speaking of medical marijuan – check out the most recent post on the health care blog. apparently the canadoan government recently approved a new liquid extract of marijuana.

http://matthewholt.typepad.com/the_health_care_blog/

Hey doc -what bothers you about millions of FMS sufferers finding relief any way they can- who are you to judge?
So many western docs are afraid that eastern medicine and native american medicine is going to help someone and then they will stop getting all those perks from all those drug companies. A real dilemma eh doc?

DR. RACK IS OBVIOUSLY IN THE IGNORANT MINORITY OF DOCTOR’S WHO STILL BELIEVE FIBROMYALGIA IS SOME “NEBULOUS” CONDITION.

I SINCERELY HOPE, FOR YOUR BENEFIT, THAT YOU OR SOMEONE YOU LOVES COMES DOWN WITH THIS CONDITION. MAYBE THEN YOU WOULD OPEN YOUR CLOSED MIND.

I am 22 now and was diagnosed with fibromyalgia at the age of fifteen. I don’t like the harsh side effects with most prescribed pain killers, antideppresants, and sleeping pills. I think I have tried almost everything on the market. Marijuana has saved my life and decreased my pain a lot better than most pain killers. I am rooting strongly for it to be legalized. It’s funny how they hand out adderal for ADHA or ADD like nothing and marijuana isn’t legalized.

I have been suffering greatly from FMS for several years now, though I was only recently diagnosed. For a good while I smoked pot, recreationally, starting in college. As my condition worsened my weed became more important, especially considering that getting a prescription for something that was “in my head” was impossible – until I found a doctor who didn’t call FMS “nebulous.” I’m just now getting past the frustration from years of not knowing what was wrong with me, going crazy. I would not have even been diagnosed if I had not done massive amounts of research by myself. I am now on Neurontin, Soma, Vicodin, and I self medicate with grass. Even when all of my meds are at their peak I’m still in pain, so the next person that scoffs at FMS in my presence is getting hit. I was becoming suicidal because of the related sleep, depression/anxiety, and unrelenting pain problems. Quite frankly, I’m alive solely because of marijuana. END PROHIBITION NOW.

I have had fibromyalgia for years. Its not in my head. I have tried every pain mediacation avalible, only to find myself useless due to the side effects. I have also tried sleeping pills which were addictive and took a long time to kick in. And antidepressants just made me feel depressed. It wasnt till my boyfriend convinced me to try smoking marijuana till I found real relsults, something that worked. I would smoke before work and before i went to sleep. I found that different types of marijuana worked for different situations. It has saved my life and my sanity. If only Doctors would get some balls and start to precribe it instead of fearing the college a lot more people would be able to live productive, satisfying lives.

I am a mom of a 10-month old and I think I have fibro, but my doctors keep telling me that it is just the stress of being a new mom and so on.I have smoked weed every now and again and that is the only time I will sleep and eat and function w/o headaches and pain.I do not like to smoke b/c of the social stigma and I was breastfeeding my daughter, but I must say that Vicodin and Motrin are not helping at all. I am hoping that my doctor will at least diagnose me soon so at least I won’t feel like a “head case” who is just looking for a way to get high.

So What if even the whole world uses cannabis for medical purposes, even for recreational purposes. It’s a hell of a lot safer than alcohol & nicotine, and detoxing from heroin is easier than fron nicotine. Heroin is more painful of a withdrawal but in the long run easier to quit, I know from experience. Give it up folks cannabis is here to stay, it and ALL it’s theraputic effects. Just like you people with fibromylagia have been saying, you have to have the disease to fully understand. I lived in Branson, Mo. for several years believe you me there is some great cannabis grown down there and people are using it, thank God. That’s why He put it here. So you southerner’s who sip your bourbon and branch water move over marijuana is here to stay and for the better, afterall only ignorance, and closed minds think it’s a non-theraputical DRUG. But we, cannabis smokers, will win out. We may not see it in my lifetime since I am 54 but I have used if gor 37 years now and the worst health time I had was when I quit smoking for 10 years. I developed Type II Diabetes Mellitus, and Gastric Paresis which leaves me nauseated 24/7. Marinol which is prescribed to me is effective but not as effective as the plant since there are so many different cannabinoids working together in medical harmony.

