My best friend smokes almost every day. He does not take his presribed meds. He says his self medication works better. He has worked in emergency medicine for over 15 years. He also has a paradoxal reaction to benzo's.
2006-09-07 18:15:35 · 19 answers · asked by Alice W 2 in Health ➔ Alternative Medicine
Marijuana: A very common street and recreational drug that comes from the marijuana plant.
The plant that produces marijuana, as is well known, is the hemp plant cannabis sativa. The pharmacologically active ingredient in marijuana is tetra-hydro-cannabinol.
Marijuana is used to heighten perception, affect mood and relax. It is estimated that about 30% of adults in the U.S. use marijuana.
Many people think marijuana is harmless. It is not. Signs of marijuana use include red eyes, lethargy and uncoordinated body movements. The long-term effects may include decrease in motivation and harmful effects on the brain, heart, lung and reproductive system. People who smoke marijuana are more likely to develop cancer of the head and neck. The more often a person smokes marijuana and the longer they continue to smoke it, the greater is their chance of developing cancer in places such as the mouth, tongue, larynx or pharynx.
Last week we learned that the pain relief drug naproxen, sold as Aleve, was found in a study to increase the risk of heart problems. This news followed a flow of bad PR on the pharmaceutical front about other pain relievers.
But while we openly discuss the lethal potential of legal pain relievers, shouldn’t we question why one the least lethal medications remains illegal.
That medication is marijuana.
Numerous published studies suggest that cannabis (the scientific term for marijuana) has medical value in treating patients with serious illnesses such as AIDS, glaucoma, cancer, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy and, especially, chronic pain. What’s more, 11 states have passed laws legalizing medical marijuana since 1966 and national polls reveal a wide majority support those laws. The latest national poll, conducted by the AARP, focused on older Americans and found that nearly 75 percent support legalizing medical marijuana.
Despite all of that, the federal government opposes therapeutic use of the drug. This opposition seems particularly irrational considering the troubled safety record of drugs already approved by the Food and Drug Administration. There are no known lethal side effects to marijuana use.
The U.S. Supreme Court currently is weighing the objections of the government against the states’ rights to allow the use of medical marijuana.
Meanwhile, the pharmaceutical industry is being rolled by a barrage of negative news about some of its most profitable commodities. First there was Vioxx, which was pulled off the market in October because of data linking it to heart problems. Celebrex and Bextra, two drugs in the Vioxx family of so-called Cox-II drugs, were later found to pose the same risks.
These COX-II medications, a class of non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs, had become very popular among those suffering chronic pain because they are gentler on the stomach than other NSAIDs.
With the latest findings about naproxen, those suffering from chronic pain confront a major dilemma: is pain relief worth the increased risk of a heart attack or stroke?
Do those who seek pain relief through medical marijuana avoid this particular dilemma?
Well, according to two government studies, the risks associated with cannabis use are much less than for other drugs.
One of the most exhaustive investigations into cannabis took place between 1986 and 1988, during the “Just Say No” regime of President Ronald Reagan. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) studied evidence from doctors, patients and thousands of pages of documentation.
The conclusion reached by the DEA’s administrative judge, Francis J. Young, confounded expectations and was severely downplayed in the media. “Nearly all medicines have toxic potentially lethal effects,” Young said in summing up the report. “But marijuana is not such a substance… Marijuana, in its natural form, is one of the safest active substances known to man. By any measure of rational analysis marijuana can be safely used within a supervised routine of medical care,” Young added.
The same government that commissioned the study assiduously ignored it.
In 1999, the government’s Institute of Medicine published a comprehensive report that focused more specifically on questions about medical marijuana. Among other things, the study concluded, “the accumulated data indicate a potential therapeutic value for cannabinoid drugs, particularly for symptoms such as pain relief, control of nausea and vomiting and appetite stimulation.” It offered a cautious endorsement of medical marijuana.
But marijuana seldom receives a sober assessment from U.S. lawmakers. Instead our representatives seem hell bent on demonizing the drug. It’s as if they’re engaged in some undeclared war against rationality.
Other nations, less inhibited by these irrational fears, have taken steps to explore more of the drug’s potential benefits. The latest news comes from the Israeli army, which has announced it will treat soldiers traumatized by combat with cannabis therapy.
According to Reuters, Delta-9 tetrohydrocannabinal (THC), the active ingredient found in cannabis, will be administered to selected soldiers over the next several months in an experimental effort to fight post-traumatic stress disorder. The news agency quoted Raphael Mechoulam of Jerusalem’s Hebrew University, the chief researcher behind the unique project (and the scientist who first isolated THC), who said the chemical could help relieve stress by suppressing unwanted memories.
