues to escalate.
See a doctor.
posted by bitdamaged at 9:03 AM on March 8, 2010
Worst case scenario is that the marijuana "works" but ends up masking the symptoms of a real medical issue which you allow to go untreated and continues to escalate.
See a doctor.
posted by bitdamaged at 9:03 AM on March 8, 2010
Self-medicating hasn't diagnosed or cured you so far. Switching the medication from ibuprofen to marijuana isn't going to change the situation. You need to be diagnosed by a specialist interested in finding out what's wrong with you. (Not the ER, which only wants to triage you and get you capable of walking out.) "GI specialist" = gastroenterologist. Find one in your local area, describe your symptoms, make an appointment, and go. Your pain might go away when the source of it is found.
posted by ImproviseOrDie at 10:08 AM on March 8, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by ImproviseOrDie at 10:08 AM on March 8, 2010 [1 favorite]
My mom had serious gastric pains that continued for a long time. She thought they were gas. They were actually caused by her pancreas slowly dying. Her regular doctor didn't catch it. She didn't get to a specialist until it was too late. Having your pancreas go is an awful, slow, painful way to die.
See a specialist. Insist on having tests done. Don't trust a general practitioner on this one. Not that I'm trying to scare you. I'm just thinking that toking a bowl isn't your best option here.
posted by caution live frogs at 2:04 PM on March 8, 2010
See a specialist. Insist on having tests done. Don't trust a general practitioner on this one. Not that I'm trying to scare you. I'm just thinking that toking a bowl isn't your best option here.
posted by caution live frogs at 2:04 PM on March 8, 2010
Dude, go to the GI doctor first. This could be anything from nothing to gallbladder stones to IBS to lactose intolerance to... I don't know, I'm not a doctor.
Or an ulcer or reflux or pancreatitis or...yeah, go to the doctor.
I must admit that my first thought was "gallbladder," as well, as your pains seem to fit the description.
As for the tests you had as a kid -- the thinking used to be that children absolutely positively did not have gallbladder disease. The standard gallbladder-disease profile of "female, fat, forty" is now better understood to be a description of a common patient, not a diagnosis guideline, but I know several people who suffered through well-examined yet utterly undiagnosed gallbladder attacks for their entire childhoods until they happened upon a doctor who could see past this stereotype.
And yeah, neither ibuprofen or weed are likely to do you any favors.
posted by desuetude at 2:40 PM on March 8, 2010
Or an ulcer or reflux or pancreatitis or...yeah, go to the doctor.
I must admit that my first thought was "gallbladder," as well, as your pains seem to fit the description.
As for the tests you had as a kid -- the thinking used to be that children absolutely positively did not have gallbladder disease. The standard gallbladder-disease profile of "female, fat, forty" is now better understood to be a description of a common patient, not a diagnosis guideline, but I know several people who suffered through well-examined yet utterly undiagnosed gallbladder attacks for their entire childhoods until they happened upon a doctor who could see past this stereotype.
And yeah, neither ibuprofen or weed are likely to do you any favors.
posted by desuetude at 2:40 PM on March 8, 2010
Mod note: A few comments removed. Please do not hijack askme threads to start general discussions.
posted by cortex (staff) at 2:44 PM on March 8, 2010
posted by cortex (staff) at 2:44 PM on March 8, 2010
I cannot overstress the importance of seeing a GI doctor that you feel comfortable with.
You may want yo "experiment" with marijuana, but getting a prescription for it is a degree of difficulty in some states.
The GI doc is more likely to find a suitable solution than experimentation on your own. Especially if the resulting diagnosis is for a serious condition.
posted by Drasher at 6:49 PM on March 8, 2010
You may want yo "experiment" with marijuana, but getting a prescription for it is a degree of difficulty in some states.
The GI doc is more likely to find a suitable solution than experimentation on your own. Especially if the resulting diagnosis is for a serious condition.
posted by Drasher at 6:49 PM on March 8, 2010
From the original poster:
Thanks for all the advice. Did go to the GI and it looks like i have gallstones and will be getting my gallbladder removed sometime in the near future. Guess the only hippy thing I will be doing is maybe becoming vegetarian, i don't really know what dietary needs i will have after the surgery. Looks like there are plenty of discussions about that on here as well though.posted by mathowie at 3:35 PM on March 23, 2010
Yo, anonymous, you're gonna be pretty much back to normal. See my old question here.
posted by desuetude at 6:05 PM on March 23, 2010
posted by desuetude at 6:05 PM on March 23, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
Any medication can have side effects, and can effect different people differently. Some people get extremely anxious (paranoid) when they smoke or eat marijuana, and if you're one of them, the weed is not going to help your anxiety.
Ibuprofen can upset some people's stomachs, so it may have contributed to your stomach pain. If you have something like acid reflux (which can be very painful), a doctor would tell you to try one of the many anti-reflux meds available over the counter, or she may prescribe something different. Have you already tried the usual pepto-type treatments?
posted by rtha at 5:58 AM on March 8, 2010