Cannabis 'reduces surgery pain'

[JI7]

A cannabis plant extract provides pain relief for patients after major surgery, research has shown.

An Imperial College London team tested the extract - Cannador - on 65 patients after surgery such as knee replacements and found it helped manage pain.

The researchers believe the results could lead to new pain relief drugs, even though the chance of side effects increased with stronger doses.

The research appears in the US journal Anesthesiology.

Lead researcher Dr Anita Holdcroft said: "Pain after surgery continues to be a problem because many of the commonly used drugs are either ineffective or have too many side effects.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/5040960.stm

[Wetzelbill]

1. helps regain your appetite post-op too

:)

[ixion]

2. how many examples of medicinal marijuana are needed before

it's a) declassified as a Schedule I (no medicinal use) drug, and; b) decriminalized, since it's a naturally occuring plant that is non-toxic, non-addictive and non-lethal?

How long? How many more non-violent pot smokers have to spend time in jail because a bunch of bonehead pols can't do the right thing?

I know, I know... rhetorical question. :crazy:

[mithnanthy]

3. fact...

from "friends" who had a total hip replacement and another who had back surgery, that it was a great pain relief during recovery.

[alfredo]

13. It works for Osteo Arthritis too.

Some of us can't take any prescription or OTC drugs because they ruined our stomach. Vioxx tore up my stomach, so did Ibuprofen.

[Betsy Ross]

4. Side effects increased with stronger doses.

You mean like uncontrollable giggling and eating?

[me b zola]

5. Doritoitis

;)

[Moosepoop]

6. LOL!!!

:rofl:

[Neshanic]

7. Self dosing "warm brownie machines" at next hospital stay.

[Ilsa]

8. Hey, I have to say that alot of people who get knee replacement

surgery don't need their appetites increased! ;) Sometimes knees are replaced because they've been carrying too much weight!

Aside from that, this nurse is totally okay with getting what works into the pipeline to help people who are suffering from post op pain, chemo therapy side effects, or terminal illness.

[MaryRN]

18. The mark of a true nurse!

[TankLV]

9. Hell - it reduces LIVING pain!

[Exultant Democracy]

10. I have a buddy who is a wrestler and he gets pink eye a lot

He doesn't smoke ever except for when he has really bad pink eye. It is the only thing that helps the pain fast and also reduces the sensitivity to light.
(he wrestles in college not the WWF)

[alarcojon]

11. Just got prescribed Marinol

for nausea and appetite stimulation. It works! And somehow it relieves the pain of living with leukemia just a little bit.

[Fozzledick]

12. Why is this in "Latest Breaking News" ?

We've known this for 2,500 years! :shrug:

(I guess some people are just a little slow...):eyes:

[daleo]

14. I know a very pious Christian who uses it for her back pain. n/t

[theophilus]

15. My theory......they are going to synthesize various aspects of the plant

and make these various "parts" patented medication. We will have to pay big bucks for the artificial stuff and they will keep the wild plant illegal. This is what big pharma wants and it will allow big bidness to keep hemp under its thumb, too. Is this possible? They wish they could do it to aspirin, too, I'd imagine. Blood suckers just want your money.

[Nihil]

19. Suspect you're right.

Big bucks for dilute packaged extracts (with additives & fillers)
and pay-offs to the politicians & police to keep the real thing
out of reach.

Can't have people taking care of themselves now can they?
Being natural is just too unnatural for the money-grubbers.

[NashVegas]

20. What About RICO?

I wonder how feasible it would be to use RICO laws against the feds; to hand out patents for MJ's various properties and force an economy around it does look like racketeering to me.

[MockSwede]

16. Extract

NOT the whole plant.....

[wordpix2]

17. drip, drip toward legalization. Pot VERY good for stomach upset, accordin

g to a close relative who took it post-op because all pain meds made her sick. Join MPP: www.mpp.org

[AngryAmish]

21. It also makes you laugh at Cheech and Chong movies

[sofa king]

22. Never believed it until my double orchiopexy.

You probably don't want to know what sort of surgery that is--guys, I'm talking to you. I was given a large and potentially unhealthy prescription of hillbilly heroin for it, but I was so zonked after the ambush operation ("we're, um, going to need you to drop by the emergency room for an, uh, examination") that I forgot to fill it.

Twelve hours or so later, the last of the anasthesia wore off, and I woke up in a world of hurt that didn't entirely recede, ever, to this day. Fortunately, one of my best friends who gave me a ride home had also fixed me up with a small supply of cannabis sativa, just in case. That cut the agony enough to allow me to limp to the drug store to fill the prescription (yes, I am stupid).

But the really interesting thing that I discovered thereafter was that where the perco-whatever made me somewhat indifferent to the pain, the cannabis actually relieved it. Eventually, I just tossed out the hilbilly heroin and stuck to the good stuff. I think it saved my life, because I was quite seriously contemplating killing myself rather than go through that horrible experience.

Before that experience, I'd placed the analgesic qualities of marijuana right up there with driving my car around on stems and seeds on the plausibility scale. Now, I know it's true, at least in my case.