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Marijuana ok while on Remicade?

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Posted 8/12/2014 4:27 AM (GMT 0)
Hey all,

Just curious to know if anyone knows if you can smoke weed while on remicade. I just started Remicade, and I used to smoke before to increase my appetite and ease any cramping. Is this still ok?
Posted 8/12/2014 4:39 AM (GMT 0)
Well no one has ever said you cant. I cant see any reason for it being an issue either. Though to be safe, you should consult your GI. He should know if you are smoking anyway. Marijuana has actually been shown to be good for IBD
Posted 8/12/2014 10:34 PM (GMT 0)
Yep, it's perfectly fine.
Posted 8/12/2014 11:09 PM (GMT 0)
Just more affirmatives but I know a couple people who didn't have any issues doing it. It's not a bad idea to let your doctor know if he/she doesn't already but it's up to you.
Posted 8/13/2014 12:24 AM (GMT 0)
You can use MJ with Humira too...to be honest, MJ works better for my symptoms than Humira has been since I started Humira in February of this year...I really hoped the combination of the 2 would put me in remission and it possibly could but I'd probably have to be stoned a lot more often in a day than what I typically am...unless someone else is driving me I won't smoke it, but I do smoke it every single night before bed and I can honestly say I very rarely have anymore sleep issues as a result of smoking it before bed.
Posted 8/13/2014 1:23 AM (GMT 0)
I know it's not dangerous I have just heard that it can weaken the effect of the remicade. Don't know if that's true or not
Posted 8/13/2014 2:17 AM (GMT 0)
I tried it - but I had a crazy time clearing the effects from my system. Talked to my GI about it and she said she thought it might be that suppressing the immune system (via remicade) impaired the bodies ability to clear the THC....

So I guess depending on how you look at it, it's a pretty good combo if this where true, hahaha.

In any case I survived but I had ummmm "Robot Leg's" for like 24 hours.

Could have just been really, really good stuff though. Who knows.
Posted 8/13/2014 3:18 AM (GMT 0)
I highly doubt that it would weaken the effects of Remicade...my GI knows I'm using MJ for my crohn's and he still told me to choose between either Remi or Humira, he would have told me if MJ weakened the effects of either biologic.
Posted 8/13/2014 8:19 AM (GMT 0)
I know I'm going to come off as a complete idiot for not understanding this, but I've never got how people can tell their doctors that they do marijuana... it's illegal... surely your doctors discourage it?
Posted 8/13/2014 12:17 PM (GMT 0)
It depends on where you are in or order for it to be considered illegal. Each state has their own laws and regulations and some countries allow it completely. But just like smoking and drinking alcohol, anything you ingest or consume should be brought to the docs attention. Will they discourage it? Eh most times, but even docs understand the benefits of medicinal marijuana.
Posted 8/13/2014 3:04 PM (GMT 0)
Just because it's illegal, doesn't mean it doesn't work for people with all kinds of illnesses and that's what my doctor recognizes, and that's all that matters to him...there is doctor patient confidentiality as well. Besides which, it's becoming legal in more and more areas finally, thank god!!! Cuz god knows that the crap meds they feed us aren't worth much and cost a heck of a lot more money too, with horrible side effects to boot, not to mention intolerances to meds that many have.

Thankfully my GI believes it doesn't matter what works, so long as something does, and if you find something that does, stick with it...Malaika were you not aware of medical MJ?
Posted 8/13/2014 4:15 PM (GMT 0)

pb4 said...
Just because it's illegal, doesn't mean it doesn't work for people with all kinds of illnesses and that's what my doctor recognizes, and that's all that matters to him...there is doctor patient confidentiality as well. Besides which, it's becoming legal in more and more areas finally, thank god!!! Cuz god knows that the crap meds they feed us aren't worth much and cost a heck of a lot more money too, with horrible side effects to boot, not to mention intolerances to meds that many have.

Thankfully my GI believes it doesn't matter what works, so long as something does, and if you find something that does, stick with it...Malaika were you not aware of medical MJ?

No of course, I mean I think it's great that your doctors are able to see past arbitrary legal statuses and actually only care about what's working for you, it just surprised me that that was the case.

I am aware of medical marijuana, but I guess I presumed it was slightly different from the regular MJ you'd get for recreational use? Perhaps with less THC or something. From what I've gathered you guys aren't getting marijuana via prescription, so I thought that's what doctors would have a problem with. And surely they have a 'moral' duty as healthcare providers to discourage against anything which the state has deemed harmful to a person's health? (I know that's bull, and the legal drugs they pump us with are much worse, just trying to see this from a legal standpoint).

I don't know, I mean I have no idea about this stuff. Medical marijuana is definitely unobtainable for UC where I'm from and I've always been terrified of anything illegal.
Posted 8/13/2014 6:43 PM (GMT 0)
Ya I wasn't keen on the idea of using MJ myself, but at the time it was either that or a bullet because I developed a rectovaginal fistula and it caused a ton of pain and constipation issues and I wasn't eating cuz it was too painful and couldn't take pain meds cuz those just constipated me more so I did what I had to do and I'm so glad cuz it saved me in many ways, even helped with the fistula and constipation issues.

It's too bad every doc isn't more open minded for their patients sake, that's all that should matter to them is that their patients find a way to feel better, I'm just glad my GI is on board, my family doc not so much but whatever, that's his problem not mine lol.
Posted 8/13/2014 7:20 PM (GMT 0)
Hey pb4 -

Thanks for sharing your MJ story. I can empathize with the "that or bullet" part because I've had those moments (accidents to the point where I was down to 5 underwears, going 20-30 times @ night, bleeding profusely, etc).

One integrative doc I saw was going to give me the script, but they approve it for 3 conditions here in DC.

What a bummer that you have to be going through chemo or have MS spasms to get it -- it's like they don't even validate other diseases. We could be on our deathbed, but nope, you have to have those two conditions to get MJ.

I hope to see some change in the future. One of relatives could have used it before he passed away from an autoimmune disease... they had him on lifelong pred instead (go figure).

Best.
Posted 8/13/2014 7:40 PM (GMT 0)
pb4 you seem to not particularly like smoking the MJ from the things I've read--have you ever though about making or buying your own oil and using that instead? From everything I have read/watched it works much better and is much more potent than just smoking the THC/CBD.
Posted 8/13/2014 10:29 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks Guardian, although it does sadden me that I'm not alone when it comes to contemplating a bullet thanks to IBD.

Levi, you're right, I hate the taste of smoking it and I would love to be able to eat it and have my body still feel really good but it not affect my mind the way it does...it would be nice to be able to drive while using it but no way will I when I feel stoned. I believe that it's becoming or may already be legal in British Columbia, just waiting for it to be legalized in Alberta so I can walk into a MJ shop and buy some gummy bears and other edibles that are laced with it. I don't know how to make the oil and I don't know where to buy it legit either.
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