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Marinol or Medical Marijuana

Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2015 7:58 am
by ViewsAskew
I received a PM earlier today about marinol and med. marijuana. I know that the members here know a lot, so instead of just me answering, I'm posting the question here.

The person wrote, "I had read that medical marijuana was being used to treat seizures and various other neurological disorders and had been quite effective. So I wondered if it would also work for WED. I found that I could take a 2.5 mg dose when symptoms occurred, and within a few minutes they were gone. I only got a 30-day supply at first, but saw my doctor today to request a refillable prescription. Does anyone know if research is being done in this area?"

Medical marijuana has been discussed quite a bit here on the forums. You can search for the word Marinol, for example, and find all of the past posts where it has been discussed. Same for the word marijuana. That said, it's not discussed as often as other medications. Up until recently, most people in the US did not have access to medical M. Many still do not. Also, it's considered "off label" and many doctors will not try off label meds. As far as I know, there are no studies about it.

That said, if you search on "restless legs marijuana" in Google, you get many hits, many from people saying it helps. Here, the results have been mixed. Some people like it, some do not. Some feel it depends on the strain used. I can only remember one person specifically using Marinol (likely there are more and I just do not remember) and it wasn't effective, but a vaporizer was.

Dr Buchfuhrer, on the So Cal Support Group pages, says that it's likely very effective. http://www.rlshelp.org/rlsrx.htm. He says, however, that Marinol is not usually as effective. "Patients find that Marinol does not work as dramatically as smoking marijuana. Based on anecdotal clinical patient reports it appears that a minority of RLS sufferers may experience a modest benefit for their RLS symptoms with Marinol. This drug comes in 2.5, 5 and 10 mg tablets that can be taken up to 2-3 times per day with a maximum daily dose of 20 mg."

As med M becomes available in my state this year, I will likely try it if Dr B will give me a script to do so. It appears that it doesn't impair lung function: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/1 ... udy-finds/ And, I could always try a vaporizer.

RLS/WED is covered by some med M dispensaries in terms of what works best. For example, GrandDaddy Purple and Holy Ghost are supposed to be good, lol. http://www.medicalmarijuanastrains.com/ ... -syndrome/ White Berry, Kush, and others are also recommended.

But, if Marinol works, I say use it!

Re: Marinol or Medical Marijuana

Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2015 1:16 pm
by NatWest
Thank you for expanding on this subject. Very helpful. I will explore some of the links you provided.

Re: Marinol or Medical Marijuana

Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2015 11:24 pm
by Chipmunk
I asked my doctor about trying medical marijuana for WED/RLS and he reacted very strongly against it because of the mental effects he has seen in people. He is a psych so obviously he is going to see the more severe reactions to MJ but he said that in certain people (I think people more prone to anxiety and/or depression) it makes them really angry and unhappy. He said they are super critical of other people and no one can do anything right.

He is very open-minded and easy-going, so I don't think he was responding that way just because he is against MJ or something. This is the same doctor who told me the secret to getting the really good counterfeit purses in NYC (ask to see the back room, they'll deny it exists, you say you're not a cop and you just want to buy a purse, they show you the room full of really, really good knock-offs :lol: ).

I know certain strains can have different effects based on the amount of THC in them, etc., so perhaps some strains wouldn't have the same effect in those people? but it made me think twice about trying it, or at minimum, keeping an eye on my emotions as I start.

Re: Marinol or Medical Marijuana

Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2015 1:35 am
by NatWest
Thanks for your response. When I took Marinol I didn't experience any mental effects at all. It was like I hadn't taken anything. That's what I liked about it. The dosage was 2.5 mg. When I was in college in the late 60s an early 70s everyone I knew smoked marijuana, even my parents. It was always fun, and I personally never saw anyone have a negative reaction, but I don't have any interest in taking a medication that would make me feel high at this point in my life. I'm sure some people might have a bad reaction based on emotional instability or other factors, and also that dosage might weigh into it. I want something that stops my rls in its tracks, without any side effects, and that has been my experience with Marinol. I've read that medical marijuana can be formulated so that even children can take it without any mental effects. My own doctor has been very open to this idea, so I'm happy about that. :)

Re: Marinol or Medical Marijuana

Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2015 5:02 pm
by Chipmunk
I think he was referring to smoking it, and I'm sure the stuff you get off the street varies considerably in purity. That's why I'm glad so many states are legalizing it, so people will know what they are getting.

Re: Marinol or Medical Marijuana

Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2015 2:53 pm
by NatWest
Yes, I agree. It is legal where I live, but I have absolutely no desire to get high every time my symptoms occur, so the synthetic version, Marinol (generic dronabinol), is preferable for me. It is a Tier 1 medication, included in my drug formulary list with no restrictions, but my insurance company won't pay for it until it is FDA approved for treating WED.