Medical marihuana post op

[Mad__crow 11]

Hello there

So please leave your judgement and opinions on medical marijuana at the door. I had surgery on monday I'm feeling great! Before surgery I started using marijuana to help with my arthritis depression and anxiety. I have never had munchies using the drug but it is the only medication that completely helps me with those three problems. Before i was using medical marijuana i was on the largest amount of anti anxiety meds that they will give because I struggle with agoraphobia and since starting to smoke weed my meds have been significantly brought down and my agoraphobia is gone. I plan on asking my doctor, but does anyone know when it would be okay to use mj post op again whether it be taken as a liquid, a pill, or more likely with a vaporizer. I don't smoke cigarettes I only use medical mj to help with my mood and my pain. It's the only thing that had really helped. Does anyone know when it would be okay to use marijuana again?

Thanks

[BitterSweet* 835]

I don't but since this practice is no longer taboo and legal in many states, why not simply ask your bariatric team? You can't be the only person to have this question. If you have the ability to take it in various forms, I'm sure one of them would probably work for you. Was your surgeon aware that MJ was one of your pre-op medications?

[AvaFern 3,516]

I don't see a reason that you couldn't as long as you use an inhaled route as opposed to an oral route. It acts on the tissues of your lungs, so it really doesn't have anything to do with your stomach. Ideally your doctor will know if there would be any contraindication, outside of the standard issues that present from smoking anything, which realistically are sometimes nowhere near as bad as the drugs you may otherwise be forced to take. Perhaps after you have found success with the sleeve, your pain and anxiety issues will clear up a bit and you will be able to move away from any form of drug.

I'll admit, I've never actually smoked anything in my life, so perhaps I'm not the greatest reference point, but I think most doctors today are openminded about the use of medical marijuana for some things and I'm sure either your primary care doc or your surgeon would have a far more accurate opinion than I do.

Good luck with the sleeve!

[Mad__crow 11]

Thank you so much for your words of advice. I'll discuss it with my surgeon I guess I was just nervous about being judged even though I live in California and I have a medical card so it's completely legal. Thanks so much!

[par1959 470]

Its not completely legal. There are still federal laws on the books. It funny to watch the pot fixes every thing crowd. Very little is backed by real studies. In general there are better drugs than pot because they dont have the other side effects and face it smoking anything is not healthy. Most of the anti GMO crowd that I know are stoners. Did they ever think why pot is so much stronger than back in the day? Damn, real scien the way.

[BitterSweet* 835]

Uhhmm ok. This poster has a medical MJ card and is able to legally purchase it in the state he or she resides in (California). Additionally, there are various forms medical MJ can be taken; it's not necessary to actually smoke it - which I agree is not healthy and certainly not ideal while trying to heal from surgery.

I've never smoked a day in my life, but I have seen hundreds and hundreds of patients in the course of my medical career who utilize medical MJ to alleviate chemo side effects. And it works. I would much rather advocate for a natural substance than have someone throw a myriad of pills at me for whatever ailment I had.

To the poster, I wish you well and I'm certain a common ground can be reached after speaking with your surgeon. It's not my place to determine what works or doesn't work for you, regardless of what research or science says. Poppin' prescribed pills isn't healthy either. Those drugs have to be processed by the liver and kidneys and they take a toll after a while. Good luck to you, especially success with weight loss.

[Mad__crow 11]

Uhhmm ok. This poster has a medical MJ card and is able to legally purchase it in the state he or she resides in (California). Additionally, there are various forms medical MJ can be taken; it's not necessary to actually smoke it - which I agree is not healthy and certainly not ideal while trying to heal from surgery.

I've never smoked a day in my life, but I have seen hundreds and hundreds of patients in the course of my medical career who utilize medical MJ to alleviate chemo side effects. And it works. I would much rather advocate for a natural substance than have someone throw a myriad of pills at me for whatever ailment I had.

