Medical marijuana

[screamingflea]

Every spring, I go through a huge bipolar flare-up that lasts 3-5 weeks. I'm completely incapacitated with 5-6 mood swings a day, panic, voices, the works. I can't go out into the world because I get overstimulated. I can't exercise at all (my usual mainstay) because I get manic instantly, and I have trouble eating because I can't focus enough to slap anything on a plate. It's a living hell. Eventually it clears up on its own, but there's a convalescence period of another couple weeks where I'm very fragile and weepy all the time.

For the last couple of years my doctor has responded with horse-doses of antipsychotics. I'd get nauseous (which aggravated things because I wasn't eating,) and lose my balance so I'd totter around like a little old lady. And then things would clear up in 3-5 weeks or so, with a convalescence period of another couple weeks where I'm very fragile and weepy all the time.

This time I'm thinking about doing a 180 and going the old fashioned route. Cannabis has a well-documented positive record with bipolar, and I have several friends who've done extremely well with it. This morning I contacted my state's MM board and they told me that bipolar wasn't a condition covered under the law. He implied that I might be able to get around it with documentation that I was "in pain" >8) and nauseous from my current medication. But it would take a few years of notes in my chart. I don't want to be a regular - I just want something to spot my way through a predictable tough time.

My doc told me that his practice won't even discuss MM as a matter of policy, and I like him so I don't want to reinvent the wheel with someone else over a single issue. He told me a couple of MJ horror stories and then sent me off with a "you can find MM ads in the alternative newspaper." Interesting mixed signals there. I have one friend with a standing prescription for Marinol and she says it saved her life, and I'm calling my doctor back to ask him about that too.

Has anyone here tried medical marijuana? Has it been helpful? Does everyone find this insurmountable series of hoops to jump through? This is completely new territory for me. I've always been on the conservative side so I've never really imbibed on my own either. As nerdy as it sounds, I don't even know how to get it the old-fashioned way. :|(

[redfox]

Oh, flea, I am so sorry you get hit so hard. I hope you get the support you well deserve, with whatever medication makes sense for you. What state are you in? That will make a difference regarding getting cannabis prescribed.

[screamingflea]

I'm in Oregon. It's only approved for somatic illnesses here, with the exception of Alzheimers.

[Reyes]

From what I've heard a card is easily obtained in Eugene.

[iris lily]

If cannibis is well documented for successful treatment of bi-polar, why isn't it approved for that use? I know, there may be politics etc involved. But I'm not sure that I accept your premise that it is a proven success.

What does your doc think of that? Does he/she actually know aobut medical marijuiana and your disease?

[screamingflea]

Iris, he's a psychiatric nurse-practitioner. I think he'd be open to MM, but the entire network he works for - huge sprawling with a full-service hospital and dozens of docs with several specialties - has a blanket policy agin' it.

As to its effectiveness, it's well-documented for mania. It's a depressant, so the best it can do with depression is put a nice temporary band-aid on it. But since that time of the year puts me through a lot of mania I'm willing to give it a try.

[loosechickens]

I know several bipolar folks here in CA who are on MM, and feel that it calms them during manic phases and evens out their moods. It's really a shame, both that a substance that has well documented benefit in a number of illnesses and conditions, is so unavailable in so many places.

Of course, in CA, there is also a lot of abuse of the system, but the folks who ARE abusing it would still be using it illegally if they weren't using the program, so there's no more drug use than would already be the case.

And, of course, no one likes to look at the huge abuse of LEGAL prescription drugs when they are tut tutting about abuse of medical marijuana laws.

I hope you are able to find some relief, flea.

[screamingflea]

Thanks hon. For the most part I do just fine. It's just a few times a year when I Flip Out. Springtime is by far the worst, and that's why I'm trying to plan ahead.

[bae]

I find it insane that you have to go through such hoops to use a plant that you can grow in your yard.

By what right do your fellow citizens justify their use of force to prevent you from taking care of your own body as you see fit?

[screamingflea]

Drugs are bad, m'kay?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bM_vLk1I6G4

[loosechickens]

That was the most ridiculous propaganda, but it was effective.....wonder how many other things we've been propagandized to fear in similar baseless ways.

[Wildflower]

I would so love to be able to legally grow maryjane in my backyard and light up a doobie on my most painful Lupus days. Flea, it really ticks me off that you, me and others can't legally get the simple relief we need....

[puglogic]

Come to Colorado. Not only have we missed all the bad weather this winter, but we also have some pretty darned lax MM rules. The fellow next door got a card for depression. A depressant. For depression. Who knew? But anyway.....hoping you're able to circumvent the system in some way. Research those alternative magazines, as he suggested. (It sounds as if he's just trying to avoid a lawsuit) Invest a little time in talking to some dispensaries and see what they have to say. It can only help, right?

[gimmethesimplelife]

Flea - Interesting that Spring is your most challenging time of the year. I consider myself a highly sensitive person, at times I get over aroused when too much is going on around me or the pace is too fast for me, and I have found Spring to be my most challenging time of the year, too. I too hope you can get some relief and if MM is the ticket I am all for you getting it. We just passed MM in Arizona, which surprises me to no end, I don't know how many hoops you have to jump through to get it, though. Rob

[flowerseverywhere]

When I was in Venice California last year I walked by a shop that had a young man outside saying "the doctor is in, get your MM here" and I verified from friends in MM states that all you need to do is say you are in pain to get a card and you can grow if you have a card. Who can prove if your back hurts? They have mixed feelings about the MM in their states, just like alcohol or gambling there are some who do not manage to use it properly. Some of the problems will be eliminated if all states make it legal- less crossing state lines and less coming in from other countries illegally and most important, less people in jail for use/possession.

A question I have is if you become more manic, will you be able to tell or could you spin out of control not realizing it? Do you have some support group to help you?

Bipolar is tricky and you don't want to end up hospitalized.