So I just wanted to share what’s happening with me and why it is so, so important to be hyper vigilant of any pain or discomfort, no matter how mild, while on MJ.
I started MJ mid October, and last Wednesday was due to take my 5th jab (first 5mg after taking 4 weeks of 2.5mg). However, Monday I started getting a strange throbbing discomfort in my upper right abdomen. I say discomfort because it was a niggle more than painful. I didn’t feel unwell at all. I had been having a lot of wind and digestive side effects from the MJ, so put it down to wind pain as it was coming and going. I’d also slipped in the kitchen and thought maybe I’d pulled something. But by the Tuesday it hadn’t resolved and the weird pain was coming more frequently. If I hadn’t been taking MJ I’m not sure I’d have even thought on it, but I know upper abdominal pain or discomfort isn’t one to ignore. When it hadn’t subsided by the Wednesday I decided to not take my jab as usual and instead contacted my prescriber for advice. They said any upper abdominal pain, even mild, to see my GP due to the risk of complications with gallbladder disease and pancreatitis.
I had a telephone GP appointment on the Thursday morning and my GP basically said you’d be in agony if it was pancreatitis or gallstones but she couldn’t advise any further as it should be the prescribing doctor I should be speaking to about whether it’s safe to continue this medication.
So, I contacted my prescriber and a doctor messaged me back a day later asking did the GP do bloods or examine me (no) and if not they should if the side effects persist, and I should stop taking the medication for a couple of weeks and certainly not increase to 5mg if I decide to continue. She also said I should absolutely not try and get a 2.5mg dose out of my 5mg pen, the dosing won’t be accurate and is unsafe. I should order another 2.5mg pen instead when/if the time comes.
I started to notice the pain coming and going alongside my wind, so thought maybe it is just bad wind pain. It was the weekend so I left it and carried on as normal, still felt fine in myself, trying to ignore the niggling anxiety I was having at the thought of it being something serious (don’t Google!). By Saturday night it had evolved into a dull ache starting under my right ribs and going round to my back, occasionally throbbing. I definitely wasn’t in agony, more uncomfortable, but for the first time I considered pain killers or a warm compress to help me sleep.
So today I saw my GP in person (a different one to last week and one I’ve had before). She was lovely and very interested in my MJ experience, how much weight I’d lost, what it was like etc. She wasn’t worried about wind or digestive issues - she said that’s common in MJ patients and spoke like she’d dealt with them before. However, she told me my pain sounds like classic liver pain to her and she’s concerned. She explained that all medications are metabolised in the liver, and sometimes the liver can react badly to them and start to cause pain, inflammation and problems. MJ is a strong medication so this is a possibility, and any liver complications are serious.
Of course now I’m panicking. I’m in my early 30s and have a 2 year old. I started to fear that in trying take control of my health for my son and head off any obesity-related health problems, I’ve actually damaged it even worse. She reassured me and said I’d done everything right - I’d gone through a registered pharmacy/online doctor to get MJ, had taken it correctly, been very aware of any side effects and hadn’t waited for them to get more severe or painful before stopping the medication immediately and seeking advice. She has referred me to get bloods done, she wanted them done this week - if it is my liver catching it early is key - but earliest appointment is next Tuesday. Then if they show anything with my liver it’ll be a scan, and if they don’t it’ll still be a scan anyway to check other organs in that area, like kidneys etc. I got quite upset and she reassured me that if it is liver issues caused by MJ, then stopping the medication and getting it out my system should sort it and I’ll just need monitoring, especially as I’ve been so quick at realising something wasn’t right. But now I’m thinking, well I haven’t lived the healthiest lifestyle with my nutrition over the last 2-3 years since I gained the weight (I’m not obese and on MJ for nothing) and maybe it’s caught up to me. So now it’s a waiting game. I didn’t think mild discomfort could be anything serious. I still don’t feel ill - I’m eating and exercising and going to work as usual. Tbh, at most I thought I’d be told I had trapped wind, a pulled muscle or a kidney infection, given antibiotics and sent on my way.
So this is my advice to please, please, be super aware of any side effects, pain and discomfort, however mild. MJ is an amazing medication but it’s a very strong one, and I’m gutted my body hasn’t agreed with it. If in doubt better to be safe than sorry and see a doctor! I think this is the end of my MJ journey. Even if the tests come back clear or it’s something completely unrelated to MJ, I don’t think I can cope with the worry and anxiety over every little niggle now I know what it could mean.