Very few, if any drs, will treat your pain if you test positive for marijuana, even in states where it is legal. So be sure you can handle the pain if the marijuana doesn't work as well for you as it can for some people. Also be aware that it could cost you your job.

Most pain management specialists require that you sign a contract with them these days. They require random pee tests and if you test positive for anything other than what they prescribe your days at that practice are over. That's in addition to testing positive for taking too much of what they do prescribe. It is a real catch 22 and good luck finding another pain management specialist to accept you as a patient.

There is no way to know if you will react positively to MMJ as opposed to continuing to use prescribed opioids. We all respond differently to medication etc. especially with FMS.

I can tell you that I felt much better and slept a lot better using edibles. I quit because I couldn't afford it. And, although I don't use opioids I do see pain management who could start insisting that I do submit to random pee tests at anytime. Frustrating yes, but I need this practice on my roster so I am compliant. Take care.

I can tell you, that being able to relax and have a restful sleep can make a world of difference with your pain levels and body. I have a bad tendency to clinch EVERYTHING. Which makes the pain worse and the muscles hurt. And no amount of muscle relaxers have helped relax as good.

Hope you can find a compassionate primary care doc and that she/he can handle your pain needs without your having to see a pain management outfit.

I use methadone/baclofen to take the edge off my pain. Sometimes though, I have intractable muscle spasms and for that, medical marijuana is the best. It works well.

The best advice about marijuana use for pain is to ask the dispensary which subspecies are the best for pain. You can also educate yourself from online sources. It depends though on what they have in stock to sell you.

I think for fibro, it takes a bunch of different meds to knock down the pain to tolerable levels, if you moderately to severely affected.

Good luck and try to find a compassionate family doc through word of mouth, or by asking health care professionals for a recommendation.

Thanks for the advice. I don't plan on seeing pain management anymore. My pain management dr gave me my normal script the other day, plus a post dated one for next month. I plan to wean off the opioids for good.

I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 2012 and have been on a long journey. In early 2012 I was practically bedridden and in severe, unrelenting daily pain. I had to go on FMLA and felt that my life was slipping away.

Today, I have mostly mild daily symptoms with occasional flare-ups. (As long as I don't veer from my daily regimen) It took a lot of experimentation and research, but I found a regimen that was effective. I work with a integrative medical doctor and am a proponent of using various natural therapies to combat fibromyalgia.

With that being said, I successfully use medical marijuana to help with pain. Medical marijuana is the only thing that I use it terms of a pain medicine. I learned about it in 2013 and have been using it ever since.

I am an advocate of medicinal marijuana and believe that it should be a viable option for anyone in pain. Marijuana has been used for centuries as a healing plant.

It has helped me tremendously with my fibromyalgia pain! There are many ways to use it, other than smoking it. There are candies, brownies, cookies (known as edibles). There are extracts that you drop into liquids, as well as tinctures. Soaps, lotions, and rub on creams are also available. Vaporizers are also very effective. There are many different strains, so you must work with a knowledgeable dispensary to find the right strain and dosage.

Here is a link to a wonderful article about the benefits of using marijuana:

http://www.viralglobalnews.com/2014/10/05/cannabis-reduces-pain-from-fibromyalgia-studies-show/18779/

Best wishes to you.

I used local organic MJ to try to get off Klonopin a few years ago. It did help me sleep if I smoked it a few hours before sleeping, Otherwise, it kept me awake. But it increased my pain quite a bit. If I lived in a state with medical MJ with different breeds, maybe I'd see if there was another variety that would help. Also, it was very strong, and I wasn't interested in being whacked out.

This is really interesting that this question came up. I do notice a distinct relaxation with marijuana.

My biggest contribution here might be this:

A few weeks ago, I ran out of the norco I was using during the middle of the day for 'breakthrough' pain. It worked great for a while, but lately, I couldn't tell anything was improved with it. I found out that my usual doctor was on vacation and just gave up trying to get a new prescription.

I never felt any kind of 'withdrawal' and honestly, the pain might even be a little better. I was really kicking and screaming about possibly losing the norco months ago when the Feds went crazy on us. I was kind of embarrassed that stopping the opiod didn't make me hurt any more and I might have a little more energy than before. Call me gobsmacked.

I am considering it very much. Even long before my diagnosis with fibro, I struggled to find a pain medication that actually helped. I have an aunt who also has fibromyalgia and is already taking it; it helps her.

Everyone is different and so is their pain. If you wish to try medical mj try to find a doc that actually has experience prescribing it, and knows about best dosage, methods of taking the mj, etc. Some people have tremendous success with it--particularly those with muscle cramping or digestive problems.

MMJ doesn't help that much with fibro pain for me. What it puts my head in a better place where the pain can be pushed into the background instead of being front and center in my consciousness. It also helps relax me. As for sleep I take liquid fast acting melatonin. Before fibro when I was working a very stressful job, MJ helped me sleep yet now it has little effect. Fibro is such a varied thing how it affects us so we each have to develop our own regimen of what works and what doesn't. Do some online research as to what strains of MMJ work best for your symptoms. You may also want to go to a website called leafly.com. That site has a listing of MMJ dispensaries in any given area and what strains are available - as well as a means of getting a dispensary's rating. I kicked hydrocodone fortunately very easily a year ago this last summer when I found out the norco was making my pain worse. Not all MMJ doctors know what they should so the more you can educate yourself the better. A good dispensary can be very helpful as well. I like in Oregon where dispensaries are common yet laws can change quickly. I am grateful I am in a state where MMJ is another option in my arsenal of treatment. Good luck with your move!