Forum Discussion
Cannabis therapy : have you tried it? how do you access it? how effective is the treatment for you?
I would like to get an idea of how widespread cannabis therapy use is amongst people living with breast cancer. If there is enough interest, might we consider joining the broader discussion about medical cannabis access and legality.
It’s all well and good that legislation has been passed regarding access to medical cannabis but the reality is, few are able to access the scheme. My Oncologist and GP are both supportive of my cannabis use but told me it is difficult to access unless all other treatment options have been exhausted.
I started using medical cannabis about four months ago. I was motivated to explore the treatment after talking with another cancer patient who was having outstanding relief from cannabis oil. I hit doc Google hard for a number of months, reading and researching all I could about medical grade cannabis. I learned about the different strains of cannabis, about CBD, THC & CBN and the many different cannabis and hemp products now available I also learned that there are people selling ‘medical cannabis’ that has no active ingredients. So, a reliable supplier is very important.
I eventually discussed my thoughts about trying medical cannabis with my oncologist. He was supportive of my using it for pain management and asked where I planned to get it. The place I mentioned has been in the business for a long time and has a good reputation for supplying quality products. A lot of cancer patients in the region go there.
I take cbd paste for pain management and cannabis oil in the hope that it will kill off the Mets in my bones (oncologist not as optimistic as me re the oil). I have had outstanding results in terms of pain management. I was taking Palexia SR150 mg twice a day and Panadol osteo three times a day. For those unfamiliar with Palexia, it is a strong opioid used for managing pain - it effectively numbs pain and your brain. I now only take cannabis extract to manage my pain and I feel so much better. My bloods are normal and the disease is stable; I have Mets in my bones but all my organs are now clear :)
FYI - I am also taking Femara 2.5mg and Kisqali My health skyrocketed soon after starting this treatment. It seems the ulternative and conventional meds are working like a dream together.
I look forward to reading your stories. If it might be useful I will write a summary of our experiences
It’s all well and good that legislation has been passed regarding access to medical cannabis but the reality is, few are able to access the scheme. My Oncologist and GP are both supportive of my cannabis use but told me it is difficult to access unless all other treatment options have been exhausted.
I started using medical cannabis about four months ago. I was motivated to explore the treatment after talking with another cancer patient who was having outstanding relief from cannabis oil. I hit doc Google hard for a number of months, reading and researching all I could about medical grade cannabis. I learned about the different strains of cannabis, about CBD, THC & CBN and the many different cannabis and hemp products now available I also learned that there are people selling ‘medical cannabis’ that has no active ingredients. So, a reliable supplier is very important.
I eventually discussed my thoughts about trying medical cannabis with my oncologist. He was supportive of my using it for pain management and asked where I planned to get it. The place I mentioned has been in the business for a long time and has a good reputation for supplying quality products. A lot of cancer patients in the region go there.
I take cbd paste for pain management and cannabis oil in the hope that it will kill off the Mets in my bones (oncologist not as optimistic as me re the oil). I have had outstanding results in terms of pain management. I was taking Palexia SR150 mg twice a day and Panadol osteo three times a day. For those unfamiliar with Palexia, it is a strong opioid used for managing pain - it effectively numbs pain and your brain. I now only take cannabis extract to manage my pain and I feel so much better. My bloods are normal and the disease is stable; I have Mets in my bones but all my organs are now clear :)
FYI - I am also taking Femara 2.5mg and Kisqali My health skyrocketed soon after starting this treatment. It seems the ulternative and conventional meds are working like a dream together.
I look forward to reading your stories. If it might be useful I will write a summary of our experiences
43 Replies
- I am off to a cannibis webinar seminar today, my pain is under control currently but my friend with metastatic is struggling with lots of pain so hopefully we can get her onto this.
- Not sure if I mentioned before but I cannot take cbd oil anywhere near my heart med dose or it will negate the heart one. I leave at least 3 or 4 hours for the heart meds to be working before I take my once a day oil dose.
