Neuropathy effective strains

My grandmother is 94 and she is describing pain in her extremities in new ways. This is one tough lady who suffers plenty of ailments, but rarely voices a word. But now the pain is disrupting sleep. Anybody hear of specific strains which work particularly effectively for this type of pain?

Hi Ty, I feel your grandmothers pain, truly. I have had wide spread neuropathy for years now. I'm also one of the weird one's when it comes to weed helping me with my pain. One of the only things I have been able to find to help with both this and sleep is Indica strains. You should get a account on Leafly.com if you haven't already. You can customize search filters for your needs. I don't like the Sativa's because I'm older and the Sativa's tend to make my heart race a little.

Right on @cobra505 I appreciate hearing firsthand stories and the reminder to check strain directories like Leafly. Staying up nights says so much about the level of pain.

It's tough as every person is different but my suggestion would be Blue Dream. Great pain strain IMO
Then Jack Herer with as high a CBD% as you can find, some is up to 0.2%.

Then some of those 2:1 CBD:THC strains. Like Mango Kush with 8.5% CBD : 4% THC

Start low and slow, small microdose to vape and wait 15 minutes. Another vape then if they are comfortable.
I would keep notes on stains so you can zero in on best strains for her.
Experimenting is needed but can really help find the best strain for her pain.

With 1 post---I assume/ hope you intend to have her vape or maybe an edible vs smoking??
What vaporizer do you have?

Ty Palmer said:

My grandmother is 94 and she is describing pain in her extremities in new ways. This is one tough lady who suffers plenty of ailments, but rarely voices a word. But now the pain is disrupting sleep. Anybody hear of specific strains which work particularly effectively for this type of pain?

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You really should get a physician's input! Inhaling anything at the age of your grandmother should make one VERY CAUTIOUS due to her likely susceptibility to respiratory issues! As well, there are effective oral drugs that can be effective for neuropathic pain, depending on the severity of the neuropathy.

Best,

FF

Fat Freddy said:

Inhaling anything at the age of your grandmother should make one VERY CAUTIOUS due to her likely susceptibility to respiratory issues! As well, there are effective oral drugs that can be effective for neuropathic pain, depending on the severity of the neuropathy.

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I would disagree 100% with trying "oral drugs first" as numerous studies have shown cannabis to be very effective in dealing with such pain, even when all previous drugs failed. I would highly encourage a vaping experience for her

Partial list:
"Cannabis has been shown to be highly effective at relieving neuropathic pain (Jensen, Chen, Furnish & Wallace, 2015) (Baron, 2015) (McDonough, McKenna, McCreary & Downer, 2014). Two major cannabinoids found in cannabis, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), activate the two main cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2) of the endocannabinoid system within the body (Fine & Rosenfeld, 2014). These receptors regulate the release of neurotransmitter and central nervous system immune cells to manage pain levels (Woodhams, Sagar, Burston & Chapman, 2015).
In numerous studies, cannabis has demonstrated the ability to significantly lower pain levels in patients suffering from neuropathic that had previously proven refractory to other treatments (Boychuck, Goddard, Mauro & Orellana, 2015). It’s been shown to specifically reduce neuropathic pain caused by diabetes (Wallace, et al., 2015). "
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IMO, almost always better to try cannabis first, before big pharma drugs!
Searched for drugs for neuropathy: found Lyrica
Side effects:
Lyrica (pregabalin) is an anti-epileptic drug (anticonvulsant) used for neuropathic (nerve) pain associated with diabetic peripheral neuropathy or postherpetic neuralgia, and for treating partial onset seizures in adults, and fibromyalgia. Common side effects of Lyrica include:

• Dizziness
• Drowsiness
• Loss of balance or coordination
• Dry mouth
• Constipation
• Edema
• Breast swelling
• Tremors
• Blurred vision
• Weight gain
• Problems with memory or concentration

I have Radiculopathy (neuropathic pain from my lumbar into my legs) and sleeping is extremely difficult fo me.

I find pretty much any strain helps make the pain more remote but since I medicated to sleep I really prefer Indicas, as mentioned above.

Bubba Kush or similar has worked well for me in the past but there are a LOT of related similar strains....or unique names given to what is supposed to be a unique strain.

Cheers

MinnBobber said:

I would disagree 100% with trying "oral drugs first"

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And that's why were all different. Lot of advice lots or directions to take with this. But as another member noted one of the most important thing you can do is take notes.
One other note, is she up at night because of the pain or insomnia or both, with me it's both. That's why I stated the indicas before.

MinnBobber said:

Common side effects of Lyrica include:

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Yeah Lyrica's supposed to be some bad shit. It's amazing when you listen to these meds on TV. You listen at the end and think who the hell would take this shit with all the side effects.

