Self Medication with Cannabis

[Nath]

I have only really had problems for about two years or so, and been on olanzapine for a year in total now. Whenever I had cannabis, I didnt use olanzapine though... and I was fine. My eating was fine, my sleep was fine, my thinking was nice and relaxed and life was great I guess. But now its been 14 weeks nearly with no Cannabis (Two years ago I went without it for a year, it was ok.) and also, no cigarettes, meth (using only one and a half years, thats why im like this probably) or other drugs (pills etc)... and Im on Sodium valproate, a mood stabilizer (Which I havent taken for 3 weeks or so now, and I feel much better without) and Olanzapine, a strong antipsychotic. Well my problem is:

 

When I take Olanzapine, the next day I feel headfckd from the drugs, and its not like a good sedated feeling, its like a just eat and eat and eat feeling. Olanzapine makes you crave carbs, and keep eating. In 14 weeks Ive gone from 85kgs to 118kgs now, thats nearly 40 KGS in 3 MONTHS... this is the second time Ive put on alot of weight, as when I first quit meth/cannabis/cigs at 19 years old, I went from 65kgs to 115kgs in 8 months sitting on the computer really depressed. Well, now things are under control, I will definately not be using meth via IV again for a long time to come (Maybe on things like NYE or something) and no cigarettes definately, yuk hate em now.. and basically what I wanted to know is..

 

What should I tell my doctor.. my problems are: If I dont take meds or smoke cannabis, I dont sleep.. and if I dont sleep I start going loopy, and if I go loopy then I get bad paranoia and anxiety. Things like scared of the dark and the shadows and stuff like that its horrible. But I want to just tell my doctor, that I WANT SLEEPING TABLETS, and Im STRONGER than your average person when it comes to addiction so I will make SURE I dont get addicted to them, but they have up until now just said to take antipsychotics during the day if I feel hyper. But the effects of the antipsychotics (Even in minimum doses - Ive been trying 5mg a day of Olanzapine for a year, and now they are saying take the 10mg tabs) are terrible, I hate them... I cant operate normally, all I want to do all day is sleep and eat because of it. And its nothing like a nice low where you feel sedated its a full headfck. I dont know what to do, or how my doctor will react if I say I want to take cannabis instead. I have thrown the idea up before her before, and she was TOTALLY against it... but now she has left and in about three or four days I see a new psychiatrist and he will probably just look at me and go 'DRUGGY' and tell me to piss off like they all do. The sad thing is, Ill have to stay on meds until I can get my crop cranking, but Im planning to have a place secured with deposit by Tuesday, so I can move into it in two weeks from then. By the way I dress really respectable in shirt and pants, shiny black shoes, jewelry and shit, pimpin.. but just what I tell them about IV'ing speed and stuff Ive done in the past makes them think of me as scum I guess, even though its been 3 years off the speed... just had a high paying job this year and splashed out for a couple months again.

 

Argh, feels good to get that off my chest, now I just hope someone can help.

[Pa-uul]

These doctors sound like fuckers to me. Either they are payed kick-backs to peddle their own drugs or they believe a bunch of cockamamie, 50's theories about the brain and how it works. Cannabis has proven mental and physical medicinal properties. A lot of qualified doctors have more distorted perceptions and ideas about cannabis as the average prohibitionist does! They parrot the type of stuff you see on "Today-Tonight". Ha! How many long-term cannabis users who have happy stories to tell you have they interviewed? Try: about none. Cannabis has been used as a medicine for 1000's of years. To this day, animals can be observed to self-medicate with it by eating the buds raw.

Cannabis has very few side-effects. None of them are due to long term use, which is one of the heinous falsehoods perpetrated about cannabis by the government these days. If you're going to use something long-term use cannabis. I have for years and am still going strong. In fact the "latest" evidence, has been funded by vested interests, concocted to show that it "gives you schizophrenia". It not only doesn't do that, but it apparently alleviates many "psychotic" illnesses just as you say!

I have read of more success stories with cannabis use on this site bad ones (in fact I haven't read any!), which is what makes it so much better that than that post-"60 minutes", "reefer-madness" story online chat room. There every second question was like: "after I smoked cannabis and the voices started coming to my head…" or "I smoked 15 years ago and I still get cravings to this day". Totally off-the-wall stuff that I never hear in real life. You've got to think that this is being set-up. Pharmaceutical companies billion dollar profits against cannabis' million dollar benefits grown for free in your back yard. Talk about a clash of interest! We must denounce this competitor; we must fabricate scare stories. Got the cravings, check. Got the schizoid impairment? Are we ready for the "Today Tonight" interview yet? Okay, here goes: "That's right Nikki, my son got schizophrenia from it." Ah, 10,000 bucks from the producers of Today Tonight to talk shit about a son I don't even have! Good day's work eh?

Yup, that's the pharmaceutical companies for ya!!

