pain killer failed: my wife has just... - Fibromyalgia Acti...

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pain killer failed

Vivtom profile image
19 Replies

my wife has just stopped taking pregablin due to side effects.

Woke in the middle of the night with big “bang” in her back-shot up

And felt much pain in right arm. Dr has agreed to the stoppage.

We have now tried all the known pain killers and really nothing has worked

For her.

That leaves legally prescribed Cannabis.has anyone tried it.does it help

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Vivtom
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19 Replies
Bananas5 profile image
Bananas5

The only cannabis which would help is when it contains thc. Sadly this is still illegal in UK.

I believe is is available under strict regulations but only for children with epilepsy and MS

I live abroad where it is not illegal for medicinal reasons, or at least the authorities turn the other way, and was extremely beneficial to my husband

desquinn profile image
desquinnPartnerVolunteerFMAUK Trustee in reply to Bananas5

medicinal cannabis is available for chronic pain within the UK. However, it is through private prescriptions. Project twenty21 would be the place to look at.

Bananas5 profile image
Bananas5 in reply to desquinn

How do you define 'medicinal cannabis>

x

desquinn profile image
desquinnPartnerVolunteerFMAUK Trustee in reply to Bananas5

it is bud or oil I believe, but from the flower in measured, regulated doses. Could not tell you anything about he THC/CBD breakdown but I believe some of that info is available.

below from previous answers:

Cannabis Medicine

This is medicine formulated in the lab using the cannabis plant as a base. It has went through clinical trials and been shown to work on certain conditions. It is tightly licensed due to being a cannabis medication. Limited trial evidence so far of its efficacy with fibromyalgia. An example of these types of meds would be Sativex.

Medicinal Cannabis

This is the cannabis plant grown in a controlled environment with a view to patients receiving the same, consistent dosages that would be expected with a pharmaceutical drug. Often this product is used as part of the process for cannabis medicines.

It differs from street cannabis in that it is the same strain, dosage, and therefore expected effects during the prescription or manufacturing process.

Sh41 profile image
Sh41 in reply to desquinn

Hi desquin, If you was lucky enough to be prescribed cannabis in uk would you still be fit to work? Or do you think you’d fail the drug test, they carry out at certain workplaces? I know some work places are very strict about these things. Any advice on this would be appreciated as nothing seems to be working for myself too.

desquinn profile image
desquinnPartnerVolunteerFMAUK Trustee in reply to Sh41

It will be difficult to say as employers will react to their own policies. If we use driving as an example. Driving with opioids or cannabis is illegal normally. However, if you have a legal prescription AND are safe to drive then you will be okay and while you may end up in a police station if stopped in a routine stop you would be free to go when it is explained.

Another example, pilot for an airline then you would likely not be able to fly but suspect the reason for the treatment would preclude you in any case.

So it is hard to give a simple answer.

Bananas5 profile image
Bananas5

If you know your plants you can ensure you get the same strain . So many different ones have as many different effects. Private companies are in it to make mega money.

If you chose wisely you won't get a high but just pain relief. which is desperately needed.

Unfortunately like the drugs we used to have on prescription...Fentanyll, Oxycontin etc have all been abused by none needers and withdrawn. Now there is little in the way of proper pain relief for long ter sufferers

Cannabis containing the entire plant is a natural drug. In liquid or dried to be smoked.

x

desquinn profile image
desquinnPartnerVolunteerFMAUK Trustee in reply to Bananas5

but if we look at prescription medication then barring manufacturing errors etc then person A in UK getting 10ml of insulin will be the same as person B getting 10ml in Germany. And it will be the same 10ml in January as it will be in December.

Growing your own or buying off the street while not only being illegal will also mean that the above will not be possible.

Also "Fentanyll, Oxycontin etc have all been abused by none needers and withdrawn." is not the direct link that your implying. It is much more complicated and the issue has been more with companies pushing it into areas where the evidence was not there and under false pretences. However, now we are getting the over reaction effects due to the harm caused and as usual those that did benefit are being affected. But, it is also the case the opioids have never been advised as a long term preferable solution for anyone with chronic pain or fibro. It has been recognised that the potential harm has always been there.

Bananas5 profile image
Bananas5

You know I agree with you Des just say it in a different way.

Yes pain meds were never meant for long term use having mainly been red for cancer patients at end of life.

Over many years David took prescribed meds until they no longer worked then found cannabis did work. We do have reputable, sensible, growers here who can provide same, or almost, same each time. There is a very small margin of difference.

Of course...back in the day we had excellent pain clinics who could provide a variety of treat,emts from accupunture through to spinal nerve blocksProper funding cut tose back to bare bones. . For many the waiting lists are years.

Without NHS treatment available people are having to look for alternatives. How many posts appear asking if CBD from well known health shop are any god? You might as well have a cuppa

I can only speak from too many years of David's pain as it worsened with degeneration of his spine and FM. Cannabis in its entirety worked very well for him.

x

Sallybones profile image
Sallybones

LDN worth checking out! Unless you've already tried it!

Duffy2021 profile image
Duffy2021

hi, yes I tried medical cannabis, it is available privately in uk, it does help but not cheap, you can get the oil which you use sublingualy or flower which you vape. look at project 21, or you can get information via some Pharmacy’s.

