Cannabis and gout
i am a regular cannabis user and i have found, throughmany months and years of research, that cannabis willnot actually bring on an attack on its own, but if youare suffering an attack, it can make the pain worse.whether this is due to foreign bodies in the bloodstream or due to a heightened sensory level because ofthe effects, i do not know.
my advice would be to puff away until you get anattack, then stop till it clears up.
one more point. there are two basic types of cannabis,there is the solid block (usually called “hash”) thatyou can get, or the dried leaves (usually called”weed”). the hash, i have found, has worse negativeeffects than the weed.
and it was nice to see that everybody completelyblanked me on the “work and gout” issue i raised lastweek. has no-one had a job lost or career ruinedthrough continuous gout attacks? damn.
Malia Berthelette on September 12th, 2007
Didn’t mean to “blank” you. But, no, I’ve not lost a job or opportunity due togout.
I have only had 3 attacks though, and the first two only lasted one day. Themost recent one several months ago still threatens to never completelydissipate, but it is not painful on a daily or even weekly basis anymore. AllI have today for symptoms is a redness on the left foot great toe joint.
BTW, the black cherry extract, celery seed extract, and cranberry juice are allhelping to reduce the discomfort. Thanks for the suggestions everyone.
Sabina Shamel on September 13th, 2007
Perhaps job loss might be a result of something other than a goutattack.
Tetrahydrocananibinol, is known to impair conventional, and to mostpeoples way of looking at it, normal, functionality, such as properettiquette when answering the phone, ability to manage numbers,ability to plan events and then to execute properly on said plan.
Legally you can be fired for positive tests for cannabinol, and thatlegally offending trace will last for up to 10 days. The psychoactivelevel is, however, usually removed after only 48 unless there hasbeen prolonged exposure, which allows the cannabol to penetrate intothe fatty tissue in which case, the psychoactive effect can beesperienced for many months after removing the source contamination.
Do you really expect an employer to keep you on the payroll when youconsistantly show up for work high. If you get high on cannibas onWednesday night, you will still high on thursday morning. The rush isgone but it can be proven chemically with blood tests, as well aswith rigorous psychological testing, that you are stillquite “intoxicated” the day after.
Malia Berthelette on September 13th, 2007
I am not, nor have I ever been a user of Cannabis. Despite this, I wasoffended by your presumption Walter. You have no idea why Dave is using it, orhow responsible his use of it is, and you immediately judge him in a sarcasticmanner. There are many people in the world who use cannabis medicinally, someof them under the advice of a physician.
How many people who use it recreationally would post about such in a publicforum related to healthcare? (say it isn’t so Dave! :D)
Please remember this is an international forum. What is legal or illegal inyour jurisdiction is irrelevant to many of the rest of us. I happen to be fromCanada, which is just now changing it’s laws regaarding this drug.
Now I am going to be presumptuous, as well, and ask you to pleasekeep “American war on drugs politics” out of this forum. Especially if yourecommend allopurinol regularly. Sorry if I’ve offended.
Terrance Molock on September 15th, 2007
Oh brother..I thought for a MERE SECOND..wishfull thinking.. thatyou..maybe perhaps as I would/might..I thought before I read yourpost that there would be a discussion of MAYBE..the chemicalingredients of pot..maybe they’re effect chemically..maybe..on thejoint fluid(SYNOVIAL FLUID)..maybe on the basics of gout/mechanics.. Nope..you start yammerring on about the negative effects ofpot..like this is the place?Ok girls and boys we are now going tostudy “Refer Madness” Does this matter if this person smokes dope..pot..whatever.Whocares..whose business is that?I don’t even know this person..but ifhe posted that..I don’t care what it is..helped with gout pain..THENGOOD!..AND I would have done it/tried it..yes I have hadDemerol,Morphine..and I think everything everything else under thesun..and yes..the “ERB” can now be medicinally prescribed here forpain..buddy..I do not use abuse drugs..but I gotta tell ya..if I wentto my Dr. first thing in the morning and told him I was having goutattacks and wanted this..you know what?I’d have that script in myhand faster than anyone else..I gotta big strong chest/lungs..andI’ld be heavin’ on that sucker that’d make the orignal poster of thispost feel like HE was the one that wrote “Reefer Madness”
“Perhaps job loss might be a result of something other than a goutattack” JOB LOSS?..I am self employed..I need to be able to walk..amongsta lot of other things..8 out of 20 months in bed 20 hrs a day..March09 2001 to Sept 23 2002..I am on this group..no ok it wasn’t gout..Iwas high studying “Reefer Madness” JOB LOSS?..oh you mean you can’t walk..disability..I walked about2 out of the first 7 months after my 5th attack..I had 30prescriptions in 6 months..and I had some VERY serious drugreactions/interactions.. After 7 months..I was STILL fighting this like a tiger..both myhands and feet were so swollen from gout that I was offerred apermanent disability..I had never even mentioned this.I saw a lot ofspecialists..at the end of the road it was..”There is nothing morethat can be done for your gout..stay on allopurinol..hope itworks..come back immediately if you have any more serious sideeffects from the other drugs”
And you were saying what?That maybe the job loss could be dueto..I’ll extrapolate..for you.dope.
