I have been on Gabapentin for about 5 years and it makes a difference in my severe neuropathy . If I run out I start feeling like I have bugs crawling all over me. I started using thc about a year ago and it helps with my pain and after using it many times per day, it doesn’t seem to make me feel very “high” anymore but really helps my pain and anxiety issues. I find it ridiculous that I have to break the law to get relief. I am a homebody and not a danger to society in any way. I don’t go out driving and nobody would know I’m using thc without me telling them. By the way, my thc cost literally pennies on the dollar compared to my legal meds, even with decent insurance.
" By the way, my thc cost literally pennies on the dollar compared to my legal meds, even with decent insurance." Therein lies the answer to this illogical and foolish Governmental approach to cannabis. The real problem they are addressing, by restricting cannabis, is the risk to the profits of the Pharmaceutical industry. Cannabis is so effective for such a variety of medical conditions, their concern is understandable, but is not in the interests of people in pain, children with severe epilepsy, women with menstrual pain, and people with anxiety, suffering from panic attacks, experiencing suicidal thoughts, or undergoing chemotherapy for cancer.
@@bkrharold they hope to hide behind their corporations from judgement from God almighty. When Obama was President he gave power to corporations to become legal citizens like as is the corporation is a human being. That means that “human being” can live forever. The AntiChrist system is made up of corporations and a “evil genius”
You are aware that you are addicted to them right? Everything that you're experiencing is called detox. Something that everybody should think about is this is no matter how good drugs make you feel they will make you feel just as bad without them, once you are addicted.. that is sad they do this to yinz and don't have to pay the piper. For all of the people that got addicted to medications that doctors took oaks against doing, Should never have to work another day in their lives and and should also get that medication with no questions asked for the rest of their lives. If you want these companies like Johnson and Johnson and pfizer to pay. That would be fair. The amount of lives that were ruined/lost, on both sides the seller and the buyer, due to their lies.. The families that were destroyed. THE COMMUNITIES that were destroyed..
I am a veteran who lost my right leg over 5 years ago. I have severe phantom pain since the amputation! The VA prescribed to gabapentin to treat my severe phantom pain, but was doing little to help it. I was also concerned about the side effects from using gabapentin. One night after experiencing another severe episode of phantom pain, I smoked some pot! Within 15m my phantom pain stopped miraculously. My bro, who I was riding with on a road trip, noticed it as I did. This was 4 years ago. I totally agree with this presentation is essential. The only side effects that occurred, was laughter, enjoyment of being pain free, and had a nice appetite back!
I'm a lucky veteran that served during peacetime. Long time cannabis advocate. My gf has cancer and it's the only thing that truly makes her feel better. God Bless you and take care.
… from one vet to another. Thank you for your service. I have PTSD from multiple combat tours. Cannabis helps with my panic attacks, irrationality and allows me to cope with most stupidity from people.
Anorexia survivor here. I was stuck in the modern medicine cycle without any signs of recovery regardless of my desire to be well. 18 years ago I secretly started using a few puffs of cannabis 30 minutes before meal times and gained 10 pounds in one week! I ditched my doctors and have been recovery’s ever since ❤ Today I am a healthy 125lbs and have a healthy relationship with food without the use of cannabis.
I have chronic wasting disease without it, so I completely lose my appetite compounded with continual nausea - cannabis saved my life. Thankful to hear it saved yours. Have always said, every person with an eating disorder should be prescribed medical cannabis - anorexia is known to be brought on by an endocannabinoid deficiency, and only makes sense to do exactly what you did.
Weed gives me an appetite as the painkillers I take affects my eating. It also helps me relax so I can sleep. In 45 years it's never done me any harm. Thank God for weed.
I've heard someone close to a beautiful minority culture that they say it's proof the Creator loves us! A symbol of abundance as well how it grows... which is totally the truth. I guess we don't call it "weed" for no reason!
@@daveisnotmyname5508 yeah same here I mean l often get super hungry after smoking some weed but the benzo Munchies just blow it the fuck out of the water. I'll eat a chair, then forget.
I've smoked it most of my life and have a weed card from the Dr but as I get older and my paranoia gets worse, I find it adding to my skitzooness haha ha I may have created a word !? SO I have to pass on grass ! But im from meigs county Ohio and have 2 lifetimee worth of weed but I could roll it and smell it and play with it all day long!
I blew out my back in 2000 and was treated at the VA for years. So many pills (29/day)... Ultram, Flexaril, Zoloft, Gabapentin, oxycontin, Morphine, and the next step was Methadone! I refused to go under the knife and requested medical cannabis. Can't get in South Dakota, Minnesota or Iowa, so I moved to California! I've taken only 7 naproxen in the past 8years! I smoke the cannabis from morning til night! And I'm still mobile! Had I gone with the surgery, I would have been in a wheelchair today. The world needs to open their minds to the natural medicine that is provided by our CREATOR above!
I do understand that it's NOT for everyone! Everyone reacts differently, because WE'RE ALL totally unique... just like everyone else! ALWAYS start with small amounts, and gradually increase until you get relief.
Fascinating. I'm a nurse and I suffer from chronic neuropathic pain. I was first tried on Lyrica to no avail. Later my spine surgeon tried Gabapentin and the pain switch was turned off. Amazing......but I was tired and started having memory problems so staying on the medication wasn't worth it. My GP wants me to try Cannabis but as a nurse I'd be fired if it showed up on a drug test. Hopefully someday the stigma will subside and patient needs will be considered.
Hi. I had severe neuropathy after lumbar and cervical (neck) surgery. I do not take any medication if it even has a chance of being addictive. I managed to cure my neuropathy with no drugs by using a natural-bristle shower brush and a super emollient liquid soap. I massaged the most painful area extremely vigorously at least once per day, and within 2 weeks , 90% of the pain was gone. In 6 months, maybe less, it was completely gone. I have been pain-free since 2009, and my surgery was in December 2008. I urge you to try this. It was life-changing for me.
@@colleenuchiyama4916 thank you for the recommendations. I'm going to try the brush method and look into CBD. I've been wary of it for the same reason but it's worth investigating.
I took 600mg of gabapentin at night for my facial and foot neuropathy. It helped me sleep and the positive effects lasted into the next day without tiredness or cognitive issues. It actually made me feel a little more energized. Didn’t get rid of the symptoms completely but greatly lessened them. Worked for me well. You can play around with the dosage according to what works for you. One person in the comments said he takes 2400 mg at night, I only needed 600. My neuropathy has improved by 85% now due, I think, to a move out of a house which I didn’t know was affecting my health due to mold. I take gabapentin only once every day or so now.
Cannabis dramatically decreases my PTSD symptoms. Better than anything the VA has prescribed me. I've had two in my military unit commit suicide due to MAOI inhibitors they were prescribed back in the late '90s and early 2000. Cannabis works and it is my belief that had my two brothers been prescribed it, they'd still be here today. BIG PHARMA KILLS!
I have childhood CPTSD from multiple causes, and repeated aspects of the abuse in adult relationships. A few of the psych meds I've tried were helpful. Some made it much worse. Several meds, including gabapentin, made me feel foggy and apathetic. Loved ones said I seemed like a zombie, or as if my personality was gone. Major memory problems, apathy, no ambition. Psychiatrists said me wanting to be alert and happy was a sign that I was bipolar and craving mania. I hate medical gaslighting. Cannabis doesn't fix everything, but I've never experienced a negative side effect. It helps me cope with physical and emotional pain, insomnia, nausea, anxiety, etc. I trust it more than pharmaceuticals.
I was prescribed Gabapentin for Diabetic Neuropathy and Fibromyalgia and it has been a life saver for me. It works so well for me. I do experience side effects like dizziness, coordination issues, and other things you mentioned. For this reason I take a higher dosage at night and a low dosage during the day. The higher dosage at night helps me sleep, which has been a huge help. I went off of Gabapentin for a short time, but could not handle the pain from my conditions any longer and went back on it. It is the only thing that gives me any relief, other than Norco or Vicodin. I understand it does not work for everyone, but for me, it has been a game changer. Thank you for your video.
Last few years I slowly reduced Gabapentin to only taking 3x100mg day; 1 in morning and 2 at night. I was prescribed 12 daily for nerve pains due to a back condition, but they were making me too sleepy and made put on weight. Below the 3 daily the nerve pain resumes though. I lost over 10kg just by reducing the Gabapentin from 12 to only 3 daily. I used to take low dose 10mg codeine, mostly of an evening for pain relief at night, but I weaned myself off those without any withdrawals. When I told my pain medicine doctor that I didn’t think it was the codeine that helped that much, but perhaps the doxylamine succinate that was in them he prescribed that. I find that is more effective than codeine or the low dose Gabapentin actually, but I only take one 25mg of an evening as it can make you sleepy. Suggest ask your GP if you have disturbed sleep due to restless legs type discomfort, as I have found it to be an effective muscle type relaxant. Makes a difference for me.
I'm 62 and only started smoking pot 2 years ago. I have neuropathic pain and it's getting worse as winter approaches. Today I talked to my doctor and I have scheduled a session to talk about Gabapentin. I've already decided I'm not going to use it. I smoke low-thc and high-cbd period and last night within half-an-hour my pain was gone. It is such a relief I could almost cry. This video has helped me make my decision. Thank you so much
So without ever talking about the benefits of gabapentin, you've made your mind up? So why do you even go to the Dr.? I don't care what you do, but you sound like a moron to me.
same with my back injury. Gaba made me a thought less fool, uncoordinated, i had to stop taking it. Weed is great helps with my depression from not being able and being forced to quit my work, truck driver, so i smoke weed, to get through the day. Stops the constant pain and helps with my mood swings from the pain. NOTHING helps except Oxycontin and weed and you absolutely can not get a doctor to prescribe Oxycontin which i was on daily for years and controlled my severe back pain from a ruptured disk into my sciatic nerve and separated it like pealing a banana. the pain was severe in as much as passing out. Weed controls this pain well enough to actually walk around with out passing out from the pain.
Si do I go to a dispensary and ask for low thc , and high cbd? Is it easy to find? High thc doesn’t help me. I have severe facial neuropathic pain. Thanks
After a fracture of my L3 at age 24, I was prescribed a combination of a high dose of gabapentin (can’t recall the amount but I know it was toward the upper limits) and hydrocodone. Not only did it not resolve the constant pain, it ruined my life . I survived and have been off all medications for 4 years. The US healthcare system (and I use that term loosely as it is really a business) is incredibly broken and corrupt.
I compression fractured my 3 lowest lumbars at 21 (2009) and a couple dozen other bones in a car wreck. Tried me on benzos for seizures and gabapentin for my neuropathy after years. Went without anything for a few years but as soon as I saw a doctor they would prescribe me anything and I never took more than a few days worth. Get that pain you probably know where it feels like someone pours hot grease inside my leg sporadically. I don't get the nerve pain hardly ever if I smoke or eat edibles....our system is so bad.
You should check out Canadian doctors they’ve got more patients than they know what to do with because we don’t have to pay for any of it so they will prescribe you a pill and if you have a problem with that pill rather than change it they will prescribe you another pills to help with the first pill every single person in Canada takes a handful of pills every day and none of us have a goddamn clue what they truly do to us yeah your guys healthcare is bad but free healthcare can be much more treacherous because everything is free we will just literally swallow whatever they tell us to and between pharmacies and doctors they are constantly trying to get you to swallow more I could probably eat one bag of Ramen a day and never get hungry and I’ve been fighting for years to get off of this shit that’s the real battle they will not let you it’s unbelievable no matter what you say or do their answer is well try this pill
@stephen miller Oxycodone is an opioid medication used for treatment of moderate to severe pain. It is highly addictive and is commonly used recreationally by people who have an opioid use disorder.
I've been on gabapentin since I was probably 13. I'm 29 now. I've had my dose upped so many times. I have tried to get off of it slowly, but it caused my pain to be terrible. But I think now it was withdrawal, not actually my nerve pain/chronic migraine. Thank you so much for this video! I'll be doing more research and talking to my doctor!
I have neurological pain. I was upping my dose of gaba and other pain meds for years and thought the same thing. Then I was told I had six months to live because I had a massive tumor in my spinal cord. I was 29. For years they were treating my symptoms but ignored doing any tests to find the cause and kept misdiagnosed me without any tests. Now that it is gone and I survived I have CRPS. I hope you find out what is causing your pain. If it is just withdrawals than count yourself lucky because that is something you can overcome, though difficult, through tapering. Good luck 🍀 😊🕊
@@genericamerican7574 I'm so glad they finally found the cause of your pain. And I'm glad you're still here! I know the causes of my pain, and recently talked to my doctor and I'm doing a really slow taper down on my gabapentin. ❤️
What you experienced was probably the rebound-effect where the condition being treated becomes worse when the treatment is removed. It is temporary. Doctors need to explain these things to patients.
you stop taking pain medication and the pain comes back. That's how that works. I've been on gabapentin for over 20 years and I still have never noticed any withdrawal symptoms.... pain and withdrawal are NOT the same thing. The pain is going to be there either way.
I live in the US and was a recreational user of cannibis illegally. I ruptured my lowest disc and had disc wrapped up up my nerve sac. After a micro-Disectomy was prescribed gabapentin. It took me all of 3 months to realize it did nothing. I took my remaining gabapentin and Percocet and gave it to my doctor. Told him I got more relief from lower back spasms and sciatica using cannibis. Was immediately added to a list of individuals they never prescribe opiates to agian for any reason and my doctor refused any further treatment of me and told me to find another general physician. I did. I use cannibis daily illegally still in conjunction with Cortezone shots into nerve sacs. Recieve two treatment injections 6months apart and it lasts around ten years before it has to be repeated. I currently have developed synovian cysts on my spine. Need injections again, but I’m forced to go through 6 months of physical therapy before they will perform the treatments. Medical system in US is disgusting profit mongering disgrace!
@@louisejones5773 yes if I wanted to see that doctor ,or be prescribed opiates for pain management. I’d have to provide thc free u.a.’s and blood labs. I live in a state where Cannibis is not legal for use medical or otherwise. It’s seldom that I still have pain that requires anything stronger then cannibis and I don’t really like using opiates painkillers. It does bother me that I had to find another doctor. Am treated like a drug addict being put on a list for treating myself with cannibis and refusing gabapentin and opiates.
@@louisejones5773 alot of doctors are criminals and satanists that want you on what THEY want you. and they need to keep you on it. Only ego in a meat sack. They will die tho so that is comforting
I've had 8 back surgeries. Was in pain management on fentanyl patches and perc 10s, gabapentin etc. Got sick of feeling sick, started medical cannabis and haven't been back to pain management since. My 8th procedure, a fusion of my L3-L4,L4-L5 vertebrae in summer of 2020, they referred me back to a pain specialist for opiates. I told them no thank you and went to a dispensary.
I am happy for you. I wish it would work that well for me. I never blacked out after they put me on fentanyl. Once they took me off over 9 years later I started blacking out from the pain every time I move. They don’t care. It has nothing to do with what is good for me. I have CRPS. It hurt more than dying from cancer ripping my spinal cord apart from the inside. I was given six months to live when they found it. I am in more pain now that I am in remission from the CRPS. I always wished something else would work as well but nothing does. Go figure opiates work better for severe pain. Fentanyl and morphine are amazing and powerful drugs that should be respected and used responsibility and appropriately.
I broken my neck about 4 years ago and still have nerve pain in both hands. I have been on Gabapentin for almost the entire time. My dosage is high, 12 pills a day, and I'll admit it is habit forming, but other than that I have suffered no side effects. I think that you should take whatever drug that helps you the most and if it is THC then it should be legal and available everywhere.
Try comming off of it. Gabapentin for chronic pain and nerve damage in leg, when I slowed/stopped it the side effects were like what I envisioned hard drug withdrawal to be like (horrible cold sweats, overall ache, general psychological state of discomfort/restlessness/agitation). Several days of being housebound, a few weeks of feeling like crap.
My parents shared their kitchen table with a small army of pill bottles. Some "soldiers" were part of their morning routine, some their afternoon routine, and others their bedtime routine. In the end, the pills eventually worked themselves out of a job...killing the very ones that made their use necessary. Now that my folks have passed, it grieves me deeply that they were not able to experience cannabis.
That's what they tried with me.I quit all but 3 and smoke everyday .when I go to the Dr's office I see it all the time there .I'm 61 so I don't think I'm old I just feel that way. come in with a gallon freezer full of pill bottles.
Thank you Ian , your honesty is refreshing and reasuring. I've used and discussed Gabapentin , Lyrica and Pegabalin with two consultant Anesthesiologists. Both agreed that it does nothing except dull your mind and body and does very little for chronic pain.
I use both CBD and gabapentin for my migraines, fibromyalgia, and chronic pain from lots of old injuries. The CBD was the first thing that actually put a dent of any size in my pain; adding the gabapentin took it down to the point where I can get through most days without too much misery. I thank God for both of them for more or less giving me my life back. ❤❤
Interestingly, I stopped taking Gabapentin this year. I was prescribed it for neurological pain, tremors, and nerve issues. It’s a horrible drug. In full recommend dose, I would often feel uneasy walking (like my legs were not doing what I wanted them too), I could not trust my judgement driving, I’d be dizzy all the time. After reducing it to 1/3 of the dose myself, it was easier to deal with but still not ideal. I was then told the doctors would look at another solution and they stopped providing the drug without a plan or wind down time and the withdrawals were very real and a horrible experience. 10 days of feeling like death. Shaking, sweating, vomiting, headaches, it all came pretty quick and stayed around. While cannabis isn’t legal here in the UK, low dose CBD is and it has helped take the edge off of some of my initial symptoms without any side effects at all. It does make you wonder why it is restricted so heavily. My guess would be because it can be grown by anyone and governments would rather push money through large pharmaceutical companies, than allow someone to be able to cheaply treat themselves.
@David you cant look up peoples comments boomer if your on your phone which im sure you are you can sometimes see comments on the same channel they have made. Im convinced you were sent here by satan to smear LSD and Mescaline
I have the same experience with my legs! Like I have to think about how to walk sometimes. Also control over my hands is affected as well. This is hard to type, and I used to be an excellent typist. Very unsteady, and foggy.
I feel you need to have a strong word to your doctors. Taking Gabapentin for me came with very strong and clear instructions from my pain medicine clinic and my GP, to increase dosage slowly and also if I wanted to stop it was ESSENTIAL to do so slowly. Like only drop back 1 tablet for a few days before even considering to drop another one from the daily dosages. I dropped only 1 tablet a day for a week before progressing to reduce another one. Never had any withdrawals. I found that below 3 tablets the nerve pains became very real again. Have tried several times to reduce a bit more but this happens every time.
