Sometimes I think that my blogs (both of them!) consist of posts saying "Hey! Someone wrote a great post, so go over to his/her blog and read it!" This is one of those posts.
So check out these posts by Sleepwalker! Important stuff, ladies!!
An article she links to:
Rare, Severe Form of Morning Sickness Appears to Be Genetic
And a really important article, also on the issue of hyperemesis and medical marijuana:
Hyperemesis gravidarum: the heartbreaking cries from around the world + sativex cannabis research and mission
This mother is doing great research for HG mamas of the world. If you haven't subscribed to this blog, definitely do so! It's for-sure one to watch. Sleepwalker, thank you - thank you - thank you for all you are doing!
Showing posts with label Medical Marijuana for Hyperemesis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Medical Marijuana for Hyperemesis. Show all posts
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Did I Say This Was an HG Blog?
Apparently I was wrong! It really is a medical marijuana blog, despite my best efforts. Pretty soon I'll have to change our button from a green ribbon into a green leaf.
I swear that I really am a fairly normal, suburbanite American. Really. How on earth I came to have blogs advocating placenta encapsulation and medical marijuana, I'll never know.
But anyhow! Back to the topic at hand!
Sleepwalker, an HG mama living in the UK, posted the following comments and thoughts on my articles about medical marijuana for hyperemesis, and I wanted to repost them here so that everyone could see them.
"I'm not pregnant but had awful hg and have been researching marijuana on my blog. Vaporisers (volcano digital) look to be the way to go as you don't get smoking fumes and if you have hg you won't be able to keep anything down and you only need a tiny bit, much less than you'd ingest from hash cakes. I have bought 'chronic ice' tea from an online shop here in the UK to try. It is legal and has 5% hemp syrup. It tastes fine, like any ice tea, and I would say I feel a little mellow after a while but certainly not high or anything. MS sufferers have reported that they have found beneficial effects from drinking the legal teas (chronic ice and C-Swiss are the two I have read about). Chronic ice is about £1.30 a can. If it helps MS sufferers then maybe there's enough hemp syrup to help hyperemesis gravidarum but you'd have to be able to keep it down. If I am ever brave enough to be pregnant again (I'd love another baby) then I will find a way to get medical marijuana for the sake of me and the safety of my unborn baby. I've read all the scientific papers and it is safe to use medicinally in this way and much more safe than doing nothing imho. I was so starved and dehydrated that I really don't know how my baby girl did survive. I've posted links to further reading on my blog."
And then:
"Here is the online shop I bought my tea from (I live in Scotland so this is completely legal here). It is £1.45 a can and is a tiny tiny amount of THC but it is as hemp syrup, not a synthetic additive.
http://www.thehempshop.co.uk/product-26.htm
"In the US I think it depends which State folk live in whether or not this is available and I've sern it on amazon.com but sold out. The packaging is different on my cans, they are green. I bought the 'The Hemp Solution' DVD from that site too and it is very interesting. Marinol, which is prescribed in the US for HG is almost pure THC, much stronger than even the strong strains of cannabis. Drug companies can't make any money from cannabis as they can't patent a plant so they are developing synthetic cannabis compounds which are less effective and not tested on pregnant women (obviously). There's an interesting scientific study of Jamaincan women who make cannabis tea for morning sickness and their babies do really well. I'm going to contact the researcher. See my blog for links."
And then this evening, an utterly fascinating article:
Lack of endocannabinoids may cause hyperemesis gravidarum suggests Dr Ethan Russo
In terms of evaluating any of this, I am completely out of my element! But I think that there is more-than sufficient evidence to show that medical marijuana has overwhelming potential for the successful treatment of hyperemesis gravidarum. And the main problem is not safety concerns, but legal concerns. If anyone has anything to add, feel free!
I would write more, but I have to go water some plants in my basement.
Night, all! (And I apologize for the formatting errors - my fault for not being careful enough with my pasting.)
* Yes, the line-before-last was a JOKE.
I swear that I really am a fairly normal, suburbanite American. Really. How on earth I came to have blogs advocating placenta encapsulation and medical marijuana, I'll never know.
But anyhow! Back to the topic at hand!
Sleepwalker, an HG mama living in the UK, posted the following comments and thoughts on my articles about medical marijuana for hyperemesis, and I wanted to repost them here so that everyone could see them.
"I'm not pregnant but had awful hg and have been researching marijuana on my blog. Vaporisers (volcano digital) look to be the way to go as you don't get smoking fumes and if you have hg you won't be able to keep anything down and you only need a tiny bit, much less than you'd ingest from hash cakes. I have bought 'chronic ice' tea from an online shop here in the UK to try. It is legal and has 5% hemp syrup. It tastes fine, like any ice tea, and I would say I feel a little mellow after a while but certainly not high or anything. MS sufferers have reported that they have found beneficial effects from drinking the legal teas (chronic ice and C-Swiss are the two I have read about). Chronic ice is about £1.30 a can. If it helps MS sufferers then maybe there's enough hemp syrup to help hyperemesis gravidarum but you'd have to be able to keep it down. If I am ever brave enough to be pregnant again (I'd love another baby) then I will find a way to get medical marijuana for the sake of me and the safety of my unborn baby. I've read all the scientific papers and it is safe to use medicinally in this way and much more safe than doing nothing imho. I was so starved and dehydrated that I really don't know how my baby girl did survive. I've posted links to further reading on my blog."
