Self medicating

[Moodswinger]

Taboo uncomfortable subject for some.? Some days I'll take anything just to relieve the pain or distress of it. Legal or not I'm that desperate. I tell my doctors and physc team, they just roll their eyes in disgust that I'm so weak. It's lonely.

[rabbits65]

Try not to worry about what they think. It’s your life . However , I am sorry you’re not coping with these pains.

[Bananas5 in reply to rabbits65]

So what happens when you have used up your meds from your script?

x

[Sugaree]

I hear you. Sometimes it’s just too much, pain everyday. Some days my meds don’t work very well. My dr. knows I use cannabis to help with pain,depression and to sleep. It shows in my bloodwork and he never questioned me. I know eventually I will need stronger meds. Fortunately cannabis is legal in my state. Feel better even if it means a day in bed.

[Hidden]

You are not weak because you are in pain and take medication. You need to find medical professionals who don't roll their eyes but will empathize with you.

[YoungAndPainful]

Not gonna lie, I hit this point a month ago. I am on morphine and other meds to help with pain. I wasn't sleeping. I felt sick from being so exhausted because I'm trying to keep a full time job as well as deal with extreme pain.

I had family members and friends worry about me and telling me for years to try cannabis. I've been so against illegal drugs for years but I hit such a low point that I ran out of options but to try it.

I have two puffs at night and omg the relief I get is something else. I compare it to when I was on liquid morphine. That instant relief....obviously no were near as strong but its that feeling. I am also sleeping through the night! I swear it's like a miracle. But that's me and it might not work for everyone or work as good.

I brought it up to my pain specialist who had no issues at all with it but did want to tell me the problems with me not doing it "legally". He also gave me a list of clinics that can privately prescribe medical cannabis. So he definitely understands the benefits.

So, yeah, I am all for trying something that might actually give you relief.

[pizon in reply to YoungAndPainful]

I too use the cannabis for sleep..it is the only thing that has helped me as well for sleeping..through my journey I have found the herbs/natural medicines have helped me so much better then the pharmaceuticals I found an herbalist that has helped me emensly

[wizard43830]

Oh my the Hoops they make us chronic pain patients jump through. I had been a long time marijuana smoker and could not get pain meds because I had marijuana in my system. So I quit smoking marijuana took almost 3 months to pee clean. I got into pain management and eventually ended up on more of the and oxycontin for breakthrough pain. After about 5 years of that in the meds basically quit working their magic for the pain and heaven forbid they give you a boosted dosage. Then magically the pain management doctor becomes a medical marijuana prescribing doctor. And for the small fee of $150 he will now let me smoke marijuana that was evil 5 years ago. The Hoops of games they make us jump through. I hope you are a nice day or an area where they will let you use it as needed to work it's wonders and I to find in the evening it is the best thing going for sleep anxiety and to contribute to just a little pain relief. Thanks to everybody for listening to my ramble I hope this helps you sir

[Southerngirl2787]

I don't recommend street drugs, for the simple fact that you don't know what's in them...I'm in Texas and it's a mess with lacing nearly everything now. So many folks dying. It's a shame medical weed isn't everywhere, for a reasonable price. I was in healthcare 30+ years, and along the way, patients got surveys, then the oh-so-honorable govt agencies found patients were under-medicated, and #1 complaint was pain. Folks started cancelling surgery when they found out they would not get adequate pain meds...this I understand personally. So the govt agency The Joint Commission came in and educated us on how to assess pain...with all those posters of faces....anyone remember those? So we were written up many times for inadequate pain management, this means the wonderful folks of the TJC come back over and over until the patients tell them they are okay post surgery, trauma, etc. Finally doctors get it. Then the endless/worthless "wars on name it" started, as now we control pain, but too well. So we have swung the other way, threatening doctors if they give adequate medications to control pain. We have a hundred "vaccines" all actually causing more disease now...look up history here folks, we aren't preventing anything anymore...the diseases they set about to get rid of, actually got stronger and came back. They are hoping we don't understand real science. These have increased autoimmune diseases by leaps and bounds...which are provoking more chronic pain conditions. And many of us go to the pain clinics, jump through hoops, pay $, and are made to feel like criminals in the process of doing nothing but trying to find a livable normal life. What a sad sad state of affairs....only for Big Pharma, FDA, CDC to make insane amounts of money.

