Crohn's Disease & Ulcerative Colitis Support Group
Crohn's disease is a systemic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) of unknown cause, that results in chronic inflammation of the intestinal tract. It can affect the entire gastrointestinal tract from mouth to anus, and can also cause complications outside of the gastrointestinal tract. There is no known medical or surgical cure for Crohn's disease, but there are many medical...
I'm 24 years old, diagnosed with Crohn's at age 3. For the past 21 years the doctors have struggled to keep my disease under control, sometimes they succeed, sometimes they don't.
I'm going on about 2 years now of nothing helping. I'm not responding to the treatments they've tried [Remicade and Cimzia] and I'm about to go on a drug they are calling the "last resort".
My pain is CONSTANT and has been more or less that way the last couple years. My pain is crippling to where sometimes I cannot stand, sometimes I cannot even breath. On an average day I take 1 and 1/2 Norco, 2-3 Extra Strength Tylenol, 1 Benadryl, 1/2 a Xanax, and a nausea med EVERY 4 HOURS. I am terrified thinking of what all these drugs are doing to my system, but it's the only thing I can do that makes me even halfway functional.
I've told the doctors about everything I am taking, I've told them on average I go to the bathroom once every 1 and 1/2 to 2 hours with 1-3 tablespoons worth of blood each time- And while they tell me I shouldn't be taking all those meds, they aren't giving me any alternative. If I go to the ER they just load me up with Morphine and send me back home where everything remains the same.
I've been doing everything I can for myself to try and improve things. I adhere to a strict diet now, and I take several supplements, such as acidophilus. All of it seems to be to no avail though.
I am at the end of my rope. I'm frustrated that nothing seems to be helping, I'm stressed so bad I can't even make the 10 minute drive to Wal*Mart without having a full blown panic attack because I'm away from a bathroom, I'm in pain that's terrible at best; I'm at the very end of my rope..
So what I'd like to find out is people's experiences using marijuana to help treat their Crohn's. It's gotta be safer then constant Xanax and Norco use. I've never done pot before, and I really don't know much about it as a treatment method. Does it work? Which symptoms does it help?How effectively does it work? How often/how much do you take? What are the negatives here?
Any pros or cons you'd be willing to share are greatly appreciated. And I'd also happily accept any other suggestions for things that might help with the pain and bazillion bathroom trips.
I'm going on about 2 years now of nothing helping. I'm not responding to the treatments they've tried [Remicade and Cimzia] and I'm about to go on a drug they are calling the "last resort".
My pain is CONSTANT and has been more or less that way the last couple years. My pain is crippling to where sometimes I cannot stand, sometimes I cannot even breath. On an average day I take 1 and 1/2 Norco, 2-3 Extra Strength Tylenol, 1 Benadryl, 1/2 a Xanax, and a nausea med EVERY 4 HOURS. I am terrified thinking of what all these drugs are doing to my system, but it's the only thing I can do that makes me even halfway functional.
I've told the doctors about everything I am taking, I've told them on average I go to the bathroom once every 1 and 1/2 to 2 hours with 1-3 tablespoons worth of blood each time- And while they tell me I shouldn't be taking all those meds, they aren't giving me any alternative. If I go to the ER they just load me up with Morphine and send me back home where everything remains the same.
I've been doing everything I can for myself to try and improve things. I adhere to a strict diet now, and I take several supplements, such as acidophilus. All of it seems to be to no avail though.
I am at the end of my rope. I'm frustrated that nothing seems to be helping, I'm stressed so bad I can't even make the 10 minute drive to Wal*Mart without having a full blown panic attack because I'm away from a bathroom, I'm in pain that's terrible at best; I'm at the very end of my rope..
So what I'd like to find out is people's experiences using marijuana to help treat their Crohn's. It's gotta be safer then constant Xanax and Norco use. I've never done pot before, and I really don't know much about it as a treatment method. Does it work? Which symptoms does it help?How effectively does it work? How often/how much do you take? What are the negatives here?
Any pros or cons you'd be willing to share are greatly appreciated. And I'd also happily accept any other suggestions for things that might help with the pain and bazillion bathroom trips.
Marijuana is the most anti-inflammatory substance known to man!
If you EAT it, it will work directly on your problem area the intestines,
and you will NOT get high! Only when you HEAT it will it activate the
THC and make you high, how is smoking it going to help you!
