Chronic pain is one of the most common complaints that I recommend medical cannabis for in my practice. As a patient, any time you make a decision to start or stop a medication you always have to wiegh the benefits vs the risks. The problem that most patients experience is that traditional western medicine is unable to treat the cause of the underlying pain and instead focuses on treating the pain itself. Pain medications are generally categorized into Non Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory medications (NSAIDS) such as common over the counter medications like ibuprofen (Motrin) and opiate narcotics such as vicodin, percocet, hydrocodone and morphine. The problem with these medications are that they come with many severe and dangerous side effects. NSAIDS can cause abdominal cramping and ulceration which can lead to life threatening bleeding. Older patients that have have compromised kidney and liver function have to be especially careful when taking NSAIDS. Opiates are extremely dangerous medications and in my professional opinion are a dead end for treatment of chronic pain. They regularly cause nausea, lack of appetite and constipation. They are also highly addictive and many patients who use them chronically suffer withdrawals when they try to discontinue their use. Patients also must be aware that opiates can bind the respiratory center of the brain and stop a patients breathing if taken in excess. Opiate overdose is very common in ER’s across the country. It is because of these side effects that most of my patients hate taking them. The risks simply do not outweigh the benefits. The problem is that modern medicine has not come up with a better alternative.
Many patients are unaware that there is a safer and more effecting alternative to treat chronic pain. Cannabis (marijuana) contains medical compounds called cannabinoids. Scientists have identified cannabis receptors in the human body that are located in the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) and the peripheral nervous system as well (the nerves that innervate muscles and organs). This means that when inhaled they bind to the nerves that regulate pain throughout the body and “block” or dampen the body’s response to pain. The amazing thing about these cannabinoids are that they have a safety profile that is unprecedented in medicine. There has never been a documented overdose from cannabis. In addition the potential for addiction is very small. Most patients who have trouble controlling their use have other drug addictions. Cannabis almost immediately relieves pain and eliminates the nausea that most patients experience from taking opiates. One of the other side effects is that cannabis will stimulate a patients appetite which in many circumstances is necessary. Many elderly patients have a difficult time healing because they are not getting the necessary nutrition that they need. What I have found is that when these elderly patients medicate with cannabis they regain their appetites which improves their daily quality of life. They simply have more energy to do the things that make them happy. Patients can medicate through out the day without the fear of overdose or unwanted side effects.
Let me share a few examples of patients that I have recently evaluated in my medical marijuana practice in southern California.
Lisa M is a 48 year old female who was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. She was evaluated by her primary care physician and started on high dose Motrin for pain during the day and given a prescription for Ambien to help her sleep at night. After 3 weeks she returned to her physician because the Motrin was not effective and the Ambien was making her feel like a “zombie” the entire next day. It was affecting her performance at work and she was becoming very frustrated. When offered a prescription for percocet for break though pain she refused because her brother had developed an opiate addiction after being in a motor vehicle accident 5 years ago. When I evaluated her she had only tried cannabis in her 20’s on a few occasions. She had a neighbor with chronic pain who medicated with cannabis and encouraged her to come in for an evaluation. When she visited my office I discussed the benefits and risks of using cannabis and she agreed to try a pure indica strain which not only is great for pain but will also help her fall asleep because of its sedative properties. Within 2 weeks whe had stopped taking both her motrin and ambien and was vaporizing an indica kush 30 minutes prior to going to bed.
Nick V is a 42 year old male who was involved in a motor vehicle accident where he was rear-ended on the I-5. He suffered 3 fractured lumbar vertebra and had been in sever pain. As part of his pain management he had been through physical therapy, chiropratic care and massage. In addition he was given prescriptions for vicodin to take during the day. He had tried cannabis a month prior to my visit after medicating with one of his friends who again suggested he try it. Immediately he was able to stop the vicodin and used cannabis solely for his pain management.
Medical Cannabis of Southern California is commited to providing patients a professional, compassionate and private consultation to determine if cannabis is an appropriate medical treatment for your condition. We have office locations in Long Beach, Irvine and Encinitas. To see if you are eligible under California law (proposition 215) simply visit our website at www.mcsocal.com and pre-qualify for free. You will receive a call from one of our office managers to answer your questions.
About the author: Dr. Sean Breen is a former navy physician who spent 5 years on active duty with the United States Marine Corps at Camp Pendleton CA. He is a decorated combat veteran and served his country in Iraq from Jan-Sep 2003. His sole focus in medicine is educating patients about the benefits of using medical marijuana.
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Tags: Chronic Pain, marijuana, Opiates
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