Fortunately, I live in one of the states where medical marijuana (or medical cannabis) is legal. Anyone else out there using it for their Stage IV cancer?

It helps me with nausea. I'm going to see a med. can. specialist next Monday for more help with dosing. Right now, I'm only taking about 10 mgs of tincture on some days, and other days I'm using about 7.5 to 10 mgs of chocolate edibles. It helps with deep bone pain, too, since the Norco (hydrocodone) they prescribed wasn't helping with that. I'm now off the Norco (had a teensy bit of withdrawal even tho I was only on two pills a day - the W/D affected my sleep). Note to the wise: If you're deciding on going off an opioid, taper off GRADUALLY. I HAD to go off the Norco after a while since it tripled my ALT liver readings (they are supposed to be in the 30s - mine were in the 90s!)

Blessings...

I live in a MM state and have been card carrying for a couple years. It relaxes me and is better for me than alcohol. Pretty much once you see the doctor - in my state there are special places you must go and your insurance won't pay, and tell them you have stage iv cancer, automatic approval. So that's how you do it in CA.

I got my MM card two years ago, when I was diagnosed. It is the best for helping me fall asleep. My dosage is about the same as yours, Lita, and I only use in the evenings after work. I wouldn't want to try being outside and trying to function on it.

My pain has not been very bad yet, but I am encouraged by the stats that say patients who use marijuana medicinally are much less likely to need opioids for pain control.

When my cancer progressed, after a year of being stable, I quit drinking beer, and the MM helps me not miss it so much. : (

Insurance doesn't cover it in Oregon, either, but it's pretty cheap here.

NineTwelve: I used to enjoy a glass or two of Chardonnay, but I stopped as soon as I was diagnosed. Strangely enough, I haven't really missed it at all. The MMJ really doesn't help me sleep...I've always had my battles w/insomnia every since I entered pre-menopause in my 40s. The cancer and the Tx can bring on insomnia too. My MMJ helps with pain, and I only use it in the evenings like you - an hour or two before bedtime.

Meadow: Yes, MMJ is more refined than regular MJ because you have to know what strain your getting and whether it's higher in CBDs or THC. My MMJ specialist recommends that I use the Indica strain rather than the Sativa strain. They both affect you differently. Sativa has more THC and makes me anxious and paranoid (as it does to a lot of people). Indica is better for pain control and relaxing and has more cannabinoids (CBDs). Cancer patients are also supposed to use a strain that has more CBDs as opposed to THC (THC makes you high, and CBD does not). I don't smoke it...I use tincture and edibles, as I said. I may try "vaping" with a pen, because it's supposed to get into your system faster, and therefore better for pain control. Hope this helps ).

L

Alternative medicine ain't cheap.

I have a NM MM card but as I understand it the curative dose is 1g (1000mgs) per day over a 60 day period. In addition, you work up to that over a month. In NM that is $3K to $4K. You are potentially stoned much of the time. I've weighed MM against other options, alternative and standard, and chosen a different protocol. For now.

MM is maybe an option for the future.

>Z<

Hi Lita,

I'm in the SF Bay Area too & have a MM referral, but I've not found any MM medications that do the trick for me, so I forget about them, so I can't comment on that.

Nor can I speak to the affordability of alternatives, as family & friends have assisted me in times of need and I try to keep costs down.

Lita, please read this topic - at least skim it. I believe you'll want to apply for SSDI sooner than later and use your SDI disability date as your SSDI disability date too.

How Many Stage 4 Girls are getting SS disability..

https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/8/topics/...

It's really important to get the dates and details down before they knock you down when least needed/wanted.

Sending a warm, healing hug, Lita, Stephanie

I use the CBD tincture and 7-8 drops for nausea relief. I find it works really well. I use zofran when it doesn't and sometimes both. I have the mint and citrus flavored CBD tincture- drops under the tongue. I bought mine for 30 on sale but they are usually 75 here in a bigger bottle. I have not tried the edibles. I use oxy for pain control.

Lita,

You can collect SDI and SSDI at the same time. SSDI kicks in 5 months from the date you were first diagnosed. They retro the money back to that date if you have passed it.

I found out late in the game, and got a nice retro check. Also, they will expedite your claim if you are stage IV.

Best of luck, Melanie

Awilson - the MMJ onco nurse is going to bump me up to oil after I build up more of a tolerance to tincture.

Mel26 - just got a letter from SSDI, and I've been accepted! My first check will arrive in Nov (taking the 5 mos into consideration). I have a couple of friends who've been denied SSDI several times (NOT for cancer - they have other issues), and have really had to fight for it. When you're on "death row" with St IV, the SSDI board pretty much automatically coughs it up for you. But I would trade back all the SDI & SSDI $$ to be totally RID of this terrible disease!!

L