Rheumatoid Arthritis by Anonymous
I have been living with systemic juvenile rheumatoid arthritis since 1989. I am in a great deal of pain all the time. I started using MJ when I was 18 and found that it knocked out depression, helped me eat, reduced pain and helped me sleep-- all from smoking one joint. I would have had to take four different medications to control all that.
About three years ago I got married and we moved to a little farmhouse. I was unable to get my meds for my arthritis. With the severity of my disease, this was a very stressful time for me. Will I be able to walk? What will happen to me? So I started to smoke MJ and take Tylenol every day. I didn’t have very much pain, nor did I have any flare-ups.
Two years ago we moved again, and I was back on my meds for arthritis. I had to stop smoking MJ due to lack of supply and my husband's job. I am in the middle of a flare-up now and have been for about 5 months.. I am currently taking Oxcycontin for pain and it has really no effect. I would rather take a medication that is natural than something that has a high demand on the street. At this point I would be willing to swap!
I do believe that those few months when I was off my meds and smoking MJ are something to investigate. MJ can do wonders for a lot of seriously ill people with chronic pain. Why take a man- made substance that has 15 different side effects when you can take something that is natural and only has maybe three side effects.