Given Choice, Patients Will Choose Cannabis Over Prescribed Opioids • Hacker News Board

Re: Given Choice, Patients Will Choose Cannabis Over Prescribed Opioids

#61

Post by tn13 » Wed, Mar 01, 2017, 5:51 AM UTC

jessep wrote: post #28

I get kidney stones pretty often (6 times in the last 8 years). I vomit from the pain, convulse on the floor, lose all sense of self as I just struggle to survive the sensation. It is intense. Usually I have to go to the emergency room for IV opioids. Then they give you some to take home after you pass the peak of the pain. Last time it happened to me, I went home at around 6pm after going into the hospital that morn…

However the supposedly "experts" in medical profession have batted against legalization of marijuana.

Re: Given Choice, Patients Will Choose Cannabis Over Prescribed Opioids

#62

Post by 3131s » Wed, Mar 01, 2017, 5:52 AM UTC

DaveSapien wrote: post #43

I can second this. I suffer badly enough to use strong opioids daily. Up side of them is I can code pretty well on it. I prefer weed for a better sense of self, but find it hard to code(impossible).

As a few others have mentioned, try a CBD concentrate. CBD is another cannabinoid in marijuana, but it doesn't make you high and it seems to be primarily responsible for the pain-relieving effects of marijuana.

Re: Given Choice, Patients Will Choose Cannabis Over Prescribed Opioids

#63

Post by recentdarkness » Wed, Mar 01, 2017, 5:53 AM UTC

I can't help myself but wonder if some of those patients actually went to one of those doctors because they can prescribe MMJ In that case the study would be a bit biased towards MMJ, wouldn't it?

Re: Given Choice, Patients Will Choose Cannabis Over Prescribed Opioids

#64

Post by PastaMonster » Wed, Mar 01, 2017, 5:56 AM UTC

bdamm wrote: post #42

esalazar wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have been seeing a lot of press lately around GI issues and the benefits of fecal transplants. Maybe something to investigate in this case. http://pulse.seattlechildrens.org/study-suggests-fecal-trans...

It often is not helpful to give advice to people who are suffering from a chronic condition, if all you have to offer is some press you saw somewhere. They are living it, most people who live it also research it.

They research it because the doctors can't be bothered with that even though it's their job. Why doctors aren't fired in masses is bewildering.

Got this issue with my doctors. They just don't care about me. They want to do as little work as possible. They refuse to read the papers I give them. They refuse to use effective medicines according to the research. They refuse to listen to me period. They're lazy sadistic assholes.

Finding a doctor that actually cares, works and fight to heal you is very difficult. As rare as unicorns.

Re: Given Choice, Patients Will Choose Cannabis Over Prescribed Opioids

#65

Post by joecool1029 » Wed, Mar 01, 2017, 6:02 AM UTC

jessep wrote: post #28

I get kidney stones pretty often (6 times in the last 8 years). I vomit from the pain, convulse on the floor, lose all sense of self as I just struggle to survive the sensation. It is intense. Usually I have to go to the emergency room for IV opioids. Then they give you some to take home after you pass the peak of the pain. Last time it happened to me, I went home at around 6pm after going into the hospital that morn…

As someone who suffered kidney stones at 16 and is closing in on age 30 without the benefits of health coverage... an account like this is promising and semi-comforting to me.

I don't know if they'll strike again but when they did last I lived a month on percocets, a day on morphine, and had to have a stint installed and removed to stay functional in high school while also undergoing ultrasonic stone blasting.(this was when I had my parent's coverage).

Not looking forward to it again.

Re: Given Choice, Patients Will Choose Cannabis Over Prescribed Opioids

#66

Post by bluejekyll » Wed, Mar 01, 2017, 6:03 AM UTC

PastaMonster wrote: post #56

doctorcroc wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You also incidentally hit upon the reason why it's been marginalized by industry for so long -- it represents a huge dent in profits. Whenever something seems awry, a good question to ask is, cui bono (who benefits)?

and who loses? Drug industry can't patent it and own it and restrict it to cause demand and price increase. Alcohol and tobacco industry will lose customers. The governments, politicians and industries will loose face for example over the fact they have told lies for decades for profits.

