Multiple Sclerosis by Anonymous
I am a 32 year old single male. I started smoking marihuana on a regular basis ten years ago. Back then I did not have MS.
I prefer to smoke my marihuana out of a pipe, as most times I smoked it I was alone and I have asthma... so it was easier on the lungs than a joint. I smoked approximately 2 joints worth per day.
At the age of 29, on Mothers day, I woke up to find that I was numb from the waist down. Everything was pins and needles. I was scared! What could possibly be wrong with me?
I went to a clinic and was almost immediately told that it could be MS. An M.R.I. scan confirmed this. I had 2 lesions in my brain and 4 in my spine. I was referred to a doctor that specialized in MS and he told me that my MS was not advanced enough to start medication. For the record, to date I have never been prescribed any sort of MS medication. It took three weeks for the numbness in my waist, legs and feet to finally subside.
Over the next 3 years other symptoms I have experienced include numbness in my hands and arms, tingling sensations on my legs, numb feet, severe depression, and fatigue.
These symptoms really interfered with my work in that I was a salesperson who worked on his feet all day. I'm sure you can understand how the above symptoms could cause a salesperson problems.
Through this period I continued smoking marihuana just as I had been before I was diagnosed. At this time I never noticed the benefits of marihuana to my MS symptoms.
I was laid off in January of 2002. Not being able to find work in Massachusetts I was invited, in September, to move to Alabama to be near my brother and his family.
I have been in Alabama for six months now and have not been able to establish a marijuana connection. I haven’t smoked in six months!!!
Within the first 4 weeks of being here I began to notice that my symptoms were worsening.
My hands and arms are almost always tingling and numb, especially when I am doing dishes or showering. It seems water increases the sensations.
If I walk just a couple of blocks my legs and feet begin to ache like never before. When I was doing sales I used to walk 6 blocks to work everyday and then spend the entire shift on my feet, walking across the huge store assisting customers. Now I can't even walk 2 blocks without feeling pain and discomfort.
My depression has increased greatly. I have gained 20 pounds since I got here. I don’t want to socialize with anyone. I didn't even go over my brother's house for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.
And the fatigue is unbearable. Within 4 or 5 hours of waking up I need to take a nap for an hour.
And at night I don’t fall asleep till 3AM or so. Sleeping never used to be a problem for me.
I never realized the benefits of Marihuana towards MS when I was smoking it on a regular basis, but now that it is no longer available I can definitely see how it helps.
Marihuana definitely saved me from feeling the symptoms I now experience.