Mix about a quarter teaspoon into some applesauce and eat it on an
empty stomach in the morning, my wife had immediate relief within a day! She stopped her remicade and is trying to get it out of her system because the remicade has caused her joint pain and fatigue!
I wish she had found the marijuana before putting that remicade in her system.
Good luck!
There is some new research on using unprocessed cannabis - juiced. The problem with it is that even though the body can use THCacid and CBDacid, it takes a lot of cannabis per dose. The doctor that is spearheading this movement suggests juicing A WHOLE PLANT to get the same dose as the traditional ways of vaping, smoking, medibles. The benefits are that you don't get high, because the THC is still in its acid form.
JustSimplyMe - I don't know what to tell you about which strains to get. You would want a strain that is high in CBDs, but the only way to know is to get it tested. You can check out http://www.http://projectcbd.org/ You can learn what strains are high in CBD, but you are most likely not going to find these "on the street" as they are specifically bred for meds. THC is inversely proportional to CBD. One thing most cannabis will do is slow down peristalsis, the muscle movement that drives food down your intestines. Weed will make you constipated if you eat enough. You can private msg me if you have any other questions. I've been involved with the MM movement here in MI since it became legal in 2008, I know a bit about MM.
My wife has been suffering with UC for about 10 years and with a terrible flare up that has lasted a year! She only received relief after
EATING the marijuana and finally had a solid stool within a few days!
We did notice that the marijuana that was in bud form seemed to
work better than just loose and leafy if that makes sense.
Anyone else have positive results from eating it?
In general, a Sativa is a "brighter" more functional high. An Indica produces a more relaxing, "go to bed" high. Now, within the major types, there are all sorts of strains that emphasize different characteristics. Again, the only way to find one that is "right" for you is to read, read, read.
Good Luck!
Chuck
I live in Freeport, Bahamas; last year I went on an experimental treatment being conducted by my local doctor and a doctor in Canada. It involved giving myself an injection every other day for 3 months. After 2 months I stop taking my meds (I was on ASCOL & prednisone, if I missed one dose of ASCOL I would get sick with in hours) and did not get sick, so I stop taking my meds, a month later I completed the injections.
For 1 year it was like I was crohns free, I eat/drink whatever and enjoyed life. Last month I began flaring again, I am now back on the injections but not the ASCOL or prednisone and I am feeling better ever day.
The doctor's don't know I started to flare, of the 20 people on the injectiions I am 1 of 2 whose got sick after a year. The orginal patient has not been sick in over 5 years. They think for some people like me, it may be necessary to go back on the injections after 9 months off for 6 -8 weeks. If that is the case I don't mind cause it beats having to take meds everyday.
"Site Specific Immunomodulator (SSIs), Qu Biologics proprietary technology, is a novel class of cancer immunotherapies at the forefront of a paradigm shift in cancer treatment. Unlike other cancer immunotherapies which are commonly directed against the cancer cells, Qu Biologics SSIs target the patients own immune cells within the tumour microenvironment, stimulating them to attack the tumour from within.
Numerous studies have found an inverse correlation between the frequency of acute bacterial infection and the risk of cancer development. In other words, the more acute infections you have, the less likely you are to develop cancer. By stimulating the immune system to respond in the same way it would to fight acute infection, it can awaken a patients own natural anti-cancer response. Understanding this link between the immune system and cancer has lead to the development of a new type of immunotherapy. Qu Biologics SSIs use the power of killed bacterial components to engage the patients innate response to cancer.
Further, as their name suggests, SSIs are site specific. Each SSI contains killed bacterial components from a single bacterial species known to be a common cause of infection in a particular organ or tissue, such as the lungs, colon or skin. Depending on the type of cancer, a corresponding SSI treatment is selected to target the organ/tissue in which the cancer is growing. For example, an SSI derived from a bacterial species that commonly causes lung infections in humans will benefit patients with lung cancer, but not patients with colorectal cancer or malignant melanoma. Similarly, an SSI derived from a common human colon pathogen will show benefit in the treatment of colon cancer but not lung cancer."
As you can see it was not originally intended for Crohns or UC. It was told someone with crohns took this on their own, it was given to a family member with colon cancer, she thought it could not hurt and started injection herself. Once she noticed it was working she stopped taking the meds and later reported it to the doctor.
I don't no if this trail can be done in the USA, if you like I can ask Dr. Gunn and let you know?