“The effects of THC on stress were first discovered by Germany’s Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry in 2002,” Reuters reported. “Scientists tested it on mice and found THC lessened their fear of electric shocks, because it suppressed their memory of them.”
Researchers in this country have been prevented from doing extensive cannabis research by the government’s ongoing Jihad.
2006-09-07 18:19:42 · answer #1 · answered by cutie gurl23 2 · 4⤊ 6⤋
It sounds like your partner definitely has mood swings -- possibly bi-polar. But in recent years, psychiatrists have been more aware of mood swings in general, not necessarily total extremes. One can shift from "ok" to very low or very energized. Some people have mood shifts within one day, and for some a given mood will last for weeks and then switch. (Doctors used to just recognize extreme bi-polar.) Also, there are more and more medicines being used to stabilize moods. Lithium used to be the main one. Now there are drugs that were originally intended to control epileptic seizures -- one example is Lamictal and another is Neurontin. They are prescribed for Bi-polar patients, but a close friend of mine takes Lamictal because he switches often between somewhat depressed and normal, non-depressed mood. If your partner has confidence in the psychiatrist, he can try the lithium and see how it goes. There's nothing wrong with Lithium and new drugs aren't necessarily better. If it doesn't help. or if the side effects are intolerable, then move on to the next option. Unfortunately, every person is different, and whether one needs an antidepressant or a mood stabilizer, it's almost impossible to predict which one will be right. It's really trial and error. Also, there's nothing wrong with getting a second opinion. Good luck, and don't be alarmed by mental-health labels. They exist as a convenience, and they don't match up with success or lack of success in treatment.
2016-03-17 10:27:28 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Don't listen to these naysayers. They sound like mouthpieces for the Right Wing. Just because someone is an R.N. doesn't mean they know what they're talking about. It just means they were able to regurgitate the info their instructors taught them. My daughter is an R.N., and though I love her very much, I don't think she's at all competent as a health care provider.
My personal experience is that cannabis CAN relieve a wide variety of symptoms. I, too, suffer from bi-polar disorder, and AIDS. Sometimes (most of the time, actually) cannabis can offer a great deal of relief. It can also cause real problems for some people, just like certain antibiotics can cause major problems for me, but not for the next guy.
Bottom line is, if it helps you, and you can regulate your use of it, go for it. If not, consult your doctor or a trusted friend.
2006-09-09 09:34:38 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 0⤋
No Marijuana does not help with Bi-polar disorder, Only specific medications work. It sounds to me like he is using his mental problem to get high.
2006-09-07 18:19:09 · answer #4 · answered by Kali_girl825 6 · 2⤊ 3⤋
Yes, most definitely - you can look at a couple more of my answers i wrote in the past about it (the CHRONIC saved my life) Not Joking!!! Amen brother!!! Beats the shlt out of taking Prozac (and bullshlt side-affects) Disabled since 1988 e.c.t. (shock) treatments.
2006-09-07 21:39:28 · answer #5 · answered by Jizzy 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋
I have found that marijuana is beneficial to a myriad of conditions. Pharmaceuticals come with life debilitating side effects, pot does not.
2006-09-07 18:28:42 · answer #6 · answered by abigalsky 2 · 7⤊ 1⤋
Paradoxical reactions are tricky things, particularly when dealing with psychological issues. You need expert advice. In general though marijuana causes and/or aggravates bi-polar.
2006-09-07 18:18:14 · answer #7 · answered by teef_au 6 · 1⤊ 5⤋
It works if you believe in it. Bi-polar sounds like a good excuse to smoke a joint.
2006-09-07 18:17:04 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 3⤋
He probably doesn't really need the meds. Marijuana has no effect on bipolar disorder.
2006-09-07 18:18:15 · answer #9 · answered by vampire_kitti 6 · 3⤊ 2⤋
Bi-Polar means you go from real happy to real sad in seconds. Pot is a downer so if you wanna be depressed all the time....go for it.
I had a friend who went that route and admited to having suicidal thoughts all the time he was smoking. He told me this 2 weeks before he disappeared 5 years ago.
2006-09-07 18:22:24 · answer #10 · answered by saucylatina 5 · 1⤊ 6⤋
I think weed is good for a bunch of different things. Depression, anxiety, A.D.D...maybe even bipolar.
2006-09-07 18:17:31 · answer #11 · answered by Rocket Surgeon 2 · 5⤊ 1⤋