Legalising Cannabis for medicinal purposes ??

[AnyDream]

CQ, I know there is a cannibis (I think) based mouth wash that is used by some patients to treat severe ulceration side effects, but I'm not sure whether there are any other derivative, pharmacologically-dosed products also available here. It might be worth enquiring about via his pal care team, in case there are any clinical trials going on, or other related info that might be helpful to DP about getting maximum mileage from his meds, prescribed or otherwise.

BTW - on the oxycontin side of things - often once a pain control point is reached, it's possible to reduce the meds gradually until a balance is struck between pain relief and being more 'with it'. Some of the BC ladies have said they achieve much better pain control with more functioning by rearranging the times and dosages.

You might find this interesting reading (sets out hte cannabis laws from state to state).

Been wondering where you got to and how it was all going .

[C~Q]

BTW - on the oxycontin side of things - often once a pain control point is reached, it's possible to reduce the meds gradually until a balance is struck between pain relief and being more 'with it'. Some of the BC ladies have said they achieve much better pain control with more functioning by rearranging the times and dosages.
Been wondering where you got to and how it was all going .

So do you mean reducing the amount he takes (he's actually not taking it anyway...decided against it, he has a big infection in the ear atm and the antibiotics he's taking are making him feel heaps better) or just rearranging when he takes it?

I think he needs a new team...they seem to have a very flippant attitude since he won't do anything they say lol and don't really seem to care what happens. It's kind of their way or the highway

Thanks for those links although how does this

The following states and territories have decriminalised minor cannabis offences. Any cannabis offence is still illegal in these areas

make sense??

[AnyDream]

It mean's it's not technically legal but you won't get a criminal record or a jail term if you're caught doing it within those parameters.

Re the oxycontin- a bit of both. It might mean taking less but taking it more often. Often they just prescribe a particular amount based on your body weight and their perception of the level of pain the patient has, but different people are more sensitive (ie have more receptors in their brains) than others. One lady I know chopped her dose in HALF and still got a tolerable pain coverage (ok so maybe not 100% pain free but close enough) but then she was able to function. The BC ladies also talk quite a lot about some kind of transdermal patch that works well for a lot of people with chronic pain.

It might help for DP to have a chat specifically about how he feels about the level of support he is getting. He is fully entitled to ask for more help managing his pain, regardless of other treatment choices he has made. Contacting a social worker to act as an advocate might be helpful at this stage, in opening the lines of communication with the team.

One thing I found really helpful when I was going through treatment was I insisted on making it personal. Every single encounter I had during that time, I made sure I asked their name. I told them something about myself and asked them questions about their day, their lives, whatever. I told them snippets of my story. This meant each and everyone of them was dealing with me as a person, not a patient. I deserve that and so I required that of the people around me. But I was also prepared to have that conversation too.