I'm appreciative of all approaches to help. Thank you! Note taking is one thing I can think of that could use a technical improvement in the canna world. Keeping track of strains is challenging enough for me, but for the elderly the job may seem daunting. Opportunity for innovation!

Ty Palmer said:

I'm appreciative of all approaches to help. Thank you! Note taking is one thing I can think of that could use a technical improvement in the canna world. Keeping track of strains is challenging enough for me, but for the elderly the job may seem daunting. Opportunity for innovation!

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Yeah I suggested it but believe me I know that one, it's tough to keep track of it all.

cobra505 said:

Yeah I suggested it but believe me I know that one, it's tough to keep track of it all.

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@Ty Palmer ,
notes need not be fancy. You could just set up a page listing the strains, with column for starting pain level, after vaping pain level, and comments.
If she was vaping Blue Dream, she'd just go to it and write in start pain, vape, and fill in results.

Let u know how it goes please

Ty Palmer said:

I'm appreciative of all approaches to help. Thank you! Note taking is one thing I can think of that could use a technical improvement in the canna world. Keeping track of strains is challenging enough for me, but for the elderly the job may seem daunting. Opportunity for innovation!

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a high cbn (cannabinol) oil taken orally will knock most people out for sleep and no pain.... it is a simple oil to be placed under the tongue to then absorb into the blood stream... be very careful as a sativa oil could keep her up all night fidgety etc... be sure and use the correct oil... or just vape a strong indica... a few inhales would be all that is needed up front as she tries it for the first few times...

older cannabsi is generally high cbn because it has oxidized some over time turning thc into cbn... you can decarboxylate thc to eventually reach cbn but loose other medical properties in the process

edit... have some whole black peppercorn on hand to give her if any paranoia sets in from the use of thc.... in fact, is she likes pepper have her chew on a peppercorn before vaporing... the carophyllene in the pepper will activate ( bio pre-cursor) thc/cbd better.. it must be fresh whole peppercorns for relief. not pre ground pepper

Ty Palmer said:

My grandmother is 94 and she is describing pain in her extremities in new ways. This is one tough lady who suffers plenty of ailments, but rarely voices a word. But now the pain is disrupting sleep. Anybody hear of specific strains which work particularly effectively for this type of pain?

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I agree with the other poster that first mentioned she should likely consult her physician at that age. If she has other health conditions like heart conditions could be a possible issue or other things like issues with psychosis and or even respiratory issues. There are a lot of potential issues that you do have to consider when dealing with those that have aged. I wanted my dad to try using cannabis for his neuropathy issues which really affect his sleep. I was thinking a nice low dose Oil at night would help keep him asleep and then feel more refreshed. But, I want him to check with his family doctor first to make sure.

It may sound alarmist but consider this, men who have had heart attacks or have heart conditions are told not to have sex sometimes for life as the load on the heart during those amorous activists is too much for the old pumper. This is no different with cannabis and the effect it can have on your heart.

If cannabis doesn't work you can always try pharmaceuticals as there are a number available for these types of pain, but they have side effects which can be intolerable to some. However, it is your choice whether you want to initiate cannabis therapy or pharmaceutical therapy first and also concerns your physician and how they feel as they may want you to try one or two pharmaceutical options that they are comfortable with first before they would even consider prescribing cannabis. I myself was a human surgical pincushion before my doctor said to me, I think you should try some cannabis eventhough I have expressed previous disapproval for it. However, times are different now and the stigma has lessened and many physicians are more willing to be open minded about prescribing cannabis.

mikek9 said:

It may sound alarmist but consider this, men who have had heart attacks or have heart conditions are told not to have sex sometimes for life as the load on the heart during those amorous activists is too much for the old pumper. This is no different with cannabis and the effect it can have on your heart.

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Where are you getting the data from that cannabis has the same effect on the heart as sex? I'm female so it may make a difference but I do have heart issues. I mainly use indica. There are a couple of indica high cbd strains that work for pain. Critical Mass is one that has 2x the cbd to thc (mine is 14%cbd/8%THC) Blue Dream is more sativa so I avoid it even though I think it would be good given what I've read about it.
I've been monitoring my use to make sure it doesn't worsen my heart and check my pulse, blood pressure, oxygen level before and after vaping. There is no immediate or long term change. I'm not as old as your grandmother although I'm older than most here in the "senior" category. None of the doctors at Kaiser will support cannabis use- at least overtly which is why I'm monitoring myself.

Did your grandmother ever smoke when she was younger? She's in an age group where smoking was considered pretty normal. One concern would be if she has COPD. I have that as well and am monitoring that. So far vaping hasn't worsened it. Even so I wouldn't recommend vaping if she already has COPD.

To all you nay-sayers and worry warts, she has severe pain that is hindering her sleep and lowering the quality
of her life. Give granny a micro-dose of a nice "pain-strain" and see what happens.