After a decade long battle with crippling mental health disorders (depression, anxiety), I was prescribed 600mg of gabapentin at night for anxiety and I have gotten off all other medicines since. It has helped me a lot
@@xiolaamapola3180 yeah, gabapentin makes me feel GREAT. Like REALLY REALLY happy all the time when I'm on it and it kills the pain just as good as a lot of the opiates they had me on, but not addictive like they were. I know some people will say they have withdrawals from gabapentin, but I've never felt anything remotely similar to a withdrawal symptom from it. Prolly cuz I had been accustomed to the much more severe opiate withdrawals
I was put on gabapentin, took it for a couple of years. Then I noticed I was a very angry person and it was getting worse. I turned into a raging monster. Scared my family with my anger.. it was the gabapentin and once I got off it I slowly started to get back to my sweet caring self. Never again will I take that crap. THC has helped me so much, the pain is reduced, I can sleep and I’m calm. Natural drugs can be so much better for us.
went to college in the 70s. there are people i still maintain contact with who smoked weed throughout college and then stopped, people who smoked who never stopped, people who stopped and started, et. al. seems to me there would be quite many test subjects for any case that needs to be studied
My life's mate never stopped, he shared with me , i haven't stopped, my children grew up around it cause we did , i don't know when they might hang it up, or if they hang it up , but gosh, what they do to get you there is flat out wrong on a Grand scale , & I'm a believer in not hurting things , with or without a blood supply, don't see a point to it , maybe things that r green still can feel like we can , kinda , not quite as deeply but they don't hurt things either, but people's do , it's y we get hurt more & feel it more !
THC content was around 2.5% in the 70s. We have 99.99% consecrates now. Thats like comparing coffee to cocaine, really is. I smoke it, its a different drug now days. Not saying it dont have uses, its just not harm-free at all and kills people now and makes them into schizophrenics. Ive seen it with my younger friends, my mom and pop dont smoke like we do or the THC level, too much for them, they get too high. Then you have Doctors like this who don't understand there is no dose regulations for normal people who are not trying to get high as fuck for a treatment.
Ive dealt with chronic pain, nerve issues, mental health issues, stomach/digestive issues and eating disorders for 20+ yrs. Have been on and tried so many different medications since the age of 11. Side effects, forming habits, and having to take medications for side effects of other medications is what made me give up on the medical field for help. Specially after doctors started getting frustrated trying to figure out whats wrong with me, turned around and blamed me, saying im making it up and its all in my head. So i turned to marijuana and havent turned back. Its been over 10 yrs and am i so thankful for the plant and its help. (And so thankful i got the chance to help make my state recreationally legal for cannabis consumption in 2012)
Similar story. Childhood issues led to anxiety, stress, insomnia and depression. Randomly lost 50 lbs from a healthy frame in late 20's, then 5 years later severe stomach/digestive problems arose. Doctors could not find what was wong, other than nerve damage to the esophagus and digestive area. So many were convinced that anxiety, stress, insomnia and depression could not lead to such digestive issues. Luckily not all doctors are idiots, tho most take me for someone who wants meds, not domeone who wants to be pain free with some quality of life. Oh, and long time cannibis(CBD,CBG,THC) user here, tho it doesnt doo much for my nerve pain. Only GP helps with that in any meaningful way
@@Tinyteacher1111 i have been tested for things from lupus, to leukemia, to lyme disease and everything in between. I have had mold exposure when in elementary school but i had ALREADY had these issues prior to it. Its not linked to the mold sadly. I already know what i have and its genetic. My gma has it, my mom and all of her sisters have it as well as me and i can already see signs in my daughter.
@@trent617tw same here. After years of medication after medication not working or having bad side effects. I now use cannabis and otc items for my pain. And have struggled with drs being truly helpful rather than judgemental idiots. Hope you have a beautiful day today 🙏🙏💖
Gabapentin caused severe brain fog for me, some days I couldn't even get my words out of my mouth, i slowly titrated my self off of this med, feel way better
It does make you foggy. It kinda makes me manic and i suffer from such hardcore depression i dont want to quit taking it. This vid is kinda scary though because what if it makes me worse. Doctors dont care their being puppetted.
@@RendezvouDoo just take the pills every 30 minutes if you take 300mg, just don't take them all at once cause that's what will make you extremely tired
@@holdingcopsaccountable6554 gabapentin takes away anxiety, and anxiety is what stops us from raging out, also as for the drunk thing yeah that's true it feels like your drunks.
The biggest difference in these drugs is one you can grow in your backyard and the other you have to make pharmaceutical companies rich and powerful. It’s all about freedom of the individual
@@carlosdominguez3108 He isn't saying cannabis is good because it is "natural". He is pointing out the huge profit incentive the pharmaceutical industry has to prevent the widespread use and adoption of remedies and medications that can be naturally grown and cultivated. This is also related to the reason many psychedelics will never be adopted by for-profit industry around physical and mental health. Shit like psilocybin, for example, is unpatentable and even if they make a functional analogue to patent there is the issue of profit with regards to routine and potential permanent consumption of a drug. If people were able to take a substance one time and have an experience that solved their mental distress, it would destroy the whole business of prescribing people SSRI's to take everyday indefinitely. OP is simply gesturing towards this web of terrible incentives. I have no clue how you think the naturalistic fallacy has jack shit to do with what they said, other than you just thought, 'they mentioned that you can grow cannabis, and that is him pointing out it is natural rather than synthetic', without actually reading his comment for its semantic content. Don't be so quick to drop useless criticisms when you don't even understand what their point is.
Thank you, for opening my eyes to gabapentin. I have been on and off this medication for over 25 years, for treatment of nerve pain. I am a pain patient with chronic nerve pain and gabapentin has been an absolute life saver in times when the opioid medication did not work.
Gabapentin is the only thing other than benzos that can keep me from having panic attacks, and Gabapentin is way safer than benzos. I think Gabapentin feels a whole lot better than benzos do too.
If you live in a state that allows the use of cannabis, try it. I was in a narcotic coma for 20 years (my docs put me on up to 5 narcs); 5 years ago I started medical cannabis. It helps my anxiety, depression, pain, appetite, and sleep all in one single product.
@@TeresaWells-y7g I live in Oregon, EVERYTHING is legal here!! I choose to remain free from chemicals, doctors, processed foods, GMO's, sugar and meat at this point in my life and it has a REMARKABLE difference in my health!!!
Or make us act stupid, like alchohol does , break beer bottles on the sidewalk & roads for people's & animals to step on , pic up & cut them selves, pretty immature! Y i like da weed , it's been over 35 yrs now , but childhood did jot help & marriage did not help , & some family members did not help , so I'm like fine & yp pass it on !
@@proudchristian77 Not unlike the false claim of gabapentin making you gay (they already were & looking for another reason) I think you may have/had some mental and or emotional issues that haven't been confronted as well. No, young people shouldn't take anything that affects brain chemistry as their brains haven't matured yet but by no means on earth does thc have the same effects of alcohol. I am not advocating thc for everyone as no drug of any sort is a fit for all but generally speaking if they seem to cause unwanted behavior there is usually a root cause that needs to be addressed.
Isn’t thc Regular old cannibus you find in joints, edibles etc, I despise that ware off affect, it lasts forever. It’s been a while since I did it because I can’t stand the effect is THC something different I must be missing some thing gosh I need help for pain so bad.
My father is 75 years old and suffers from spinal stenosis which keeps him in severe pain in his arms. He has muscle atrophy in both arms. He suffered through prescriptions of vicodin, Percocet and almost everything else with years of near constant agony he was finally prescribed Gabapentin. It changed his life. The atrophy is still there but the pain is gone. Luckily he doesn't suffer from any side effects. Gabapentin is known as a miracle drug around my household.
I asked my doctor to prescribe me gabapentin when I had a slipped disc a few years ago. I had been bed ridden with debilitating pain for months. The pain was so bad I’d pass out, it also atrophied my left leg muscles. Within hours of taking gabapentin I was able to walk without pain. My nerve attacks stopped. I took it for a few weeks and had no side effects. I still consider it my saviour drug. I never take any drugs so I’m no drug pusher. But hey that’s my story.
I take it for crps. Well, I take a lyrica a much stronger finer cut version used mostly to treat restless leg syndrome. It has turned my brain and short term memory into Swiss cheese after 16 years, but without it and thc/cbd, I would have already turned my brain into literal Swiss cheese with a bullet.
I think there is an issue in the way that many people think of medications. How individuals react to one medication can vary so widely, more so if used in combination with other medications. We shouldn't dismiss cannabis as a medicine, but pushing the ideology that it is superior to most other medicines is a bit ridiculous.
I started having migraines at 10, I spent days in terrible pain with my head in a bucket. It was only in my late 50's that I was prescribed Gabapentin. It has been amazing, I'm now 70 and haven't had a serious episode since.
Almost over with this video and I am tipping my hat to this fellow. He has taught me so much that I didn't already know it made me feel as if I've been so arrogant and to learn that about myself I feel a calm Bliss of understanding that I needed to shed that ego. . This has been so wonderful and informative I hope he finds other topics to do things just like this just tell the truth the truth will always be the dominant
I have numerous women friends on gabapectin who never seem to get better. I use natural supplement and diet. No mainstream medical. People can research natural ways to supplement for gaba
Most people have an agenda when stating this type of info yet you were open and honest and being a user of bot I think you gave a very fair and honest assessment! Thank you
Gabapentin is handed out like candy here in NY since opioids came under scrutiny. It doesn't help my arthritis/degenerative disc disease pain much, but because it's not restricted it's prescribed to shut up patients with pain problems. I have pounds of the stuff.
Yea. My back is killing me. Am on blood thinners so I can’t take advil. Or any over the counter meds The doctor just gave me 90 days of supply plus 3 refills. I want Oxy or Tramadol. But doctors like no
I have to take Gabapentin. I've never noticed withdrawl symptoms when I run out. There is alot of anxiety with Pain patients. The first one being that many professionals think the Patient is lying. This is a VERY informative video. Thank You very much.
I can only go by my own experience, about five years before I retired at 55 I had burning sensations in my left tricep, fore arm back of hand and thumb, a deep ache in my Humerus and top quarter of my chest and back, about three times over the 5 year period I dropped things out of my left hand due to numbness and suffered several bouts of Vertigo, the pain increased as time went on and got to the point where I could not sleep because of it, I put all these symptoms down to a change of design of my utility vehicle which had me using my left side more than usual and thought I had torn ligaments in my back, I said as much to the Doctor, he prescribed anti inflammatory which did nothing to relive the incredible pains, he then sent me for X-ray and found that I had Arthritis in my neck that it was putting pressure on my spinal cord, He then prescribed 3x300mg of Gabapentin and every one of the symptoms disappeared within two days.
i couldnt take that much. i also have a nerve pinch but in the lower back. i take 600 mg a day it helps but if I'm on my feet too long walking becomes funny, painful, but odd.
Gabapentin has helped me a lot too! (not with pain, but with some numbness - also from arthritis - but it's helped me far more with my anxiety - which is severe).
Additionally, I was a real stoner growing up so many years ago. But today I use the cannabis to replace the opiates that I was on for so long. I don't really get HIGH anymore, just medicated. But it doesn't show! I'm comfortable with my quality of life!
U build a tolerance I just usually stop smoke for maybe a week or 2 and then I goes back to high again some what normal. I will say gaba has stopped the urge to smoke thc so I like both drugs for what they do
Im 61 and was prescribed 300mg gabapentin at 3x a day for neuropathy and sciatica. I only take 1 a day and my side affects are immediate memory loss and fatigue. I literally forget where I am going and for what reason. Imagine going to the store for a few items, then come home with not the things you needed- This happens constantly. I drink coffee during the day to keep alert but now it doesn't help. I yawn and feel like crap. Thank you for really "opening up my eyes" to what is going on. No more Gaba 4me!
Gabapentin has been a godsend for my neuropathic foot and leg pain. Before my doctor prescribed Gabapentin I could not stand the pain in my feet and legs, which came on very quickly. Although my neuropathy has continued to slowly progress up my legs, I can walk around with only minor pain and enjoy my life with Gabapentin.
It's helped me so much too especially with my nystagmus in my eyes and now currently been having neck problems it helps so much.... I've never misused or gotten "high" off of them I don't even get how? This has taken pain away and I can function feeling normal
I can tell you it does help with pain. Not so much pain caused from a sore musle, but pain from a pinched nerve, oh yes, it helps alot. Every drug that really works and has any potential to be missused as a drug to get high on always has this happen to it. It's hard to get opiods for pain so docs use... If Ibuprofen would get people high they'd make that hard to get. What about alcohol? ph wait we tried that and people still drank it. What about weed? Oh, people found a way to still use that too. OK, well what about Heroin... making that illegal just made people start putting Fentanyl in it making it more likely to be Over Dosed when using... The War on Drugs is a failed war. Stop mking drugs illegal and locking people up for using them. Using drugs is a nonviolent "crime". We give child molesters less time than a Heroin addict gets for a little tar in a bag. That is messed up! Edit: or people that drink, at least not for drinking alone.
@@Raymond-rr5iv Maybe I am missing something. Drugs are not abundant where I live. Well they are if you're willing to deal with the high chance you'll run into someone that is working with the police. Prices are high here, that is if you want good drugs. So again, Please explain more? I really am open to an advice.
It's an old and pernicious,knotty problem. Harm reduction and knowledge over ignorance are probably the best approach. I was fascinated with drugs since the 1970s and was very libertarian,i.e. legalize them all. After being prescribed and quitting Fentanyl after 5 years, I've become much more moderate. I'd choose to eat broccoli over poison ivy,and drugs are the same. I've also become very disillusioned with Big Pharma's solutions.
@@fretnesbutke3233 Educating people about the true dangers/pit falls of using drugs is definitely the way to go. At 12 years old Doctors put me on Morphine. This was back when a lot of Doctors believed "If you have real pain, you won't get addicted". This is false of course. Still I believe educate and legalize.
Yeah, I was prescribed gabapentin a while back for foot pain. Was told it's OK to take up to 1200mg a day. Oh...and get a liver panel done every 6 weeks or so. Not sure of the relationship, if any, but my bilirubin was high and B12 was almost not existent (after the first month). Was told to drop dosage to 600mg a day. During this time, my biggest complaint was digestive issues, insomnia, and sexual disfunction. Also a low level, but constant headache. Now, oddly enough, smoking mamajuana mitigated some of the side effects such as anxiety and depression. Also brought back my appetite. (side note- during the 4 months I took gabapentin, I lost 35 pounds... just didn't like to eat !!.) Also cleaned up my diet as it was finally decided that I had gout... only took about a year to diagnose that. I'll stick with THC and CBD... and I watch my turine intake.
Gabapentin pretty much saved my life. I had no choice. I’m grateful for it but absolutely recognize it’s downfalls and side effects. It should be used for emergency use only in my opinion. I was lucky that my surgery worked and was able to take myself off immediately. My doctors were even shocked. I didn’t study the med until I was in a place to be off of it, because I had no choice but to take it. It’s phenomenal for nerve pain. No pain meds or THC would touch that. I remain grateful but am always extremely cautious if I recommend it. THC will always be a yes from me. No need to even get into that side of this other than saying it should be legalized federally immediately. Great video! Thank you!
Dr. Sir I am a combat veteran, and I use both drugs and my belief that inconjuchtion, these drugs bring relief for my condition, although my condition is very sever, and after reviewing your A Tale of Two Drugs... I understand more about this issue and living with it. my self ,you have my esteem, thank you Dr. Mitchell.
I prefer Gabapentin to cannabis with Gaba I can function and I feel great versus cannabis makes me feel like a couch potato with a out of control appetite.
As an older person who is a compulsive law abiding citizen I always thought THC was “bad”. Even when it became legal I never tried it. I have neuropathy due to a spinal chord injury. I was shocked when my specialist suggested trying THC. I was even more shocked at how well it worked. I now sleep through the night. THC is still however stigmatized. My drug plan will not cover THC or CBD. So instead of paying twice the price for “Medical Canabis”, I just buy recreational THC oil from the website. Also I soon realized that I should not mention that I am taking THC. You end up in endless discussions about how I have started on my path to fentanyl addiction.
A fantastic, well researched piece. Ironically mostly based on a drug that has not been allowed to be diligently researched. I was on 2,700 mg of Gabapentin a day when I left hospital, combined with maximum doses of a bunch of others including Tramadol. I could not string a sentence together and wold fall asleep during a conversation. I independently took Gabapentin down to 900mg a day. I did not have a prescription review for three years, now I understand why? I was introduced to cannabis a year ago which I use every night to temper my chronic leg and body spasms. It really has been a game changer for me. I haven’t used cannabis in the day for pain relief but intend to start forthwith. Thank you for the independent information.
Another thing professionals need to start doing is treating human beings as individuals, not a monolith. Some people get physically ill and have harmful reactions to cannabis, and as you mentioned, a minor percentage of people helped by Gaba. There are so many factors, blood type, metabolism, personality type. Gaba almost killed me, BTW.
True, not everyone gets addicted to pain meds after surgery. Doctors usually only give you a week or 2 worth, but not enough to help you get through painful therapy.
THC just doesn't touch my pain and just makes me feel like my legs have turned into cement pillars. I have people that tell me this isn't possible. But this is truly what happens to me and I also start to hyper focus on Mt nerve pain and it gets worse when I do this. Lyrica helps take the fire out of the nerve pain from the spinal stenosis. But the pain is always there regardless of how hot it becomes. Lyrica and opiods just make the pain bare able.
@@chasetonga I never got hooked on pain meds but I'm different than most people. Some vegans say I should quit eating meat and get my protein from nuts but Im allergic to nuts. There's no one-size fits all.
It's a byproduct of how we deal with insurance. Companies want to earn as much money as possible for as little as possible, so they won't cover expenses if they can avoid it. So doctors can't prescribe preventative options because the patient won't get it covered. As someone with chronic pain and what feels like a whole goddamn hospital worth of doctors and specialists, all the professionals I've ever contacted feel the same way that patients aren't a monolith and wish they could do more to prevent problems before they happen. Unfortunately, lawmakers and CEOs are the ones making the decisions.
