@Indigo
I read this entire thread and I'm glad you finally posted your meds. I couldn't help sooner because I'm new here. I just discovered FC about a day or two ago.
I think a big part of your problem when vaping is a drug interaction. That Ivabradine you're taking for tachycardia probably lowers your blood pressure as well as your heart rate. So does cannabis. I've measured mine before and after vaping and the drop can be significant.
My BP often gets into the low borderline range, but if I took BP meds, they would interact with other meds I'm on. After I vape, my BP drops to well within the normal range, so we're talking about a drop of 20+ points. Cannabis can also drop your heart rate by at least 5-10 bpm, which is what the Ivabradine likely does for you.
So, you likely lowered your heart rate and BP about that much vaping cannabis in conjunction with taking a pharmaceutical designed to do that and that's probably why you got "wobbly." You were hypotensive and brachycardic. Honestly, it's a wonder you didn't faint. Good thing you don't live alone like me.
This could become dangerous if you don't know what strain you're using because you have no way of knowing how much THC or other constituents are in it, much less how they affect you, which is still a case of trial and error for all of us at the best of times. Considering that cannabis is still illegal in your country, you're in a tight spot experimenting with unknowns while on a med that lowers your heart rate. Personally, I wouldn't do it if I didn't know what strain I was buying because if something goes wrong when you're not doing this legally (I'm not either) there can be serious legal consequences as well as medical ones.
When cannabis is illegal and doctors refuse to work with us to benefit from the wonderful natural healing abilities it has to offer, this is an example of the risk we can end up in.
In any case, how you proceed from here (if you're still willing to), depends on taking things slow and exercising a great deal of caution.
First, you need to find out what your heart rate and BP are before and after you vape. The same with taking your Ivabradine, independent of cannabis in any form. If you don't have a blood pressure monitor, it's a very good time to get one. It doesn't have to be an expensive one, but opt for one that goes on your upper arm instead of your wrist. They're more accurate. If the higher number (systolic) drops below 95, it's getting too low. You don't want the lower number (diastolic) below 65. This is all things considered, all meds and cannabis on board because when you get below these numbers, you start to run the risk that your heart could stop. So if you take into account what each does independently and add together the effect each has on your normal resting BP and, if it could potentially put your BP below 95/65, it's not a good idea to keep using cannabis at the same time you're on the Ivabradine.
You may do better with CBD, but be careful because it definitely lowers BP and heart rate. You don't want to use high doses or ingest anything made from a strain with a high percentage (over 10%) so you can have more control by how much you use (when it comes to medibles, divide portions...have half or a quarter of a brownie, for example). Keep track of your heart rate and BP, checking them as you go.
Remember that the full effects of edible cannabis take 2-4 hrs to start to take effect, so you need to wait at least 3-4 hrs before judging how it affects you to determine if you've taken enough. Never take more until you've experienced those effects with no change for at least one hour. The benefit of CBD here is that it's not psychoactive, so you will be more aware and more in control of what you're doing.
Set an alarm while testing in case you doze off. I know people say CBD doesn't make them sleepy, but that's never been an issue for me because I get better pain relief from it. I'm not sure how long it takes me to fall asleep because I often wake up on the couch 6-8 hrs later (I need to get to bed faster). I have a good strategy with it that makes me sleep that long. Mind you, it isn't effective at relieving pain for everyone.
I would never advise you to stop taking the Ivabradine. This is the prerogative of your doctor and
Tachycardia is a serious medical condition. I just hope your doctor knows if there is something causing it and also working on that rather than just treating a symptom of a bigger problem.
In my experience, antihistamines don't typically interact with cannabis, so no issue there. However, do not take a decongestant such as pseudophedrine (this can be in OTC sinus, cold, and allergy meds). That will raise your heart rate and counteract the Ivabradine. If you've been taking anything with pseudophedrine in it since before your doctor prescribed the Ivabradine, it may be the cause of your tachycardia. If you find this is the case, you should report this to your doctor ASAP (don't stop taking either without his help). Also, if your doctor has never checked your thyroid levels, please have him do so. That can be linked to heart rate issues too.
I have fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis. I use a combo of vaping and medible to sleep for 6-8 hrs. The vaping takes care of getting to sleep and the medible helps me stay asleep longer. I'm never dizzy or unsteady after medicating with cannabis, just sleepy and relaxed. In both cases, I'm using CBD strains (10-20%). Regardless of strain, I've heard that a lot of chronic pain and insomnia patients use this combination of vaping and medibles to get a full night's sleep because vaping works immediately, but short term (2-4 hrs), and medibles take time (2+ hrs) to get through your digestive system before they start to work and keep working up to 8 hrs after initial consumption.
I've only used the oral route, so I can't advise you about suppositories. As for pelvic pain, I don't know your age or if you are pre, peri, or post-menopausal, but I'm fairly knowledgeable about GYN stuff, so, if you have concerns there, feel free to send me a message.
Please do not use concentrates, especially shatter. I really feel this is inadvisable in your case. The THC levels in these are too high to use while taking a medication that lowers your heart rate.
As for Lyrica, last year, I read about other fibro patients online who've taken it long term. Most didn't get much (if any) relief from it, they struggled to get off it, and they gained a lot of weight. You mentioned that's already an issue for you, so I was glad when you opted against it...you dodged a bullet.
I think you have good instincts about these things so always trust them no matter what anyone else tells you, including me. They will serve you well. We don't know your whole situation. You do, so listen to your inner voice. And remember, you don't have to justify anything to anyone. It's your life and your health.
When vaping wasn't working for you and nothing you knew to do was helping, you took a break and that was the right thing to do. Now you know more and what to watch for if you want to try again. But if you don't or it's still not working, don't push it. Do nothing in haste and trust your body and your instincts. This is not do or die. The point is to find what works for you, not make what works for others work for you. There's a learning curve to it. What I do took years, a lot of trial, error, and online research, and better products being available to me over time. It's always a work in progress, so be patient with yourself.
Please discontinue the Omeprazole and Ranitidine. They are now known to do more harm than good. Feel free to look it up, print it off, and discuss it with your doctor. It was all over the national news here in Canada and the U.S. not long ago.
PPIs are now known to put one at risk for serious health problems, including kidney failure. They also mess up the bacterial balance in your gut, also known as your microbiome. This can lead to nasty and life-threatening conditions like C.difficile. It happened to me out of the blue when my doctor put me on an antibiotic. I never saw it coming...I'd never even heard of C.diff before I got it. Later, I learned the mess the Omeprazole caused increased my risk for it.
The natural alternative I found is to get unpasteurized and unfiltered apple cider vinegar from the health food store (Bragg, Eden, Filsinger, Omega Nutrition, etc.) and three times a day, mix one teaspoon (5 ml) in one cup (250 ml) of filtered water sweetened with 4-7 drops of liquid stevia (if you're on a sugar-free diet or at risk for diabetes) or a teaspoon of honey. This will keep any heartburn or GERD issues at bay. I quit my Omeprazole and Ranitidine on the first day and I've been fine since.
Supplements:
D3: I take 5,000 IUs/125 mcg per day, which has helped a lot.
Omega-3: it helps to take a fatty fish-based one with high EPA and DHA levels. Plant-based ones don't help.
Magnesium: very important. At least 300-400 mg per day of a chelated one. Don't take within two hrs of iron or calcium (they interfere with absorption).
Anyway, sorry this is so long. I hope at least some of it helps.
MP
I will see tracers if I am having a panic attack. Also in low light situations. But if I am relaxed I won't see them. For pain at night I would look to a very long lasting strain unless it makes you feel intoxicated the next morning. It will take trial and error.