Edited January 21, 2006 by Pa-uul

[Buddy]

I can relate to your problem,

 

The only way your going to get back to some normality is to throw all these poisons the doctors are prescribing you and throw them in the garbage bin.

 

You'll have to force yourself to eat healthy foods and excersize each day...sounds boring but its nature's way of repairing the body...drink plenty of water to flush the toxins out of your system and use anti-oxidents to speed up the process.

 

Still have the usual joint/cone but dont over do it and if you get the munchies, drink more water instead.

 

I was in the same situation as you with nightmares caused by military experience, the doctors were shoveling all sorts of drugs down my throat but it only made the problem worse.

 

The above method worked for me and a few of my army friends and I have no more re-ocurrences....I swear by it now.

 

Hope this helps.

[mull]

Hi Nath hope you are having a good day today.

 

Mate it sounds like you brace to see your doc and have concern about what she thinks of you too? Can you see another doc? She might be contributing to your anxiety by the sound of things. Maybe ask her to refer you to a doc with "a little more empathy for the patient".

 

The short and simple answer to addictions Nath, you no doubt already know.. you only have to let go. Whatever it is, you, are the one holding onto it, picking it up, etc. You have to be the one to let go, thats all

 

Cannabis can help ease the pain of 'letting go'.

 

Addiction can transfer tho, as you know as well. So even tho you let go of one habit, you might pick up another - perhaps like over eating, in place of niccotine (great work giving that one up btw Nath :thumbsup )

And like Buddy said mate, replace the old habit with better ones if you can. Ones that help your mood and confidence, strength and flexibility. Exercise, nutrition, and plenty of fluids. Perhaps treat yourself like a plant. You might need a flush, some better nutes and a bit of time to recover in a healthy environment.

Nice and slowly, theres no rush, no use stumbling.

 

All the best with today mate

Best of luck with your grow when ready too.

[Chev]

Hey Nath, I can definitley sympathise here. I've been clean from the Meth for about 2 months now (did break down new years, but eh) and it's a fucking hard road. The MJ is the main thing that's helped me to come off it, I couldn't do without it. And the site And I'd rather trade my Meth habit for an MJ one anyday.

Stay OFF it Nath, it's poisonous fucking shit. It's soul destroying, and basically leaches your life out of you. I didn't IV, I smoked so now I have the fun of trying to save the rest of my teeth as I've alread lost/loosing a few due to Meth Mouth. I'm only 24 and I'm telling you, the shit has made me feel old. And I still crave it, not physically but mentally, I'll have moments during the day. I can't sleep at night, and I even dream about it (smoking a pipe). Meth=death, always remember that!

Do as Buddy has suggested, and really force yourself to exercise because it will help remove all the toxins quicker. And keep in mind, it will take you the same amount of time to heal as you've been using meth. For me, that was just over 12 months, so that's how long my body will takt to recover.

I do take meds, just a low dose of zoloft which suits me fine. I've had to resort to using valium also in the last month to get some sleep.

You'll get there, but you're gonna have to brace yourself and be strong. Drop ALL the people you know that are associated with meth, or you'll never ever get away.

This is the website that helped save me:

CrystalRecovery

PM me if you need any support or just for someone to talk to

[raverspec]

Meth is a horrible, horrible drug Nath and I wish you the best of luck in staying clean and getting some good rest mate.

 

Have you thought about some longer term goals you want to do - travel overseas, high paying job, property, fast car, whatever it is, decide and make it a positive thing to focus on and work towards instead of meth and nicotine (I quit nicotine last year after smoking for nearly 10 years, and THAT was hard enough!!)

[Nath]

Pauul, I totally agree... you never see anything PRO cannabis on tv... ever.

 

Buddy, they think I have bipolar disorder with problems with my neurotransmitters. When I dont take olanzapine, I dont end up sleeping.. and then I stay awake for 2-3 days, sleep 8 hours, awake 2-3 days, sleep 8 hours... I cant just go off them, but I really want to. Now I just take olanzapine once every two days, and try drink lots of tea, cut down on my sugars, I really do try everything that will help me. The only problem is that I dont exercise hardly any anymore, because most of the day I feel tired as. Thats why Ive cut it down to once every two days, so the second day I can go outside and chop some wood, or do some gardening.

 

Hey mullaway, got 16 days or so before I move into my place, and counting! Im sittin back, doing photoshop stuff on my pc and enjoying my day, thanks!

 

Yea Chev, I only used from 18-19 then a couple months at 22, and now Ive been off 3 months or more except NYE I had some ecstasy and meth.. but hey it was NYE.. The ONLY way I found to get off it, was to totally disown all my friends using it. So now I kinda have no friends, but its ok after I move out and start growing in my own place Ill make friends again, Ill start some sporting activities and things like that... Ill have my own money again and perhaps even start working once again. Only reason why I 'stuffed up' back on the meth this year was I was doing security work, and sitting on my arse earning over a grand a week and everyone that I worked with was involved in drugs, and also I discovered ecstasy... so I sorta started weekly, then it got to daily. Anyhow, I can safely use drugs without overdoing them nowdays so its ok.