Smoggie1 profile image
Smoggie1

No I was ah I could I am same pain clinic says I can only take all my medication twice a week otherwise they will damage my other organs.tried cbd oil no effect whatsoever..if your doc will prescribe it for her..go for it..see how it goes..like everything else it's alot of trial and error... Good luck.x

bertie1606 profile image
bertie1606

I use medical cannabis. The clinic I use are Sapphire Medical Clinic. There are a few Clinics in the UK. To be approved to get a prescription you have to have tried at least 2 other treatments, they need a copy of your summary care record and an initial consultation with one of their pain consultants. It contains measured doses of cbd and thc. I use the oil sublingually and have flower to vape to help with breakthrough pain. I find it extremely helpful. It takes a couple of months to find the correct dose. I don't get 'high' with it, although the flower did make me feel a little out of it to start with while my body got used it. It really dulls the pain right down. I still get flare ups, but they are much more manageable

stollerydd profile image
stollerydd in reply to bertie1606

Good morning fellow sufferers. I live in Florida. Am 75 years young and have dealt with Fibro for most of my life. As I've written previouly, there have been 3 distinct episodes, or stages, in my life where it became obvious the impact from Fibro was becoming worse. I'm now in stage 3 and can't imagine anything worse than 24/7 pain and overall sickness like this. I waited for years for Florida to finally wake up and vote on a referendum legalizing medicinal Marijuana. And finally. It's legal. But after 2 years of trying every combination available; nothing. That statement isn't meant to be negative. Rather, I wouldn't recommend anyone get their hopes like I did, only to be disappointed. And, as was pointed out in another post, we are all different, and as a result respond (or not) to meds in different ways. The only thing that's helped me to the extent of a 50% reduction in pain. And it's the med that has doctors over here running for the trees. OXY. With no side effects no less. After taking it and being monitored closely for over 5 years the doc said, no more. Mentioning it would easily take me a month to wean myself off it. Took 4 days. It was finally determined I apparently don't possess the "addictive jene" which explains why there weren't any withdrawal issues. So I said, at my age why can't you continue to prescribe a med that actually helps me? It's not as if I'm going to live forever. You can't possibly desire I be miserable for whatever time I have left so when I die my obit can say something like, well, he was miserable until his final day, but he at least he was OXY free." And I got the same look every doctor has given me since. So now I take nothing, because nothing else works. My long-winded point of this is I hope if one day you're allowed to be prescribed a medicinal type of MJ that works for you, just don't get your hopes up as you never know.

Kinga2500 profile image
Kinga2500

I think it depends on the body. I had a lot of painkillers and meds but I felt fed up with taking all that. I have to be worried about addiction or even just tired from taking it. that I have to take another one to make sure I can sleep without pain made me an idea about cannabis. Illegal but better as tablets at some point. I was helpful few months with pain and sleep but after that my pain was back between 40 minutes so I just stopped with cannabis. And unfortunately back to taking tablets. I know people they smoking every few hours but I don’t like that.

Kinga2500 profile image
Kinga2500 in reply to Kinga2500

and in London is clinic they are doctors and they prescribed also thc and natural substances for pain

luckylou52 profile image
luckylou52

hi I’d tried most drugs but was put on tapentadol and it’s actually working for me. Have taken all other drugs but am pleased this is helping me.

ChristCornHell profile image
ChristCornHell

I have no paper 🗞️ saying that I am an expert in pharmaceutical matters (most people who do get blinded by the way the big pharmaceutical companies are with money and like the illegal drugs trade there is a lot of money to be made by other people's pain) I am 52 and spent most of my life addicted to some drug or another. I know that if I drank a bottle of spirits now in half an hour I will have forgotten about most of my pain until around midnight when my pain will be back and I will be sufficiently hungover to make me want to seek out more alcohol, not for the pain but for the hangover. Drugs are good and drugs are bad. Anything you take should have been researched by more than one person (or company, bearing in mind that a lot of them work together) Moderation is a good word and is one of the few things that should not be used in moderation (the actual word) The alcohol comment is a simple way to explain things to people who are unfamiliar with addiction and many other things. If alcohol was discovered today there is no way it would be legal for long. Cannabis like most things has good and bad sides and places like this is where you ask such questions before doing anything or taking anything. Not many doctors know what cannabis does (many more know about alcohol from the alcoholics point of view because many doctors know one or are one or have been one, most alcoholics will tell you once you are one it's for life but that's just the most important and popular opinion to someone in "recovery". While (my opinion) cannabis is not as bad as alcohol it IS a controlled substance (which pregablin became recently too) Ask questions and try to use most things in moderation. We give kids sweets and tell them that they are bad...why? We need a healthy balanced diet and sweets alone do not provide that. Many cannabis users know little of the difference between THC and CBD. Put simply CBD made me calmer relaxed and aided sleep... THC made me laugh uncomfortably at things that weren't funny and think people were out to kill me. I am being extreme but I hope getting a point across? We are all different and we have to find out what works for us, but the benefits of other peoples knowledge is helpful and caution should be used. I will add heroin was one of the best pain killers I have tried but add it has probably gave me more pain than ANYTHING in my life. Please don't go out and buy some to see if what I am saying is true, just trust me that information, caution and moderation are ALL important words. Before the temptation to become Eminem takes over I must add meditation and celebration (things that make us happy like for me walking my partners dog makes me feel unaware of my unbearable feet pain most of the time) Many plants and flowers make me happy to look at without smoking them. I say this as I try to get off tobacco before I go for surgery on my hip that was replaced almost 20 years ago and I have dislocated 4 times in the last year. I have never had a good feeling from nicotine that I am aware of other than to stop me craving nicotine. (I started smoking tobacco with cannabis in 1984/5 and I dislocated my hip for the first time a week after my hip replacement operation when I first went out for a cigarette in hospital) I think there is a piece of advice or two in there somewhere.

ChristCornHell profile image
ChristCornHell in reply to ChristCornHell

I meant laugh uncontrollably, but unfortunately uncomfortably fits too.

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