And then:
"Here is the online shop I bought my tea from (I live in Scotland so this is completely legal here). It is £1.45 a can and is a tiny tiny amount of THC but it is as hemp syrup, not a synthetic additive.
http://www.thehempshop.co.uk/product-26.htm
"In the US I think it depends which State folk live in whether or not this is available and I've sern it on amazon.com but sold out. The packaging is different on my cans, they are green. I bought the 'The Hemp Solution' DVD from that site too and it is very interesting. Marinol, which is prescribed in the US for HG is almost pure THC, much stronger than even the strong strains of cannabis. Drug companies can't make any money from cannabis as they can't patent a plant so they are developing synthetic cannabis compounds which are less effective and not tested on pregnant women (obviously). There's an interesting scientific study of Jamaincan women who make cannabis tea for morning sickness and their babies do really well. I'm going to contact the researcher. See my blog for links."
And then this evening, an utterly fascinating article:
Lack of endocannabinoids may cause hyperemesis gravidarum suggests Dr Ethan Russo
In terms of evaluating any of this, I am completely out of my element! But I think that there is more-than sufficient evidence to show that medical marijuana has overwhelming potential for the successful treatment of hyperemesis gravidarum. And the main problem is not safety concerns, but legal concerns. If anyone has anything to add, feel free!
I would write more, but I have to go water some plants in my basement.
Night, all! (And I apologize for the formatting errors - my fault for not being careful enough with my pasting.)
* Yes, the line-before-last was a JOKE.
More Hyperemesis Material!
From an HG mama! A blog that is not a "hyperemesis blog" but which contains a lot of material on and experience with HG - with the added bonus of a search bar for quicker searching!
It's Just a Liminal Phase
Mamas of the world - if you have written down your stories/experiences/research online, whether in an HG blog or a personal blog, do let us know so that we can post it!
It's Just a Liminal Phase
Mamas of the world - if you have written down your stories/experiences/research online, whether in an HG blog or a personal blog, do let us know so that we can post it!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
This Really IS an HG Blog....
.... and not a medical marijuana activism site. I promise. This blog is about morning sickness. Really.
(Now, let me wave away the smoke in here so that I can properly see the keyboard to type.)
Anyhow! My blogging friend Becky sent me this article:
Entrepreneur Says Marijuana Soft Drink Will Be a Hit
I'm sure it will!
But more importantly, does it have any use for treatment of HG?
It looks promising, at least! Medical marijuana and lemon lime soda combined - sounds like the perfect extreme morning sickness aide, if one is so inclined.
Interesting, anyhow!
My questions:
(1) Is there enough active ingredient to be worthwhile?
(2) It mentions (I believe) that the active ingredient is THC, a marijuana derivative, not pure marijuana. Is that safe? And/or as effective as pure marijuana?
(3) Does the method of delivery matter? I've only heard of HG mums smoking marijuana, not taking it orally - though if oral use was acceptable, that would be a whole lot easier than smoking!
A definite line of thought it anyone out there is interested.
(Now, let me wave away the smoke in here so that I can properly see the keyboard to type.)
Anyhow! My blogging friend Becky sent me this article:
Entrepreneur Says Marijuana Soft Drink Will Be a Hit
I'm sure it will!
But more importantly, does it have any use for treatment of HG?
It looks promising, at least! Medical marijuana and lemon lime soda combined - sounds like the perfect extreme morning sickness aide, if one is so inclined.
Interesting, anyhow!
My questions:
(1) Is there enough active ingredient to be worthwhile?
(2) It mentions (I believe) that the active ingredient is THC, a marijuana derivative, not pure marijuana. Is that safe? And/or as effective as pure marijuana?
(3) Does the method of delivery matter? I've only heard of HG mums smoking marijuana, not taking it orally - though if oral use was acceptable, that would be a whole lot easier than smoking!
A definite line of thought it anyone out there is interested.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Not Just for Hippies
A year or so ago, I posted an article on the use of medical cannabis (marijuana) for treatment of hyperemesis gravidarum. At the time, I had not really given much thought to the issue of medical marijuana, so I did not have a position on it.
Since then, I have given it considerable thought, and I have come to believe that medical marijuana has the potential for legitimate use in the treatment of hyperemesis and other medical concerns.
What do you think?
The issue came up both in this past year's elections, when Arizona voted by a tiny margin to approve the use of medical marijuana, and when I came across this excellent and thought-provoking article concerning medical marijuana for the treatment specifically of hyperemesis gravidarum:
When Getting Baked Means More Than a Bun in the Oven
I've examined all of the arguments against medical marijuana, and have found that most of them don't stand up for scrutiny: The objections brought up are either artificial cultural constructions (marijuana is illegal (easy to change!), marijuana is associated with hippies, marijuana is a "street drug", marijuana has negative cultural connotations), or objections that could be just as true of legal pharmaceutical drugs (marijuana has side effects, marijuana is addictive, marijuana can act as a gateway drug, etc.).
