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Has anyone tried marijuana as an alternative therapy?

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sammytoronto:
First off I'd like to start by saying I don't smoke or eat marijuana and have been brought up to disregard it as being a "drug". As I become older and start to question things about life (as I'm sure many others have done) I'm looking to see the flipside of the coin and get all the facts for myself.

I've been researching marijuana and it's benefits for a variety of health issues, many of which are symptoms of thalassemia. It obviously shouldn't be smoked by thal. patients because of oxygen deficiency but ingesting it seems to have all the same health benefits if not more.

I hope I don't get shunned for brining this up, I'm purely interested in seeing whether this could be a viable option. If you have experience please feel free to share and no judgements will be passed.

Andy Battaglia:
I will address this by first pasting from the new 2012 Standards of Care Guidelines for Thalassemia. For the first time, Pain Syndrome in thal is acknowledged. http://hemonc.cho.org/thal/documents/SOCguidelines.pdf

--- Quote ---12 Pain Syndrome in Thalassemia
Chronic pain has not been noted as a major component of the
symptoms of thalassemia. However, in the last decade, as prognosis
has improved, cumulative tissue injury appears to be resulting in
chronic pain syndrome. A recent study utilizing the Brief Pain
Inventory (BPI) assessed pain in 250 thalassemia patients in
North America. Two-thirds of the patients reported repeated pain
episodes each month, and 20 percent reported daily pain. The
prevalence and severity of pain correlated with age of the patient.
As patients age, pain becomes a more prominent problem in their
lives. Most patients have back pain. Three-quarters of the patients
were taking non-steroidal analgesics for pain relief. In addition,
24 percent were receiving short-acting narcotic analgesics, and
another 11 percent were receiving long-acting narcotic analgesics.
Pain assessment on a regular basis is recommended for all patients.
While transfusion therapy may decrease the pain in thalassemia
intermedia, this has not been prospectively evaluated. All
patients should undergo assessment for causes of pain, including
extramedullary masses, osteoporosis, and spinal fractures, as well
as other less common problems, such as secondary gout and
thrombosis.

--- End quote ---

Marijuana is well recognized for its analgesic properties, and this is a main reason why the plant is now available in many US states for medical reasons. I could go on and on about why marijuana should not be illegal, but I will refrain. I will mention that it doesn't kill anyone, a claim that cannot be made for many legal prescription drugs. It's value to those suffering from chronic pain, nausea, headaches, insomnia, and many other ailments is significant. If you have access to medical marijuana, it is worth consideration. I cannot recommend obtaining it illegally because it can result in legal problems, including arrest.  I will add that it is not a guarded secret that cancer patients routinely use pot to reduce chemo related nausea. People use it because it works and is basically harmless.

sammytoronto:

--- Quote from: Andy on August 11, 2012, 11:20:42 PM ---I will address this by first pasting from the new 2012 Standards of Care Guidelines for Thalassemia. For the first time, Pain Syndrome in thal is acknowledged. http://hemonc.cho.org/thal/documents/SOCguidelines.pdf
Marijuana is well recognized for its analgesic properties, and this is a main reason why the plant is now available in many US states for medical reasons. I could go on and on about why marijuana should not be illegal, but I will refrain. I will mention that it doesn't kill anyone, a claim that cannot be made for many legal prescription drugs. It's value to those suffering from chronic pain, nausea, headaches, insomnia, and many other ailments is significant. If you have access to medical marijuana, it is worth consideration. I cannot recommend obtaining it illegally because it can result in legal problems, including arrest.  I will add that it is not a guarded secret that cancer patients routinely use pot to reduce chemo related nausea. People use it because it works and is basically harmless.

--- End quote ---

Andy,

I wasn't aware that Pain Syndrome had been acknowledge for Thal. and I wholeheartedly agree that it is silly that a natural plant is made illegal. Here in Toronto it's possible to obtain a medical license for it and I'm looking to go down this path to see if it works for me. Worst case scenario it doesn't help me and I don't take it any more.

I was wondering if there is any specific research with regards to cannabinoids and stuff like RBC production, hemoglobin affinity for oxygen, muscle wasting prevention, etc.

ragincajun:
I find that it does help with my back pain and am currently discussing getting it medicinally from my doctor.

sammytoronto:

--- Quote from: ragincajun on October 09, 2012, 03:19:32 AM ---I find that it does help with my back pain and am currently discussing getting it medicinally from my doctor.

--- End quote ---

where do you live?

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