Medical marijuana is a common way to deal with a variety of physical illnesses, which may include neuropathy. If you experience neuropathy, you may be looking into medical marijuana as a way to handle the pain that often comes along with it. Here’s what you need to know about using marijuana to manage the issues that you might be having with neuropathy.
Topics Covered
What Is Neuropathy?
Neuropathy is not its own diagnosis, and is instead more of a symptom of many different illnesses. Essentially, it refers to nerve damage that causes pain, weakness, and numbness. Neuropathy can happen for a variety of reasons, including autoimmune diseases, genetic disorders, alcoholism, and diabetes. It can be very painful, and because it’s a nerve-related pain, it can be very difficult to manage for many people.
Do People Use Marijuana to Manage Neuropathy?
Medical marijuana is just one tool that you might use to manage neuropathy. There are many possible methods of managing nerve-related pain, and you may choose to introduce marijuana as one. You can also use marijuana along with many other tools to manage neuropathy, including tools like transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, also known as TENS. The practice of using marijuana to help alleviate pain coming from neuropathy is definitely not new, and many people do it.
What’s the Best Ingestion Method for Neuropathy?
This depends on a variety of things, most importantly how you usually experience your neuropathy pain and how regularly you’re planning to use marijuana. The quickest form of ingestion is smoking or vaping; with smoking or vaping, you get immediate relief as soon as you ingest the marijuana. However, edibles can also be a good option as long as you’re able to wait about half an hour for the effects to kick in. Topical applications can also be an option, especially if you’re feeling your neuropathy on the surface of your skin.
Are There Any Side Effects I Should Be Aware of With Medical Marijuana?
As with any other type of medication, you may experience some side effects. However, most people find the side effects of marijuana to be very mild and tolerable. These side effects may include:
- Dry mouth
- Increased appetite
- Sleepiness
- Red eyes
- A feeling of euphoria, especially with high THC strains
There are also other possible side effects that are fairly rare and therefore aren’t listed here. If you notice anything strange after using marijuana, you should always stop using it and talk to your doctor as soon as possible. Your doctor can advise you on the best way to move forward.
Conclusion
Neuropathy is one concern that marijuana can absolutely help you with. Although it’s not 100% effective for everyone – after all, no medication is – it may be a great first step if you’re interested in managing your neuropathy using alternative methods. If you’re interested in trying to alleviate some of the nerve pain you’re experiencing, it may be a good idea to try out medical marijuana and see whether it helps.
