Medical cannabis (such as Curaleaf) has anyone tried this?

[CaraVann]

For many. many years I have struggled with several health issues which are making me miserable.

I have tried so many things to help, I eat well, drink only water, I exercise, I keep my weight down, go to bed at a reasonable hour and do all the things we are supposed to do for good health and well-being but still I struggle.

I have adhd, have struggled with anxiety and depression for most of my life, I have endometriosis and adenomyosis, awful daily IBS and hypermobile joints (possibly EDS). Thrown in perimenopause (I am 52 and have been in peri for 7 years) and it's fair to say that I feel like shit every day. I have tried hrt but it made the endo worse and have now been advised by my gynae not to take it.

I am also under a lot of stress helping to care for a parent with dementia and cancer which is certainly not helping my issues.

I have tried anti-depressants (they make me feel awful in the gut and exacerbate my digestive issues) and many off the shelf products. Years of counselling and endless cbt for my anxiety/depression. I exercise, listen to hypnotherapy and the Calm app every night. I also practise yoga every evening too.

Nothing has had a long term positive impact on any of my issues.

I am seriously considering something like Curaleaf medical cannabis. I have never tried drugs at all and the idea does scare me but I really don't know what else to do and I am getting nowhere with the NHS.

Has anyone tried this? Has it helped your health condition?

I tried it and found it made my pain worse. It messed with my low blood pressure as well, .

Cannabis use can make mental health conditions worse, and unfortunately it isn’t necessarily reversed when you stop. I do not know if prescription cannabis is different somehow but friends son went through hell after taking the street stuff and is on lifelong mental health medication now, his consultant says it was underlying susceptibility triggered by cannabis

My DD is 19 and is neurodivergent and uses Curaleaf to help with her anxiety and to sleep. It has helped her an awful lot with no side effects. She has a vape for use if she needs it during the day and then a different strain to help her sleep. At first I was really opposed to it as I work with children who are being exploited but who get into risky situations because they are using street cannabis to self medicate. But honestly the change in DD has been miraculous

Nothing wrong with @Bebeemerald’s thinking skills!

Your post is very ignorant. I suggest a quick google for you to put your mind at rest while you put your pearls down.

OP, I’ve been taking prescribed medical cannabis for 18 months now. It helps with chronic pain, insomnia and CPTSD. It’s been life changing for me and has enabled me to come off some other medications that had nasty side effects. Book a consultation and see how you get on. As other posters have mentioned, finding the right treatment pathway and product can be a bit of a journey, but once you get there it can have wonderful effects, and alleviate many issues. Ive even lost a healthy amount of weight, which has helped massively in areas I didn’t realise were causing problems.

Good luck, and I hope you find something that works for you! And ignore anyone that tries to infer you are wrong as ‘drugs are baaad didn’t you know’

Family member uses Releaf to get cannabis prescriptions for a chronic health condition. They have found the consultations and prescriptions very helpful. Releaf also provided legal advice and certificates for the medication when travelling. The family GP is informed, as is the consultant overseeing the chronic condition.

There is nothing "dodgy" or "criminal" about any of it - for those unclear about prescribed medications.