Excellent presentation. I have severe sciatica (5 yrs) and disc issues that I just had my 3rd round of nerve blocks for. Other complications brought me to GABA’s. I live in a Medical Marijuana state and just got my license, I am 67 yrs old, and finally got a good night sleep, found my appetite and my pain management (including otc, topicals, heating pad and ice help. The Marijuana is by far the least invasive and most effective for pain, mood, sleep and healthy weight gain which are all concern’s for the autoimmune symptoms that are here as well. I hope 🤞 the tide turns for more people, especially when the anxiety issues are at a all time high, and healthcare is not available to all, not to mention affordable medication. I still don’t understand why you can’t grow a couple of your own plants in your backyard. Might just help the 🌍 Thank you
In 2015 I was prescribed GABApentin for nerve pain after a broken back. My doctor at the time told me I could take all I wanted as it had no negative side effects! It made me feel like I was out of body. I stopped taking it after 3 weeks. Cannabis has brought much relief to me. Just sayin'.
Thank you, Dr. Mitchell. I was in a car accident & broke 14 bones (seven ribs and my right arm bones, shoulder and wrist bones). After I got off the opioids I was still taking GABApentin, but I hated the way I felt on it. I decided to put up with the pain rather than continue the drug. I don't know why, honestly - just a feeling. But I trust my feelings. Later, I started to read studies about it, and I'm glad I stopped.
I was on gabapentin for a few years. My pain kept getting worse and I was having weakness over all. They kept raising the doses and it seemed like my over all health was getting worse. I saw an older doctor who told me basically what's being said here. I was sent to a pain doctor and he wanted me off gabpentin right away. It took about a month to stop taking it and a few months later my pain was no where as bad. Those doctors took me off muscle relaxers and pain killers. The pain doctor said I lucky I didn't OD. Physical therapy did some good and changes in diet helped with the pain.
Having lived in Colorado long enough to have tried both: I would lean towards cannabis, as a better choice for chronic pain. As for gabapatin it didn't agree with me, it was in a group of meds they tried to substitute for opioid treatment. That's my recommendation of medication, which one is better, cannabis!
My feet are burning Meow. Cannabis, 1-2 tokes my feet stop burning. I’m on gabapentin 300mg a day. Not very effective, and I think is causing a hypokalemic (Low Potassium) condition. Clogging those calcium channels. This all makes perfect since.
Loved your first sentence! The irony is crazy isn't it? I was prescribed Gabapentin for pain and to get me off of opioids which of course really did work for pain. I had taken norco for years, but the withdrawal symptoms for me were negligible, except for being pissed off about being taken off a med that worked and given something that didn't. After quite a while, I have to admit that gabapentin did help with sciatica, but not with anything else. I can't smoke cannabis, it is way too strong these days. Do you use edibles for pain? Any recommendations for something that works but doesn't have the side effect of making me watch Dobie Gillis at three in the morning whilst eating chips?
I don't know how the agriculture works in Canada, but the weed I've bought from dispensaries here had the strains clearly marked (Sativa, Indica, and Hybrids) as well as several other terpenes/alkaloids. I see a world of difference between Sativa and Indica. Almost opposites.
Same here in Washington and California. The employees at the weed stores can help you get exactly what ya want. They have all kinds of types for nearly every ailment. I’ve personally seen it effect my dog with cancer. It was a true miracle for her.
@@beckamax74 He is wrong there are differences due to differences in the chemical make up of the different strains kinda like how apples come in all different flavors kinda a similar idea.
Today, indica and sativa are only generalisations as its all hybrids, but you can have 80/20 or 90/10. These genetics in turn produces different terponoid profiles, its smell and flavour, that gives the particular effects. There is also ruderalis which is from mongolia/russia which is used to create autoflowering plants as that genetic had no stable sun cycle. Those seeds never need more than 10% ruderalis to flower independently of light. Indica actually comes from Afghanistan and sativa from india. Mixing and baking together all those spices produces the thousands of strains we have today, all with unique terpenes profiles.
Interesting, I was diagnosed with diabetes and after being put on meds for the diabetes I had a major flare-up of peripheral neuropathy to the point where just about every point on my body save for my face was on fire. Gabapentin, even at the maximum dose, did not touch it. Pregabalin helped but only marginally. The doctor would not give me anything stronger and the agony was such that if I did not find a solution I would have committed suicide. I found a strain of Cannabis that had 15.5% CBD but only .81% THC provided substantial relief without causing any mental impairment. I further found Kratom also provided substantial relief without noticeable impairment. I was cautioned that Kratom attached to opioid receptors and so could be addictive, however after a couple of years and going on some intensive nutritional therapy by neuralgia subsided and I was able to quit kratom, experienced no withdrawal symptoms at all so I'm skeptical those claims were not just big pharma trying to discourage competition.
Kratom has been a godsend for me. I've taken it for 4years after a move cut me off from my doctor's care. I've never experienced a withdrawal symptom and the relief is substantial.
Same here guys! I rely on cbd and kratom and it is literally a life saver. I was put on gabapentin for a year and it had such horrible side effects AND didn’t touch the pain that I came off of it and went back to the cbd/kratom regimen I’d been on previously
Been free from opiates for almost 5 years. Used gabapentin to help curb withdrawal. Used Kratom to replace the gabapentin. Was in the worst pain of my life this past summer with an extruded disc right on the nerve. Kratom worked for the pain, all I could and would take. Did not go back on gabapentin. I used liquid Alpha Lipoic Acid multi supplement to avoid surgery. My leg and foot finally stopped burning and throbbing. The pain came down to a tolerable level 9 months after the initial injury. Surgery was the only other option, which I was in the midst of scheduling when I suddenly took a turn for the better. Kratom works. Gabapentin works. Weed works. Opiates work. ALA works. It's all what works for you. Good Luck All! Anyone suffering serious nerve pain should consider Alpha Lipoic Acid.
I too suffer from diabetes 2, woke up in ICU it's how I found out. My blood sugar should have been no higher than 130, but mine was 1897. Since then I've been on a multitude of drugs, gabapentin 300mg. taken 3 times a day. It's not great but it does help with my foot pain.
I take Gabapentin for neuropathy in my toes and it does a great job. I only take it in the evening because it does make me sleepy. Was not aware that Gabapentin should not be stopped quickly due to possible withdrawal symptoms. I've found there is no "one" drug that works the same for everyone.
If you spread it out over three doses during the day you will not get sleepy. It has to be the exact same dose every day and it takes a few weeks to get adjusted. (your doctor should have instructed you in this, and it's in the instructions)
@@mrfrenzy. That's exactly how I started, and I did get drowsy. Dosing wasn't a problem as it comes in capsules. The drowsiness did not "go away" so apparently I did not get "adjusted" to it. I've been taking it in the evening for many years with no problem. Are you a doctor?
Now's the time to get into Lucid Dreaming. Christopher Nolan is a big fan, so maybe you will win an Oscar. FInal Draft has a free promotion going right now too! Get going!
Having suffered chronic pain for 30+ years before taking Gabapentin, it literally scared me the following morning when I awoke with absolutely no pain at all. I was in heaven! Two weeks later I was itching so badly I wanted to scratch the skin off my whole body, especially my groin area. It was so nice having that brief pain free break. I've been on Tramadol & Baclofen now for about five years. One without the other does absolutely nothing, together they just get me by. I take care of my mother (85yrs.) so I have to keep my head about me at all times otherwise I have been offered stronger options.
Thank you for this thoughtfully presented information!! This bias the MDs have to the $$ & education given by the pharmaceutical companies and medical associations blinds them to REAL health care. Thank you again for your wonderful presentation.
I'm a nurse who works with chronic pain patients. I can tell you from experience that joint issues, bone issues, back/neck are better treated with marijuana. Muscle pain/Fibromyalgia patients don't seem to get a benefit from smoking pot. They seem to do better with the anti-inflammatory meds and a low carb diet. Been working with these folks for the better part of 15 years. It's amazing how they feel, have the drive to do things when using pot vs opioids. Just my 2 cents :)
I have had occipital neuralgia for 35 years from falling down concrete steps at age 5. I was just diagnosed a couple months ago. I am so grateful to have a doctor who actually listens to me and is doing everything possible to keep me off meds. I’m so grateful that she can prescribe cannabis to me and help me regulate it. I’m not going back on the sickening drugs that destroyed my health for so many years.
I'd be interested if they have tried CBG it's a non psychoactive cannabinoid that seems to work great as a anti-inflammatory. My mother suffers from fibromyalgia and MS taking it orally seems to be helping her a lot in combination with a salve for more localized pain she has completely gotten off opiods and is weening off gabapentin as well, I have not seen her this happy or active in years. The lesser known cannabinoids need a lot more study, if people could get off pain killers and not have to get high it would change their life.
@@thirtythreeeyes8624 That's amazing! Good for her! I hope she continues to have pain relief!! The doc I work for is doing an investigative study on the benefits of CBD oils/topicals/orals. We are gathering a lot of information and so far things look really interesting!
11:51 is what happened to me with my doctors. I was born with NF1 and in 2007 I was prescribed gabapentin to deal with my peripheral neuropathy due to NF. In the beginning it seemed to work until I hit a plateau while on it. My doctor increased the dosage and it became worse in dealing with the side effects. I stopped taking it because I had thoughts of suic*de, severe depression and a host of other things. It's been 13 years since I stopped taking it and I am beyond glad I did.
The fact that placebos are so effective ought to say something about the mind's ability to heal the body. No medicine in the world heals, they only allow for healing conditions to occur. I didn't grow my garden, it grew on it's own, but I did plant it and set up conditions for its health. Best garden yet. :-)
I always say mind over matter. Our brains are or most powerful tool. It's just a fact that some have a wiring problem know as mental issues while others just don't use the brain as much as they could or should. There's a positive in every negative. You just have to look for it with an open mind.
@Andrew sorry Andrew very little medicine actually heels except for maybe infections do your due diligence anything designed to alter the mind or address pain does not fix the pain mentally emotionally or physically at best it may set up an environment to work on The originators of those pains I have over 30 years of working with people that have been prescribed antiquing off-market medications including cannabis and none of it fixes it's a smokescreen unless you're willing to do some work and rehab
This video is very informative and I appreciate the accuracy and honesty of the breakdown for both. I've smoked cannabis for over 15 years and I know it helps with a lot of things including pain, with no withdrawals or dependency (maybe mental dependency). I've been taking gabapentin for 5 months for anxiety/alcohol dependency and a torn ACL and it does help a lot with anxiety and cravings for booze but only a 20% decrease of pain. I'm a phlebotomist and cant smoke weed anymore so gabapentin is the only thing I have to help me with anxiety and preventing a relapse to alcohol. However I'm considering getting off of it and trying to live my life without it and see how I do. I've noticed the only side effects for me with Gabapentin are occasional tiredness/fatigue at high doses and skin rash that goes away with hydrocortisone cream, however I know that it makes a lot of people feel extremely tired and disoriented and "strange".
I was prescribed Gabapentin for my anxiety/depression. My doctor called it a “happy pill” but I didn’t see any difference, just more side effects so I stopped.
Gabapentin was the drug that made me consider MMJ - I was falling asleep at my desk at work regularly, on the toilet in the work bathroom, on public benches during my lunch break. I was also almost amnesiac with how bad my memory was. My doctor told me these are not side effects of the drug, yet these symptoms went away when I stopped taking it. It made me realize that if I was going to be impaired during the day anyway to treat my pain, I should give MMJ a try. Turns out I only need to take it at night to get the benefits the following day, so no more daytime impairment. Thanks, Gabapentin!
Same for me and with actual opioid pain meds and I'm on a very high dose due to a lifetime of serious health issues. But it doesn't matter the dose or type, dilaudid or percocet or morphine, if I'm having a "good" day and up doing stuff like cleaning or "trying" to exercise haha any meds will give me energy but if I'm having a "bad" day and not really able to get out of bed then they can make me sleepy and that includes weed! It's crazy...
I lost my memory in a store lot by my house that I'd lived at for 20 years. I had absolutely no idea how to get home. I had days of serious memory impairment. It is in the side effects. Rather rare and black boxed but it's there. Never again.
I have had extreme neurology spasms in hands, arms and face for 7 years now. A couple of weeks ago, I went to a pediatrist recently for foot pain. Seems I have arthritic nodules on my toe joints. The first question the Dr. Ask me was am I on Gabapentin. I was told long term use can lead to calcium deposits. The problem I have with cannabis is psychological. The cannabis today is so potent it's difficult for me to handle even a small amount. Edibles are to inconsistent.
Hey Jeff, I hope you can speak with a medical cannabis doctor who can help point you to the right strain that is not too potent for you. Medical cannabis has saved my life, I hope it can with you as well. 🙏❤️ I pray that you may be released from your pain.
@Old man's Raider Nation I was surprised he didn’t talk about CBD...I love a little THC every once and a while but can’t enjoy reading while on it so I avoid it most of the time. Still trying to find the CBD dose that will help my long term pain. Thank you for your service.
As a life-long sufferer of severe Restless Leg Syndrome, I can assure you that gabapentin is very definitely effective for that condition (in my case, at least).
Ok I have to share my experience after watching this. I have chronic migraine with depression and anxiety. I haven’t been able to hold down a job because LED / fluorescent lights are a major trigger for me. I have been on gabapentin for 12 years now. I was on tramadol for 6 years. The high dose of gabapentin rings true. I was on such a high dosage and it didn’t help any further. My son has the addiction gene from his grandfather and he started stealing my gabapentin and he became addicted to it. The withdrawals are crazy as I had to go cold turkey until I could refill my RX. I discovered medical cannabis 2 years ago and it is a Godsend! I take a lower dose now with cannabis and it’s a miracle. I hope to titrate myself off of gabapentin and lose the 70 pounds I gained from it. One of its known side effects is weight gain and causing diabetes! Big pharma has screwed me for years with no proven outcome (including all those fancy new migraine injections). You said cannabis is the best for migraines in practice 100 years ago? I couldn’t agree more!
Can I ask you what kind of cannibus you take to help with your pain and depression. I’m a newbie I used to smoke in college many years ago but that was just regular stuff you bought from whoever had it that kind of weed does not help my pain.
I had to have a lumbar fusion L4 - Si and have "failed back surgery syndrome" resulting in chronic pain everyday. I was prescribed gabapentin as an alternative to opiods and it didn't work as well as I and my doc hoped, I took it for 3 years - tried several dosing strategies and finally stopped taking it when I had a problem with a scheduled Rx refill that was interrupted due to wildfires/business closures that forced having to withdraw unexpectedly over a weekend (worse than alcohol, cannabis or opiates). I have used cannnabis for many years but became tired of dealing with the cost and the escalating tolerance level requiring more frequent use, now I only use it occasionally. Unfortunately for me the only meds that help my pain are the opiates but tolerance and efficacy are an issue but ultimately it still helps.
Gabapentin is a joke along with countless others, not to say that ALL of the medications out that are snake oil. Besides, who are THEY, to tell ME, a grown woman of incredibly sound mind, (against all odds, thanks to some mighty fine folks) what I can or can't take, eat, wear, buckle, drive, fly or own, anyway? THEY don't EVEN know me, much less care, just as long as THEY look like they're working so THEY can feel justified for the ungodly salaries or glorified welfare checks, I guess! That is NOT what THEY are hired to do!
changing your diet to eliminate the sugars & carbs/wheat & dairy too you'll find the pain & agony disappears. I did it for my A.S. Arthritis refusing to have, as the Rheumatologist laid out- a life of designer drugs. Pot couldn't touch the many causes of pain, but fats & meats do!
Opiates will find a way to help you make excuses to take them. Not only do you have chronic pain but you are also a dependent drug addict. I was there once. Been clean 6 years.
Vegus nerve problems all my life but weed settles it down.Especialy after a meal.Head gut issues many people have.A bad gut makes for psychological issues and a lot of people do not realize this.
Yes!! I'm just realizing this! I had my gallbladder removed unfortunately and I've had vagus Nerve issues ever since in which causes anxiety. I'm going back on my edibles
I've just been prescribed Gabapentin 300MG for cervical neck headaches. Previously I had anxiety one evening so I purchased a infused cereal bar, HHC, Delta 9,Delta 8,+PHC & CBG. I was very pleased to find that it helped with anxiety also ridding the chronic headaches. I'm still hesitant about sharing this info with my neurologist because of cannabis prejudice. Spread the word ❤
Tell them if you choose to maybe possibly get on medical marijuana depending on what state you’re in but if you’re in a state like mine, Massachusetts, where they have recreational, I would say you should just go about your business and take what you need and don’t get the government involved in anyway and that’s including doctors have any shape or form just get your medication that’s natural homeopathic from recreational dispensary or something of the sort and you will be good to go
I have been on the Gabba for migraines from cervical disc disease for about two years and started at 400 at bed time and started weening down this past January to 200 at bedtime and next week start the 100 at bed time for probably a couple months then off for good , it makes me feel tired all the time even in small doses and my memory is shot for sure
Actually, Terry Dorsey, you are right! I normally keep my medications at bedside, in a container. The container fell over, and the gabapentin rolled under my bed. I take my meds by process of elimination, as there are quite a few. I hadn’t noticed it was gone. Out of sight…out of mind. About 5 days later, the levels in my bloodstream began to bottom out. I was going through full blown withdrawals. I couldn’t get a deep breath, profuse sweating, chest pain and pressure, nausea, and vomiting. My oxygen sats were 92%. The E.R. docs had no idea what was going on. They called my visit “greet and street”. They evaluated and kicked me to the curb. I left having no clue what was happening to me. The next day, I realized I hadn’t taken the gabapentin. I read up on it. Everything clicked!!! It’s a terrible way to withdraw. I do think it’s beneficial. I am now always aware if I am taking it.
Ironically CBD has been shown in preliminary studies to have some antipsychotic properties. I really would like to see this line of research actively pursued to see if either natural or synthetic CBD might be able to replace the harsher atypical antipsychotics.
indica dominant is antipsychotic and good for relax and sleep ,, careful with Sativa if you are stressed out ,, Sativa is more anti-depressant , to get you out of bed 🙂personal study
@@smilernok my little nephew has crones disease when it flared up about 2 times a year he had to do school work in the hospital for many months once he had a whole semester of school in the hospital from it. about 8 years ago ONE doctor put him on cannibals edibles and HAS NOT had a crones disease episode sense. he is by no means cured but he has NO symptoms and eats 3 cookies a day. He now as an adult can lead a normal life. weed is good for people, the problem in medical industry is they can not make any money from it because you can grow it in your back yard FREE... this is why NO research will be done.
My cat had such a bad case of brain seizures from feline infectious peritonitis he was attacking himself. The daily Gabapenton treatment has given him a life back for 4 years. He starts getting neurogical symptoms when it wears off and rarely has a breakthrough seizure without extreme stress. Im a believer it has a blessed place in medical treatment.