- I have been using CBD for a while now. My oncologist is very supportive and assures me it will not disrupt my hormone treatment. While I have not been able to totally get off my pain killers it has definitely help me reduce how much I take. Has also helped with sleeping and anxiety. I get mine from a reputable store that has been around a long time I was lucky enough to have it recommended to me by a friend who is a nurse
- Thank you so much for reporting all this here @jena. As my bone and joint pain seems to be worsening on Letrozole I wonder if this is an area I should look into.
- I’ve just returned home after a week away, spending time with my partner & close friends in Brisbane then our friends bush block. I walked heaps, around town and the Arts precinct - I really enjoyed the Asia Pacific Triennial. I managed pain so well that I’m amazed. The Althea oil is excellent; I’m sleeping very well. My micro dosing of different cannabis medicines throughout the day is working extremely well for me. While I need to walk with crutches because my broken pelvis is unstable, I can at least do some of the things I love doing. Just not skiing or cycling or hiking :/
I’m working on building the muscles in my pelvic floor so hopefully soon I’ll at least be back in my bike.
If you have any questions at all about how I am using cannabis as medicine, please don’t hesitate to private message me. I’m still learning and experimenting and would love to hear from any of you who are doing the same. - I’m glad for you that the cbd is helping. The great thing is, no damaging side effects to you body.
THC puts me to sleep & I don’t like the feeling much, so I only take it at night. I’ve made myself a daytime infusion in olive oil with THCa ( because it’s not activated it’s not psychoactive) CBD and CBDa The THCa has anti inflammatory properties - so far it seems to be working a treat alongside the super intense CBD paste I get. - Dose I think is whatever you personally can take. I am very drug sensitive and I have non Feco, the diluted in coconut oil one. It was only a couple of mls. It took ages to get to a 5ml dose. Mine is non THC tho, only CBD and that is whole of plant extract, not just bud. I began taking it for PTSD and anxiety when the normal happy pills from my psychiatrist gave me a reaction which swells my lymph nodes and panicked my surgeon and oncologist. I was sort of stuck between pleasing one or the other so the CBD oil pleased everyone.
- Hi @arpie. I thought the bottle you posted looked like 25ml. That is unbelievably expensive. At that price the poor person will be in the poor house in no time!!
So far I am impressed with the Althea oil. I’m currently taking 0.75 ml each night alongside cbd paste. I’m sleeping well, right through the night, and waking feeling fabulous (not like healthy days gone by but as good as it gets theee days). So if my current dosage is about right, I have more like 8 months supply :)
I have a badly broken pelvis, a section is floating about causing unpredictable pain. It recently got a lot worse. I take micro doses of cbd throughout the day, a strategy that is working well for me. - How wonderful, @jena - please let us know how you go!
Well done on getting the other bottle too!! So it is a 1ml dose, daily? So that should last you 6 months+!!
The other bottle looks only 25ml Volume? So yours is more price effective! - @arpie thank you Do you happen to know what size the bottle in the photo is?
I got my medical cannabis yesterday. At last. My pharmacy was amazing They were keen to supply medical cannabis because they have had many enquires, they now have all the official business in place to supply their customers.
I paid $540 for a 100 ml bottle.
So ... I was paying $19.16 per ml The legal medicine cost me $5.40 per ml. So I was paying 3.5 times more. Assuming I take 1ml every evening, I’m saving $13.76 a day.
Because of a mixup with my prescription and delays, the company has generously given me a second bottle. You might imagine how happy I am.
I have been assured by Cannvalate staff that their systems have improved and they recently employed more staff. So I’ll happily recommend the company. All other patient reviews have been excellent so I think I was just darn unlucky with delays
Because I can only get one prescription legally, I will still obtain my cbd from the Australian Cannabis University. I think next time I’ll talk to the doctor about getting a full spectrum oil.
