Cannabis and ME/CFS

[Mrs Sowester]

I started with the brownies at night because I was waking from every REM cycle with really vivid dreams, I'd find myself out of bed and half way across the room up to 9 times a night. These weren't anxiety dreams, just working through stuff dreams. My sleep was so broken and nothing the Dr could offer was making the slightest difference, I was just desperate for a night of oblivion - and most people don't remember their dreams if they've had a spliff!
It really does work, I don't start vivid or lucid dreaming for about 7 hours into my sleep now. I told my GP, he giggled.

 

[flybro]

I started with the brownies at night because I was waking from every REM cycle with really vivid dreams, I'd find myself out of bed and half way across the room up to 9 times a night. These weren't anxiety dreams, just working through stuff dreams. My sleep was so broken and nothing the Dr could offer was making the slightest difference, I was just desperate for a night of oblivion - and most people don't remember their dreams if they've had a spliff!
It really does work, I don't start vivid or lucid dreaming for about 7 hours into my sleep now. I told my GP, he giggled.

Yep same here, i'm not sure if it works as well with edibles though. ANYONE?

 

[Hell...Hath...No...Fury..]

Has anyone tried Hemp tea? Made from the buds? I bought some from Amazon to go alongside my Medi Pen.

Finding the hemp thing confusing though. My instructions are to simmer in milk, or water and a fat substance in order to extract the CBD for 45 mins, then strain and drink.

But other sellers just advise putting a spoon of it in a cup and pouring on boiling water, in 'cup of tea' fashion. I'm sure I read that the CBD isn't water soluble though so i'm a bit confused by it all

I had two cups of it this afternoon and didn't really notice anything, nice buttery cuppa though!

My medipen has just arrived, ready charged. Tastes nice! I chose strawberry flavour maybe i'll take it to my next ME meeting and pass it around lol

 

[flybro]

Has anyone tried Hemp tea? Made from the buds? I bought some from Amazon to go alongside my Medi Pen.

Finding the hemp thing confusing though. My instructions are to simmer in milk, or water and a fat substance in order to extract the CBD for 45 mins, then strain and drink.

But other sellers just advise putting a spoon of it in a cup and pouring on boiling water, in 'cup of tea' fashion. I'm sure I read that the CBD isn't water soluble though so i'm a bit confused by it all

I had two cups of it this afternoon and didn't really notice anything, nice buttery cuppa though!

My medipen has just arrived, ready charged. Tastes nice! I chose strawberry flavour maybe i'll take it to my next ME meeting and pass it around lol

View attachment 17398

I know that edibles are slower acting, so don't go nuts on the tea, give the tea at least 90 mins, before you try more.

Hope you get some benefits.

 

[Hell...Hath...No...Fury..]

Thanks @flybro The tea 'seems' to wake my brain up, slightly more alert, but apart from that, and with no THC effects, i don't really feel anything else noticeable from it.

I'll be interested to see the effects on pain if any using both methods over the next week.

 

[hellytheelephant]

Thanks @flybro The tea 'seems' to wake my brain up, slightly more alert, but apart from that, and with no THC effects, i don't really feel anything else noticeable from it.

I'll be interested to see the effects on pain if any using both methods over the next week.

Very interesting thread! I just wondered if you are still using the medi-pen @Hell...Hath...No...Fury.. ?

 

[Hell...Hath...No...Fury..]

Very interesting thread! I just wondered if you are still using the medi-pen @Hell...Hath...No...Fury.. ?

I was going to post an update but lost the thread lol. The first cartridge lasted around 2 weeks and i bought a second just to make sure before writing it off completely but it made no difference for me at all

I tried hemp tea too boiled with butter and this had more of an effect in clearing my brain slightly but not enough to justify the cost so its a no go for me i'm afraid plus the medi pen gave me a sore throat after a while.

If anyone wants my medi-pen to try they can have it, there's still some left of the second cartridge (i think)

 

[altered beast]

Is it too late to contribute to this thread?

I have a quarter century of experience of using cannabis with ME. It used to be my most effective weapon against PEM symptoms particularly, and also pretty good for alleviating the rubbishy fatigued (not tiredness) feeling that makes ones body feel "gritty" and uncomfortable, if not quite in pain. The only major side effect, aside from smoking related throat soreness, was I would get rather (pleasantly) high. This high of course limited it's use in situations where I needed to drive or in social environments where that would be unacceptable. It also prevented me from openly discussing my use with medical professionals as I felt the real therapeutic effects would not be taken seriously.

Sadly it seems all good things can end and in the last five years or so have been having increasingly uncomfortable side effects which suggest my system no longer benefits from psychoactive cannabis. This makes living with this illness quite considerably more difficult.

 

[Hell...Hath...No...Fury..]

I can't even give my medi pen away for free lol

 

[altered beast]

I can't even give my medi pen away for free lol

That surprises me! I have recently tried some CBD oil. Was more relieved that I didn't get nasty side effects but got no obvious benefits so far.

 

[Manganus]

At 30 I quit smoking. Before that I'd had a handful of experiences with hashish, none of them memorable.

At 50+, i discovered that eaten hashish improved my sleep, and in particular improved my mornings.

After a few years, I can conclude that I am happy with CBD, and that I prefer low concentration of THC. But the THC-related high is not exactly unpleasant. Particularly not if I'm in my bed and don't have to try to communicate with anyone.


I would be interested in trying out over-the-counter CBD oil any day, but ...by now, it's become an almost automated process to decarboxylate hashish in oil, dilute in butter, and dose daily from the butter kept in the fridge. If I should change habits some day, it's more likely that I would try growing hemp on the balcony than going hunting for CBD oil.

Caveat:
I write CBD (Cannabidiol) above. But I can't know how much of the effects are from CBN (Cannabinol, a degradation product of THC).
- I belive I can tell is the effect of THC from the non-THC effects. Nothing more.

 

[erin]

I use CBD suppositories for IBD. It did help with the pain. Now I'm outside UK and CBD is not legal here. I'm definitely feeling the need.

 

[Little Bluestem]

Is it too late to contribute to this thread?

It is never too late to contribute to a thread. We prefer to keep everything related to a topic in one thread for the benefit of future brain-fogged members.

 

[altered beast]

It is never too late to contribute to a thread

Good to know.
Just in case anyone is interested, the adverse effects that make me question whether it is on balance beneficial to me are all of a physical nature, not the fairly common reports of paranoia etc (luckily I have never suffered this). Particularly, prolonged itchiness (this sometimes occurs in other situations but not as severely), physical restlessness, occasional chest pains and feeling rather tense the next day. Sometimes I wonder if I am reacting to a contaminant or whether THC itself has come somewhat "allergic" for me.

 

[Manganus]

I wrote a reply in another thread. But I think this thread is the place where this topic actually belongs:

I know a handful of ME patients who use it, they say it helps with pain, but no other symptoms.

I am such a patient, but I would rather say that the chief help is with the sleep. Contrary to most (or all) sleeping pills I've ever tried, I get nothing like a hangover from taking CBD at about six-ish each evening.

And this better sleep makes a huge difference for me. [That is not to say that I never have sleepless nights. But they are not as frequent as they used to be.] My morning-hours are now the best hours of the day, but I also think there is a cumulative effect.

It obviously curbs anxiety - and maybe also depressive thoughts.

Probably it also mitigates pain and some other things. But I can not detect it, since my aches comes and leaves in very slow relapses, building up for many weeks or months, and then waning even more slowly.