clueless

[goongrinch]

Anxiety, Bipolar, Herniated Disc, Depression, Insomia, Sleep Apnea. Im looking into a volcano since I dont leave the apartment and dont drive. I been researching ACDC or Ringos Gift. I have a card in Nevada.

 

[herbivore21]

Anxiety, Bipolar, Herniated Disc, Depression, Insomia, Sleep Apnea. Im looking into a volcano since I dont leave the apartment and dont drive. I been researching ACDC or Ringos Gift. I have a card in Nevada.

CBD is gonna help you for depression and anxiety (and hence much of the negative symptoms you'll get from the bipolar). ACDC (which only features high CBD phenotypes/chemotypes) is a good idea for that reason. I am not sure whether CBD is effective in the literature for the herniated disc although I know it is effective for some kinds of pain condition.

However, if you live in a legal jurisdiction and can get tested meds with certificates of analysis to show you levels of terps/cannabinoids/etc I would suggest that you look more specifically for meds whose test results show they have high levels of CBD. Varieties (strains) frequently have multiple phenotypes which can vary in the content of the resin they produce. This is before we get to differences in resin production/content/concentrations due to cultivation and environmental factors! It is a real crapshoot so if you can, use those test results and avoid anything that doesn't come with them.

We need to move away from looking at the strain and start looking at the test results for the meds we just bought to see specifically what they contain! Of course, make sure to look into the testing facility doing the tests and ask lots of questions at first about your meds.

Ask if there are pesticide/fungus/bacteria tests etc.

If you are not in a legal situation and can't get tested meds, it is a lot more difficult, I would stick to trying to get material of well known CBD varieties like ACDC whose phenotypes may vary in concentrations of CBD vs THC, but which can be relied on for CBD in worthwhile amounts in any case. Sadly, in an illegal scenario finding good CBD meds is more difficult.

Please note that IME, CBD predominate meds are not going to necessarily help you on the insomnia side of things. For that, may I suggest you start learning to make reclaim with AVB and cleaning your vape parts. Basically, recovering leftover resin that condensates on your vapes/bubblers as well as extracting from AVB is a very cheap way to get your hands on potent, sleepy meds (even if they taste pretty shitty lol). There is a wealth of information on this site about this stuff. If you have any questions about anything I've mentioned here, please do ask as I am sure this post is far from complete!

As to the herniated disc, I have not medicated this sort of condition before and will leave that one for folks here who medicate these conditions to advise

 

[Esmeralda]

Welcome. I am new here, too.
Read a lot, ask questions, do yr research and you'll be fine.

 

[goongrinch]

CBD is gonna help you for depression and anxiety (and hence much of the negative symptoms you'll get from the bipolar). ACDC (which only features high CBD phenotypes/chemotypes) is a good idea for that reason. I am not sure whether CBD is effective in the literature for the herniated disc although I know it is effective for some kinds of pain condition.

However, if you live in a legal jurisdiction and can get tested meds with certificates of analysis to show you levels of terps/cannabinoids/etc I would suggest that you look more specifically for meds whose test results show they have high levels of CBD. Varieties (strains) frequently have multiple phenotypes which can vary in the content of the resin they produce. This is before we get to differences in resin production/content/concentrations due to cultivation and environmental factors! It is a real crapshoot so if you can, use those test results and avoid anything that doesn't come with them.

We need to move away from looking at the strain and start looking at the test results for the meds we just bought to see specifically what they contain! Of course, make sure to look into the testing facility doing the tests and ask lots of questions at first about your meds.

Ask if there are pesticide/fungus/bacteria tests etc.

If you are not in a legal situation and can't get tested meds, it is a lot more difficult, I would stick to trying to get material of well known CBD varieties like ACDC whose phenotypes may vary in concentrations of CBD vs THC, but which can be relied on for CBD in worthwhile amounts in any case. Sadly, in an illegal scenario finding good CBD meds is more difficult.

Please note that IME, CBD predominate meds are not going to necessarily help you on the insomnia side of things. For that, may I suggest you start learning to make reclaim with AVB and cleaning your vape parts. Basically, recovering leftover resin that condensates on your vapes/bubblers as well as extracting from AVB is a very cheap way to get your hands on potent, sleepy meds (even if they taste pretty shitty lol). There is a wealth of information on this site about this stuff. If you have any questions about anything I've mentioned here, please do ask as I am sure this post is far from complete!

As to the herniated disc, I have not medicated this sort of condition before and will leave that one for folks here who medicate these conditions to advise

I'm doing pain management where they do drug testing. If I test positive for thc I am disqualified from them

 

[herbivore21]

I'm doing pain management where they do drug testing. If I test positive for thc I am disqualified from them

Man unfortunately this places you in a very sticky situation here. Not our preferred kind of sticky around these parts either!

