RE: MJ

[Guest guest]

the title of my post was probably a little misleading - i'm not

saying that marijuana " treats " anything. i'm not trying to push it,

i'm not saying that it's an option for everyone, and i'm fully aware

that being caught with it has serious consequences, legal and

otherwise. i don't approve of drug abuse - like i said in my first

post, i have never been a " partier. " it's just that, sometimes, all

the available options don't work for you, personally - and that i

found something that works FOR ME. i have my own

reservations about it - that's why i asked the group for their

opinions.

[Guest guest]

,

I don't see that the group has said anything that you didn't

anticipate. I'm sorry if the reaction isn't what you wanted. I think

we all fear for anyone who might put getting a transplant in

jeopardy. We all hope that we won't need one, but should the time

come, and you've used drugs, you might be disqualified for a

timeperiod that could be critical to your health. (My understanding

is that with drugs and alcohol, they make you wait 6 mo. to a year of

being clean before they'll list you, but I could be off on the

timing.) To me, that's a gamble I wouldn't be willing to take. Please

don't think me unfeeling - I'm itching insanely right now because

nothing has worked. I have sores on my back, arms, legs, and feet

from where I've scratched so hard. These sores take a long time to

heal and they leave scars. I look like I've had chicken pox several

hundred times over. I lie awake nights dreaming of something -

anything to take away the itch!

Oh, and if you doubt for a minute that they wouldn't catch you should

you have to list for transplant- well, I'm listed for transplant at

three hospitals now, and that 12 vials of blood that they take is

really put through the ringer. I was tested for everything under the

sun, and I've never touched any illicit drug and haven't had a sip of

alcohol since Sept. 1997.

I hope this explains our concern. This disease teaches us all that we

have to make the correct choices for ourselves...And those choices

vary from individual to individual. Good luck in deciding what's

right for you.

Enjoy the holiday!

Deb in VA

PSC 1998, UC 1999, Listed Ltx 2001, MELD 17 (Feeling " together " this

morning after two nights of benedryl-induced sleep.)

[Guest guest]

thanks deb for responding. yeah, i knew that this would be sort

of a touchy subject, and i want the group to know that i

understand what a huge risk i'm taking concerning transplant

lists. my doctors have warned me and they have also

encouraged me to seek out whatever gives me comfort. it's an

illegal drug, and it helps me a great deal, but then again i've

been feeling " normal " for years and years except for the itching.

i've been following the group's alk phos numbers when posted,

and i can't claim any numbers even close to what i've heard

others have...mine are pretty low. not normal, but low.

but yeah, i'm taking a risk. that weighs on me. but, like you, i get

the sores and the crazy itching and i think...why turn my nose up

at something that helps, even for a little while? it's hard to say no

when your skin seems ready to turn inside out? maybe i'm

weak.

and the other medications haven't worked. i've tried them all.

questran, rifampin...actually, though, i've got a prescription for a

new drug called naltrexone and i'm pretty excited. just has to get

the clear from my regular docs - a dermatologist gave it to me -

and hopefully that'll do the trick. but i'm ready for the itchies

regardless. i know that it'll be a part of my life for...a long time.

and of course i will quit smoking if my health becomes

threatened. not worth it.

but in the meantime...

anyhow, thanks again for taking the time. i feel pretty exposed,

and reactions have been pretty, well, negative - i understand

why, but hey, i'm just doing what i need to do to get by day to day.

we all can understand that...!

hope you are feeling well, and that the itchies subside.

[Guest guest]

Dear ;

I am not going to advocate use of cannabis, but there is one paper

that has been recently published which supports your observation that

cannabis can be beneficial in coping with intractable pruritus

(itching):

Schmerz. 2004 Nov 11; [Epub ahead of print]

[Cannabinoids-signal transduction and mode of action.]

[Article in German]

Rukwied R, Gauter B, Schley M, Konrad C.

Institut fur Anasthesiologie und Operative Intensivmedizin, Klinische

Fakultat Mannheim der Universitat Heidelberg.

The therapeutic use of cannabinoids, the components of cannabis

sativa L., was investigated in numerous researches in detail. Animal

studies revealed that cannabinoid receptor agonists alter pain-

associated behaviour, have immune-suppressive properties, suppress

tumor growth, modulate sensitisation processes and influence memory

and learning. Those effects are mediated by two membrane-bound

cannabinoid receptors and as mechanisms of signal transduction

blockade of ion channels, inhibition of adenylate cyclase and

retrograde inhibition of neurotransmitter release are currently being

discussed. In clinical studies oral administration of cannabinoids

indicated beneficial results during the therapy of multiple

sclerosis, weight loss, nausea and vomiting due to chemotherapy, and

intractable pruritus. However, therapy of chronic pain conditions

revealed conflicting results and unequivocal success could not have

been delivered due to unwanted side effects. Further multicentre

studies are required to estimate cannabinoids as novel therapeutic

tools for the treatment of chronic pain. PMID: 15549420.

I wish you all the best in finding an alternative solution to this

problem, and I hope that naltrexone will be of help to you.

Best regards,

Dave

(father of (19); PSC 07/03; UC 08/03)