I hope this reaches the right people. The drugs they give to treat you are what you need but dealing with the side affects is a different circumstance. Appetite, pain relief, sleep, inspiration, munchies, reading, and comfort. Hope shouldn't be a blank screen or a dull trip.
Thank you Dr. Mlller for posting this article on the new pattern of prescribing Gabapentin for multiple problems like sleep, seizures, neuropathy, etc...I live in the states so I didn't know what Canada and Great Britain did..it's very much like it used in America....Weed is my go too medication for pain.
I'm a physician listening to this while I work, but please keep in mind when you share things with your physician that most of us work 60 or 70 hours per week and that every day people ask us to look through things they dug up off the internet, so the chance they will have time to watch this is essentially zero.
And after going through what he says I would say this video has spotty accuracy and honesty. Most of the things it says are at least partly true, but a lot of the things it says all physicians do are really just what lousy doctors do. It also vastly overstates how much of a problem gabapentin addiction is.
I was encouraged to take Gabapentin by two different individuals. One was my Resident doctor to treat peripheral neuropathy but instead of pain I had itching and the other was a therapist who prescribed it for depression. I researched the hell out of it and tried it for 10 days but started having side effects immediately like suicidal thoughts, depression, mood changes, auditory and visual hallucinating...I stopped taking it immediately! Took me over two months to recover from the negative side effects and I never experienced ANYTHING positive from this horrible drug. I was even considering bringing up malpractice charges because of the negligence of prescribing such a dangerous drug in such a flippant manner.
Good luck with that. Unless you could prove actual harm, you'd have no case. Even those harmed by Drs, hospitals & big pharma face an uphill battle. Their lawyer pockets are deep & nasty!
Should have kept getting the script and sold it! Seriously it does work for some people, with minimal undesirable effects. That said, the laxative effect is desirable for people taking it with opiates.
@@andyk192 Very true. I find that it helps relax you and stabilize your mood. No adverse mental effects. I wish it worked better, as my herniated disc is killing me today. Something to be noted is that there are a gazillion brands of the drug, and they're not all the same. The FDA supposedly regulating them and ensuring all brands are the same is komplete nonsense. Maybe he just got a bad brand.
I agree, I became very suicidal on it myself! I have never felt such misery in my life on it! Just horrific!! My pain doc kept insisting I take it, take it!!! No way!
Thankyou for this info. I was on gabapentin for severe pain. I had 6 back surgeries plus severe arthritis. I started having seizures and the doctors kept saying it was my heart. I said no but went through major tests. It was ruled out but doctors did not know what was causing them. I was driving one day and had a seizure. My daughter grabbed the wheel and within seconds it stopped. Now before this I had gone to my druggist and asked them to o a study of my meds. I was on hydramorphone for years and very high doses. They told me meds were fine. So I did my own research checking out all meds. I finally found that morphine and gabapentin can cause seizures. What a relief to find this. I quit the Gabapentin instantly. I was on hydramorphone for over 20 years. I wanted off of that as well. I hated the side affects I was having. I almost died doing that and ended up in hospital. There I was put on suboxone and it didn't do anything for me. 2 years ago I got on cbd oil and now pain is managed where I can have a life. I am 76 years and for the first time in years I have some relief. I am now very leary of all drugs. I did have 4 back surgeries in B.C and 2 in Edmonton. I do need another but.... Thanks again for your info.
I had restless leg and did not sleep for more then 3 hours every night and I became suicidal. Thanks to gabapentin I am hear happy to be able to sleep at night.
@@ehaszdawn Its perfect for anxiety and pain once you start but tolerance starts instantly once you take your first dose. You can use weed one day or two days and then gab the next to avoid that tolerance increase and to keep the benefits of the medicine.
Oh, wow, my own experience with gabapentin tracks with what y ou are saying... it started with a spine injury. Because of the opiate scare my minimal dose of hydrocodone was taken away from me and I was prescribed tramadol and gabapentin. Tramadol... aspirin works as well on me. Gabapentin causes a tendency to become fascinated by dust motes in the air and losing time out of my day with little or no alleviation of the back pain. After over a decade I was finally given a consultation with a pain management specialist, but not a consult with anyone with expertise with back injuries, and was put back on hydrocodone.
My father was prescribed Gaba for shingles pain. Woke up twice in his running car, in the driveway, but no recollection of driving home. Blackouts (including these functioning, sleepwalk-style blackouts) are very common with Gaba. Sort of like Ambien.
I’ve been on Gabapentin for about a decade, and always felt that I didn’t really need it. I was a recreational pot smoker though. I later became severely addicted to a well-intentioned, but badly-informed doctor who put me on a ridiculous amount of Hydromorphone. When I found help and was able to severely restrict my opioid intake (and still reducing). My memory got better, but I still have issues searching for words frequently. I had no idea that my GABA was even addictive! Let alone have all these side effects. It’s interesting to see how the various 12-step programs deal with taking medication or addictive substances, in general. I guess it all depends on your sponsor. I now wonder if I quit the Gabapentin, will my memory improve? Or is the neurological damage permanent?
When I was diagnosed with shingles, I was prescribed gabapentin. The gabapentin didn't do anything at all for the pain. My friend gave me a tiny bit of psilocybin mushrooms and the pain was totally gone. I tried everything, and shrooms were the only thing that worked
And here’s my gabapentin story: I had surgery and the surgeon mistakenly cut a nerve in my abdominal area. I was in excruciating pain every time I had to move. If I could lie perfectly still, I could tolerate the pain. Since I was being discharged, remaining perfectly still was not an option. My dose was eventually titrated up to 600 mg 3x /day and I enjoyed pain relief. I experienced no feeling of being ‘high’ , drowsy, or any other side effect. This effective pain relief (for me) permitted a quicker recovery. I have suffered with hypnagogic hallucinations since I was 4 yo. It’s not only frightening to me, but to anyone who is near me when I’m sleeping. I see terrible things. And they seem so real. One time I actually called the police because I saw someone standing at my dresser. There was no one. Well, I noticed that while I was on the gabapentin my hallucinations were dramatically reduced. I stopped taking gabapentin altogether, my hallucinations came back full force. I asked my doctor if I could try it again to see if I got relief from my night time visions. We agreed to try 600 mg, ONLY AT BEDTIME. what a joy it has been since 2006 to be almost totally free of those terrible visions. I do still get them 1-2x per week. I used to have them every night. Additionally, sometimes, I actually have funny or pleasant hallucinations. And that NEVER happened without the gabapentin. (I should note that I have had four sleep studies to document my sleep disorder and it’s relief.)
I broke my neck when I was 12, and it was never treated. I'm 45 now and MRI shows "degenerative nerve shrinkage". Gabepentin didn't help with the pain, only made me too high to function. After 3 months, I switched to THC. Nothing completely stops the pain of course, but weed stops it best of anything I've tried, while leaving me LESS STONED than the stuff the doctors gave me. Thank god it's legal where I am.
Interesting video, thank you. Phizer's behaviour was shocking. I have been prescribed Gabapentin several times for bouts of neuropathic pain. As it was initially only partly effective my, dose was gradually increased from 300mg twice per day to 400mg three times per day. At this level, it killed my pain very effectively. I was on this for about nine months, then gradually reduced dosage and eventually stopped. I continued to function fine, able to drive, stay alert, sleep OK and concentrate on my work (software development). I have repeated this experience twice more when pain returned, the second time was much longer (about eighteen months) and the last time was much shorter (only about three months) and at a much lower dose too. I never had any of the frankly quite alarming side effects listed for the drug and never felt addicted. When taking the drug, I merely longed for the time when I didn't need it. So there you go, it obviously can work - sometimes.
I can't say I agree. I have used both, and cannabis didn't help with the nerve pain I had. My Dr. put me on gabapentin and the pain went away. It also helped with my restless legs. Depending on the pain level, one has to be stoned the whole day in order to benefit from cannabis. Some of the cannabis users I know have told me that cannabis doesn't alleviate their pain 100%, but that it helps them take fewer painkillers and/or lesser doses. I recently had surgery, and I couldn't get enough pain killers. Cannabis helped, but it's not a panacea for pain control.
Very well balanced assessment. With the load of research done on this subject, there is very little evidence to support that it does in fact help with nerve pain or pain of any kind. It does seem to have a valid positive effect in the sense that it does not so much directly help with the pain itself but can help distract one from the pain. From what I can see there is a limited window of effectiveness for this aspect and it often comes at the expense of the individuals functionality during the state of drug use and carries the negative long-term effects that so many _users_ and people with invested interests so adamantly deny, effects that our scientists and experts once upheld when they were not incentivised to say otherwise.
Gabapentin made me feel like I was falling down a dementia rabbit hole. THC wrecks my short term memory, but I do ok on CBD oil. My pain level drops when I don’t eat sugar or anything that turns into sugar. It causes inflammation but AMA drs ignore nutrition and push drugs with side effects that often leads to new medication that treats the initial drugs side effects you started in the first place.
Read through many of the comments, lots of personal history. Thc, not a personal choice. Gabapentin , prescribed by assorted doctors, thought it was somewhat benign. Of course each individual has different reactions to assorted meds. As for gabapentin here's my little story. First reaction was finding myself slapping myself uncontrollably. Sounds insane. Next reaction lying in the back of an ambulance feeling like I was on a acid trip. Emerg was unable to evaluate. Next incident was while driving stopping at green lights. Last incident about 3 years ago totally froze absolutely no body control for about 15 minutes. Will never use this poison again , the most distructive med on the market. Seems benign, nonetheless it completely f*cks up your brain. Might as well take LSD 24 hours a day. Seriously , this is an overprescibed drug that most DR',s don't even know what it's for.
I have suffered from severe ocd and anxiety since 11 years old now 32. When I take any form of thc my ocd gets bad during the high, hard to control compulsive behaviors etc. Lack of control and also alittle depressed after the high ends. I take a small dose of Gabapentin and it chills me out enough to work on my therapy but I doesn't make things worse. It helps take the edge of my anxiety but does make me pretty tired if I'm not moving or exercising. All in all gabapentin has got me thru hard times. I don't take any other medications except Lexapro for ocd etc.. been on gaba for about 9 years
If it weren’t for Gabapentin, I wouldn’t be able to function. I’ve only been on it for about a week, and for the first time in years, I can easily get out of bed and move around.
I only been in 600mg of gabapentin and it did wonders for me for the first 3 days, now week later I am ready to stop it! I am sleeping 14+ and wake up but feel like a snail. I also read weight gain and NO THANK YOU!
Please...read the papers that come with your meds. What meds don't mix with the Gabapentin. The doctors may not pay attention and prescribe things that don't belong together. Be careful
@@notices_demons Ive been on 800mg 3 times a day for 3 years now and yes it has a few side effects for me. Fatigue but that is not solely from Gabapentin same with weight gain But without it I don't know what I would do tbh an autoimmune reaction caused me to suffer from a non traumatic spinal injury C3 to C6 Transverse Myelitis I also have a differential diagnosis poloneuropathy I have permanent nerve damage with horrible pain. I am disabled.
For my very bad back, I was subscribed Gabapentin by my pain doctor. I tried it for a week and had never had such bad feelings of depression in my life! I got so bad I was afraid to be left alone while my husband went to work and I had recently retired due to my horrific pain. The depression got so bad it turned into suicidal ideation and while driving I thought of driving right into a telephone pole. Scared me to death that my thoughts had come to this!! I called my doctor and he wanted me to stay on it in spite of what I told him. I had to stop!! And I did. I have never had those feelings again thankfully! I realize my case may be rare but want others to know it could be the drug and not them if they feel these horrible thoughts coming to them. Thanks! BTW, I am a retired science and health educator and a drug/alcohol counselor.
Suicidal ideation is a side effect of anything that affects serotonin. That's the key. Never take anything that messes with serotonin unless you actually have a documented need. Always question everything. I had a similar experience when I was younger so I understand completely.
Thank you for this, clear and concise and helpful. Nerve pain from undisclosed cause, over entire body. Cannot yet find help for the incredibly bad pain. What is the best way to proceed? I am nearly bedridden at 67 after being an athlete all my life. Doctors seem bewildered.
Hi Amy, I'm Benny. I'm sorry for you, I have what sounds like something similar. I'm only 59 and I have severe muscle pain all over. I've been to many Dr"s! Not one can tell me what my real problem is. Well after being depressed about feeling older then I do, I started using medical grade marijuana. I also take 3600 mg of gabepentin. I still hurt but it helps. If you'd like to talk more maybe we could exchange emails.I hope you're having a good day. Take care.
@Lisa Moore Yes and I've seen 20 Drs in the last 15 years and my condition is still undiagnosed. This morning at 1 am I had to take a hot shower just to get my muscles to stop aching. They think I have a form of fibromyalgia, and or a Vagus nerve issue?
My pharmacist always seems surprised when I only take 1 dose of gabapentin per day instead of the 3 prescribed, and that I can go without and not feel sick. It just doesn't grab me, but it helps my muscle spasms at night
Myself also! I use gabapentin and cannabis Sparingly for general back and leg pain and I also go off of it every few days for a day or two without any issues.
I have been on Gabapentin for about 5 years and it makes a difference in my severe neuropathy . If I run out I start feeling like I have bugs crawling all over me. I started using thc about a year ago and it helps with my pain and after using it many times per day, it doesn’t seem to make me feel very “high” anymore but really helps my pain and anxiety issues. I find it ridiculous that I have to break the law to get relief. I am a homebody and not a danger to society in any way. I don’t go out driving and nobody would know I’m using thc without me telling them. By the way, my thc cost literally pennies on the dollar compared to my legal meds, even with decent insurance.
Well there we have it. Thank you for this video and your info.
" By the way, my thc cost literally pennies on the dollar compared to my legal meds, even with decent insurance."
Therein lies the answer to this illogical and foolish Governmental approach to cannabis. The real problem they are addressing, by restricting cannabis, is the risk to the profits of the Pharmaceutical industry.
Cannabis is so effective for such a variety of medical conditions, their concern is understandable, but is not in the interests of people in pain, children with severe epilepsy, women with menstrual pain, and people with anxiety, suffering from panic attacks, experiencing suicidal thoughts, or undergoing chemotherapy for cancer.
Yep 👍 amen! Thanks be to God for this medicine.
@@bkrharold they hope to hide behind their corporations from judgement from God almighty. When Obama was President he gave power to corporations to become legal citizens like as is the corporation is a human being. That means that “human being” can live forever. The AntiChrist system is made up of corporations and a “evil genius”
You are aware that you are addicted to them right? Everything that you're experiencing is called detox.
Something that everybody should think about is this is no matter how good drugs make you feel they will make you feel just as bad without them, once you are addicted.. that is sad they do this to yinz and don't have to pay the piper. For all of the people that got addicted to medications that doctors took oaks against doing, Should never have to work another day in their lives and and should also get that medication with no questions asked for the rest of their lives. If you want these companies like Johnson and Johnson and pfizer to pay. That would be fair. The amount of lives that were ruined/lost, on both sides the seller and the buyer, due to their lies.. The families that were destroyed. THE COMMUNITIES that were destroyed..
I am a veteran who lost my right leg over 5 years ago. I have severe phantom pain since the amputation! The VA prescribed to gabapentin to treat my severe phantom pain, but was doing little to help it. I was also concerned about the side effects from using gabapentin. One night after experiencing another severe episode of phantom pain, I smoked some pot! Within 15m my phantom pain stopped miraculously. My bro, who I was riding with on a road trip, noticed it as I did. This was 4 years ago. I totally agree with this presentation is essential. The only side effects that occurred, was laughter, enjoyment of being pain free, and had a nice appetite back!
Thank you for your service
God bless you and thank you for your service. 🇺🇸
Thank You for your service!
I'm a lucky veteran that served during peacetime. Long time cannabis advocate.
My gf has cancer and it's the only thing that truly makes her feel better.
God Bless you and take care.
… from one vet to another. Thank you for your service. I have PTSD from multiple combat tours. Cannabis helps with my panic attacks, irrationality and allows me to cope with most stupidity from people.
Anorexia survivor here. I was stuck in the modern medicine cycle without any signs of recovery regardless of my desire to be well. 18 years ago I secretly started using a few puffs of cannabis 30 minutes before meal times and gained 10 pounds in one week! I ditched my doctors and have been recovery’s ever since ❤ Today I am a healthy 125lbs and have a healthy relationship with food without the use of cannabis.
I was living a similar way. Be careful, I ran out of ways to get bud and almost starved to death.
Good for you girl my sister likes to smoke once in awhile with me be cool take it toker 2
I have chronic wasting disease without it, so I completely lose my appetite compounded with continual nausea - cannabis saved my life. Thankful to hear it saved yours. Have always said, every person with an eating disorder should be prescribed medical cannabis - anorexia is known to be brought on by an endocannabinoid deficiency, and only makes sense to do exactly what you did.
Happy for you, God bless
I really admire ur self resource to come back to ur self, trusting docs and meds will never have good results
Weed gives me an appetite as the painkillers I take affects my eating. It also helps me relax so I can sleep. In 45 years it's never done me any harm. Thank God for weed.
I get munchies way more w gabas and benzos than cannabis
I've heard someone close to a beautiful minority culture that they say it's proof the Creator loves us! A symbol of abundance as well how it grows... which is totally the truth. I guess we don't call it "weed" for no reason!
@@daveisnotmyname5508 yeah same here I mean l often get super hungry after smoking some weed but the benzo Munchies just blow it the fuck out of the water. I'll eat a chair, then forget.
I've smoked it most of my life and have a weed card from the Dr but as I get older and my paranoia gets worse, I find it adding to my skitzooness haha ha I may have created a word !? SO I have to pass on grass ! But im from meigs county Ohio and have 2 lifetimee worth of weed but I could roll it and smell it and play with it all day long!
Amen brother. God doesn't make mistakes.
I blew out my back in 2000 and was treated at the VA for years. So many pills (29/day)... Ultram, Flexaril, Zoloft, Gabapentin, oxycontin, Morphine, and the next step was Methadone! I refused to go under the knife and requested medical cannabis. Can't get in South Dakota, Minnesota or Iowa, so I moved to California! I've taken only 7 naproxen in the past 8years! I smoke the cannabis from morning til night! And I'm still mobile!
Had I gone with the surgery, I would have been in a wheelchair today. The world needs to open their minds to the natural medicine that is provided by our CREATOR above!
Amazing
💜💙💛Amen. Good for you. We have to be our own advocates.
I do understand that it's NOT for everyone! Everyone reacts differently, because WE'RE ALL totally unique... just like everyone else! ALWAYS start with small amounts, and gradually increase until you get relief.
Well done David I hope your doing good 👍
How are u now?
