Showing posts with label arthritis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label arthritis. Show all posts

Thursday, July 12, 2018

The Best Strains for Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease which is chronic, in that it involves the immune system attacking some of the normal areas of tissue within the body, which causes swollen, inflamed, and joints which are painful. Doctors are able to promote different drugs that are anti-rhematic, along with NSAIDS and other drugs to help with reducing inflammation, along with surgery as the main kinds of treatment. But cannabis has bee found to help with this disorder. 

Why it helps 

This is something that doe naturally help because it’s anti-inflammatory, has different terpenes and cannabinoids within it, and it does offer antioxidants and analgesic properties that definitely work together in order to give cannabis the chance to treat different problems in the body. 

Two of the biggest compounds that are found here are THC and CBD, and this is great for reducing the release and production of the inflammatory aspects of this, modulating your immunity, and the cannabinoids do activate your receptors especially the synovium in those patients with this. 



CBD is not intoxicating, but it does work better than aspirin in terms of the anti-inflammatory power of such. This is something that’s definitely hundred times more anti-inflammatory compared to aspirin, and usually, those with arthritis like the hybrid or the indica strains to help with this. 

The terpenes are something that synergize with your cannabinoids to make this entourage effect, so they work together to create a better, more rewarding impact within your body. some of the terpenes have anti-inflammatory aspects to this, such as linalool, myrcene, pinene, caryophyllene, and limonene for example. 

The best strains 

While the best strains to help with this do vary, this work swell when smoked, vaped for quick efforts and edibles, to offer long-term results. One of the best for managing symptoms to start is white widow, since this is indica-dominant, and is more balanced with CBD and THC, so it offers your body a chance to synergize all of this, create the entourage effect, and then manage chronic pain in those who have rheumatoid arthritis. It also has pinene and other terpenes, which help with the effect. 



There is also white berry, which is something that’s indica and sativa hybrid, and it helps with reducing the chronic pain and inflammatory in some inflammatory conditions. It also contains pinene and myrcene, which is one of the reasons why it’s one of the best strains to help with this condition. 

Sour diesel is another one, since this one has a very high THC and very low CBD, so you will get high. This is one that’s good for chronic pain reduction though, as it does work pretty well with it. 

Then you’ve got jack Herer, which is one that has a higher THC content, and it’s a hybrid kind of strain. This is good for those who need to have pain relief and fast. It also contains a lot of different terpenes that kill pain as well, including caryophyllene, and myrcene to also begin with this. 



Finally, we’ve got harlequin, which is a sativa strain that’s very popular, since it’s got a pretty balanced amount of CBD to THC, and it’s also great for helping with inflammation, chronic pain, and rheumatoid arthritis. 

The THC definitely means that  you will get a good high, but it won’t be strong. It’s a lot more mild in terms of psychoactive effects, but it’s a good strain if you want to use it for medical needs, as it does just that to help you with treating the condition. These strains are all good for rheumatoid arthritis.


Wednesday, October 11, 2017

Melatonin or Cannabis for Sleeping

This is something that a lot of people get told, to take a melatonin or two if they struggle with sleeping. I’s literally the sleep response to taking ibuprofen when you have pain, and it’s something that’s naturally ingrained in our minds. But did you know that it could possibly be beaten out by cannabis.  This is something that may hopefully induce sleep, but if you rely on this, it can put the bodily systems out of wack, with sleep issues coming from a lot of problems, especially since melatonin isn’t equipped to help with different problems, including the food you have, any blue light before bed, exercise, and then, any other issues during the day. 

Cannabis is a way to naturally wind down as well, offering a more relaxed state. This is something that may offer a more organized, tailored approach that goes on with this as well. 



How melatonin Works 

Melatonin is something that we do produce naturally in our brain, which is responsible for our wake and sleep cycle, giving us the indication when its time to go to bed, and time to wake up. Melatonin vitamins and supplements pretty much help to reset the natural biological clock, and it’s used for a lot of people who are making long flights, and it helps them get used to the sleep schedule that they have. 

