Priscilla tried cannabis as an alternative to opiate painkillers and she says this has changed her life.
Editor’s Note: Any testimonials or endorsements found on this site are for anecdotal purposes only. The information in Rxleaf testimonials is not direct medical advice, nor should it be a substitute for consultations with qualified healthcare professionals who are intimately knowledgeable about your individual medical needs.
The First Time I Tried Cannabis
I tried pot for the first time when I was 23, after my first child was born. We lived in a housing project and a girl I grew up with gave me my first joint. While I continued to enjoy smoking with my husband after this, cannabis was not really a part of my life beyond recreational relaxation. Little did I know but weed would one day be my alternative to opiate painkillers.
When my son was two, he had to go into hospital for a major operation to remove a salivary gland. As a young mom, I was very stressed and anxious for my baby. My sister had some smoke and said I needed to relax. We smoked together. I needed that break before I went back home to take care of him. It felt good to relax, laugh, and it helped me set my mind to the hard road ahead of me. When I look back, even though I didn’t smoke for another 6 years (!), this was the beginning of my relationship with cannabis as a healer.
A Lifetime of Physical Labor Takes its Toll
I was content. I took care of my kids, my husband, paid our bills. Back then it got hard to find a job. My husband worked at fast food and I worked for the bar at night and took care of the elderly during the day.
Then I got a job with the developmentally delayed population. My body was tore up doing that work, but I LOVED it. As life goes sometimes though, you don’t get to stay. There was a lot of pressure at home with my husband, now, not working, my oldest hanging out with a bad crowd, and my youngest running amuck. I had a nervous breakdown.
Fortunately, I was able to pick myself up and get a new job at a grocery store. Life went on, I became a granny, and a worked my way back into healthcare and serving the developmentally delayed population. I was getting hurt a lot because of the behaviors and the physical lifting. I ripped up my knees in 2010 and that was just about it for me. I could no longer work.
The Painkillers Were Worse Than the Pain
Doctors had me use Percocet, Vicodin, Demerol, Toradol, & Morphine for my pain. Even now I now have many herniated discs with an annular tear. The drugs hurt me more mentally than anything else. In the end, the medications they had me on were still worse than the pain. Sometimes I wasn’t able to work, just from the side effects of the pills.
All these pills made me into a zombie. Then, I had a stroke at the age of forty! My blood pressure was 220/180. Two years later, a heart attack.
In the end, the pills never broke through the pain, so I started smoking again just to try to get me back to doing everyday living tasks. My girlfriend, who I worked, with helped me wean off the pills. We got high together a few times (on the cannabis) and I started laughing again.
Cannabis for Healing
My husband started going through some mental health changes, and eventually became severely depressed. He got a diagnosis of bi-polar, mood swings, and high anxiety. His other health problems was diabetes and COPD. He became septic, cardiac arrested, and was life-flighted to a university hospital.
I tell you this because I learned my lesson well with mental health. The care in our area was making more of a mess with my husband. So, I went back to school, and worked towards an Associates degree in psychology so that I could help my husband myself. It was a gruelling two and a half years in school. I had to get a tutor, but I graduated at the top of my class with a 4.0! May point is, you never know where you’ll end up. Just never give up!
Cannabis has changed so many parts of my life. If I don’t smoke, I can’t walk well. If I smoke, I can clean our apartment. If I smoke, I can walk our dog. I’m part of the oldsters out there being more motivated than ever because they smoke. There are a lot of us too.
What RxLeaf Says About Cannabis as an Alternative to Opiate Painkillers
There are many studies underway that investigate CBD for inflammatory pain, THC for nerve pain, and whole plant medicine for overall treatment of pain. What follows are some links from the site that support cannabis as an alternative to opiate painkillers. All studies already have hyperlinks within the text of the article.
Lowered Pain Tolerance From Opioid Use Doesn’t Happen With Cannabis
Studies Show How THC Kills Pain
Can Too Much THC Increase Pain?
The Best Pain Reliever For You: THC or CBD?
Christopher
I would like to join. I am 42, and enjoy cannabis daily for motivation and pain control.
Timiko Noel
I have a deceased Lumbar Disc!! No relief from pain pills! I’ve had my nerves! Burned! Steroid shots! Every pain pill there is to no relief! I’m hurting like crazy right now! Hoping it a study out there! Where they need somebody for testing! I would be so happy to volunteer! Please God! Take this pain away! Don’t help!
ESSIE Farmer
I tried it BK in the 70s then Got married had 3 son’s. My BK fell ? thy have metal cages. Bolts. Screws holding me together. Now I have RA ARTHRITIS I gave up Opioids 3 yrs ago. Weed helps me And I have went off all meds besides 4 mg clodine h/b thanks peace out
Bill Killion
Truths on medication finally aloud to be realized..
Karen Williams
I would like to know how I can try this please I’m 51 going thru the change of life suffering nausea anxiety lack of sleep hot flushes the list goes on