Depending on how they are testing and what their test thresholds are for a pass or fail, you may not be able to find material that is low enough in THC very easily. You need to use purified CBD isolates from industrial hemp, or perhaps cannabis extracts where isolation techniques are employed to remove the THC (this is only going to really be available in legal states and is likely to be hard to find even in these cases! This work requires a more advanced skillset than your average or even very good extract artist has!). CBD does have more efficacy when administered with other terpenes, even if you can't get use THC here. If you cannot access cannabis extracts with THC in them (which seems to be the case), it is quite expensive to get terps and you probably would do well to consider the option discussed in the next paragraph.

If you are in a legal state and want to look at getting a more traditional cannabis extract made and then have the THC removed, then I recommend you get lab testing done on any product you find to ensure that all THC is removed in the final product, also remember to get testing for residual solvents panels paying special attention to solvents frequently used in isolation/separation techniques (cyclohexane/benzene, acetone, methanol etc).

There are solventless methods for isolating THC from a given crude extract and it does help to find out which methods are used in production of your meds where possible. Ask as many questions as you can from the retailer/extractor.

You will of course need to find an extract artist/chemist who has been able to make a crude cannabis extract and remove all THC before. Most importantly they need to have had independent testing of these products with certificates from labs to prove it! You don't wanna dice with unknowns here, get test results on any product you consume and hold onto them to show your pain management doctors you've been diligent if necessary.

I hope this helps man

 

[Esmeralda]

I'm doing pain management where they do drug testing. If I test positive for thc I am disqualified from them

So what will you do? How will you take MMJ for pain, etc if you have to be tested on the regular? Is that what you are looking for info on?
Someone here will probably be able to help.

 

[herbivore21]

So what will you do? How will you take MMJ for pain, etc if you have to be tested on the regular? Is that what you are looking for info on?
Someone here will probably be able to help.

I just explained in the post above that there are a number of options to get either pure CBD or traditional extracts from high CBD varieties that have had any THC removed using lab isolation techniques

It is certainly going to be less easy to find appropriate meds and they should be expected to be more expensive though. It is saddening to see that pain management doctors will take away other meds if they see somebody using THC based medications...

Best of luck to the OP!

 

[Esmeralda]

I just explained in the post above that there are a number of options to get either pure CBD or traditional extracts from high CBD varieties that have had any THC removed using lab isolation techniques
It is certainly going to be less easy to find appropriate meds and they should be expected to be more expensive though. It is saddening to see that pain management doctors will take away other meds if they see somebody using THC based medications...
Best of luck to the OP!

Yeah, I think we both posted at the same time. I obviously don't know anything about it, so I am going to bow out. lol
I just wanted the OP to feel welcomed in like I did.

 

[seaofgreens]

Hey @goongrinch welcome to FC. It sucks you appear to be in physical pain at the moment. Seems like the herniated disk isn't too bad to where they are recommending surgery however? So perhaps that is just a temporary problem? You can only learn so much through PT before needing to progress on your own anyways, so perhaps you get what you need and move on to your own pain management (vaporizing) in conjunction with whatever stretching/exercises your doctor recommends?

Depression, Anxiety and Insomnia are all part and parcel to Bipolar disorder btw. I've been hospitalized from a manic episode a long while ago myself, and have dealt with the disorder since being diagnosed twenty years ago perhaps.

I realize it might be not only physically, but mentally daunting to leave the house, but trust me, it's what you need, and it might be what you want, once you begin establishing a small walk around the local neighborhood or park as part of your everyday routine for instance. Bipolar craves a patterned existence imo. The key is to establish healthy patterns.

Best of luck on your journey either way.

 

[goongrinch]

well I should have mentioned more in detail last night but I was distracted watching cam newton lose again and lost focus.

I actually have my first appointment with pain management today 9-9-16, I have not used my card yet since I got it on 9-2-16, I'm waiting to see what the doctor recommends ...

I have read from other pain management patients on message forums and they did a drug test the first day.( I would pass today) I absolutely do not want any pills of any sort, I am hoping I just can get the lumber shots, right now I am taking 6 different medications just for my mental health and that is one reason I went and got the MMJ card. Also the fact Tramadol gave me bad side effects, taking ibuprofen gave me stomach issues so bad they had to give me another prescription to help the side effects of that.

Its funny I have been going through the same primary for years now, PT didn't help twice, Chiropractic helps the best but the MD doesn't believe in that. She said to try pain management as the next step even though I told her I was in the process of getting a medical marijuana card. So what does she refer me to...

If pain management doesn't work "she said" surgery would be next. I wanted to skip this step since I been dealing with my chronic pain for a very long time. I keep demanding to see a spine specialist but Dr wont refer me. I am just jumping through the hoops I suppose.