For me, Gabapentin was equivalent to chemically induced dementia. It took the very edge off of the pain, but the loss of 'self' was unbearable.
I found that as well, when I was on it. My clarity of mind came back after I got off it.
I relate to your description. I always felt like I was beside myself and concentration was difficult.
It’s not good for you so I’m glad you realized
Exactly this is why I use thc
I agree, it gabapentin made me feel like my mind was gone.
Fascinating.
I'm a nurse and I suffer from chronic neuropathic pain. I was first tried on Lyrica to no avail. Later my spine surgeon tried Gabapentin and the pain switch was turned off. Amazing......but I was tired and started having memory problems so staying on the medication wasn't worth it.
My GP wants me to try Cannabis but as a nurse I'd be fired if it showed up on a drug test. Hopefully someday the stigma will subside and patient needs will be considered.
Hi. I had severe neuropathy after lumbar and cervical (neck) surgery. I do not take any medication if it even has a chance of being addictive. I managed to cure my neuropathy with no drugs by using a natural-bristle shower brush and a super emollient liquid soap. I massaged the most painful area extremely vigorously at least once per day, and within 2 weeks , 90% of the pain was gone. In 6 months, maybe less, it was completely gone. I have been pain-free since 2009, and my surgery was in December 2008. I urge you to try this. It was life-changing for me.
You can get a broad-spectrum CBD that will not be detected in your blood or urine. Look into it.
@@colleenuchiyama4916 thank you for the recommendations. I'm going to try the brush method and look into CBD. I've been wary of it for the same reason but it's worth investigating.
The big pharma corporate overlords will never permit it.
I took 600mg of gabapentin at night for my facial and foot neuropathy. It helped me sleep and the positive effects lasted into the next day without tiredness or cognitive issues. It actually made me feel a little more energized. Didn’t get rid of the symptoms completely but greatly lessened them. Worked for me well. You can play around with the dosage according to what works for you. One person in the comments said he takes 2400 mg at night, I only needed 600. My neuropathy has improved by 85% now due, I think, to a move out of a house which I didn’t know was affecting my health due to mold. I take gabapentin only once every day or so now.
Cannabis dramatically decreases my PTSD symptoms. Better than anything the VA has prescribed me. I've had two in my military unit commit suicide due to MAOI inhibitors they were prescribed back in the late '90s and early 2000. Cannabis works and it is my belief that had my two brothers been prescribed it, they'd still be here today. BIG PHARMA KILLS!
Heroic hearts project does trips with veterans to go to Ayahuasca ceremonies to try working through ptsd with some good results i believe
Wow. Ty for truth. So very sorry
I'm not a veteran, yet I know the struggle with ptsd. Thank you for your service to our beautiful country.
I have childhood CPTSD from multiple causes, and repeated aspects of the abuse in adult relationships. A few of the psych meds I've tried were helpful. Some made it much worse. Several meds, including gabapentin, made me feel foggy and apathetic. Loved ones said I seemed like a zombie, or as if my personality was gone. Major memory problems, apathy, no ambition. Psychiatrists said me wanting to be alert and happy was a sign that I was bipolar and craving mania. I hate medical gaslighting.
Cannabis doesn't fix everything, but I've never experienced a negative side effect. It helps me cope with physical and emotional pain, insomnia, nausea, anxiety, etc. I trust it more than pharmaceuticals.
@@margaretwordnerd5210❤
I was prescribed Gabapentin for Diabetic Neuropathy and Fibromyalgia and it has been a life saver for me. It works so well for me. I do experience side effects like dizziness, coordination issues, and other things you mentioned. For this reason I take a higher dosage at night and a low dosage during the day. The higher dosage at night helps me sleep, which has been a huge help. I went off of Gabapentin for a short time, but could not handle the pain from my conditions any longer and went back on it. It is the only thing that gives me any relief, other than Norco or Vicodin. I understand it does not work for everyone, but for me, it has been a game changer. Thank you for your video.
Your addicted to Gabapentin it will destroy your body horrible drug!
Last few years I slowly reduced Gabapentin to only taking 3x100mg day; 1 in morning and 2 at night. I was prescribed 12 daily for nerve pains due to a back condition, but they were making me too sleepy and made put on weight. Below the 3 daily the nerve pain resumes though. I lost over 10kg just by reducing the Gabapentin from 12 to only 3 daily. I used to take low dose 10mg codeine, mostly of an evening for pain relief at night, but I weaned myself off those without any withdrawals. When I told my pain medicine doctor that I didn’t think it was the codeine that helped that much, but perhaps the doxylamine succinate that was in them he prescribed that. I find that is more effective than codeine or the low dose Gabapentin actually, but I only take one 25mg of an evening as it can make you sleepy.
Suggest ask your GP if you have disturbed sleep due to restless legs type discomfort, as I have found it to be an effective muscle type relaxant. Makes a difference for me.
I'm 62 and only started smoking pot 2 years ago. I have neuropathic pain and it's getting worse as winter approaches. Today I talked to my doctor and I have scheduled a session to talk about Gabapentin. I've already decided I'm not going to use it. I smoke low-thc and high-cbd period and last night within half-an-hour my pain was gone. It is such a relief I could almost cry. This video has helped me make my decision. Thank you so much
So without ever talking about the benefits of gabapentin, you've made your mind up? So why do you even go to the Dr.? I don't care what you do, but you sound like a moron to me.
Good choice 👍
same with my back injury. Gaba made me a thought less fool, uncoordinated, i had to stop taking it. Weed is great helps with my depression from not being able and being forced to quit my work, truck driver, so i smoke weed, to get through the day. Stops the constant pain and helps with my mood swings from the pain. NOTHING helps except Oxycontin and weed and you absolutely can not get a doctor to prescribe Oxycontin which i was on daily for years and controlled my severe back pain from a ruptured disk into my sciatic nerve and separated it like pealing a banana. the pain was severe in as much as passing out. Weed controls this pain well enough to actually walk around with out passing out from the pain.
If you get a chance Ray, read my comment above.
Si do I go to a dispensary and ask for low thc , and high cbd? Is it easy to find? High thc doesn’t help me. I have severe facial neuropathic pain. Thanks
After a fracture of my L3 at age 24, I was prescribed a combination of a high dose of gabapentin (can’t recall the amount but I know it was toward the upper limits) and hydrocodone. Not only did it not resolve the constant pain, it ruined my life . I survived and have been off all medications for 4 years. The US healthcare system (and I use that term loosely as it is really a business) is incredibly broken and corrupt.
I compression fractured my 3 lowest lumbars at 21 (2009) and a couple dozen other bones in a car wreck. Tried me on benzos for seizures and gabapentin for my neuropathy after years. Went without anything for a few years but as soon as I saw a doctor they would prescribe me anything and I never took more than a few days worth. Get that pain you probably know where it feels like someone pours hot grease inside my leg sporadically. I don't get the nerve pain hardly ever if I smoke or eat edibles....our system is so bad.
You should check out Canadian doctors they’ve got more patients than they know what to do with because we don’t have to pay for any of it so they will prescribe you a pill and if you have a problem with that pill rather than change it they will prescribe you another pills to help with the first pill every single person in Canada takes a handful of pills every day and none of us have a goddamn clue what they truly do to us yeah your guys healthcare is bad but free healthcare can be much more treacherous because everything is free we will just literally swallow whatever they tell us to and between pharmacies and doctors they are constantly trying to get you to swallow more I could probably eat one bag of Ramen a day and never get hungry and I’ve been fighting for years to get off of this shit that’s the real battle they will not let you it’s unbelievable no matter what you say or do their answer is well try this pill
@stephen miller Oxycodone is an opioid medication used for treatment of moderate to severe pain. It is highly addictive and is commonly used recreationally by people who have an opioid use disorder.
@@robbot9877 can also be used wo problems if used correctly and not the american way that is more more more more.
@@vihreelinja4743 not long term it can't. It's perfect for acute pain but not chronic pain
I've been on gabapentin since I was probably 13. I'm 29 now. I've had my dose upped so many times. I have tried to get off of it slowly, but it caused my pain to be terrible. But I think now it was withdrawal, not actually my nerve pain/chronic migraine. Thank you so much for this video! I'll be doing more research and talking to my doctor!
I have neurological pain. I was upping my dose of gaba and other pain meds for years and thought the same thing. Then I was told I had six months to live because I had a massive tumor in my spinal cord. I was 29. For years they were treating my symptoms but ignored doing any tests to find the cause and kept misdiagnosed me without any tests. Now that it is gone and I survived I have CRPS.
I hope you find out what is causing your pain. If it is just withdrawals than count yourself lucky because that is something you can overcome, though difficult, through tapering. Good luck 🍀
😊🕊
@@genericamerican7574 I'm so glad they finally found the cause of your pain. And I'm glad you're still here! I know the causes of my pain, and recently talked to my doctor and I'm doing a really slow taper down on my gabapentin. ❤️
Who would ever allow a child this dangerously awful drug! O my I feel so bad for you!
What you experienced was probably the rebound-effect where the condition being treated becomes worse when the treatment is removed. It is temporary. Doctors need to explain these things to patients.
you stop taking pain medication and the pain comes back. That's how that works. I've been on gabapentin for over 20 years and I still have never noticed any withdrawal symptoms.... pain and withdrawal are NOT the same thing. The pain is going to be there either way.
I live in the US and was a recreational user of cannibis illegally. I ruptured my lowest disc and had disc wrapped up up my nerve sac. After a micro-Disectomy was prescribed gabapentin. It took me all of 3 months to realize it did nothing. I took my remaining gabapentin and Percocet and gave it to my doctor. Told him I got more relief from lower back spasms and sciatica using cannibis. Was immediately added to a list of individuals they never prescribe opiates to agian for any reason and my doctor refused any further treatment of me and told me to find another general physician. I did. I use cannibis daily illegally still in conjunction with Cortezone shots into nerve sacs. Recieve two treatment injections 6months apart and it lasts around ten years before it has to be repeated. I currently have developed synovian cysts on my spine. Need injections again, but I’m forced to go through 6 months of physical therapy before they will perform the treatments. Medical system in US is disgusting profit mongering disgrace!
The doctors acted this way because you decided to use cannabis??
@@louisejones5773 yes if I wanted to see that doctor ,or be prescribed opiates for pain management. I’d have to provide thc free u.a.’s and blood labs. I live in a state where Cannibis is not legal for use medical or otherwise. It’s seldom that I still have pain that requires anything stronger then cannibis and I don’t really like using opiates painkillers. It does bother me that I had to find another doctor. Am treated like a drug addict being put on a list for treating myself with cannibis and refusing gabapentin and opiates.
Pot good. Alcohol bad.
should have posted up th clinic or hospital or the drs name so we can all avoid this sanctimonious charlatan
@@louisejones5773 alot of doctors are criminals and satanists that want you on what THEY want you. and they need to keep you on it. Only ego in a meat sack. They will die tho so that is comforting
I've had 8 back surgeries. Was in pain management on fentanyl patches and perc 10s, gabapentin etc. Got sick of feeling sick, started medical cannabis and haven't been back to pain management since. My 8th procedure, a fusion of my L3-L4,L4-L5 vertebrae in summer of 2020, they referred me back to a pain specialist for opiates. I told them no thank you and went to a dispensary.
My L4 thru L7 is herniated and pinch nerve. HAND goes numb been on gaba for 2 years now for pain
I am happy for you. I wish it would work that well for me. I never blacked out after they put me on fentanyl. Once they took me off over 9 years later I started blacking out from the pain every time I move. They don’t care. It has nothing to do with what is good for me. I have CRPS. It hurt more than dying from cancer ripping my spinal cord apart from the inside. I was given six months to live when they found it. I am in more pain now that I am in remission from the CRPS. I always wished something else would work as well but nothing does. Go figure opiates work better for severe pain. Fentanyl and morphine are amazing and powerful drugs that should be respected and used responsibility and appropriately.
Gabapentin made my mom like a dementia patient. She got off it and it took a few months but she's got her cognitive function back!
Same thing. It was terrifying; especially for my loved ones.
I broken my neck about 4 years ago and still have nerve pain in both hands. I have been on Gabapentin for almost the entire time. My dosage is high, 12 pills a day, and I'll admit it is habit forming, but other than that I have suffered no side effects. I think that you should take whatever drug that helps you the most and if it is THC then it should be legal and available everywhere.
Agree. For sleep I take 2400 mg of Gabapentin AND THC, and I do not have the slightest problem with cognition.
I take gabapentin and it works for me.
Try comming off of it. Gabapentin for chronic pain and nerve damage in leg, when I slowed/stopped it the side effects were like what I envisioned hard drug withdrawal to be like (horrible cold sweats, overall ache, general psychological state of discomfort/restlessness/agitation). Several days of being housebound, a few weeks of feeling like crap.
Habit forming ? Good luck
I'd rather smoke weed all day then be on Gabapentin again...edible Marijuana is much better imo for pain
My parents shared their kitchen table with a small army of pill bottles. Some "soldiers" were part of their morning routine, some their afternoon routine, and others their bedtime routine. In the end, the pills eventually worked themselves out of a job...killing the very ones that made their use necessary. Now that my folks have passed, it grieves me deeply that they were not able to experience cannabis.
My grandfather had a big toolbox type box full of meds. They trusted the system and it destroyed them
That's what they tried with me.I quit all but 3 and smoke everyday .when I go to the Dr's office I see it all the time there .I'm 61 so I don't think I'm old I just feel that way. come in with a gallon freezer full of pill bottles.
Half their pills probably dealt with regulating blood pressure and blood clots...
Nothing u can regulate with weed...
Funny story though.
Pills murdered my mom- I know how you feel
Thank you Ian , your honesty is refreshing and reasuring. I've used and discussed Gabapentin , Lyrica and Pegabalin with two consultant Anesthesiologists. Both agreed that it does nothing except dull your mind and body and does very little for chronic pain.
I use both CBD and gabapentin for my migraines, fibromyalgia, and chronic pain from lots of old injuries. The CBD was the first thing that actually put a dent of any size in my pain; adding the gabapentin took it down to the point where I can get through most days without too much misery. I thank God for both of them for more or less giving me my life back. ❤❤
Oy Vey! mY fIbRoMyAlGiA!
Oy Vey! mY fIbRoMyAlGiA!
Ummmmm 'kay......
Same
Same here! T12 incomplete
Interestingly, I stopped taking Gabapentin this year. I was prescribed it for neurological pain, tremors, and nerve issues. It’s a horrible drug. In full recommend dose, I would often feel uneasy walking (like my legs were not doing what I wanted them too), I could not trust my judgement driving, I’d be dizzy all the time. After reducing it to 1/3 of the dose myself, it was easier to deal with but still not ideal. I was then told the doctors would look at another solution and they stopped providing the drug without a plan or wind down time and the withdrawals were very real and a horrible experience. 10 days of feeling like death. Shaking, sweating, vomiting, headaches, it all came pretty quick and stayed around. While cannabis isn’t legal here in the UK, low dose CBD is and it has helped take the edge off of some of my initial symptoms without any side effects at all. It does make you wonder why it is restricted so heavily. My guess would be because it can be grown by anyone and governments would rather push money through large pharmaceutical companies, than allow someone to be able to cheaply treat themselves.
@David naw gabapentin will give you withdrawals. Scary stuff. Be aware.
@David you cant look up peoples comments boomer if your on your phone which im sure you are you can sometimes see comments on the same channel they have made. Im convinced you were sent here by satan to smear LSD and Mescaline
I have the same experience with my legs! Like I have to think about how to walk sometimes. Also control over my hands is affected as well. This is hard to type, and I used to be an excellent typist. Very unsteady, and foggy.
CBD isn't legal hasn't been approved by the
FDA and the dosage isn't regulated
I feel you need to have a strong word to your doctors. Taking Gabapentin for me came with very strong and clear instructions from my pain medicine clinic and my GP, to increase dosage slowly and also if I wanted to stop it was ESSENTIAL to do so slowly. Like only drop back 1 tablet for a few days before even considering to drop another one from the daily dosages. I dropped only 1 tablet a day for a week before progressing to reduce another one. Never had any withdrawals. I found that below 3 tablets the nerve pains became very real again. Have tried several times to reduce a bit more but this happens every time.
After a decade long battle with crippling mental health disorders (depression, anxiety), I was prescribed 600mg of gabapentin at night for anxiety and I have gotten off all other medicines since. It has helped me a lot
It's an amazing medication! I love it
I was prescribed it for Trigeminal Neuralgia but it really helps my mood n subsequent anxieties.
@@xiolaamapola3180 yeah, gabapentin makes me feel GREAT. Like REALLY REALLY happy all the time when I'm on it and it kills the pain just as good as a lot of the opiates they had me on, but not addictive like they were. I know some people will say they have withdrawals from gabapentin, but I've never felt anything remotely similar to a withdrawal symptom from it. Prolly cuz I had been accustomed to the much more severe opiate withdrawals
I think I'll continue to be treated with CBD. I just got CBD products from Weedborn and I feel much better now: D
Thanks for including brand name 👍
Thank god! A fellow doctor or professor of the academics that stands up and says what's right and tells the truth! Somebody should get this guy on tv!
I have brain cancer GBM. I take CBD with THC cannabis tincture. After 3 years I'm still alive.
I was put on gabapentin, took it for a couple of years. Then I noticed I was a very angry person and it was getting worse. I turned into a raging monster. Scared my family with my anger.. it was the gabapentin and once I got off it I slowly started to get back to my sweet caring self. Never again will I take that crap. THC has helped me so much, the pain is reduced, I can sleep and I’m calm. Natural drugs can be so much better for us.
Same here, I was so angry and also thinking about suicide.
Gimme THC any day.
I'm glad you're feeling better 😊
AMAZING. Try the book Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman. Helps with behaviors and how emotions curve them.
How did you get off the gaba?
Same thing happened to my daughter on gabapentin for epilepsy as a child, but it made her so mean, they switched her over to Lamictal
what kind of thc do you take?
went to college in the 70s. there are people i still maintain contact with who smoked weed throughout college and then stopped, people who smoked who never stopped, people who stopped and started, et. al. seems to me there would be quite many test subjects for any case that needs to be studied
My life's mate never stopped, he shared with me , i haven't stopped, my children grew up around it cause we did , i don't know when they might hang it up, or if they hang it up , but gosh, what they do to get you there is flat out wrong on a Grand scale , & I'm a believer in not hurting things , with or without a blood supply, don't see a point to it , maybe things that r green still can feel like we can , kinda , not quite as deeply but they don't hurt things either, but people's do , it's y we get hurt more & feel it more !
