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Epilepsy and marijuana

Sat, 02/05/2005 - 12:32
Hi all, I was wondering whether or not the effects of pot on the brain can intefere with the effects of the epilepsy medicine Tegretol 400mg per day. I know grapefruit and alcohol have adverse effects on the drug's treatments and can lead to uncontrollabe seizure possibilities in some cases. However, in the case of weed I do not not if it does have any interference or not. So if anyone could help me here I would appreciate it. Thanks.Chris

Comments

RE: Epilepsy and marijuana

Submitted by Christine on Thu, 2005-02-03 - 21:53
Excellent topic choice - "Marijuana and Epilepsy"I live in Beautiful British Columbia! The place from which the universally recognized: "B.C. Bud" originates. And, yes, I smoke marijuana, regularly (?.) When I brooched this topic with my physician he said (quote/unquote): "I would prescribe it for every 3rd Epilepsy patient if I could!" {Now come the heated letters from all the "provincially" minded} - Do what works for you. If you are convinced that it is a deadly and illicit substance, Don't. Also, however, if you find that you can relax, and are seizure free smoking the "occasional" joint, then it's your decision. {I partake, am content with Life's "imbalances, seizure free and most importantly of all: "Openminded." - Did I really read that someone wants this site censored?

RE: RE: Epilepsy and marijuana

Submitted by pongosmommy on Fri, 2005-02-04 - 01:06
Yes you did read that...and it has already been done.Personal attacks are not allowed. It was getting personal rather than just an open topic.I like you believe that to each their own. If it helps you then great. If not, then don't...I choose not to.Dayna

RE: RE: RE: Epilepsy and marijuana

Submitted by Gretchen on Fri, 2005-02-04 - 03:25
You know what? I never get this "legalization for medicinal purposes" BECAUSE many years ago I was a hospice nurse and we DID get prescriptions, yes, regular prescriptions for MJ for our patients. I personally think it's the most multi purpose MEDICINE, as an RN, that I know of. I lived in a large metro area. My hospice had 5 nurses, covering several regions, and there were two pharmacies of the higher tech variety (such as mixing IV's too etc) that carried MJ in several forms: leaf to roll, THC to smear on a cigarette or a cracker etc, or a poultice. One of our physicians started out just trying MJ on patients with:-intractable pain-anxiety not responding to benzo's or any other med-intractable nausea/vomitingAND, on almost ever patient, once we found the best route of delivery for them? MJ seemed to work where other scripts did not. Especially on the nausea and vomiting. Patients with ALS, Lou Gehrig's disease, suffer incredible anxiety. Personally? When I get real down that I have epilepsy what pulls me out of the pity pot is thinking - but I could have ALS. It terrifies me. It terrified patients and nothing we did ever helped then with the creepy crawly anxieties they had except for THC, active ingredient of marijuana. As we experimented with patient tolerance, dosages, route of delivery what we found as the biggest problem was that we nurses? Took about a WHOLE DAY to roll one joint for a patient, that would then start falling apart the minute it was lit! (They didn't teach "Rolling Joints 101" or "Appropriate Application of a Roach 101" in nursing school!) We also found THC was probably better in results, not inhaling the "debris" from a leaf and we could apply that in several different ways. There was this big protocal for getting the script for a home bound hospice patient with the pharmacies. But it was LEGAL! The last hospital I worked in which was 5.5 years ago? We used it in the hospital, on a very limited basis, for intractable vomiting for chemo patients. With THC you don't have the smoke smell and I have asthma and do find that particular musty heavy odor of weed nearly throat closing but that's my only objection. However I have only seen or heard of THC being used now but that knowledge is my gossip with other nurse friends - not the gospel.From that perspective? My feelings are if I was nauseated and vomiting nonstop, or if I had the creepy willies and anxiety with ALS? And MJ or THC could help me with that but someone's moralities were telling ME, no way? What ARROGANCE!I'm an intractable epileptic and I'm all up for trying alternative measures to even slow my sz's down. I'm highly in favor of "legalizing marijuana" although I still remain confused on that. Maybe it's not needing a script as compared to just buying it like alcohol? I'm not sure. Anyway I checked with my epileptologist and he said on my AEDs it wouldn't hurt me, but in just MY case, probably wouldn't help me either but it was worth a try. I got the "good stuff" - from British Columbia. He "prescribed" smoking 3 joints a day. My BIG problem was? How in the heck can anyone roll a joint and have more than 3 crumbs of the leaves left? Sorry if that offends anyone but good grief - talk about poor eye/hand coordination skills. ANYWAY, I smoked 2 joints and I was in "Loopy Land" in a very uncomfortable way. I felt like when I put one foot down on the floor the floor would sort of sink, and start slanting in that direction. Which of course made me put the other foot down really quick to slant in the other direction and so on and so forth. If it reduced my sz's I was too out there to have known! YIKES. Also my fine motor control was SHOT! But that's me. And I'm very touchy to medicines.Still? Why should that be denied to anyone if they can't take AEDs or if it helps them reduce sz's? To me? That's an immorality. I know of one man who can't tolerate ANY of the AEDs. He's been on the weed for years and rarely seizes until the gov't raided his garden and ripped up his "AEDs". ONE AED I can tolerate, semi works, and that? Is it. You're darn right I tried it. I'm miserably disappointd it didn't work. In fact it made me feel anxious but when the floor is playing games with ya? It's a little unnerving. It also lasted f-o-r-e-v-e-r! Extend release MJ? I will say in my years where I thought everyone lived forever and I was indestructable someone gave me two joints to smoke which I did very rapidly one after the other, never once thinking or knowing they could be laced with something else. WELL was that one heck of a trip. I wound up in the ER and either they knew this somehow by a blood test, or my symptoms, I don't know now my brains were on mega hold at the time I just knew I was in deep doo doo and needed help so I did go to the ER - but those joints were laced with PCP. Not pretty. Which always brings me around to the personal question - why would anyone want to ingest something like PCP? Good Grief! That twas horrid.I stand for endorsing MJ for medicinal purposes, which apparently can be scripted, and more doctors learning about it, and using it as it was done on me, under physician guidance, with the "good stuff". I will also say I didn't have to "build up" a dosage and wait 3 weeks to see what it was going to do for me negative or positive. I knew THAT day, it wasn't for me. Big disappointment.Just an added thing too for those who are very opposed to legalization of marijuana. Cocaine, straight out cocaine is used in many eye surgeries. Straight from the hospital pharmacy. I doubt the patient ever knows they had cocaine administration. Curare is used in most if not all general anesthesia surgeries and THAT was found as the poison on the poisoned darts of some South American Indian tribe. However as a veteran of many general anesthestics, I can't stand the idea of what curare does, but I'm sure glad they found it or I could never be intubated and be safe to operate upon. Maybe my point is before you verbally leap, best take a long look.Gretchen

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