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  • Cannabis for coping with side effects of treatment?

    Posted by Enzando on August 16, 2019 at 11:09 pm

    Hi,

    I do not have cancer myself, but my dad recently got diagnosed with bladder cancer. The doctors scraped the tumor of his bladder, and he is now waiting for the test results to come back. The doctor said there is a great risk that they must remove the bladder, due to it’s bad state. And there might be radiation to follow. Chemo hasn’t been mentioned (yet). I want to stand with him in this at all costs.

    Cannabis has been proved successful in treating side effects of both radiation and chemo. So my wonders are as follows: Have any one of you tried using cannabis along side chemo and/or radiation therapy as a relief?

    If yes:

    1. What was your primary treatment (surgery, chemo or radiation, or a combination)?

    2. What effects (and side effects) did you experience using cannabis?

    3. What kind of cannabis did you use (strain, if oil – what ratio of CBD/THC and percentage)?

    4. How did you consume cannabis (smoke, vape, ingesting oil)?

    5. What was your dosage and how often?

    Best Regards

    Cynthia replied 5 years, 2 months ago 2 Members · 1 Reply
  • 1 Reply
  • cynthia

    Administrator
    August 17, 2019 at 5:46 pm

    Enzndo,

    Welcome to our community but sorry you have to be here.

    I personally used it during my chemo it was a heaven sent as it worked better for me than the meds that the Oncologist gave me. When I had my Radical Cystectomy I might have used it for pain control as pain meds make me nauseous but I was in a non legal state at the time. I presently use it as a had a stroke that effected the nerves in my leg and I use it in order to sleep as it controls the pain well. If you look at my signature below you will see my full diagnosis is.

    The first thing you will wish to do is get him certified. Just type into the browser a search for certification in your state. You maybe able to also register as a caregiver and be able to purchase for his use. The reason certification is a good idea even if it is fully legal in your state is there is the tax saving 25% here and the availability of some products that are not available for recreational. Depending on your state you may have to get a referral from one of his doctors or just be assessed at a certification clinic. Here you register online once you have certification pay a $50 fee and they send you a card and you are all set.

    I use the edibles and tinctures as I find smoking or vaporizing it to be to harsh and why if there is a way that works well. There are differing types of edibles and tinctures but look for one that has the thc in it. There are types for daytime use night time use and some in the middle. All dispensaries have a menu usually online of the what they have in stock and it can change from day to day. The person who works at the dispensary is called a bud tender and they should be able to help you with most of your questions. If they don’t have the information on strains again type into your search bar the name of the strain and there are several different online “dictionaries”. Also note that smoking or vaping takes effect within minutes and the effects last about 4 hours with the oral applications taking longer to take effects up to two hours but the effects last 8 to 12 hours depending on the product.

    As for side effects it can give you the munchies and as most of us lose weight following surgery that isn’t a bad thing in most cases. And of course you can not drive another thing I would worry about is it making is if he is elderly and unstable it might intensify the unsteadiness of course depending on the dosage. It also can cause anxiety or paranoia in some if that happens talk to your dispensary and make sure you are not using a Saliva as it is a more stimulating strain. Also it will make you sleepy at some point.

    As for dosage it is different for everyone and may increase with continued usage. But if using edibles or tinctures start with the lowest does and up it slowly until you find the right dosage for him. I personally started with 10mg of tincture now I use about 25mg.

    Be aware that not everyone like the way it makes them feel. Also if it is not legal in your state please stay away from it you have enough problems dealing with cancer you don’t need more, there are products the Oncologist can prescribe that can offer comfort that works well. And please talk to his doctors and get their take on this before you go forward. Any alternative treatment used during treatment should be cleared with his medical team as he goes through treatment.

    If you have further questions just yell we are here.


    Cynthia Kinsella
    T2 g3 CIS 8/04
    Clinical Trial
    Chemotherapy & Radiation 10/04-12/04
    Chemotherapy 3/05-5/05
    BCG 9/05-1-06
    RC w/umbilical Indiana pouch 5/06
    Left Nephrectomy 1/09
    President American Bladder Cancer Society

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