THC content was around 2.5% in the 70s. We have 99.99% consecrates now. Thats like comparing coffee to cocaine, really is. I smoke it, its a different drug now days. Not saying it dont have uses, its just not harm-free at all and kills people now and makes them into schizophrenics. Ive seen it with my younger friends, my mom and pop dont smoke like we do or the THC level, too much for them, they get too high. Then you have Doctors like this who don't understand there is no dose regulations for normal people who are not trying to get high as fuck for a treatment.
Unfortunately studies need controls... not just testimonials.
Ive dealt with chronic pain, nerve issues, mental health issues, stomach/digestive issues and eating disorders for 20+ yrs. Have been on and tried so many different medications since the age of 11. Side effects, forming habits, and having to take medications for side effects of other medications is what made me give up on the medical field for help. Specially after doctors started getting frustrated trying to figure out whats wrong with me, turned around and blamed me, saying im making it up and its all in my head. So i turned to marijuana and havent turned back. Its been over 10 yrs and am i so thankful for the plant and its help. (And so thankful i got the chance to help make my state recreationally legal for cannabis consumption in 2012)
Similar story. Childhood issues led to anxiety, stress, insomnia and depression. Randomly lost 50 lbs from a healthy frame in late 20's, then 5 years later severe stomach/digestive problems arose. Doctors could not find what was wong, other than nerve damage to the esophagus and digestive area. So many were convinced that anxiety, stress, insomnia and depression could not lead to such digestive issues. Luckily not all doctors are idiots, tho most take me for someone who wants meds, not domeone who wants to be pain free with some quality of life. Oh, and long time cannibis(CBD,CBG,THC) user here, tho it doesnt doo much for my nerve pain. Only GP helps with that in any meaningful way
Have either of you checked into mold exposure and/or tick/borne infections? Happened to my son and I both from different houses!
@@Tinyteacher1111 i have been tested for things from lupus, to leukemia, to lyme disease and everything in between. I have had mold exposure when in elementary school but i had ALREADY had these issues prior to it. Its not linked to the mold sadly. I already know what i have and its genetic. My gma has it, my mom and all of her sisters have it as well as me and i can already see signs in my daughter.
@@trent617tw same here. After years of medication after medication not working or having bad side effects. I now use cannabis and otc items for my pain. And have struggled with drs being truly helpful rather than judgemental idiots. Hope you have a beautiful day today 🙏🙏💖
Gabapentin caused severe brain fog for me, some days I couldn't even get my words out of my mouth, i slowly titrated my self off of this med, feel way better
It does make you foggy. It kinda makes me manic and i suffer from such hardcore depression i dont want to quit taking it. This vid is kinda scary though because what if it makes me worse. Doctors dont care their being puppetted.
TRY SAGO PALM C 500 (ONLINE).
@@RendezvouDoo just take the pills every 30 minutes if you take 300mg, just don't take them all at once cause that's what will make you extremely tired
My girl takes those and gets attitude and sounds like she’s drunk.
@@holdingcopsaccountable6554 gabapentin takes away anxiety, and anxiety is what stops us from raging out, also as for the drunk thing yeah that's true it feels like your drunks.
The biggest difference in these drugs is one you can grow in your backyard and the other you have to make pharmaceutical companies rich and powerful. It’s all about freedom of the individual
@@carlosdominguez3108 an appeal to freedom.
@@carlosdominguez3108 He isn't saying cannabis is good because it is "natural". He is pointing out the huge profit incentive the pharmaceutical industry has to prevent the widespread use and adoption of remedies and medications that can be naturally grown and cultivated. This is also related to the reason many psychedelics will never be adopted by for-profit industry around physical and mental health. Shit like psilocybin, for example, is unpatentable and even if they make a functional analogue to patent there is the issue of profit with regards to routine and potential permanent consumption of a drug. If people were able to take a substance one time and have an experience that solved their mental distress, it would destroy the whole business of prescribing people SSRI's to take everyday indefinitely. OP is simply gesturing towards this web of terrible incentives. I have no clue how you think the naturalistic fallacy has jack shit to do with what they said, other than you just thought, 'they mentioned that you can grow cannabis, and that is him pointing out it is natural rather than synthetic', without actually reading his comment for its semantic content. Don't be so quick to drop useless criticisms when you don't even understand what their point is.
Thank you, for opening my eyes to gabapentin. I have been on and off this medication for over 25 years, for treatment of nerve pain. I am a pain patient with chronic nerve pain and gabapentin has been an absolute life saver in times when the opioid medication did not work.
Gabapentin is the only thing other than benzos that can keep me from having panic attacks, and Gabapentin is way safer than benzos. I think Gabapentin feels a whole lot better than benzos do too.
If you live in a state that allows the use of cannabis, try it. I was in a narcotic coma for 20 years (my docs put me on up to 5 narcs); 5 years ago I started medical cannabis. It helps my anxiety, depression, pain, appetite, and sleep all in one single product.
@@TeresaWells-y7g I live in Oregon, EVERYTHING is legal here!! I choose to remain free from chemicals, doctors, processed foods, GMO's, sugar and meat at this point in my life and it has a REMARKABLE difference in my health!!!
Thank You. I Love THC. Best part is when it wears off there are NO lingering issues!
Or make us act stupid, like alchohol does , break beer bottles on the sidewalk & roads for people's & animals to step on , pic up & cut them selves, pretty immature! Y i like da weed , it's been over 35 yrs now , but childhood did jot help & marriage did not help , & some family members did not help , so I'm like fine & yp pass it on !
@@proudchristian77 Not unlike the false claim of gabapentin making you gay (they already were & looking for another reason) I think you may have/had some mental and or emotional issues that haven't been confronted as well. No, young people shouldn't take anything that affects brain chemistry as their brains haven't matured yet but by no means on earth does thc have the same effects of alcohol. I am not advocating thc for everyone as no drug of any sort is a fit for all but generally speaking if they seem to cause unwanted behavior there is usually a root cause that needs to be addressed.
It is Spiritually damaging unfortunately. Though one may not realize it !
Isn’t thc Regular old cannibus you find in joints, edibles etc, I despise that ware off affect, it lasts forever. It’s been a while since I did it because I can’t stand the effect is THC something different I must be missing some thing gosh I need help for pain so bad.
Plenty of lingering issues, mental health being the primary
My father is 75 years old and suffers from spinal stenosis which keeps him in severe pain in his arms. He has muscle atrophy in both arms. He suffered through prescriptions of vicodin, Percocet and almost everything else with years of near constant agony he was finally prescribed Gabapentin. It changed his life. The atrophy is still there but the pain is gone. Luckily he doesn't suffer from any side effects. Gabapentin is known as a miracle drug around my household.
Great story! All that matters is relieving pain!
Gabapentin is a godsend in my life too ✌
👍🤞
What manufacturer,
and are they capsules or tablet?! pleasee. All are so different, thx
I switched from Lyrica to cannabis years ago. One of the best choices I’ve made for my body and mind.
I asked my doctor to prescribe me gabapentin when I had a slipped disc a few years ago. I had been bed ridden with debilitating pain for months. The pain was so bad I’d pass out, it also atrophied my left leg muscles. Within hours of taking gabapentin I was able to walk without pain. My nerve attacks stopped. I took it for a few weeks and had no side effects. I still consider it my saviour drug. I never take any drugs so I’m no drug pusher. But hey that’s my story.
that stuff messed me up way more than weed ever did, and it did absolutely 0 for pain. glad it worked for somebody
@@omnigar9611 different strokes for different folks.
I take it for crps. Well, I take a lyrica a much stronger finer cut version used mostly to treat restless leg syndrome. It has turned my brain and short term memory into Swiss cheese after 16 years, but without it and thc/cbd, I would have already turned my brain into literal Swiss cheese with a bullet.
I think there is an issue in the way that many people think of medications. How individuals react to one medication can vary so widely, more so if used in combination with other medications. We shouldn't dismiss cannabis as a medicine, but pushing the ideology that it is superior to most other medicines is a bit ridiculous.
@@G_D_K but it is.....
I started having migraines at 10, I spent days in terrible pain with my head in a bucket. It was only in my late 50's that I was prescribed Gabapentin. It has been amazing, I'm now 70 and haven't had a serious episode since.
I am happy to hear that you could be treated
@@carolthornley1265 hmmm Interesting ….thanks
Did you take the Feverfew with your meds as you were working with the doc to get off everything?
Almost over with this video and I am tipping my hat to this fellow. He has taught me so much that I didn't already know it made me feel as if I've been so arrogant and to learn that about myself I feel a calm Bliss of understanding that I needed to shed that ego. . This has been so wonderful and informative I hope he finds other topics to do things just like this just tell the truth the truth will always be the dominant
I have numerous women friends on gabapectin who never seem to get better. I use natural supplement and diet. No mainstream medical. People can research natural ways to supplement for gaba
Most people have an agenda when stating this type of info yet you were open and honest and being a user of bot I think you gave a very fair and honest assessment! Thank you
I have had the same experience as you.
You believe this video does not have an agenda lol.... SMH. Would you have said the same if it didn't agree with your biases?
@@seditt5146
You believe that this video does not NOT have an agenda. LOL
How did your biases help you come to that conclusion?
Gabapentin obviously works very well for the pharmaceutical hustle.
It obviously works well for me because I can’t function on Cannabis
Yep. Gabapentin is poison in a capsule.
This!
I had dreadful migraines since childhood, all the time. In my 50's I was prescribed Gabapentin. I'm 70 now and haven't had a serious episode since.
I have siatic pain from my back all the way to my feet. I am greatful for gabapentin.
Gabapentin is handed out like candy here in NY since opioids came under scrutiny. It doesn't help my arthritis/degenerative disc disease pain much, but because it's not restricted it's prescribed to shut up patients with pain problems. I have pounds of the stuff.
Yea. My back is killing me. Am on blood thinners so I can’t take advil. Or any over the counter meds The doctor just gave me 90 days of supply plus 3 refills. I want Oxy or Tramadol. But doctors like no
I have to take Gabapentin. I've never noticed withdrawl symptoms when I run out. There is alot of anxiety with Pain patients. The first one being that many professionals think the Patient is lying. This is a VERY informative video. Thank You very much.
I can only go by my own experience, about five years before I retired at 55 I had burning sensations in my left tricep, fore arm back of hand and thumb, a deep ache in my Humerus and top quarter of my chest and back, about three times over the 5 year period I dropped things out of my left hand due to numbness and suffered several bouts of Vertigo, the pain increased as time went on and got to the point where I could not sleep because of it, I put all these symptoms down to a change of design of my utility vehicle which had me using my left side more than usual and thought I had torn ligaments in my back, I said as much to the Doctor, he prescribed anti inflammatory which did nothing to relive the incredible pains, he then sent me for X-ray and found that I had Arthritis in my neck that it was putting pressure on my spinal cord, He then prescribed 3x300mg of Gabapentin and every one of the symptoms disappeared within two days.
i couldnt take that much. i also have a nerve pinch but in the lower back. i take 600 mg a day it helps but if I'm on my feet too long walking becomes funny, painful, but odd.
Don't get your neck or any part of your spine fused if you can help it exhaust all other options first and get way more then one opinion
Wow! That’s great
Gabapentin has helped me a lot too! (not with pain, but with some numbness - also from arthritis - but it's helped me far more with my anxiety - which is severe).
Yup it works for me
Additionally, I was a real stoner growing up so many years ago. But today I use the cannabis to replace the opiates that I was on for so long. I don't really get HIGH anymore, just medicated. But it doesn't show! I'm comfortable with my quality of life!
Thanks for sharing so honestly.
U build a tolerance I just usually stop smoke for maybe a week or 2 and then I goes back to high again some what normal. I will say gaba has stopped the urge to smoke thc so I like both drugs for what they do
Im 61 and was prescribed 300mg gabapentin at 3x a day for neuropathy and sciatica. I only take 1 a day and my side affects are immediate memory loss and fatigue. I literally forget where I am going and for what reason. Imagine going to the store for a few items, then come home with not the things you needed- This happens constantly. I drink coffee during the day to keep alert but now it doesn't help. I yawn and feel like crap. Thank you for really "opening up my eyes" to what is going on. No more Gaba 4me!
Gabapentin has been a godsend for my neuropathic foot and leg pain. Before my doctor prescribed Gabapentin I could not stand the pain in my feet and legs, which came on very quickly. Although my neuropathy has continued to slowly progress up my legs, I can walk around with only minor pain and enjoy my life with Gabapentin.
I just started gabapentin today. Man I hope it works. I’m tired of the pain in my feet and legs.
It's helped me so much too especially with my nystagmus in my eyes and now currently been having neck problems it helps so much....
I've never misused or gotten "high" off of them I don't even get how?
This has taken pain away and I can function feeling normal
I have to say it has made a big difference. I feel so much better.
@@lauraleederos5850 how much do you take a day, glad to hear it’s made a big difference to your life style.
@@BKKNOW1 100 mg five times a day. One at breakfast and one at 2pm and then three at bed time
I can tell you it does help with pain. Not so much pain caused from a sore musle, but pain from a pinched nerve, oh yes, it helps alot. Every drug that really works and has any potential to be missused as a drug to get high on always has this happen to it. It's hard to get opiods for pain so docs use... If Ibuprofen would get people high they'd make that hard to get. What about alcohol? ph wait we tried that and people still drank it. What about weed? Oh, people found a way to still use that too. OK, well what about Heroin... making that illegal just made people start putting Fentanyl in it making it more likely to be Over Dosed when using... The War on Drugs is a failed war. Stop mking drugs illegal and locking people up for using them. Using drugs is a nonviolent "crime". We give child molesters less time than a Heroin addict gets for a little tar in a bag. That is messed up!
Edit: or people that drink, at least not for drinking alone.
Relax and live a little. Drugs are ancient and numerous. There's always a way.
@@Raymond-rr5iv Maybe I am missing something. Drugs are not abundant where I live. Well they are if you're willing to deal with the high chance you'll run into someone that is working with the police. Prices are high here, that is if you want good drugs. So again, Please explain more? I really am open to an advice.
It's an old and pernicious,knotty problem. Harm reduction and knowledge over ignorance are probably the best approach. I was fascinated with drugs since the 1970s and was very libertarian,i.e. legalize them all. After being prescribed and quitting Fentanyl after 5 years, I've become much more moderate. I'd choose to eat broccoli over poison ivy,and drugs are the same. I've also become very disillusioned with Big Pharma's solutions.
@@fretnesbutke3233 Educating people about the true dangers/pit falls of using drugs is definitely the way to go. At 12 years old Doctors put me on Morphine. This was back when a lot of Doctors believed "If you have real pain, you won't get addicted". This is false of course. Still I believe educate and legalize.
Why not treat the pinched nerve?
Yeah, I was prescribed gabapentin a while back for foot pain. Was told it's OK to take up to 1200mg a day. Oh...and get a liver panel done every 6 weeks or so. Not sure of the relationship, if any, but my bilirubin was high and B12 was almost not existent (after the first month). Was told to drop dosage to 600mg a day. During this time, my biggest complaint was digestive issues, insomnia, and sexual disfunction. Also a low level, but constant headache. Now, oddly enough, smoking mamajuana mitigated some of the side effects such as anxiety and depression. Also brought back my appetite. (side note- during the 4 months I took gabapentin, I lost 35 pounds... just didn't like to eat !!.) Also cleaned up my diet as it was finally decided that I had gout... only took about a year to diagnose that. I'll stick with THC and CBD... and I watch my turine intake.
Gabapentin pretty much saved my life. I had no choice. I’m grateful for it but absolutely recognize it’s downfalls and side effects. It should be used for emergency use only in my opinion. I was lucky that my surgery worked and was able to take myself off immediately. My doctors were even shocked. I didn’t study the med until I was in a place to be off of it, because I had no choice but to take it. It’s phenomenal for nerve pain. No pain meds or THC would touch that. I remain grateful but am always extremely cautious if I recommend it. THC will always be a yes from me. No need to even get into that side of this other than saying it should be legalized federally immediately. Great video! Thank you!
Dr. Sir I am a combat veteran, and I use both drugs and my belief that inconjuchtion, these drugs bring relief for my condition, although my condition is very sever, and after reviewing your A Tale of Two Drugs... I understand more about this issue and living with it. my self ,you have my esteem, thank you Dr. Mitchell.
💜💙💛
Have you considered having a Stellate Ganglion Block?
Have you got around to trying medicinal cannabis? Anything is worth a shot to reduce pain and increase QOL
I prefer Gabapentin to cannabis with Gaba I can function and I feel great versus cannabis makes me feel like a couch potato with a out of control appetite.
@Eddie Cordova
Thank you so much for your service . May the Good Lord Bless you and your family and keep you all safe.💛
As an older person who is a compulsive law abiding citizen I always thought THC was “bad”. Even when it became legal I never tried it. I have neuropathy due to a spinal chord injury. I was shocked when my specialist suggested trying THC. I was even more shocked at how well it worked. I now sleep through the night.
THC is still however stigmatized. My drug plan will not cover THC or CBD. So instead of paying twice the price for “Medical Canabis”, I just buy recreational THC oil from the website. Also I soon realized that I should not mention that I am taking THC. You end up in endless discussions about how I have started on my path to fentanyl addiction.
Same here. Hopefully the ignorance will go away soon and people can truly get help.
A fantastic, well researched piece. Ironically mostly based on a drug that has not been allowed to be diligently researched.
I was on 2,700 mg of Gabapentin a day when I left hospital, combined with maximum doses of a bunch of others including Tramadol.
I could not string a sentence together and wold fall asleep during a conversation.
I independently took Gabapentin down to 900mg a day.
I did not have a prescription review for three years, now I understand why?
I was introduced to cannabis a year ago which I use every night to temper my chronic leg and body spasms. It really has been a game changer for me.
I haven’t used cannabis in the day for pain relief but intend to start forthwith.
Thank you for the independent information.
Another thing professionals need to start doing is treating human beings as individuals, not a monolith. Some people get physically ill and have harmful reactions to cannabis, and as you mentioned, a minor percentage of people helped by Gaba. There are so many factors, blood type, metabolism, personality type. Gaba almost killed me, BTW.
Gabapentin and pregabalin made me suicidal within days and I was so close to dying
True, not everyone gets addicted to pain meds after surgery. Doctors usually only give you a week or 2 worth, but not enough to help you get through painful therapy.
THC just doesn't touch my pain and just makes me feel like my legs have turned into cement pillars. I have people that tell me this isn't possible. But this is truly what happens to me and I also start to hyper focus on Mt nerve pain and it gets worse when I do this. Lyrica helps take the fire out of the nerve pain from the spinal stenosis. But the pain is always there regardless of how hot it becomes. Lyrica and opiods just make the pain bare able.
