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.

[Nath]

Thanks, nothing does it better than MJ, and with less side effects. Plus, I enjoy smoking mj socially... so growing it is my best option I think!

[dsyfer]

The problem with sleeping pills is you don't go through all the different stages of sleep this is bad, pharmacists have not been able to solve this dilema.

 

Addiction is not the main worry with sleeping pills, you can always up dosages it is the prolonged deprivation of certain sleep patterns that are needed to regulat ecaertain brain functions.

 

If you ask the majority of long term sleeping pill users you will find they have also now been prescribed more pills to fix that problems as well

[Infinitee]

The problem with sleeping pills is you don't go through all the different stages of sleep this is bad, pharmacists have not been able to solve this dilema.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Sorry dsy, but neither has our herb. Well you do get all stages of sleep, but if you go to bed stoned, it delays your REM sleep (when you usually dream/at your deepest sleep). I haven't noticed this problem if i have a cookie before sleeping, but smoking just before you sleep, you usually get this (plus feel just a little dregged in the morning).

[Nath]

If I smoke before I sleep... when Im not stoned in a few hours I generally wake up, go chuck a piss maybe get a snack and go straight back to bed. But I always go virtually straight back to bed... ahh, I hate thinking about mj sometimes

[roy]

mate just take one day at a time you'll get to where u want to be. i started out on booze and dope then trips loved them!. then i turned a corner and went do the wrong road,not knowing that at the time. I got caught up on the speed merry go round. over time i went from using it ,to selling it. that led to esctacy cocain and ultimately heroin In a nut shell i visited doctors to benefit from them,i lost my job, my friends, my family (i have a wife and 4 kids) my teeth. i was diagnosed by my therapist in re-hab to have a additive personality,I've been cleen 2yrs now after being a long time user, In the end i've come back to mj wish i'd never left. got my family back also and now run my own business. you got the right idea change your eating habits drink more water and eat more fruit,socialise with your new friends that you'll meet where u move and just keep thinking positive thoughts and don't look back, you'll be just fine mate.

Good luck with your move mate hope it all goes smoothlly for you

[Nath]

Thanks roy, its an inspiration to hear about your recovery, really it is

[cerebro]

My experiences lead me to think exercise is the key.

I went to the doctor, told her I was anxious, and having difficulty sleeping, she gave me some Zoloft (SSRI). I ended up staying on it for a couple of years (I thought it would only be a few months). When I was down I couldnt find a way out, but I joined the local 3rd Grade cricket side and started having some fun with some laid back types, lost some weight, top score so far is 62no and I got 4 wickets on Saturday, I'm happier now because of that one thing. I love cricket, if I hadnt joined up I would never have had a chance to play.

PS: Herbal remedies would be well worth trying, nervines like Valerian, Chamomile, or Hypericum could all help you out.

[Nath]

They apparently dont want to put me on antidepressants because it might trigger a manic state... argh. I want to be manic again, this down low depression crap really sucks. Although most of the depression is gone now, its just laziness mated together with dopey meds. I didnt take meds the night before last and didnt sleep well. Last night I tried to go without and ended up taking 5mg of Olanzapine at 2am, went to sleep at 4am and woke up at 8am. So much for good meds that sedate you... I cant get back to sleep, so I just stay feeling like crap for the whole day. Kinda sucks because I HAVE to go into the city to lodge my dole form, then have to go see a couple apartments, big day... argh.

[Nath]

Been looking everywhere and I cant find any budget accommodation.. So what Im going to do is move into a share rental house and have a little vegging chamber with 48w CF's. Time to research stealth grows My setup is going to be cute as... Then in March when I get more cash I can leave there and move into something better. I think this is the best way, I can LST the plants, veg under like 4x 48w CF's.. have a small 150mm fan.. tiny homemade carbon filter etc.

 

Just need to find out if my plants will stink.. Im thinking it should be ok, but there will be people in the bedrooms next to me, but I can burn incense and candles all day Im lost for ideas, I hate when things dont work out as planned.. only apartments I can get are like $30pw higher than my budget. Ah well, patience patience.. gah! Rant over. .

 

Peace

Nath

[Chev]

Just very quietly Nath, I suffer from manic depression/OCD and have done since I was a kid. The zoloft actually saved me from myself When I got onto Meth, I basically ended up with zoloft burnout, now I'm off my meds are working heaps better again. It helps to balance the chemicals in the brain that drop and induce your 'manic state', ie your highs are hiiiiiigh and the lows are almost devastating. It goes from one extreme to the other But the zoloft are specifically designed for bipolar and ocd, I'm on the lowest dose of 50mg and it keeps me even, if ya know what I mean? My sleeping is starting to settle, but even off the meth I was lucky to be getting 3-4 hours if that night, and no amount of pot was helping. Once I got the shit out of my system and started drinking heaps of water and getting out and about I started to feel heaps better. Anyway, when you're on zoloft, it's not a good idea to fuck with meth. I've heard they're prescribing zoloft to ex meth addicts too, the meth kills the brains natural ability to produce seretonin, I think the zoloft helps it to heal.