Heart attacks? COPD? No one has ever died from cannabis, ever, and it is an extraordinary pain medicine so start small and
give her some relief
If she was my granny, I'd be rejoicing if she was willing to try cannabis.

And being 94 should have nothing to do with trying the world's safest and most natural medicine, other than realizing that
her body/mind/spirit surely need its healing powers more than "young-ins"
No ageism allowed here.

little maggie said:

Where are you getting the data from that cannabis has the same effect on the heart as sex? I'm female so it may make a difference but I do have heart issues.

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Hi Maggie - I too am a cardiac patient with two MI's and three stents under my belt. The simple facts are that cannabis is a bronchodilator (opens your lungs) but a vasoconstrictor (tightens up your blood vessels). The latter will result in higher BP though to me its not nearly as bad as nicotine. Remember, higher BP makes arteries stiffer and more subject to plaque accumulation. But I vape at nights and still go to cardiac rehab three days a week at the hospital. My BP is running about 110/70 so it appears to me that MJ's vasocontriction is rather a short duration effect.

MJ will, often, raise your pulse rate. You know this right...and some strains more racy than others. Just prior to getting my last stent, I noticed that after I vaped my bedtime dose, I would start to get an ache between my shoulder blades. Turns out I had a 90% blockage in my RPD and the MJ was giving me some angina. Kind of a good thing as it got me in for another stent BEFORE I had another MI (that and the anticoagulants I take probably saved my life).

Just my thoughts.

I am thankful for the thoughtful discussion. She has never tried cannabis. Proceeding slowly at this point is making sense.

I help with medibls for a number of neuropathy sufferers. I mostly use late harvest (to bump up CBD) Kush variants. I have seen people go from not being able to use a wheel chair or hold a fork to surpervised with a walker and being able to operate a TeeVee remote again, etc.. People will early onset neuropathy can often reverse it almost entirely.

B12 helps a lot. Stay away from the synthetic version, Cyanocobalamin. You want Methylcobalamin. There is a supplement stack containing B12, Benfotiamine, other B's, R-ALA, Alpha Lipoic Acid, and I forget what else that helps a LOT with neuropathy as well. They sell over priced formulations but all the ingredients can be gotten as individual pills for very cheep.

Im super short on sleep and just came out of a BAD batch of cluster headaches so my memory is wonky.

Another option with the awesomeness of CA strain choices is combining a Kush with one oh the high CBD strains.

Not wanting to play Devil's advocate here, but the literature commonly lists negative side effects for the Plant very similar to the ones listed above for the chemical.

NEGATIVE

• coughing, asthma, upper respiratory problems
• difficulty with short-term memory during effects and during periods of frequent use (Ranganathan M, D'Souza DC, Psychopharmacology, 2006)
• racing heart, agitation, feeling tense
• mild to severe anxiety
• panic attacks in sensitive users or with very high doses (oral use increases risk of getting too much)
• headaches
• dizziness, confusion
• lightheadedness or fainting (in cases of lowered blood pressure)
• paranoid & anxious thoughts more frequent
• possible psychological dependence on cannabis
• clumsiness, loss of coordination at high doses
• nausea, especially in combination with alcohol, some pharmaceuticals, or other psychoactives
• can precipitate or exacerbate latent or existing mental disorders

(source: https://www.erowid.org/plants/cannabis/cannabis_effects.shtml)

MinnBobber said:

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@Ty Palmer ,
notes need not be fancy. You could just set up a page listing the strains, with column for starting pain level, after vaping pain level, and comments.
If she was vaping Blue Dream, she'd just go to it and write in start pain, vape, and fill in results.

Let u know how it goes please

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BLUE DREAM taste really good however the HEADACHE is too much for me.

SATIVA AM
HYDIRD NOON until 420
INDICA 420 and beyond (GRAPE APE has FLAVOR) GRANDMAW'S COOKIES very strong for deep sleep

94? I'm a young 58?
49 my CEREBELLUM began shrinking?
AFTER all the DRUG's - CANNABIS was the answer.

Were all different however CANNABIS is more manageable!

SOUR HAZE 10:AM SATIVA BASED at first mixing strains seem's expensive however once you find your zone it's not that expensive.
@CarolKing was strain would you think? GDP to start? GRAPE APE same effect for me however taste is very top shelf!

I just bought a strain called Romulan, it's suppose to work well for pain, sleep and neuropathy. I just tried some out. A very smooth woodsy type taste. I bought it for night but was curious and wanted to try it out. It says 21% THC and .67 CBD.

Edit
It seems to have a nice calming relaxing, effect.

CarolKing said:

I just bought a strain called Romulan, it's suppose to work well for pain, sleep and neuropathy. I just tried some out. A very smooth woodsy type taste. I bought it for night but was curious and wanted to try it out. It says 21% THC and .67 CBD.

Edit
It seems to have a nice calming relaxing, effect.

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EMPIRICAL INFORMATION!