@@chasetonga I never got hooked on pain meds but I'm different than most people. Some vegans say I should quit eating meat and get my protein from nuts but Im allergic to nuts. There's no one-size fits all.
It's a byproduct of how we deal with insurance. Companies want to earn as much money as possible for as little as possible, so they won't cover expenses if they can avoid it. So doctors can't prescribe preventative options because the patient won't get it covered.
As someone with chronic pain and what feels like a whole goddamn hospital worth of doctors and specialists, all the professionals I've ever contacted feel the same way that patients aren't a monolith and wish they could do more to prevent problems before they happen. Unfortunately, lawmakers and CEOs are the ones making the decisions.
Excellent presentation.
I have severe sciatica (5 yrs) and disc issues that I just had my 3rd round of nerve blocks for. Other complications brought me to GABA’s.
I live in a Medical Marijuana state and just got my license,
I am 67 yrs old, and finally got a good night sleep, found my appetite and my pain management (including otc, topicals, heating pad and ice help.
The Marijuana is by far the least invasive and most effective for pain, mood, sleep and healthy weight gain which are all concern’s for the autoimmune symptoms that are here as well.
I hope 🤞 the tide turns for more people, especially when the anxiety issues are at a all time high, and healthcare is not available to all, not to mention affordable medication.
I still don’t understand why you can’t grow a couple of your own plants in your backyard.
Might just help the 🌍
Thank you
Exactly 💯 !! I totally agree, legalize weed NOW, please !!!! 😂
@@thegmom7812 💯 agree gabapentin will also ruin your liver horrible drug!
In 2015 I was prescribed GABApentin for nerve pain after a broken back. My doctor at the time told me I could take all I wanted as it had no negative side effects! It made me feel like I was out of body. I stopped taking it after 3 weeks. Cannabis has brought much relief to me. Just sayin'.
Thank you, Dr. Mitchell. I was in a car accident & broke 14 bones (seven ribs and my right arm bones, shoulder and wrist bones). After I got off the opioids I was still taking GABApentin, but I hated the way I felt on it. I decided to put up with the pain rather than continue the drug. I don't know why, honestly - just a feeling. But I trust my feelings. Later, I started to read studies about it, and I'm glad I stopped.
I was on gabapentin for a few years. My pain kept getting worse and I was having weakness over all. They kept raising the doses and it seemed like my over all health was getting worse.
I saw an older doctor who told me basically what's being said here. I was sent to a pain doctor and he wanted me off gabpentin right away. It took about a month to stop taking it and a few months later my pain was no where as bad. Those doctors took me off muscle relaxers and pain killers. The pain doctor said I lucky I didn't OD.
Physical therapy did some good and changes in diet helped with the pain.
I think its making my pain worse too. Been on gaba for couple years now. I switch to cannabis
Having lived in Colorado long enough to have tried both: I would lean towards cannabis, as a better choice for chronic pain. As for gabapatin it didn't agree with me, it was in a group of meds they tried to substitute for opioid treatment.
That's my recommendation of medication, which one is better, cannabis!
Same
My feet are burning Meow. Cannabis, 1-2 tokes my feet stop burning. I’m on gabapentin 300mg a day. Not very effective, and I think is causing a hypokalemic (Low Potassium) condition. Clogging those calcium channels. This all makes perfect since.
Loved your first sentence! The irony is crazy isn't it?
I was prescribed Gabapentin for pain and to get me off of opioids which of course really did work for pain. I had taken norco for years, but the withdrawal symptoms for me were negligible, except for being pissed off about being taken off a med that worked and given something that didn't. After quite a while, I have to admit that gabapentin did help with sciatica, but not with anything else.
I can't smoke cannabis, it is way too strong these days. Do you use edibles for pain? Any recommendations for something that works but doesn't have the side effect of making me watch Dobie Gillis at three in the morning whilst eating chips?
We can’t have medical marijuana in Texas so I stay with gabapentin.
@@madben9981 Have you tried vaping? Edibles come in many formats from chocolate to gummies.
I don't know how the agriculture works in Canada, but the weed I've bought from dispensaries here had the strains clearly marked (Sativa, Indica, and Hybrids) as well as several other terpenes/alkaloids. I see a world of difference between Sativa and Indica. Almost opposites.
Same here in Washington and California. The employees at the weed stores can help you get exactly what ya want. They have all kinds of types for nearly every ailment.
I’ve personally seen it effect my dog with cancer. It was a true miracle for her.
In what way?
@benji please explain. I am interested. I have family that is convinced of these differences in cannabis strains.
@@beckamax74 He is wrong there are differences due to differences in the chemical make up of the different strains kinda like how apples come in all different flavors kinda a similar idea.
Today, indica and sativa are only generalisations as its all hybrids, but you can have 80/20 or 90/10. These genetics in turn produces different terponoid profiles, its smell and flavour, that gives the particular effects. There is also ruderalis which is from mongolia/russia which is used to create autoflowering plants as that genetic had no stable sun cycle. Those seeds never need more than 10% ruderalis to flower independently of light. Indica actually comes from Afghanistan and sativa from india.
Mixing and baking together all those spices produces the thousands of strains we have today, all with unique terpenes profiles.
Interesting, I was diagnosed with diabetes and after being put on meds for the diabetes I had a major flare-up of peripheral neuropathy to the point where just about every point on my body save for my face was on fire. Gabapentin, even at the maximum dose, did not touch it. Pregabalin helped but only marginally. The doctor would not give me anything stronger and the agony was such that if I did not find a solution I would have committed suicide. I found a strain of Cannabis that had 15.5% CBD but only .81% THC provided substantial relief without causing any mental impairment. I further found Kratom also provided substantial relief without noticeable impairment. I was cautioned that Kratom attached to opioid receptors and so could be addictive, however after a couple of years and going on some intensive nutritional therapy by neuralgia subsided and I was able to quit kratom, experienced no withdrawal symptoms at all so I'm skeptical those claims were not just big pharma trying to discourage competition.
Kratom has been a godsend for me. I've taken it for 4years after a move cut me off from my doctor's care. I've never experienced a withdrawal symptom and the relief is substantial.
Same here guys! I rely on cbd and kratom and it is literally a life saver. I was put on gabapentin for a year and it had such horrible side effects AND didn’t touch the pain that I came off of it and went back to the cbd/kratom regimen I’d been on previously
Been free from opiates for almost 5 years. Used gabapentin to help curb withdrawal. Used Kratom to replace the gabapentin. Was in the worst pain of my life this past summer with an extruded disc right on the nerve. Kratom worked for the pain, all I could and would take. Did not go back on gabapentin. I used liquid Alpha Lipoic Acid multi supplement to avoid surgery. My leg and foot finally stopped burning and throbbing. The pain came down to a tolerable level 9 months after the initial injury. Surgery was the only other option, which I was in the midst of scheduling when I suddenly took a turn for the better. Kratom works. Gabapentin works. Weed works. Opiates work. ALA works. It's all what works for you. Good Luck All! Anyone suffering serious nerve pain should consider Alpha Lipoic Acid.
I too suffer from diabetes 2, woke up in ICU it's how I found out. My blood sugar should have been no higher than 130, but mine was 1897. Since then I've been on a multitude of drugs, gabapentin 300mg. taken 3 times a day. It's not great but it does help with my foot pain.
I take Gabapentin for neuropathy in my toes and it does a great job. I only take it in the evening because it does make me sleepy. Was not aware that Gabapentin should not be stopped quickly due to possible withdrawal symptoms. I've found there is no "one" drug that works the same for everyone.
If you spread it out over three doses during the day you will not get sleepy. It has to be the exact same dose every day and it takes a few weeks to get adjusted. (your doctor should have instructed you in this, and it's in the instructions)
@@mrfrenzy. That's exactly how I started, and I did get drowsy. Dosing wasn't a problem as it comes in capsules. The drowsiness did not "go away" so apparently I did not get "adjusted" to it. I've been taking it in the evening for many years with no problem. Are you a doctor?
If I could properly write down the dreams I've while on this medication I'd win an Oscar for best screenplay!
Omgosh! Me too..full on sci fi blockbusters, they’re always about aliens, apocalyptic, or paranormal..very trippy
Now's the time to get into Lucid Dreaming. Christopher Nolan is a big fan, so maybe you will win an Oscar. FInal Draft has a free promotion going right now too! Get going!
I’ve been on it for a while and never remember my dreams if I have them at all.
True story. And vivid. Like I've woke up pissed off at something or someone because of one of the dreams.
Having suffered chronic pain for 30+ years before taking Gabapentin, it literally scared me the following morning when I awoke with absolutely no pain at all. I was in heaven! Two weeks later I was itching so badly I wanted to scratch the skin off my whole body, especially my groin area. It was so nice having that brief pain free break. I've been on Tramadol & Baclofen now for about five years. One without the other does absolutely nothing, together they just get me by. I take care of my mother (85yrs.) so I have to keep my head about me at all times otherwise I have been offered stronger options.
I thought baclofen was an antibiotic? My ex took it for HIV to boost his immune system
Thank you for this thoughtfully presented information!! This bias the MDs have to the $$ & education given by the pharmaceutical companies and medical associations blinds them to REAL health care. Thank you again for your wonderful presentation.
I'm a nurse who works with chronic pain patients. I can tell you from experience that joint issues, bone issues, back/neck are better treated with marijuana. Muscle pain/Fibromyalgia patients don't seem to get a benefit from smoking pot. They seem to do better with the anti-inflammatory meds and a low carb diet. Been working with these folks for the better part of 15 years. It's amazing how they feel, have the drive to do things when using pot vs opioids. Just my 2 cents :)
I have had occipital neuralgia for 35 years from falling down concrete steps at age 5. I was just diagnosed a couple months ago. I am so grateful to have a doctor who actually listens to me and is doing everything possible to keep me off meds. I’m so grateful that she can prescribe cannabis to me and help me regulate it. I’m not going back on the sickening drugs that destroyed my health for so many years.
I'm a fibro patient, and Gabapentin does wonders for me.
I'd be interested if they have tried CBG it's a non psychoactive cannabinoid that seems to work great as a anti-inflammatory. My mother suffers from fibromyalgia and MS taking it orally seems to be helping her a lot in combination with a salve for more localized pain she has completely gotten off opiods and is weening off gabapentin as well, I have not seen her this happy or active in years. The lesser known cannabinoids need a lot more study, if people could get off pain killers and not have to get high it would change their life.
@@jamescranefinecarpentry7146 I'm sorry about your injury, but thrilled that you can find relief!
@@thirtythreeeyes8624 That's amazing! Good for her! I hope she continues to have pain relief!!
The doc I work for is doing an investigative study on the benefits of CBD oils/topicals/orals. We are gathering a lot of information and so far things look really interesting!
11:51 is what happened to me with my doctors. I was born with NF1 and in 2007 I was prescribed gabapentin to deal with my peripheral neuropathy due to NF. In the beginning it seemed to work until I hit a plateau while on it. My doctor increased the dosage and it became worse in dealing with the side effects. I stopped taking it because I had thoughts of suic*de, severe depression and a host of other things. It's been 13 years since I stopped taking it and I am beyond glad I did.
The fact that placebos are so effective ought to say something about the mind's ability to heal the body.
No medicine in the world heals, they only allow for healing conditions to occur.
I didn't grow my garden, it grew on it's own, but I did plant it and set up conditions for its health.
Best garden yet. :-)
mmmmmmmmm heaven ⚖️ 🆓 ✅ 🥁 ❤️ 👀 🙏 .
I always say mind over matter. Our brains are or most powerful tool. It's just a fact that some have a wiring problem know as mental issues while others just don't use the brain as much as they could or should. There's a positive in every negative. You just have to look for it with an open mind.
@Andrew 🆘 BLOOD intent , the main chain supply for hospitals is pHARMacy 💥
@Andrew do you believe ivermectin is effective against COVID 19?
@Andrew sorry Andrew very little medicine actually heels except for maybe infections do your due diligence anything designed to alter the mind or address pain does not fix the pain mentally emotionally or physically at best it may set up an environment to work on The originators of those pains I have over 30 years of working with people that have been prescribed antiquing off-market medications including cannabis and none of it fixes it's a smokescreen unless you're willing to do some work and rehab
This video is very informative and I appreciate the accuracy and honesty of the breakdown for both. I've smoked cannabis for over 15 years and I know it helps with a lot of things including pain, with no withdrawals or dependency (maybe mental dependency). I've been taking gabapentin for 5 months for anxiety/alcohol dependency and a torn ACL and it does help a lot with anxiety and cravings for booze but only a 20% decrease of pain. I'm a phlebotomist and cant smoke weed anymore so gabapentin is the only thing I have to help me with anxiety and preventing a relapse to alcohol. However I'm considering getting off of it and trying to live my life without it and see how I do. I've noticed the only side effects for me with Gabapentin are occasional tiredness/fatigue at high doses and skin rash that goes away with hydrocortisone cream, however I know that it makes a lot of people feel extremely tired and disoriented and "strange".
I was prescribed Gabapentin for my anxiety/depression. My doctor called it a “happy pill” but I didn’t see any difference, just more side effects so I stopped.
Gabapentin was the drug that made me consider MMJ - I was falling asleep at my desk at work regularly, on the toilet in the work bathroom, on public benches during my lunch break. I was also almost amnesiac with how bad my memory was. My doctor told me these are not side effects of the drug, yet these symptoms went away when I stopped taking it. It made me realize that if I was going to be impaired during the day anyway to treat my pain, I should give MMJ a try. Turns out I only need to take it at night to get the benefits the following day, so no more daytime impairment. Thanks, Gabapentin!
Same for me and with actual opioid pain meds and I'm on a very high dose due to a lifetime of serious health issues. But it doesn't matter the dose or type, dilaudid or percocet or morphine, if I'm having a "good" day and up doing stuff like cleaning or "trying" to exercise haha any meds will give me energy but if I'm having a "bad" day and not really able to get out of bed then they can make me sleepy and that includes weed! It's crazy...
TheOneAndOnly that’s way any pain pill does and also heroin
I lost my memory in a store lot by my house that I'd lived at for 20 years. I had absolutely no idea how to get home. I had days of serious memory impairment. It is in the side effects. Rather rare and black boxed but it's there. Never again.
I have had extreme neurology spasms in hands, arms and face for 7 years now. A couple of weeks ago, I went to a pediatrist recently for foot pain. Seems I have arthritic nodules on my toe joints. The first question the Dr. Ask me was am I on Gabapentin.
I was told long term use can lead to calcium deposits.
The problem I have with cannabis is psychological. The cannabis today is so potent it's difficult for me to handle even a small amount. Edibles are to inconsistent.
Hey Jeff, I hope you can speak with a medical cannabis doctor who can help point you to the right strain that is not too potent for you. Medical cannabis has saved my life, I hope it can with you as well. 🙏❤️ I pray that you may be released from your pain.
@Old man's Raider Nation I was surprised he didn’t talk about CBD...I love a little THC every once and a while but can’t enjoy reading while on it so I avoid it most of the time. Still trying to find the CBD dose that will help my long term pain. Thank you for your service.
@@martymaloney1032 THC in pill form helps me but I get stoned so I stopped. Gabapentin I started a few days ago. I am in Canada so THC is legal.
As a life-long sufferer of severe Restless Leg Syndrome, I can assure you that gabapentin is very definitely effective for that condition (in my case, at least).
Yes I have that also it works
Me too.
OMG! Try long acting Ropinerole! I can’t live without it! I think RLS is worse than pain!
Same here
Same here, been using it for over 10 years and can't sleep w/o it.
Ok I have to share my experience after watching this. I have chronic migraine with depression and anxiety. I haven’t been able to hold down a job because LED / fluorescent lights are a major trigger for me. I have been on gabapentin for 12 years now. I was on tramadol for 6 years. The high dose of gabapentin rings true. I was on such a high dosage and it didn’t help any further. My son has the addiction gene from his grandfather and he started stealing my gabapentin and he became addicted to it. The withdrawals are crazy as I had to go cold turkey until I could refill my RX. I discovered medical cannabis 2 years ago and it is a Godsend! I take a lower dose now with cannabis and it’s a miracle. I hope to titrate myself off of gabapentin and lose the 70 pounds I gained from it. One of its known side effects is weight gain and causing diabetes! Big pharma has screwed me for years with no proven outcome (including all those fancy new migraine injections). You said cannabis is the best for migraines in practice 100 years ago? I couldn’t agree more!
Can I ask you what kind of cannibus you take to help with your pain and depression. I’m a newbie I used to smoke in college many years ago but that was just regular stuff you bought from whoever had it that kind of weed does not help my pain.
I had to have a lumbar fusion L4 - Si and have "failed back surgery syndrome" resulting in chronic pain everyday. I was prescribed gabapentin as an alternative to opiods and it didn't work as well as I and my doc hoped, I took it for 3 years - tried several dosing strategies and finally stopped taking it when I had a problem with a scheduled Rx refill that was interrupted due to wildfires/business closures that forced having to withdraw unexpectedly over a weekend (worse than alcohol, cannabis or opiates). I have used cannnabis for many years but became tired of dealing with the cost and the escalating tolerance level requiring more frequent use, now I only use it occasionally. Unfortunately for me the only meds that help my pain are the opiates but tolerance and efficacy are an issue but ultimately it still helps.
Gabapentin is a joke along with countless others, not to say that ALL of the medications out that are snake oil.
Besides, who are THEY, to tell ME, a grown woman of incredibly sound mind, (against all odds, thanks to some mighty fine folks) what I can or can't take, eat, wear, buckle, drive, fly or own, anyway? THEY don't EVEN know me, much less care, just as long as THEY look like they're working so THEY can feel justified for the ungodly salaries or glorified welfare checks, I guess! That is NOT what THEY are hired to do!
changing your diet to eliminate the sugars & carbs/wheat & dairy too you'll find the pain & agony disappears. I did it for my A.S. Arthritis refusing to have, as the Rheumatologist laid out- a life of designer drugs. Pot couldn't touch the many causes of pain, but fats & meats do!
Opiates will find a way to help you make excuses to take them.
Not only do you have chronic pain but you are also a dependent drug addict.
I was there once. Been clean 6 years.
Have you tried KRATOM? It has been a lifesaver for me! One tsp in OJ twice a day. My quality of life is back. Look it up. Also FB group.
I quite enjoyed this
thank you
I am so tired of money profiteers blinding our health care decisions😥
Thank you Dr Miller. You've helped to expose bias and lack of knowledge among physicians, and the corruption of drug companies.