To the poster, I wish you well and I'm certain a common ground can be reached after speaking with your surgeon. It's not my place to determine what works or doesn't work for you, regardless of what research or science says. Poppin' prescribed pills isn't healthy either. Those drugs have to be processed by the liver and kidneys and they take a toll after a while. Good luck to you, especially success with weight loss.

Thank you Bittersweet for helping people understand the situation. You are much more eloquent in your explanation than I am. I plan on discussing it with my surgeon because I wanted to take the pills that have no high effects so that I don't have to smoke it but I don't know how that will make my new tummy feel so I might have to smoke it but now they do amazing things with vaporizers. Also pain medication is so intense and makes me nauseous where as medical marijuana can cure pain and nausea. So I hope my surgeon will say I can switch and stop taking the crazy pain meds. You are very kind to be understanding that it is called "medical" for a reason. Thank you for your support! ????

[Mad__crow 11]

Just if people want to know my surgeon said it was totally fine to use medical marijuana ????????

[BitterSweet* 835]

I'm happy for you. Bravo to you for all the steps you've taken and continue to take to reclaim your health and life.

When issues are raised about medical MJ, I always wonder what the big fuss is about. What did people do hundreds of years ago before billion dollar pharmaceutical companies existed? Before drugs were manufactured?

When we pre-op patients for surgery, we request a list of their meds. Some people are taking 25 -30 pills a day! They have no idea what the pills are for! Half of the pills are to treat a specific problem, and the other half are to treat side effects from the first half. Talk about ridiculous, and in my opinion, scary.

[Mad__crow 11]

I agree. After surgery I was given a bunch of medications too including OxyCodone which I am not very comfortable putting in my body when it's relative is heroin one of the most addictive drugs in the world. I had that and nausea medication and a stool softener and prior to surgery before I had used MJ I was on a huge amount of anti anxiety and anti depression and sleep medication, along side medication I take for my arthritis. I don't take two of the medications anymore and the others were lowered significantly because all of those things can be treated using MJ. Of course it's not for everyone, but it seems like a pretty silly thing to be against.

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

Par, you have some awfully sweeping opinions about things you probably haven't done any actual research about -- not to mention your sweeping generalizations about the "pot fixes everything crowd" and the anti-GMO crowd being stoners.

Nobody here said pot fixes everything. And the anti-GMO crowd I know personally are all chardonnay-sipping soccer moms.

For a competing opinion about medical marijuana by Dr. Sanjay Gupta NBC's medical corresponent, check out:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/10/sanjay-gupta-medical-marijuana-legalization_n_4932277.html

FTR, I haven't smoked marijuana since the 1970s. I smoked it then recreationally, but quit because it slowed me down way too much. That was my experience. It might not be everyone's experience.

I still enjoy wine recreationally. And my doctor says wine has medicinal benefits. So there's my drug of choice.

Edited September 12, 2014 by VSGAnn2014

[IronDruggist 136]

The thought had crossed my mind about using MJ post-surgery (not really medically, but we will say "therapeutically"). Before surgery I enjoyed a nice cocktail or glass of wine, but now I'm off all of that for six months. MJ has always been my runner up for relaxation, but this soon after surgery, I can't IMAGINE going into a coughing fit! Laughing hurts enough! And the munchies would probably drive me crazy at any point after surgery.

[Mad__crow 11]

When it comes to the coughing there are many other ways to get mj into your system such as tinctures which is liquid marijuana that you can put into Water or any liquid. That is what I am currently using to take my medication. Also vaporization is a great healthier option for the lungs and shouldn't cause as much irritation in the lungs.

[BitterSweet* 835]

Well said @VSGAnn2014.

[thesuse2000 698]

Interesting thread! I'll just add my two cents to say that all evidence suggests that marijuana has WAY less side effects than a lot of pharmaceuticals - especially vs the benzodiazapine class that are the usual alternative for anxiety. Longterm use of benzos can really take a toll. MJ is such a better option. Glad you got approval from your medical team!