> Alcohol and tobacco industry will lose customers

Tobacco is already losing customers, and this is partly b/c of the fact that second hand smoke has been attacked so directly. It's not just YOU that's smoking, it's everyone around you (marijuana, depending on it's consumption method will suffer a similar stigma).

Alcohol companies on the other hand are just being paranoid. I suspect that alcohol consumption will maintain it's current usage, or potentially even go up. In fact, if marijuana was fully legalized, it's oil being very similar to hops (and in the same family, Cannabaceae), could be used in some beverages. The beer industry could in fact have an entirely "new" product line.

Re: Given Choice, Patients Will Choose Cannabis Over Prescribed Opioids

#67

Post by agumonkey » Wed, Mar 01, 2017, 6:11 AM UTC

pmoriarty wrote: post #49

Alex3917 wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My understanding is that opioids also constrict the ureter and make it more difficult to pass the stone. Whereas since weed is an anti-inflammatory it may even have some benefits.

Opioids can also cause extreme constipation, which can also result in extreme agony when you're coming off of them. That's what happened to me when I was coming off morphine and oxycodone given me in the ER to treat kidney stone pain. It was hell, and that experience alone makes me seriously contemplate refusing all pain killing medication if I'm ever offered it again.

It becomes a weird opioids to laxatives dance. Not fun I guess.

Re: Given Choice, Patients Will Choose Cannabis Over Prescribed Opioids

#68

Post by PastaMonster » Wed, Mar 01, 2017, 6:15 AM UTC

poohbs wrote: post #16

WalterSear wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was diagnosed with chronic pain syndrome, and when given the opportunity, had my doctor switch my prescription from opioids to cannabis. I don't think that one can appreciate how effective it is for chronic pain, until you've had to use it for that.

similarly, those who have only had opioids for acute pain (injuries, post-op, and such) have a hard time appreciating just how much baggage comes with these drugs when they are taken indefinitely.

Well, they lose effectiveness. The body adjusts to the constant input. Which is what addiction is. What many people don't understand is that addiction isn't drug abuse. We should fight to remove the negativity the word addiction have.

Very annoying that the body do this. If you could figure out a drug that prevents this you could make billions!

For example and something everyone can try: My body is addicted to coffee. If I don't take it for a few days I'll become very tired, headaches, etc. It's lasts for about two weeks. While addicted I don't abuse it. I've even switched to tea a few times.

Re: Given Choice, Patients Will Choose Cannabis Over Prescribed Opioids

#69

Post by agumonkey » Wed, Mar 01, 2017, 6:17 AM UTC

doctorcroc wrote: post #39

sergers wrote: post #14

My mom has benefited from cannabis to help treat chrohns. While nothing has cured, it's been the most effective with no known side effects. Plus it's cheaper than the meds she has been buying for years (spending out of pocket upwards $10k a year with $500 a pill just for flare ups even with medicare in Canada). She has been in hell for 30 years. They wanted to remove her small intestine ~20 years ago and she didn't w…

You also incidentally hit upon the reason why it's been marginalized by industry for so long -- it represents a huge dent in profits. Whenever something seems awry, a good question to ask is, cui bono (who benefits)?

I understand the viewpoint; but what about a pragmatic peaceful solution: let the persons in need organize and spread the knowledge. We probably could setup an open statistical sufferers sharing platform to avoid rumor/placebo effects without resorting to trust a big industry.

Re: Given Choice, Patients Will Choose Cannabis Over Prescribed Opioids

#70

Post by sergers » Wed, Mar 01, 2017, 6:21 AM UTC

bluejekyll wrote: post #66

PastaMonster wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

and who loses? Drug industry can't patent it and own it and restrict it to cause demand and price increase. Alcohol and tobacco industry will lose customers. The governments, politicians and industries will loose face for example over the fact they have told lies for decades for profits.

> Alcohol and tobacco industry will lose customers Tobacco is already losing customers, and this is partly b/c of the fact that second hand smoke has been attacked so directly. It's not just YOU that's smoking, it's everyone around you (marijuana, depending on it's consumption method will suffer a similar stigma). Alcohol companies on the other hand are just being paranoid. I suspect that alcohol consumption will mai…

That is one thing I haven't tried, but do exist.

There are several marijuana drinks that get you high being sold/marketed at dispensaries