Vegus nerve problems all my life but weed settles it down.Especialy after a meal.Head gut issues many people have.A bad gut makes for psychological issues and a lot of people do not realize this.
Yes!! I'm just realizing this! I had my gallbladder removed unfortunately and I've had vagus Nerve issues ever since in which causes anxiety. I'm going back on my edibles
So true, get pre and probiotics. To improve the gut biome. So many positive benefits.
That’s absolutely correct
In Chinese medicine, brain & bowel work as man & wife. A problem with one, will show in the other. xx
I've just been prescribed Gabapentin 300MG for cervical neck headaches. Previously I had anxiety one evening so I purchased a infused cereal bar, HHC, Delta 9,Delta 8,+PHC & CBG. I was very pleased to find that it helped with anxiety also ridding the chronic headaches. I'm still hesitant about sharing this info with my neurologist because of cannabis prejudice. Spread the word ❤
Tell them if you choose to maybe possibly get on medical marijuana depending on what state you’re in but if you’re in a state like mine, Massachusetts, where they have recreational, I would say you should just go about your business and take what you need and don’t get the government involved in anyway and that’s including doctors have any shape or form just get your medication that’s natural homeopathic from recreational dispensary or something of the sort and you will be good to go
I have been on the Gabba for migraines from cervical disc disease for about two years and started at 400 at bed time and started weening down this past January to 200 at bedtime and next week start the 100 at bed time for probably a couple months then off for good , it makes me feel tired all the time even in small doses and my memory is shot for sure
Never suddenly stop taking Gabapentin, The withdrawal symptoms are horrible. This is a very good video
Actually, Terry Dorsey, you are right! I normally keep my medications at bedside, in a container. The container fell over, and the gabapentin rolled under my bed. I take my meds by process of elimination, as there are quite a few. I hadn’t noticed it was gone. Out of sight…out of mind. About 5 days later, the levels in my bloodstream began to bottom out. I was going through full blown withdrawals. I couldn’t get a deep breath, profuse sweating, chest pain and pressure, nausea, and vomiting. My oxygen sats were 92%. The E.R. docs had no idea what was going on. They called my visit “greet and street”. They evaluated and kicked me to the curb. I left having no clue what was happening to me. The next day, I realized I hadn’t taken the gabapentin. I read up on it. Everything clicked!!! It’s a terrible way to withdraw. I do think it’s beneficial. I am now always aware if I am taking it.
Ironically CBD has been shown in preliminary studies to have some antipsychotic properties. I really would like to see this line of research actively pursued to see if either natural or synthetic CBD might be able to replace the harsher atypical antipsychotics.
indica dominant is antipsychotic and good for relax and sleep ,, careful with Sativa if you are stressed out ,, Sativa is more anti-depressant , to get you out of bed 🙂personal study
@@smilernok my little nephew has crones disease when it flared up about 2 times a year he had to do school work in the hospital for many months once he had a whole semester of school in the hospital from it. about 8 years ago ONE doctor put him on cannibals edibles and HAS NOT had a crones disease episode sense. he is by no means cured but he has NO symptoms and eats 3 cookies a day. He now as an adult can lead a normal life. weed is good for people, the problem in medical industry is they can not make any money from it because you can grow it in your back yard FREE... this is why NO research will be done.
My cat had such a bad case of brain seizures from feline infectious peritonitis he was attacking himself. The daily Gabapenton treatment has given him a life back for 4 years. He starts getting neurogical symptoms when it wears off and rarely has a breakthrough seizure without extreme stress. Im a believer it has a blessed place in medical treatment.
I hope this reaches the right people. The drugs they give to treat you are what you need but dealing with the side affects is a different circumstance. Appetite, pain relief, sleep, inspiration, munchies, reading, and comfort. Hope shouldn't be a blank screen or a dull trip.
I agree. I refuse to take anything that makes me feel stupid or changes my personality. I'm going to live life!
Thank you Dr. Mlller for posting this article on the new pattern of prescribing Gabapentin for multiple problems like sleep, seizures, neuropathy, etc...I live in the states so I didn't know what Canada and Great Britain did..it's very much like it used in America....Weed is my go too medication for pain.
One of the best presented med reviews I've ever seen. Thankyou.
Thank you! Saving this for my physician/health care team.
I'm a physician listening to this while I work, but please keep in mind when you share things with your physician that most of us work 60 or 70 hours per week and that every day people ask us to look through things they dug up off the internet, so the chance they will have time to watch this is essentially zero.
And after going through what he says I would say this video has spotty accuracy and honesty. Most of the things it says are at least partly true, but a lot of the things it says all physicians do are really just what lousy doctors do. It also vastly overstates how much of a problem gabapentin addiction is.
I was encouraged to take Gabapentin by two different individuals. One was my Resident doctor to treat peripheral neuropathy but instead of pain I had itching and the other was a therapist who prescribed it for depression. I researched the hell out of it and tried it for 10 days but started having side effects immediately like suicidal thoughts, depression, mood changes, auditory and visual hallucinating...I stopped taking it immediately! Took me over two months to recover from the negative side effects and I never experienced ANYTHING positive from this horrible drug.
I was even considering bringing up malpractice charges because of the negligence of prescribing such a dangerous drug in such a flippant manner.
Good luck with that. Unless you could prove actual harm, you'd have no case. Even those harmed by Drs, hospitals & big pharma face an uphill battle. Their lawyer pockets are deep & nasty!
Should have kept getting the script and sold it!
Seriously it does work for some people, with minimal undesirable effects. That said, the laxative effect is desirable for people taking it with opiates.
@@andyk192 Very true. I find that it helps relax you and stabilize your mood. No adverse mental effects. I wish it worked better, as my herniated disc is killing me today.
Something to be noted is that there are a gazillion brands of the drug, and they're not all the same. The FDA supposedly regulating them and ensuring all brands are the same is komplete nonsense. Maybe he just got a bad brand.
I agree, I became very suicidal on it myself! I have never felt such misery in my life on it! Just horrific!! My pain doc kept insisting I take it, take it!!! No way!
Thankyou for this info. I was on gabapentin for severe pain. I had 6 back surgeries plus severe arthritis. I started having seizures and the doctors kept saying it was my heart. I said no but went through major tests. It was ruled out but doctors did not know what was causing them. I was driving one day and had a seizure. My daughter grabbed the wheel and within seconds it stopped. Now before this I had gone to my druggist and asked them to o a study of my meds. I was on hydramorphone for years and very high doses. They told me meds were fine. So I did my own research checking out all meds. I finally found that morphine and gabapentin can cause seizures. What a relief to find this. I quit the Gabapentin instantly. I was on hydramorphone for over 20 years. I wanted off of that as well. I hated the side affects I was having. I almost died doing that and ended up in hospital. There I was put on suboxone and it didn't do anything for me. 2 years ago I got on cbd oil and now pain is managed where I can have a life. I am 76 years and for the first time in years I have some relief. I am now very leary of all drugs. I did have 4 back surgeries in B.C and 2 in Edmonton. I do need another but....
Thanks again for your info.
I had restless leg and did not sleep for more then 3 hours every night and I became suicidal. Thanks to gabapentin I am hear happy to be able to sleep at night.
I’m so sorry 😞 I know the pain. I just started gabapentin. Praying it works.
@@ehaszdawn Its perfect for anxiety and pain once you start but tolerance starts instantly once you take your first dose. You can use weed one day or two days and then gab the next to avoid that tolerance increase and to keep the benefits of the medicine.
@@gahshjdjd8249 Thank you for the advice 😊
@@gahshjdjd8249 it definitely helps with the urge to smoke weed cause my tolerance was through the roof so s/o to gaba
Here*
Oh, wow, my own experience with gabapentin tracks with what y ou are saying... it started with a spine injury. Because of the opiate scare my minimal dose of hydrocodone was taken away from me and I was prescribed tramadol and gabapentin. Tramadol... aspirin works as well on me. Gabapentin causes a tendency to become fascinated by dust motes in the air and losing time out of my day with little or no alleviation of the back pain.
After over a decade I was finally given a consultation with a pain management specialist, but not a consult with anyone with expertise with back injuries, and was put back on hydrocodone.
Lucky you I've had two spinal fusions can't get pain meds
"Fascinated by dust mites." I love it. 😄 I'm sorry you had to go through that, though. Gabapentin sucks.
My father was prescribed Gaba for shingles pain. Woke up twice in his running car, in the driveway, but no recollection of driving home. Blackouts (including these functioning, sleepwalk-style blackouts) are very common with Gaba. Sort of like Ambien.
I’ve been on Gabapentin for about a decade, and always felt that I didn’t really need it. I was a recreational pot smoker though. I later became severely addicted to a well-intentioned, but badly-informed doctor who put me on a ridiculous amount of Hydromorphone. When I found help and was able to severely restrict my opioid intake (and still reducing). My memory got better, but I still have issues searching for words frequently. I had no idea that my GABA was even addictive! Let alone have all these side effects. It’s interesting to see how the various 12-step programs deal with taking medication or addictive substances, in general. I guess it all depends on your sponsor. I now wonder if I quit the Gabapentin, will my memory improve? Or is the neurological damage permanent?
When I was diagnosed with shingles, I was prescribed gabapentin. The gabapentin didn't do anything at all for the pain. My friend gave me a tiny bit of psilocybin mushrooms and the pain was totally gone. I tried everything, and shrooms were the only thing that worked
And here’s my gabapentin story:
I had surgery and the surgeon mistakenly cut a nerve in my abdominal area. I was in excruciating pain every time I had to move. If I could lie perfectly still, I could tolerate the pain. Since I was being discharged, remaining perfectly still was not an option. My dose was eventually titrated up to 600 mg 3x /day and I enjoyed pain relief. I experienced no feeling of being ‘high’ , drowsy, or any other side effect. This effective pain relief (for me) permitted a quicker recovery.
I have suffered with hypnagogic hallucinations since I was 4 yo. It’s not only frightening to me, but to anyone who is near me when I’m sleeping. I see terrible things. And they seem so real. One time I actually called the police because I saw someone standing at my dresser. There was no one.
Well, I noticed that while I was on the gabapentin my hallucinations were dramatically reduced. I stopped taking gabapentin altogether, my hallucinations came back full force.
I asked my doctor if I could try it again to see if I got relief from my night time visions. We agreed to try 600 mg, ONLY AT BEDTIME. what a joy it has been since 2006 to be almost totally free of those terrible visions. I do still get them 1-2x per week. I used to have them every night. Additionally, sometimes, I actually have funny or pleasant hallucinations. And that NEVER happened without the gabapentin.
(I should note that I have had four sleep studies to document my sleep disorder and it’s relief.)
Gabapentin is absolutely a great drug but so is cannabis
@@priwncess Gabapentin will ruin your liver!!!
I broke my neck when I was 12, and it was never treated. I'm 45 now and MRI shows "degenerative nerve shrinkage". Gabepentin didn't help with the pain, only made me too high to function. After 3 months, I switched to THC. Nothing completely stops the pain of course, but weed stops it best of anything I've tried, while leaving me LESS STONED than the stuff the doctors gave me. Thank god it's legal where I am.
Interesting video, thank you. Phizer's behaviour was shocking. I have been prescribed Gabapentin several times for bouts of neuropathic pain. As it was initially only partly effective my, dose was gradually increased from 300mg twice per day to 400mg three times per day. At this level, it killed my pain very effectively. I was on this for about nine months, then gradually reduced dosage and eventually stopped. I continued to function fine, able to drive, stay alert, sleep OK and concentrate on my work (software development). I have repeated this experience twice more when pain returned, the second time was much longer (about eighteen months) and the last time was much shorter (only about three months) and at a much lower dose too. I never had any of the frankly quite alarming side effects listed for the drug and never felt addicted. When taking the drug, I merely longed for the time when I didn't need it. So there you go, it obviously can work - sometimes.
Whats the first name of the doctor who diagnosed you?
@@GeoffTV2 are you one of Pfizer's bots supporting their products? Do you exist?
I can't say I agree. I have used both, and cannabis didn't help with the nerve pain I had. My Dr. put me on gabapentin and the pain went away. It also helped with my restless legs. Depending on the pain level, one has to be stoned the whole day in order to benefit from cannabis. Some of the cannabis users I know have told me that cannabis doesn't alleviate their pain 100%, but that it helps them take fewer painkillers and/or lesser doses. I recently had surgery, and I couldn't get enough pain killers. Cannabis helped, but it's not a panacea for pain control.
Very well balanced assessment.
With the load of research done on this subject, there is very little evidence to support that it does in fact help with nerve pain or pain of any kind.
It does seem to have a valid positive effect in the sense that it does not so much directly help with the pain itself but can help distract one from the pain. From what I can see there is a limited window of effectiveness for this aspect and it often comes at the expense of the individuals functionality during the state of drug use and carries the negative long-term effects that so many _users_ and people with invested interests so adamantly deny, effects that our scientists and experts once upheld when they were not incentivised to say otherwise.
@@Chef_Alpo well, it worked for me.
Were you using a high CBD cannabis because there is a difference.
Thank you for posting 🙏 and all the work that this entails 🙏
FREE THE PLANT!!!
We want to grow our own medicine.
FREE THE PLANT!!!
Gabapentin made me feel like I was falling down a dementia rabbit hole. THC wrecks my short term memory, but I do ok on CBD oil. My pain level drops when I don’t eat sugar or anything that turns into sugar. It causes inflammation but AMA drs ignore nutrition and push drugs with side effects that often leads to new medication that treats the initial drugs side effects you started in the first place.
Read through many of the comments, lots of personal history.
Thc, not a personal choice. Gabapentin , prescribed by assorted doctors, thought it was somewhat benign.
Of course each individual has different reactions to assorted meds.
As for gabapentin here's my little story. First reaction was finding myself slapping myself uncontrollably. Sounds insane. Next reaction lying in the back of an ambulance feeling like I was on a acid trip. Emerg was unable to evaluate. Next incident was while driving stopping at green lights.
Last incident about 3 years ago totally froze absolutely no body control for about 15 minutes. Will never use this poison again , the most distructive med on the market. Seems benign, nonetheless it completely f*cks up your brain. Might as well take LSD 24 hours a day.
Seriously , this is an overprescibed drug that most DR',s don't even know what it's for.
No just get a Good Doctor simple he's sounds like a pill pusher!!
I have suffered from severe ocd and anxiety since 11 years old now 32. When I take any form of thc my ocd gets bad during the high, hard to control compulsive behaviors etc. Lack of control and also alittle depressed after the high ends. I take a small dose of Gabapentin and it chills me out enough to work on my therapy but I doesn't make things worse. It helps take the edge of my anxiety but does make me pretty tired if I'm not moving or exercising. All in all gabapentin has got me thru hard times. I don't take any other medications except Lexapro for ocd etc.. been on gaba for about 9 years
I suffered from really bad neuropathic pain in my legs, my doctor perscribed Gabapentin and it instantly stopped the pain. It works for me 100%
If it weren’t for Gabapentin, I wouldn’t be able to function. I’ve only been on it for about a week, and for the first time in years, I can easily get out of bed and move around.
I only been in 600mg of gabapentin and it did wonders for me for the first 3 days, now week later I am ready to stop it! I am sleeping 14+ and wake up but feel like a snail. I also read weight gain and NO THANK YOU!
@@BeaVizcarra ; eventually the tiredness goes away and it becomes energizing.
Please...read the papers that come with your meds. What meds don't mix with the Gabapentin. The doctors may not pay attention and prescribe things that don't belong together. Be careful
So, how’s those gabapentin side effects going after three months, @lunefree?
I’d be surprised if you’re actually still alive.
@@notices_demons Ive been on 800mg 3 times a day for 3 years now and yes it has a few side effects for me. Fatigue but that is not solely from Gabapentin same with weight gain But without it I don't know what I would do tbh an autoimmune reaction caused me to suffer from a non traumatic spinal injury C3 to C6 Transverse Myelitis I also have a differential diagnosis poloneuropathy I have permanent nerve damage with horrible pain. I am disabled.
For my very bad back, I was subscribed Gabapentin by my pain doctor. I tried it for a week and had never had such bad feelings of depression in my life! I got so bad I was afraid to be left alone while my husband went to work and I had recently retired due to my horrific pain. The depression got so bad it turned into suicidal ideation and while driving I thought of driving right into a telephone pole. Scared me to death that my thoughts had come to this!! I called my doctor and he wanted me to stay on it in spite of what I told him. I had to stop!! And I did. I have never had those feelings again thankfully! I realize my case may be rare but want others to know it could be the drug and not them if they feel these horrible thoughts coming to them. Thanks! BTW, I am a retired science and health educator and a drug/alcohol counselor.
Suicidal ideation is a side effect of anything that affects serotonin. That's the key. Never take anything that messes with serotonin unless you actually have a documented need. Always question everything. I had a similar experience when I was younger so I understand completely.
@@chiarac4967 Thank you,,, in my experience, I do realize this. I just wanted others to know of the horrible struggle I had with it.
Thank you for this, clear and concise and helpful. Nerve pain from undisclosed cause, over entire body. Cannot yet find help for the incredibly bad pain. What is the best way to proceed? I am nearly bedridden at 67 after being an athlete all my life. Doctors seem bewildered.
Hi Amy, I'm Benny. I'm sorry for you, I have what sounds like something similar. I'm only 59 and I have severe muscle pain all over. I've been to many Dr"s! Not one can tell me what my real problem is. Well after being depressed about feeling older then I do, I started using medical grade marijuana. I also take 3600 mg of gabepentin. I still hurt but it helps. If you'd like to talk more maybe we could exchange emails.I hope you're having a good day. Take care.
@Lisa Moore Yes and I've seen 20 Drs in the last 15 years and my condition is still undiagnosed. This morning at 1 am I had to take a hot shower just to get my muscles to stop aching. They think I have a form of fibromyalgia, and or a Vagus nerve issue?
High doses of Lyrica and smoke some Delta 9 carts .
Sounds like it could be fibromyalgia.
My pharmacist always seems surprised when I only take 1 dose of gabapentin per day instead of the 3 prescribed, and that I can go without and not feel sick. It just doesn't grab me, but it helps my muscle spasms at night
Me too they want us to swallow these drugs so we need more which lines their pockets. Whatever the big drug companys are pushing.
Me too. I only take 300mg with dinner and it's enough to sleep well and wake up without pain. It's quite scary the doses some people take...
Dude take Magnesium Citrate supplement and your cramps will get better. Good luck!
Myself also! I use gabapentin and cannabis Sparingly for general back and leg pain and I also go off of it every few days for a day or two without any issues.