There is a very good summary paper here that you can view to read up on objections to medical marijuana, along with answers:
Potential Objections to Medical Marijuana
I think that the objections to medical marijuana can be summed up in the following: (1) We're used to thinking of marijuana as illegal, (2) We have cultural biases against it, regarding it as a "hippie" drug, and (3) being that marijuana, as a natural substance, puts no profit into the drug companies, and does not have millions of dollars behind it in advertising and advocacy.
We're also used to thinking of "pharmaceuticals from the pharmacy are safe" and "street drugs are evil" - when in reality, it's a question of context and usage.
Here's a story from my family:
We have one family member who has put our family through the mill with a long-standing drug addiction. We've dealt with a dysfunctional family situation and family dynamics, drug-induced theft and violence, jail, the court system, probation, and two rounds of drug rehab. It was an exhausting drama that lasted for years.
What was the drug involved? Cocaine, meth, marijuana, etc?
Nope. Prescription pain killers. Vicodin and Percocet, mostly, with a cocktail of others thrown in.
The point - it's not the drug, it's the usage. We need to get over cultural biases (that drug-store drugs are necessarily good, and recreational drugs are necessarily evil) and look at the root of the matter.
The real issue - is it safe for the baby? Well, no drug is tested directly on pregnant women. Studies (to my best knowledge, correct me if I'm wrong) are either done on animals or retrospectively on women who used any said drug (outside of a study). The above article discusses safety, and marijuana seems to have as good a safety record as any. Is further study warranted? My guess is yes!
As always, it's a matter of personal belief, comfort, and preference. Some HG women refuse to take any drugs (brave, brave women!). Some prefer to stick with Unisom, some are comfortable only with Zofran. Regardless, it is an intensely personal issue, and each mother must have peace with her own decisions as to what she will take for her NVP/HG. No one should feel pressured either way. And I know that there are some women out there who would never feel comfortable taking marijuana for NVP. That's fine. But I think that it should be a legal option.
What do you all think? I welcome conversations that are kind, thoughtful, and civil.
Since then, I have given it considerable thought, and I have come to believe that medical marijuana has the potential for legitimate use in the treatment of hyperemesis and other medical concerns.
What do you think?
The issue came up both in this past year's elections, when Arizona voted by a tiny margin to approve the use of medical marijuana, and when I came across this excellent and thought-provoking article concerning medical marijuana for the treatment specifically of hyperemesis gravidarum:
When Getting Baked Means More Than a Bun in the Oven
I've examined all of the arguments against medical marijuana, and have found that most of them don't stand up for scrutiny: The objections brought up are either artificial cultural constructions (marijuana is illegal (easy to change!), marijuana is associated with hippies, marijuana is a "street drug", marijuana has negative cultural connotations), or objections that could be just as true of legal pharmaceutical drugs (marijuana has side effects, marijuana is addictive, marijuana can act as a gateway drug, etc.).
There is a very good summary paper here that you can view to read up on objections to medical marijuana, along with answers:
Potential Objections to Medical Marijuana
I think that the objections to medical marijuana can be summed up in the following: (1) We're used to thinking of marijuana as illegal, (2) We have cultural biases against it, regarding it as a "hippie" drug, and (3) being that marijuana, as a natural substance, puts no profit into the drug companies, and does not have millions of dollars behind it in advertising and advocacy.
We're also used to thinking of "pharmaceuticals from the pharmacy are safe" and "street drugs are evil" - when in reality, it's a question of context and usage.
Here's a story from my family:
We have one family member who has put our family through the mill with a long-standing drug addiction. We've dealt with a dysfunctional family situation and family dynamics, drug-induced theft and violence, jail, the court system, probation, and two rounds of drug rehab. It was an exhausting drama that lasted for years.
What was the drug involved? Cocaine, meth, marijuana, etc?
Nope. Prescription pain killers. Vicodin and Percocet, mostly, with a cocktail of others thrown in.
The point - it's not the drug, it's the usage. We need to get over cultural biases (that drug-store drugs are necessarily good, and recreational drugs are necessarily evil) and look at the root of the matter.
The real issue - is it safe for the baby? Well, no drug is tested directly on pregnant women. Studies (to my best knowledge, correct me if I'm wrong) are either done on animals or retrospectively on women who used any said drug (outside of a study). The above article discusses safety, and marijuana seems to have as good a safety record as any. Is further study warranted? My guess is yes!
As always, it's a matter of personal belief, comfort, and preference. Some HG women refuse to take any drugs (brave, brave women!). Some prefer to stick with Unisom, some are comfortable only with Zofran. Regardless, it is an intensely personal issue, and each mother must have peace with her own decisions as to what she will take for her NVP/HG. No one should feel pressured either way. And I know that there are some women out there who would never feel comfortable taking marijuana for NVP. That's fine. But I think that it should be a legal option.
What do you all think? I welcome conversations that are kind, thoughtful, and civil.
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