# Medication+Health+ Marijuana - question



## nestlechocolate (Sep 22, 2009)

I've been dealing with PTSD & depression for the last few months. The last couple of weeks were especially difficult. I just started Sertraline (generic for Zoloft) and occasionally take anti anxiety pills as needed. In the last couple of weeks (2 to 3 weeks) I have had really painful upper back and shoulder pains, my stomach is in knots and I can rarely eat anything without feeling bloated or just sick and my sleeping is completely erratic. I also have severe asthma (I take pro Air daily) and that has also gotten worse in the last couple of weeks as well. I believe everything is stress related and I have been considering consuming (I cant smoke) brownies or fudge or some other method so that I dont have to take sleeping pills and pain pills -- Im worried of becoming a pill popper. I know no one BUT a physician can officially recommend anything medical wise. But with the drugs and symptoms I listed could using marijuana be an alternative for sleeping pills and pain pills? Will the Sertraline and Marijuana cause a bad reaction?


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## cmd420 (Sep 22, 2009)

you really should ask a doc about that last question...


I think it's safe to say that unless one is a doctor, no one on this site is qualified to answer that ...be safe chocolate....
if you live in CA I can give you some pointers on easy, cheap, and safe ways to obtain a card..PM me if you need any info about what I did...
peaze


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## Flyinghigh (Sep 22, 2009)

nestlechocolate said:
			
		

> I&#8217;m worried of becoming a pill popper. I know no one BUT a physician can officially recommend anything medical wise.
> Will the Sertraline and Marijuana cause a bad reaction?




Pill Popper is just a mind over Matter.
I been taking Vicodine for 12 yrs and just switch over to Noraco both are Hydrocodoine and I DON"T DARE take as precribed do to these pill will keep me up at night if I take after 3 pm.
3 pills a day which I only take 1/2 to 1 every morning and that it enless I need another by 3 pm.

Sertraline and Marijuana mixing meds is up to you and No One can say if it will counter react, but your body will tell you and that Goes for ALLL Med mixing with Marijuana or other Meds..
Doctors willl NOT say mixing meds is Not harmful.

Keeep Control and u be find,..!!!


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## chris1974 (Sep 22, 2009)

Thats a real bummer to here ! I would recomend maybe trying to do a lil research yourself on your conditions and MJ use. Everyone is geneticaly different so its hard to just say," well it works for me" and then come to find out that it didnt work the same for you and possibly made things worse, I definately wouldnt want to put anyone in that position !  Dr's arent always correct either, and for the record, I dont believe in man made medication.... but thats just me ?


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## greenthoughts (Sep 22, 2009)

i take sertraline and there seems to be no bad interaction between it and the weed (good thing or i would quit with the sertraline!)  i think you'll be alright, but talking to the doctor is probably your best bet.


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## wmmeyer (Sep 22, 2009)

I am NOT a doctor and I am NOT offering you any advice.  Just gonna share some of my story, since its a bit similar to yours.  Since you mentioned PTSD, I'm guessing that your're getting your medical care at the VA, same as I do.  The past couple years I went thru Trazadone, Zoloft, Cymbalta, and Effexor, with Lorazepam on the side for the tough moments.  None of that really "worked" for me to eliminate the symptoms of sleeplessness, anxiety, panic attacks, harsh nighmares, etc.  Basically what I noticed from the meds was it made me sleep a lot more, and I felt half asleep when awake.  It made it a little easier to get thru the day, cuz I felt like I was in a stupor from sleeping too much.  But all the panic triggers were still very much operating.  

At the time I started seeing the shrink and taking the SSRI type meds, I had not smoked MJ in many years.  About a year ago, I started toking just tiny hits of MJ, just to see what it would do.  FOR ME, it seemed to work great, and I didn't notice anything wierd from mixing with the SSRIs.  I had the idea to discuss this with my shrink, and have him help me along with a trial to ease off the script meds, try the MJ on a 'controlled' basis, and for him to chart my progress.  I live in a NON-MedMJ state, so I was thinking doing this would help me prepare a "medical necessity" defense if I ever got busted.  I had less than cooperative results from the shrink, and he offered to start me back on the Lorazepam to help me get myself together and back in my right mind.  I've since stopped seeing the shrink, have eased myself off the SSRI meds, and do only MJ now.  I believe I'm seeing some very postive results from the whole thing.  I also have a lot of pain from prior injuries and the MJ helps with that real well, also.  My only med at the present time is MJ, I sleep well, manage the pain, and my "emotional" state has improved greatly with the PTSD, panic, anxiety issues, etc.   

I would encourage you to be open and honest with your doc, and tell him what you think and what you want to try.  I hope that your doc is easier to get the idea across to than mine.  If you've only been on the Zoloft for a couple months, coming down off of it should not be too intense, but those SSRI type drugs can mess with your head if you cold-turkey them.  If you cannot get suport from your doc, and you decide to quit them, at the very least, read everytyhing you can find on the web _written by MDs, _and try to make some intelligent decisions.  What I decided was an extremely slow down-dosing over a period of several months to get off it.  It worked for me, but I still can't recommend it to anyone else.  Try your best to get your doc on-board with the idea, and keep in close touch with him(her).

Good luck.


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## nestlechocolate (Sep 22, 2009)

I do know that no one but a doctor can give advice, the reason I posted here was because I didn't want to spend $60 to $100+ on a doctor's appt just to be told it's a bad idea and not get a presb. I was hoping to hear from anyone else with PTSD, depression, anxiety - and I did   THANK YOU.  I don't want to be on the meds for the rest of my life and even if I never get over PSTD / anxiety 100% I would rather choose MJ than western med chemicals once I get over this mountain.


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## wmmeyer (Sep 22, 2009)

nestlechocolate said:
			
		

> I do know that no one but a doctor can give advice, the reason I posted here was because I didn't want to spend $60 to $100+ on a doctor's appt just to be told it's a bad idea and not get a presb. I was hoping to hear from anyone else with PTSD, depression, anxiety - and I did THANK YOU. I don't want to be on the meds for the rest of my life and even if I never get over PSTD / anxiety 100% I would rather choose MJ than western med chemicals once I get over this mountain.


 
I share your and other's opinions that I'd rather use weed than something from a pharmaceutical crockpot.  All I can tell you is that I felt strongly enough about it to, against my doc's advice, take myself off the meds and put myself on the MJ.  And it worked just fine for me, no bad side effects, and I feel much better than when I was on the meds.  The forum rules forbid me to use the language to tell you how I really feel about the docs, medical profession and the pharmaceuticals.  All that said, its still not prudent for me to tell you to "Go for it", but I hope you make that decision after giving it careful consideration.


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