Exploring options for pain relief. My 84 y.o grandfather has severe osteoarthritis (OA). Anyone have any positive experiences of using cannabis to relieve severe OA pain?

Trippy

- 8mth

Rep: 3941   Lvl: Gold

Hello, I am currently managing pain symptoms for Neuropathic pain caused by Cartledge degeneration in both knees. 12 months ago I could barely walk up and down 2 flights of stairs without stopping because of the pain. CBPMS daily with physio therapy has allowed me to get back into the gym, lose 20 kgs in the last year and now I can go up and down stairs mostly pain free.

I can give my own anecdotal evidence for my condition which sounds similar, although your grandfather sounds like he is in a much worse state. The cannabis medicine really does help for me, the pain relief is almost instantaneous. Sometimes its complete pain relief but on average I would say the symptoms subside by at least 50-70% if I had to give you a quantitive figure, which is enough to get on with your day in a happy way.



I was also previously prescribed Naproxen with Lansoprazole but I found the side effects were too much also, although it did help a little.

It sounds to me that your grandfather would already qualify for a private prescription as you mention he has already tried a bunch of treatments for the condition and you only need to try 2. They don't have to be medicines, just treatments for that condition.

The only thing I would caution at the moment, is that you mentioned your grandfather was on a waiting list for surgery. When the time comes for consultation with the surgeon and/or anaesthesiologist, its important to let them know of the CBPM's which you are prescribed as they can interfere with how much Anastasia a person may need during an operation.

from here I would look at getting all your grandfathers medical history relating to the bad knees and evidence of all past treatments. You can request this from his GP and they must provide it to you. Then contact any of the private clinics with this information and they will help guide you and your grandpa on the application process.

I am with Cantourage Clinic, and overall I have been pretty happy with them. Hope this information can help, don't hesitate to PM me if you want more information/help.

Charlesfluit

- 8mth

Rep: 4074   Lvl: Gold

I have severe OA too. In both knees. I had a total knee replacement about 5 years ago which also failed.

Before medical cannabis, I was a wheelchair user around 70% of the time. My car is adapted so I drive with my hands and I have a wheelchair hoist on my roof. My maximum distance on foot was from my bedroom to the bathroom, about 20 metres.

I had smoked black market cannabis for years, but had only felt any pain relief from concentrates. I didn't hold out much hope for the prescribed flower but the difference was so marked it was unbelievable.

I haven't used my wheelchair once for things like shopping or eating out. I do still use it if my alternative is having to stand for a prolonged period, or if I have a little further to travel. I often have to remind myself that it's not a cure as it's quite easy to overdo it and regret it later.

My mobility is drastically improved to the point that I can do my physio exercises without wincing from the pain, which in turn has added to my improved mobility.

If your grandfather is new to cannabis, it's likely he'll be prescribed sublingual oil. It's held under the tongue for as long as possible and builds up in his system over time. It takes a little longer to take effect as it needs to build up.

Personally, I've also gone from taking several mental health meds (I use it for both physical and mental health reasons) and pain killers including codeine, to only using medical cannabis. I'm not a walking zombie and feel I've been given my life back. Best of luck to your grandad

Ivano

- 8mth

Rep: 3589   Lvl: Gold

Another advocate. Working in the security forces for 25 years so I'm pretty riddle with it. Not as much as your poor grandad but still a lot of pain.. Naproxen is a bloody awful drug. It's horrid on the stomach. 5 puffs and instant pain relief for myself. I'm not a Dr but I'm certain your grandad would benefit. And it's not like naproxen or codeine etc. With them it dulls the pain for a couple of hours. With myself I get between 4/5 hours of relief with that little bit of usage. I would maybe ask for lower thc but again you would need to speak to the specialist, who are excellent. I would advise using integro as really really fast service. 5 days for me from application to prescription. Tbf I think most clinics are really great anyway. I hope you both have a great Friday today and a nice weekend.

KevinBop

- 8mth

Rep: 3739   Lvl: Gold

I can’t answer questions 1 and 2 but re question 3, if your grandfather has tried at least two meds or treatments and they haven’t worked then he will be eligible. Sounds like he must in awful amounts of pain poor guy.

Cappy8

- 8mth

Rep: 3781   Lvl: Gold

I am 38, and have severe OA in one hip, moderate in the other. I'll be having a replacement done next year.

I have swapped from Tramadol & Naproxen, to using cannabis as my primary pain relief, with some naproxen every now and again when I feel it's needed.

It does not completely remove the pain, but i have experienced significant relief from some strains...they help me sleep better (although I can still wake at 3am insignificant pain!) and makes it bearable.

The fact I have no had any opiates since June though should say it all :)

I can strongly recommend Adven EMT-3 for OA pain - it's the best i have tried, despite being one of the cheapest strains out there...I also have LA Kush Cake, which is miles "better" taste/looks wise, and sends me to sleep...but it does nothing for the pain, whereas EMT-3 just works.

I would say it's worth a try, and yes it's an easy application process if its for OA and there is medical history to show it.

ZebraGurl

- 8mth

Rep: 3791   Lvl: Gold

i had quite severe oa in my right hip whilst taking cannabis for something else. it wasnt quite at the full on bone on bone, but i had to use crutches / stick to walk and it was painful. the small amount of cannabis i was on didnt really touch it.

if i upped the dose it more kind of dissasociated from the pain. the pain is soo sharp and localised is the thing.

It may not help, and if it does, he may need such amounts that the side effects are quite, erm, powerful. IT IS CERTAINLY WORTH TRYING.

You wil have to pay for it.

The only cure is the knife i am afraid. it can actually be 'easier' for elder people since they use smaller implants with cement. My new hip is not cemented - the implant is much larger and recovery can be 'difficult'