 

Also, good work for staying off it... its a horrible drug, I can tell you that. Its the lack of sleep which mostly screws with your brain Ive found. Keep up the good work. Im totally against meth, and would only use E on occassion, but even I still used some for NYE.. after all, its NYE!

 

raverspec: My goal is to move into a larger rental accommodation where I can veg plants indoors, grow outdoors... and eventually buy my own place. Ill probably have to end up getting a job, but growing mj is my hobby, I love doing it... I love spending all my time in the growroom, reading about mj on the net... there's not much I like more than that. But yea, Ill HAVE to socialize again, and I will after I do this first harvest. Going out with mates for dinner and activities during the day like going out for lunch or just having a coffee in the city. I want to base my life around exercise and social interation, since this is what Ive been lacking ever since I come off drugs when I was 19, three years ago. Only the start of last year (2005) I went back to see my old friends and they got me a job and the shit started all back again. But yea, I just want to stick with growing, live a peaceful existance and enjoy life.

[Nath]

Either they are payed kick-backs to peddle their own drugs...

 

Thats totally it... Olanzapine is like the new best strong antipsychotic on the market. If a person isnt sleeping and on drugs, Olanzapine sends them to sleep after 40 mins of consuming the pill, then they wake up ok in the morning. After a couple weeks of using it though daily, it stops having the sedating effect which sends you straight to sleep, and is more of a headfry effect which lasts for ages. Ive given Olanzapine to my mates after coming down of speed and they say its the next best drug to speed. Speed and Olanzapine are a great mix if you are a speed addict. Take speed during the day, sleep at night with Olanzapine... but yea, it shouldnt be used like that, but thats how it was.

 

Im hoping to get some benzodiazapines from the doctor, like valium or temazepam, or even serepax. They have given me temaze and serepax in small doses before, but im nearly 120kgs, with a strong brain and high drug tolerancy. They tell me to have a 5mg valium and go to sleep? WTF is a 5mg valium tablet going to do? So I end up using a months supply in a week... and besides, its set in their mind that Im a drug addict, even though I havent abused drugs for over ONE HUNDRED DAYS. (Besides NYE - I dont count that)

[Infinitee]

Buddy, they think I have bipolar disorder with problems with my neurotransmitters. When I dont take olanzapine, I dont end up sleeping.. and then I stay awake for 2-3 days, sleep 8 hours, awake 2-3 days, sleep 8 hours... I cant just go off them, but I really want to.

 

Nath, I've got no idea what you have or haven't tried. But jsut a suggestion, there are PLENTY of natural remedies to having difficulty sleeping. It sounds like the olanzapine is doing too much for you (other than the sleep obviously).

 

There are certain MJ strains (predominantly indica ones) that put me off to sleep, if you wanna grow something like that. Catnip (which i just started growing) is a good legal herb that when smoked or made a tea out of (i reccomend the tea, you can make strong ones) are good for relaxing, calming and sending you off too snooze land.

 

I'm a bit baked and can't think of much else right now, but i'm sure i will. :smoke

 

Anyways, good luck with it all mate. Positive thoughts. :thumbsup

[Nath]

Hey infinitee, this grow im hopefully getting some indica dominant strains... if not Ill just buy nirvana seeds. All depends on what cuttings I can get from where, since all of my cash for the next 16 days+(Yes im counting ) is going on moving into a cheap apartment. Beggars cant be choosers

 

Weird thing is, even when I smoked sativas I even ended up sleeping after the stone wore off, there wasnt a problem with strains before. I found the Black Domina to be a good one though, really potent and hard little nuggs, I quite liked that strain. Not really a fan of indicas though, I prefer sativas.. and hybrids.

 

And yea, ive tried heaps of stuff... 'non-addicting' stillnox which is called ambien in the states in think, green tea, melatonin i think it was.. they do work and help me out but after a few days of taking them I build immunity fast and they dont work or I have to take larger doses, well I found that with the stillnox.

Edited January 22, 2006 by Nath

[Infinitee]

Here i was thinking Green Tea was a stimulant (and a relaxant).

 

Yes that's fair enough, i know catnip to be rather effective. Or maybe you could try switching a few around to stop building an immunity (as long as they're not bad ones).

 

And you might eventually find that if you get a good routine of not taking any fucked up drugs, eating well and excercising that you can sleep better and maybe return to normal. It's a shocking thing to have mate, not being able to sleep.

 

Btw, i'm a fan of sativa's too, but just find indica's are more knock you out sort of thing.

 

Anyways, good luck mate.