[DENZ01]

Hello Let them roll their eyes at you! If they are not helping you with "legal" pain meds, you need to do what you need to do.

Pain is a very, very lonely place, I have a lot of experience of this. Even the pain clinic told me that I would always have pain even with all the medications they have prescribed me.

I'm tired of these specialists & the GP telling me that I'm on a lot of pain meds, well, I am well aware of that, these are the people who prescribed it for me 🤷.

My advice would be, you do what you feel you need to do to get pain relief, as long as you're not doing yourself any harm then nobody should sit in judgement of you!

Let them roll their eyes, I am very tired of these doctors treating patients like we're stupid! They're just mere mortals themselves, but unfortunately we have to rely on these professionals to help us with our "pain relief", they just don't seem to care or understand.

I wish you well, I hope that you find something that can be prescribed to help you with your pain.

Best wishes ✨️

[caringkriket]

Have you tried going to a pain clinic? It saved me!

[L5s1frozen]

This is something I wish people talked about more!;;!! I have severe low back issues,OA, degenerative disc disease, bilateral hip pain, permanent peripheral neuropathy in left leg to foot. I've had 2 failed back surgeries. I'm in constant pain daily and left my last job a year ago. I was in pain management for 3 years under the care of a very special doctor who totally understands the depths of chronic pain. Sadly he left the practice and I ended up with the owner of the practice who was quite arrogant and very difficult to connect with. He never really gave 2 poops about me. I asked my GP to refer me to a different practice, it got even worse for me there!!! They took me off my meds I had been on for 3 years, put me on Suboxone and claimed i had OUD . However, I do not meet any of the criteria under dsm-5 to fit that label. It was their I was ignored, insulated,gaslit,and my doctor just wanted to keep pushing more injections,rfas,and nerve blocks. Which I had done many in the past. The more I got the less they worked. I told them my pain was really unbearable I was miserable!!! The lady who was in charge of my medication had never met me in person! That really wasn't a good vibe for me. She was quite snarky and had little interest in me or my issues. I kept telling her I'm not getting relief from Suboxone and she wanted to up it. That can be just as bad as oxy or any other opioid!! I know people who have been on it for years!!!!;She didn't care. They also wanted me to have a scs( spinal cord stimulator) put in ( kickbacks) I went to get another opinion I didn't feel like they were looking out for my best possible outcome. Turns out I had spondylolisthesis at L4 L5 and needed a fusion. I had a meeting with the Doctor that had been doing all of my procedures I explained that i was very frustrated about the course of action or lack of . I know if my pain was being properly managed with medication and PT I would not require all the other big money , unsuccessful procedures!

I told him he would be forcing me to go to the streets which is something I obviously didn't want to do, but failing to properly treat me left me with little options. He got extremely angry and told me I needed to see a pain psychologist which is something he was billing my insurance for from day 1!!!!! I said to him it would be much easier to get pain relief right down the street, maybe and hopefully it will take me out of my misery!! To be clear I did not go to the street I went and found my old doctor who I had a wonderful relationship with. I asked if we could schedule an appointment,I hadn't seen him in almost 2 years and he remembered personal stories of my life challenges,my love of gardening,and spoke about the first day he met me. I was an absolute wreck!!! He saved me! But there were 8 months that fell between no care to that appointment. I was self medicating with alcohol, marijuana, edibles and really just not in a good place at all. Pain management needs to be changed. We are all accountable for our actions. Addiction is no different than an youy other side affects. We all know the risks at this point. I pray for pain free days for all of us. This has taken so much from me. This all started in 2012 and has progressed over time. The last 2 years have been really progressive. I think about suicide daily. I try to find joy but it's really hard when you are in severe pain all the time. Anyway , wish you all well🙏♥️