Hey: I’m a male, I’m 51, I was diagnosed with FMS in 1995, I followed the standard alopathic route of medication and observation for 8 years or so. I was ripped to the tits on pain meds a lot of that time — driving cars, in fact, commuting to work. And then I met…Mr. J! I get a pretty deep sleep now, for five or six hours at a time, without having to experience that special Vicodin hangover in the AM. And I’m vaporizing, so don’t tell me this is terribly unhealthy.

I have GERDS and Gastroparesis both which leaves me in a 24/7 state of nausea with 3-5 violent 12-24 hour vomiting sessions a month. Marijuana is the only drug that controls my nausea with such a great safety margin. I have smoked for over 27 years then quit for 10 years with no withdrawal effects, zero, zip, nothing. When I acquired these two neuropathic diseases from diabetes I started smoking marijuana to control my nausea and vomiting. Marijuana controls my nausea better than anything, and I have tried them all (anti-nausea meds) they all have one thing in common, after 6 months of daily use they cause nausea the exact thing they were to prevent. Marinol also works just not as effective and is 10 times the price. The black market is undercutting the pharmacies in that they sell good marijuana cheaper than Marinol. Since most Insurance companies do not want to pay for it and good quality marijuana is more effective than Marinol what would you do. But if anyone thinks my disease should not qualify for medical marijuana they must let me live with them for 1 month so they can see all the vomit and that the sessions do last 12-24 hours of vomiting followed by 1 or 2 days of complete weakness. When I am sick I can’t take any of my medicines, nor eat, only tiny sips of water to keep from getting cotton mouth, I am totally helpless when I get sick and I live alone and am 54. So you can see how important my medicine is to me for a good quality of life. And what would be wrong with everbody who has Fibromalagia smoked marijuana? I tell you this contry would be in much better health mentally and physically if Alcohol and Tobacco were illegal and marijuana were legal. Peace ~:)

All the people opposed to the use of this plant for medicinal uses and making assumptions about it as a “drug” need to get some facts. Marijuana is safer in many ways than cigarettes, alchohol, and even Tylenol. Its very status as an alleged gateway drug attests to the fact that it is considered safer than the other drugs, ie. narcotics. I am totally disabled by fibromyalgia and other problems resulting from a terrible car accident. I cannot tolerate any form of narcotic from codeine to dilaudid. I have terrible pain from constant muscle spasms. I don’t smoke tobacco, I don’t drink. I never touched pot before the car accident. I’ve tried everything. I have tried marijuana and it let me sleep through the night and wake with some energy, able to feed myself and shower and do a bit of cleaning, but it is illegal so I only resort to it when I can’t help it. No matter how severe my pain is the ER doesn’t help because they give me narcotics. The other nice thing about pot is the days I smoke it are the only days I don’t wish I was dead just to escape the pain.

I have Fibromyalgia and have taken nearly every drug possible. The strong pain meds make me sick and only last a little while. I have taken soo many medications at one time I was falling asleep standing up. My eyes were jumping, making it hard for me to drive and I would fall asleep driving. The solution Ritalin, which kept me awake but made me so hateful I couldn’t stand myself. One med made me have seizures. I finally quit almost everything except my Maripex which is for Restless Leg Syndrome. I can’t live without it as I would go crazy. Side effects from Maripex can be addictive eating, gambling, and sexual actions! Great like I need any of those. A friend of mine with really advanced MS uses only marijuana now and it allows her to eat, move around, and keeps her depression to a minimum. She says I should talk to my doctor about marijuana. I know my doc would say “no.” Does anyone in WA State have experience with this? This morning I sat on the edge of my bed and cried as I hadn’t slept in hours.

I have never even tried pot as a young adult so I have reservations but then it is a plant that grows naturally so I think it couls be better than all these drugs.

