[dreday]

I8 head it helps with IBS-D. I ahve it very very bad. I tried weed once. After that all my problems got 100% worse, though I cant tell if its connected. I have extreme anxiety and depressiond ue to this problem now, so I think marijuana might make it worse. Ayone know about this? It is medicinal, but the medical card is expensive! Im just sooo deperate and am depressed for not doing anything eve, im looking for anything to help.

[Kathleen M.]

No treatment works for everyone.

Something that makes one person better may make another much worse.

The same food that may be safe for one sets another one off.

Intoxicants are the same way. Alcohol may cause severe diarrhea in one person, but make someone else feel better.

If you already tried it and it didn't help, I don't how spending a lot of money to get a medical card for it (assuming that IBS is even something they would give it to you for) would somehow make it start helping you.
K.

[overitnow]

It reaacivates m D. I kind of think it might be useful for C; but, I dunno.

Mark

[Sukie]

Dreday, I don't think smoking it once could have caused your anxiety and depression. Long-term use has been linked with mental health problems, also weed tends to enhance the mood you're in, so if you're feeling bad when you smoke it you'll probably feel much worse.

I find it helps my cramps, but I try not to use it too often because it can make me paranoid and more anxious. My friend (who doesn't have IBS) says she gets bad D the morning after she smokes, but its never had that effect on me.

[angst]

It depends on the strain of pot you're smoking. If you're that prone to anxiety don't try and force this on yourself... give up and try out the next treatment. Pot, for me, was a last ditch and it worked big time.

ALSO, there are different STRAINS (types) of weed with VASTLY different results. Certain ones are prone to paranoia and anxiety, while others are not. Some are more pain killing, some are not. Some help nausea more than others, some help headaches more than others. Each strain gives you a unique ratio of CBD, CBN, THC...

All of those play a key in symptom relief. Try not to generalize one strain of grass to all grass. That's like saying Cherry tomatoes are exactly the same as Beefsteak tomatoes. OR plantains are the same as bananas.

Strains high in CBD and low in THC will keep your anxiety low, keep the euphoria to a low, and should calm down any spasms you are having.

Strains high in THC and low in CBD will most likely cause a rush of anxiety (and probably give you diarrhea because of the anxiety).

I stick to strains like: blueberry, papaya, bubblegum, og kush (and hindu kush), and lifesaver (now defunct). Those all REALLY helped my IBS. Bubblegum seems to help a lot as when I'm in pain and I smoke it I don't get very high at all but my symptoms go away, so to me, it's win-win because I really don't want to be that high (I have a job and up until recently, school). P.S. I graduated from college with degrees in computer science and sociology. Pot did not make me "stupid."

But, like Kathleen said, everyone is different. It seems to me though that if you want to attempt to make pot work for your IBS (which I think it can once you find the right STRAIN) you need to work on your anxiety first. Intoxication from just about anything can exacerbate anxiety in individuals predisposed to it.

STRAIN SELECTION IS KEY. It's trial and error until then. Good luck. If you don't know the name of what you're smoking, don't bother.

Strains to avoid (for anxiety): white widow, jack herer, northern lights, ice, and anything else being labeled "mostly sativa"

Sativa blends of pot are the kinds that you smoke and your eyes open wide your heart pounds and you pretty much have an anxiety attack.. Unfortunately, that's what everyone passes around because Sativa dominant strains of pot produce mass quantities and most of the seasoned pot heads prefer it because the high is more "functional"... unfortunately, I believe IBSers need indica dominant (the kind that puts you on the couch and shuts your eyes) pot. I've been studying marijuana at a scientific level for about 5 years... For 5 years, I'd buy some.. and realize "holy cow.. this stuff works really well" then I'd go buy some more and realize it wasn't quite the same... smoke it.. then I'd have a massive anxiety attack or it just wouldn't help as well. I wanted to know why so I immersed myself in papers studying it. I also had many correspondences with the late great Dr. Jay R. Cavanaugh. He was a big proponent of medical marijuana (phd in immunology, etc. etc.)... very knowledgable. He helped me prepare some doses for my ex-ex girlfriends mom who had small cell lung cancer. She was given 0 hope of surviving. I mixed her up a potent batch of marijuana tincture (immersed in alcohol) and vanilla (read the white papers about cannabinoids and vanilloids and cancer cell apoptosis). She said it tasted like #### but followed Dr. Jay's dosage instructions... She's alive and well today and in full remission. Didn't vomit once during chemo and radiation. She credits this stuff w/ saving her life. It's been 5 years since she last had her small cell lung cancer.

[dreday]

In regards to trying to see if certain strains work, which I dont even know how to begin doing that I wanted to ask you something. I am going to be starting a drug-free program as in antidepressants and whata not. Im doing biofeedback or whatever its called. Could marijuna ruin my treatment, or evn show up on the testing?

[angst]

Probably. I really don't think pot is the drug for you.

"drug-free as in antidepressants" seems kind of ironic to me. I've been more messed up on prescription meds than I ever was on pot. Elavil made me hallucinate, ativan made me suicidal, paxil gave me cramps and diarrhea, zoloft made me numb and suicidal, prozac worked ok but made me high all of the time, xanax did nothing, klonopins made me fall down the stairs. I didn't find much luck w/ the psych drugs. No pain relief from SSRIs. They actually caused me to have panic attacks at times, lol. Be careful. I would start new therapies only when you have no school or work the next day or so...

I recommend doing some Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. That is some good stuff. We all need some way to come to terms with what is going on in our bodies and be accepting of ourselves and what we can and cannot do and what requires modification...

[Dandaman]

guess it depends on who you are really. when i smoke it calms me down and just mellows me out, that helps with mine i think because i like to believe that mine is mostly caused by anxiety. but i rarely ever smoke beccause i dont feel like spending money on it, and its awkward being around family because they are so judgemental

[dreday]

I found reseach on how marijuana can make people with anxiety disporders more paranoid. I am already pretty paranoid. Does it make you like that?

[young windy]

UK press reports this week a huge upsurge in psychiatric hospital admissions because of increased use of "whacky backy" by young adults.

Two acquaintances of mine have chronic bipolar and psychosis, which they believe was triggered by smoking "Bob".

Both now find cognitive therapy to be helpful with their condition.

I also understand that some folks smoke "Bob" or the "whacky backy" to self medicate.

This is about having an underlying mental health condition - undiagnosed - and using drink and/or drugs to relieve the symptoms of same.

Either way Dreday, I don't think you're doing yourself any favours here, but that's only my opinion.

When you are ready to be a grown up, be less dependent on others, and take responsibility for yourself, you'll get a medical card and get yourself sorted out.

[young windy]

young windy, on Jun 10 2007, 04:09 AM, said:

When you are ready to be a grown up, be less dependent on others, and take responsibility for yourself, you'll get a medical card and get yourself sorted out.

Eeeeeeeew this didn't come out right at all!

No offence intended, if any has been taken.

What I'm trying to say is:-

if there is an underlying issue, I'd encourage you to take the pragmatic approach and to seek medical advice - rather than dabble about in something that could potentially cause more problems

you seem young and unsure dreday

I've seen the devastation that Bob has caused my friends - I don't want anyone else to go through this.....