They also are good for those who struggle with falling asleep, and it’s something that they believe is a good sleep aid for a lot of people. While it’s good to take these occasionally, long0term use may be a major regulator of the metabolism of someone, and it can actually cause issues with your insulin levels, especially after you eat. 

How cannabis compares 

When you compare these two, you should know that it’s not a replacement, but it’s a different way to get the right kind of sleep. With cannabis having a lot of different materials to help encourage sound and restful sleep, due to the CBD, THC, cannabinoids, terpenes inside of it, these are natural and work with the ECS to help with the issues that you have, including stress problems, inflammation, anxiety, and the like. 



CBD is also something that has been thought of to be a sleep aid, but according to more anecdotal studies, it was found that it’s better if you have a little bit of THC with this. You can get CBD in different shops online or in person, and you can et something that contains or doesn’t’ contain THC. 

The effects f this are reviewed in a study in 2007, and it was found that it does highlight, and it can be something that offers better sleep, rather than a more sedative, or hypnotic sleep. The terpenoids that are in there do relieve pain, help with anxiety, offer sedative results, and other supplements, including caryophyllene, myrcene, and linalool, which is something that offers synergy, and offers other effects too., While it is strictly observation, this is something that can be used to help with a bunch of sleep problems, including tinctures, inhalers, so much more. 



If you want to make your sleep a little more balanced and want to try something which may offer the sleep effects that you’re going for with this, then you’ll definitely be glad to know that cannabis does offer all of this and so much more. Melatonin is good, but cannabis does offer a great solution for those who suffer from sleep issues providing real solutions that you might want to look into for your own needs.


Monday, September 8, 2014

Does the Strain of Cannabis Matter?

One thing that you’ll learn with the consumption of medical cannabis, is that not every strain is equal. The correct strains provide the best relief for a variety of conditions.  All strains have different types of products that do go through different testing to tell you just how much CBD and THC there is within each of these, in order to improve the understanding that each strain offers, and the ways that it benefits people. There are so many strains that are out there.

Currently, there is almost an unlimited number of cannabis strains, with different characteristics 

Does the CBD and THC Matter 

If you’ve been curious about CBD and THC, you’re not alone. 

These are but two of the compounds that work with other people, to create the synergistic effect known to be the entourage effect, which allows you to differentiate from one different strain to the next. The biggest thing is the terpenes that are made, which help the doctor prescribe the strain. 



What are Terpenes though 

Terpenes are basically a part of the cannabis plant and are parts of a lot of plants. 

While most terpenes get seen in small amounts, they do have some that are a lot more prominent, offering diverse types of ways for this to work, offering therapeutic effects that also change the mood, and help out the person too. 

Sometimes, your doctor will choose strains based on the types of profiles of terpenes that are there which offer different effects. Some specialists will look into strains that combine different characteristics that treat different ailments, making it better for the person who wants to make sure that they get the most out of the terpenes that are there. 



How to choose the right terpenes 

The best thing to do, when choosing cannabis that works for you, is to talk to a doctor, to find out the ideal terpenes to try. Many of these systems actually have algorithms that you can use to figure out the right type of cannabis to use. 

Many times, the algorithm can help with the decisions on prescribing based on information collected in the evaluation that happens initially.  Sometimes, there are people who come in and talk about strains that they’ve used that contain certain amounts of both THC and CBD content, and they may use that information to recommend something that’s similar to the, based on what they’ve used before.

But the thing with cannabis is that it’s different for everyone. Some people have certain strains that are very good for them, and others have strains that do the opposite for them, and that all plays a major part in the success, or even failure, of the types of cannabis products that are there. 

You do need to talk to a specialist to discuss this, especially since they can tell you the best options, and give you a treatment plan that’s based on the types of problems that you have. they also may give you a plan for treatment that spans a few months, since a lot of times, they’ll be able to determine through all of this the best way to treat pain.



Remember though, it might not be the right choice right away. Remember too, that while you might be similar to another person, the types of cannabis to consume may also vary. If you’re still not sure whether or not medical cannabis is ideal for you, or if you have questions on this, you should talk to a doctor, and figure out the ideal types of strains to use.