Thanks,
Anna

I have had fibromyalgia for a number of years. My husband, of over 32 years, walked out on me (no warning) the day after my daughter’s New Year’s Eve wedding because he is a biologist and doesn’t believe in fibromyalgia. Now, I am living on my own and trying to deal with the day-to-day pain and struggles of this nebulous? condition called fibromyalgia. I don’t wish fibromyalgia on anyone….well, maybe my ex-husband or his new wife (she came onto the scene well before I knew ‘divorce’ was even a word in our family vocabulary). I guess it is easy to break up a marriage when the wife is ill. I have not tried medical marijuana (and didn’t really smoke marijuana more than a couple of times in college…back in the 70’s), but, I live in RI and it has just been legalized. I don’t know how to get it. When I find out, I am going to try it….as I can’t stand living with this pain anymore. No one wants to listen to someone complaining about pain all the time…so, I try to keep my complaints to myself as much as possible. I just am hoping and praying for relief!!! I want my life back. Maybe I should move to Amsterdam.

Deb et al,
Check out http://www.RIpatients.org for more information on the state of Rhode Island’s Medical Marijuana Program!

Having read through the list of everyone’s post, I have cried and laughed, and rolled my eyes. I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia in 2003 by the United States Army. It took over a year of a long drawn out battery of tests.
I remember the nerve tests and them sending shock after shock of lower voltage through my body at specific points. I remember looking into my boyfriends eyes and thinking: ” I don’t want you to see this pain let alone know this pain.” I held his hand through the whole thing crying and screaming and weeping uncontrollably from the pain. As you can all imagine, the results were normal.
It took another four months for the Army to decide they could not keep me as they felt I could not do my job. The depression and anxiety I had been feeling started to take its toll.
As a young adult I was very active in high school. Playing everything for volleyball, powderpuff football, soccer, tennis, etc….. Right out of high school I became a stay at home mom. Now you are telling me I can’t serve my country! What a blow to the spirit!!
I have a hard time coping let alone telling anyone the pain I am in. I hear people moan and groan about their lives and think: If you only knew. Just Shut up!
I am a twice surviving cervical cancer survivor. I have minor depression and general anxiety disorder. I suffered from anorexia in high school and self-esteem issues.
I HATE taking narcotics. I argue with every doctor I have about them giving me a prescription for what I have. I am tired of being told that its all in my head. I am tired of being told they mis-diagnosed me. I am so tired of hiding from the pain. I am a strong willed person. I am an independent person.
I wake up every morning and do a freak self inventory of my body. Does this hurt too much? I’m I gonna cry today? Do I really need to take that? Can people tell how much I hurt?
There’s nothing worse than living with this. There are somedays I can’t get out of bed. There are some days I can get out of bed and go mountain biking (though I pay for it the hours later).
DO NOT TELL ME WHAT I AM FEELING! IT’S NOT IN MY HEAD. You think I like living like this? You couldn’t hang with me for one freaking day you slime ball!
You don’t like seeing someone’s anger?
LET ME SMOKE MY WEED IN PEACE AND MAKE IT EASIER AND LEGAL FOR ME TO USE!
I am not like this when I smoke. I’m calm. Very little to no pain. I can enjoy life.
Unlike some of the people that have written here my ex-husband had a drug problem. If he knew that I was doing it illegally I would NEVER see my kid again. So I weep and cry and try everything you tell me too and hide the weed so he never knows.
SOME ONE help me! I hate this disease.

I agree with many of the comments, in Los Angeles where I practice I have seen a growing acceptance of medical marijuana by law enforcement. Even though thye federal authorities continue to resist the push towards national medicinal marijuana, I see this happening one day.

I have fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue sydrome and narcolepsy. Also, Bi-polar disorder, throid problem, IBS . So basically I am screwed up mentally and physically. I take a lot of meds. The latest is GHB. You used to be able to get
GHB over the counter until it became a rave or party drug and date rape began.
Now it is a schedule 3 narcotic. I had to read a book, watch a dvd and talk to my Dr. for about a hour. If I lose it I need to call the police and the pharmacy. I can only get it from a central pharmacy and it costs over $1,000 a month. My point is
if I can get GHB for Narcolepsy, why did my Pain Management Dr. cut me off of pain meds. when my urine tested positive for THC? My life is a living hell. I wish I could just move to Amsterdam! (or Cali.)