So many people have been under the influence of dope doing theirjobs..almost all of us never even knew.
Legally you can be fired? Go back to sleep..I come from a legal background.No employer intheir right mind would dare fire anyone for drugs/alcohol..unless itwas intimidation..or an extreme/severe/repeat offender. Lawyers love this stuff..these cases..do some research onjurisprudence. Pretty much taken hold in every medium to large size company inthe world.Doesn’t matter how you or I or anyone else feels aboutit.People on/abusing drugs/alcohol..they are viewed as sick..and haveto be helped..by the company. “Legally offending traces”..there are not yet ways to accuratelydetect/monitor..certain “set” traces..true there are blood tests..notfor amounts though..almost all convictions are based on policeofficers testifying about the effects ONLY. 10 days?..at least 10 years ago history was made when a longhaul trucker was fired for having thc in his bloodstream.The courtwas told it was picked up 30 days after the alleged offence.Thistruck driver did not smoke dope.He had changed off a truck on theroad.The previous driver had smoked a joint in the cab.This driverhad breathed this in.It was enough for a drug test to pick it up..30days later.Can you spell lawsuuit? The psychoactive effect can be experienced for manymonths?..HUNH? the users only wish. Dope..(I hope no-one is offended by this term..I don’t mean any..)(( dope is dope..I mean the king of gout attack drugs is prettyharmless..right?..What is the difference between too muchcolchicineand radiation poisoning..?NONE..both involve signifigantcell death..especially white blood cells) Because dope(I better call it MARYJWANNA)..is still prettymuch “illegal”..whatever..the most active ingredient thc..theconcentration available to the smoker is so inconsistent..there arepractically no set legal standards for the amount of it in yourbloodstream..they have been talking for years and years aboutstandards/breath units.. Just watch out for those guys eating mints..and oh yeah..you guyswatch out for “Rover” and his handler..and keep that Visine and darkglasses handy..
Karan Tepezano on September 16th, 2007
i have found that in certain situations, weed can makegout better, and in some situations make it worse.
i would say that the actual pain levels at the sourceof the attack, in my foot or hand or whatever (goutseems to like my right foot and right hand most of thetime these days) -increase slightly, but the rest ofmy body can relax, rather than being in a constantstate of muscular tension in case i knock it. so theactual gout pain gets a miniscule amount worse, butthe overall effect is that you care about the painless, your mind wanders more (which will reduce howmuch you feel the pain) and overall i find itbeneficial.
note, if i am in the middle of a raging,i-want-the-doctor-to-cut-my-hand-off attack, i wouldnttouch it, just in case.
Jonas Laramore on September 17th, 2007
I guess many illegal drugs or pain medications could be listed as socalled “good” for gout if we are meaning that it relieves the pain. Igot some great relief from Vicadin(sp?) during my last attack. Iwouldn’t exactly call it “good” since it doesn’t break up those littlecrystals or lower the uric acid in the blood. I’m sure there arestronger pain killers out there, like morphine. They gave us that inthe military so people with limbs blown off in combat wouldn’t feel itor care about it. The pain of gout sure seems to haunt the mindrelentlessly and I imagine anything that can bring quiet to thisconstant noise must be equivalent to finding the holy grail.
Terrance Molock on September 17th, 2007
Gout pain is actually almost in a league of it’s own..not just insavagery..but in the “feeling of pain mechanism”..I had thisexplained to me when I was hospitalized and was givendemerol..nothing..then morphine..nothing.I really know nothing aboutthis but it was explained that the “pain receptors”..were somehowtied into the bodies natural basic defense..the white blood cells.ANDit was really a case of the white blood cells themselves causing theproblem..the attack.Different peoples individual body chemistryreacting differently.The white blood cells are just doing theirjob..recognizing and trying to deal with foreign bodies.Turning offthis attack..colchicine.. is the best way
Sabina Shamel on September 18th, 2007
Legally you can be fired?No employer inI wonder what planet you live on. An employer is required to offerrehabilitation and it is often offered. Being fired for one or theother is common indeed.
You are correct too that it is tricky. Therefore, if an employeeshows up for work every day drunk, performs at way below therequirements for their job and then, for three weeks in a row thatemployee doesn’t come to work because of gout. Do you think anemployer might use the absence, regardless of the reason for theabsence, to get rid of a problem without the legal complication?
Mika Amedeo on September 19th, 2007
stop fighting, please, cause it’s most unpleasant andhostile in an environment where we are all trying toopen the conversation rather than close it!