I do leave the apartment to walk my dog, the first comment I made it sounded like I lock myself inside and never see light.

I wasted money on that online cbd junk, didnt work at all. I want my 85 dollars back, what a scam.

Let you know what happens later today.

 

[Esmeralda]

Fuck Tramadol. I hate that shit. I am on it, too, but trying to taper off.

Good luck with your appt today.

 

[goongrinch]

Fuck Tramadol. I hate that shit. I am on it, too, but trying to taper off.

Good luck with your appt today.

Told them no pills, Just going to do a lumber epidural shot. Doctor said it might help, but with nerve root compression, surgery is most likely...just makes me wonder why they just dont get right to it instead of all these hoops I have to jump through.

 

[Esmeralda]

You're not in the US, right? England?

 

[goongrinch]

You're not in the US, right? England?

nevada

 

[ghost]

Firstly, IMO, have someone that is VERY qualified look at your MRI's and other medical charts and determine if you have an actual herniated disc (and not just bulging). Unfortunately, if it is actually herniated, and the membrane had torn and the inner disc has spilled outward, the only real cure/help is probably surgery. And if it is indeed herniated, then having injections will be nothing but a wasted of thousands of dollars, as those are intended for people who only have bulged discs.

However, if you have a bulging disc (which is what most people who say they have a herniated disc actually have) then I would suggest yoga and stretching and physical therapy. You can look up a lot of the same PT treatments that would have been suggested to you at a clinic on youtube these days, fortunately.

Another thing to consider is if it is actually a disc issue and not possibly a hip or SI joint issue, which sometimes have the same pain as disc issues. If MRIs can't tell if it is a disc issue, it may actually be an SI joint issue.

As far as a pain management specialist drug testing before treating you? I have lived in several states and literally never heard of such a thing. Pain management clinics are essentially just state sanctioned (pharmaceutical) heroin peddlers....

I know it may sound hippy-dippy (it did to me too, and still kinda does since its still new) but look into some yoga and stretching.


Oh, and also...

As far as why they don't want to get right to surgery instead of entertaining other treatments? One of two things...

One...they are actually trying to help you without/and to avoid invasive surgery. Or two...and unfortunately just as, if not more likely as the first, they are just trying to bleed you of every dollar possible first before the inevitable surgery.

PS- you are wise to choose to avoid pain medication. If what you are suffering from is indeed due to a nerve issue, be it a disc pressing on it, or an SI joint issue or something else, narcotics are worthless. They do not do anything to help nerve pain, IME (and many others I have spoken with) they are more for muscle/tissue/etc pain, NOT nerve issues.


EDIT: just wanted to add the standard "I'm not a doctor" etc., caveat. Just adding opinion based on my experience..

 

[goongrinch]

well my pain management doctor was pretty straightforward and said the most likely scenario is to have the disc removed but will give me a injection once the insurance company approves it, I do have bulging discs but they arent causing my pain.

And after signing the paperwork i still had to do a urine test before even seeing the doctor

 

[ghost]

well my pain management doctor was pretty straightforward and said the most likely scenario is to have the disc removed

Removing and replacing an entire disc should be an absolute worst case/last option scenario. If you are able to get out of bed without passing out in pain, disc replacement is likely overkill. A laminectomy/partial discectomy seems like the more rational surgical approach. Where they just cut off the potion of disc that is actually herniated out without removing the entire thing. (again, I am NOT a doctor though)

Also how old are you? I you are under 35 or even 40, there is no way a disc replacement or fusion should even be being discussed with you by your doctors as an option over a partial discectomy. (unless of course they just make money referring every patient to the most painful, expensive, longest recovery time surgical option available.) Again, just my opinion...

 

[virtualpurple]

I too am no doctor, but I work in the medical field and perhaps that has jaded me but there are very few circumstance where I would let someone cut into my back.

I would just suggest to be sure that you have exhausted all possible options before even approaching a surgical consult. If you have to (politely, it's in your best interest) request another physician then cross that bridge when you come to it. Some people have very good results from regenokine injections and other alternative methods.

I wish you the best, these battles are usually uphill ones that involve financial hardship, but remember that you only get one spine, and only the fines of specialists should be entrusted with something so delicate.

 

[goongrinch]

this is just what the pain management doctor said, not the surgeon

 

[goongrinch]

So I got ringos gift and gave it a shot, I bought a stupid atmos rx since my volcano isnt here yet. I hate this thing, I take three hits and it's gone.

 

[JRR22611]

Yoga saved my life after getting hit with pipes resulting in significant whiplash, compressed disks and a nice little brain haemorrhage. People like to say cannabis is a magic bullet for pain, depression, etc. but the most important thing to do is take control of your circumstances and play an active role in your healing (which will happen in time). Be patient and be good to yourself, work within your limits but work hard and you'll find your limits will diminish.