Sunday, July 6, 2014

Managing Pain with Cannabis

Pain is something that’s quite broad in the diagnosis, with some of them occurring within the CNS of the body, and it involves the improper processing of pain signals. Sometimes, this is resulting from injury, but there are sometimes other causes that aren’t very known. Depending on the person that’s there, pain is something that’s localized to tiny parts of the body, or is widespread, and the pain typically is a lot more constant. The central pain can sometimes impact the routine of another person, and drastically impact the quality of life that’s there. 

Some patients who have centralized pain discuss with their doctor the types of treatments that they have. Currently, the main treatment is pain medications, but the problem is, sometimes they offer almost no relief to the pain that’s there.  Another thing that happens too, is they will grab these to treat it, resulting in more chances for addiction.



What if there was a way to relieve this without the side effects?  There is, and that’s in the form of medical cannabis. Did you know that over 60% of the users of medical cannabis take this to help relieve some sorts of pain, and the symptoms of this? This is something that’s become incredibly therapeutic and is part of the reasons why a lot of places are allowing medical cannabis to be used.

Most of the time, CBD, or both CBD and THC are good for treating pain in ways where there are problems with doing so. Another crazy thing? Is that it does decrease the need for opioids, and it lowers the chances of death, overdose, and the like. This is especially apparent compared to states that don’t have cannabis legalized.

There are many that use medical cannabis to treat chronic pain conditions, including fibromyalgia, and some might have symptom improvement because of this. 



This is mostly in the places where the pain receptors are, decreasing their levels. And the body will use this to naturally help with this. 

How to get It 

Currently, not every state offers medical cannabis for pain, but there are now more places than ever before. The best way to get this, is to discuss this with your doctor, let them know that the normal medications that are there aren’t cutting it, and ask if you can use this as alternative medicine. However, if the doctor still refuses, seek out specialists that allow this, in order to get relief from the pain that you’ve got from cannabis.

If you have a doctor that’s a little bit on the fence about this, bring in a pain journal, discuss the pain that’s there, and even journal how medical cannabis has helped you with pain. You should definitely discuss this with a doctor, to get the right needs. 

THC or CBD? 

This is a question a lot of people have, especially after they’ve gotten the consultation and they’ve gotten the diagnosis. High THC is great for relieving pain, but the downside to them, is they can be incredibly psychoactive, and aren’t the best way to relieve pain.



Hybrid products that contain both THC and CBD are some of the best for treatment in the long term, as they can reduce pain and inflammation naturally, without making you deal with the overly psychoactive aspects of this.

The cool thing about cannabis is that there are tons of ways to get the benefits that you want with this type of product. If you haven’t found the ideal type of cannabis product, continue looking, and see for yourself the benefits that it offers.


Sunday, June 8, 2014

Is Mixing Cannabis and LSD Safe

Weed and LSD are two drugs that people like to mix, but the thing is, it’s something that may be dangerous for people, since it does impact the way you make decisions, and also, there is a chance that there may be a deadly overdose in the case of LSD.  LSD is also not safe for those who have psychoses, so you should be mindful of that. 

What LSD Is 

LSD is short for lysergic acid diethylamide, which is a very strong drug that comes from a fungus that’s on grains and rye.  It’s a very potent drug that’s usually known as mellow yellow, or acid.  This is one that's odorless and doesn’t have a color either.

This is a very powerful drug that’s known to cause emotions that are positive, and negative too, in some cases major paranoia depending on who you are.



It’s illegal to have or sell, but it’s been studied for a variety of benefits that are therapeutic, and in some places, they’ve started to look at how, in small amounts, you can treat psychiatric issues, and also alcoholism with this drug. 

This is consumed by the mouth in little dots, cubes, or in a liquid form. Some feel it 20 minutes after, and the effects usually start to peak around 3 hours in. This is usually pleasant for people, as they may have some good dreams, and euphoria, but bad trips do happen, which cause hallucinations and major mood swings. 

LSD also does work with the serotonin receptors, and while it’s good when regulated, too much of it actually causes serotonin syndrome, which is actually a cause of death for people. But, if it’s balanced, it can feel good. It’s not as addictive as heroin or opioids, but there is a chance for you to take too much, get addicted but it’s rare to have an overdose that’s fatal. 



Benefits and Risks 

The biggest reason people are able to combine these two is that they do feel good, and some do find that they make the effects a lot better and offer a high that’s much more potent. The combination of these drugs at lower levels is pretty safe, but it’s not really recommended due to the possibility of risks.

Some may use weed at the end of the trip that they have with LSD in order to make it a bit longer, and also, it might help them with sleeping.  You can also use this to reduce the cluster headaches when properly dosed. 

The risks of this though usually are make the side effects of marijuana a lot more potent, and they include: 

  • Dry mouth 

  • Memory loss 

  • Pupils dilated 

  • Insomnia 

  • Concentration problems 

  • Anxiety 

  • Paranoia 

  • Behavior that’s erratic 

The biggest risk that this has though, is judgment.  When you’re under the influence of both of these, bad decisions are made. If you’re paranoid for example, and you use some weed, it could put your blood pressure to higher levels, and it can make things worse. 



The biggest thing to understand is that you should always be careful if you’re going to mix any hallucinogen with cannabis, including magic mushrooms and other types.  Marijuana is good on tis own, but you also have to remember that possession of LSD is illegal all over, and it’s also a bit dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing. Some people have bad trips and episodes too, even on their first go, so it’s something that you should be mindful of. In general, you shouldn’t ever mix both of these.


Saturday, October 12, 2013

Why we Don’t know the Impact of Cannabis on People’s Lungs

While cannabis is something that’s used by many people, the truth is, there is still a whole lot that we don't know. Specifically, how it can impact the lungs. This is typically because of the state of cannabis in plenty of countries, making it very hard for people to study, and a lot of people aren’t able to really express their honesty about the usage of cannabis.  There isn’t a specific size for the joints either that’s considered the standard. In contrast, tobacco has the standard sizes, and the tobacco within them is pretty much standard all around.

But there isn’t any control on the size of the joint as well, and not to mention, there are people who smoke both tobacco and weed, and we don’t know the full effects of cannabis due to the tobacco usage that also occurs, and it’s not easy to separate this. 

One study that was done by Ottawa hospital located in Canada looked at CT scans of over 56 different smokers, 57 people who don’t smoke, and 33 people who only use tobacco.



It showed that around 75% of those who smoked cannabis did have emphysema, which causes issues with the way that you breathed, and about 67% of those who smoked only tobacco had this.  And for those who don’t smoke, around 5% of the people who didn’t had this condition.

The reason for cannabis being higher is primarily because the smoke in tobacco is filtered. But the cannabis smoke that’s there is not filtered, which means that there are more particulates within the airways. It’s also inhaled for a much longer period of time, and the volume of the puff can be larger than tobacco. It’s also something that shows the potency of joints, with more particles within the lungs for those who smoke joints, rather than those who just smoked tobacco. 



Particulates are typical irritants, and right now, there are still limitations on the design of the experiments, since there are people who are in the smoking group for only cannabis, who also will use tobacco too, so we really don’t know whether or not the emphysema is from tobacco, cannabis, or both of these. 

There are other cross-sectional studies that looked at those who smoked just cannabis.  They weren’t as likely to show the symptoms of emphysema through the CT scans, especially when compared to tobacco smokers. 

There was some physiological evidence within the other study though that those who do smoke cannabis also might deal with emphysema since it was shown that the oxygen extraction from where the air is tends to lessen, and of course, too much cannabis use causes lungs that are inflated way too much more than those who just use tobacco.

This may show that there might be a chance that emphysema and cannabis are connected. Some people refer to this as “bong lung” in certain cases.

Right now, the studies are still incredibly preliminary, and right now, we need to look at other studies, to back this up, and see if it does follow the state of the other publications too



There is a study though, that did find that those who smoked cannabis doe have higher inflammation in their aways, including the thickening of the bronchial wall, and more mucus that’s within the lungs, trapped and from there causing infections and breathing issues. There are other studies too that’s definitely going to play a role in this.

For a lot, there is still much to learn about the impact of cannabis, and what occurs next too.