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  #11  
Old 07-10-2008, 06:16 AM
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Terry Terry is offline
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First off all smoking is not a habit.......it's an addiction and, a cigarette is the delivery system for the drug, nicotine. Nicotine is one of the most addictive substances known to man. I've seen people sober up from drugs and alcohol over the last thirty years in addiction medicine and many never quit smoking.

The biggest key is the American Lung Associations adage of; "Don't quit quitting." One of these times you will be successful. Sometimes it takes a shotgun approach to quit which means utilizing many things in combination to quit. Medication, counseling, life-style changes, exercise, support groups, sponsor, meditation books, subliminal tapes, etc. It takes what it takes.

Terry Newton
__________________
1980 ruptured L4-L5
1988 ruptured SI-L5
1990 ruptured C5-C6
1994 ruptured C6-C7
1995 Hemi-Laminectomy C5-C6, C6-C7 Mayo Clinic
Bicycle Accident 2004
MRI, EMG, Facet Injections, Epidural Blocks, Lumbar Discogram.
Stenum Hospital Surgery November 4, 2006
Prestige Disc C5-C6, C6-C7
Maverick Disc S1-L5, L4-L5
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  #12  
Old 11-01-2008, 05:02 PM
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Eddie_G Eddie_G is offline
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How does cannabis use affect the spine? I know alot of medical marijuana patients use cannabis to relieve the pain and alot of them smoke it as opposed to using a tincture, or a food. Smoking cannabis may help relieve the pain, but could smoking cannabis have the same adverse affect that nicotine does on the disk cells? Of course the least safest way to use cannabis is to smoke it. Since there is alot of misinformation about medical marijuana, I wonder if spine patients are smoking cannabis thinking it is OK? If a spine patient chooses to use medical marijuana, I personally think they should be eating it or using a tincture given the dangers of inhaling smoke. New Jersey may be passing a medical marijuana law and I think alot of people with back pain will turn to cannabis while not being informed of the issues concerning smoking it.

Does cannabis smoking deprive disc cells of nutrients like nicotine smoking does?

I know each illness is different. For example, there are alot of cancer patients that prefer not to eat cannabis because they are throwing up all the time so eating anything would be a waste. A friend of mine with cancer was prescribed Marinol but he was constantly throwing up so the pill never stayed down. He finally got his appetite back by using a cannabis tincture that he squirted under the tongue.

I knew a MS patient who preferred smoking it to loosen up her stiff arms & legs quickly.

Back patients who use cannabis should probably not be smoking it.

Does using a cannabis vaporizer affect the spine since there is no smoke? Is a vaporizer safe for spine patients?
__________________
12/16/03 Work Accident
Herniation and DDD at L4-L5
4/1/05 Discectomy
Epidurals and facet injections
5/15/06 Discogram confirmed L4-L5 DDD also an asymptomatic L5-S1 tear
10/24/06 L4-L5 Prodisc surgery with Dr. Goldstein
CAT scans & X-Rays show ossification
Trigger Point Injections, Medial Branch Blocks, Acupuncture, Weekly Deep Tissue Massage
10/27/08 Discogram (positive L5-S1 tear)
11/25/08 L5-S1 fusion with Dr. Goldstein
FAILED BACK SYNDROME
Liberty Mutual WC
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  #13  
Old 11-01-2008, 07:10 PM
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Terry Terry is offline
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Michigan has a ballot proposal for the upcoming election on medical marijuana. I am very opposed to it the way the bill is written. I would not have any qualms for end of life pain with cancer or some other debilitating illness like MS. The way our bill is written is that it could be used for many different things including chronic pain. I am opposed to that due to the smoking issue as it is a carcinogen. The other thing is the last part of the bill says the following:

"Permit registered and unregistered patients and primary caregivers to assert medical reasons for using marijuana as a defense to any prosecution involving marijuana."

This is basically a large loophole that allows anyone who gets caught smoking pot to claim it is for medicinal purposes. It's going to pass with flying colors. Then we will have to hire all kinds of people to monitor the registering of people to use it, watch the physicians who are prescribing it, pay attention to the people who are growing it to make sure they can, also to make sure they are only growing for their own consumption. Tediousness in it's highest form when our State is bankrupt to begin with.

Maybe all drug use needs to be decriminalized instead of legalizing the use of drugs. Treat it as a public health issue rather than trying to control what people put in their bodies. We have become the most incarcerated country in the world due to the failed war on drugs. It is not a war on drugs to begin with as it is really a war on people.

Bottom line is that smoking is bad for you period. Whether you are smoking cigarettes or, smoking pot.

All my humble opinion of course.

Terry Newton
__________________
1980 ruptured L4-L5
1988 ruptured SI-L5
1990 ruptured C5-C6
1994 ruptured C6-C7
1995 Hemi-Laminectomy C5-C6, C6-C7 Mayo Clinic
Bicycle Accident 2004
MRI, EMG, Facet Injections, Epidural Blocks, Lumbar Discogram.
Stenum Hospital Surgery November 4, 2006
Prestige Disc C5-C6, C6-C7
Maverick Disc S1-L5, L4-L5
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  #14  
Old 11-01-2008, 07:41 PM
maz maz is offline
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I gave up smoking 11 years ago and it nearly killed me!! I went cold turkey with my husband after the funeral of a friend (from the US) aged 51 years died of lung cancer. I had tried to give up really since I started and having done 3 years 2 years an another 2 years on the gum (I loved the gum but as soon as I tried coming off it I started smoking again). I smoked from a very early age , reasearch shows that the teenage smoking experince can be very powerful and that this makes it more difficult to give up later in life. I started with a few puffs from my parents cigs around 10- 11 years then regular 10 a day by 13 like all my family (of 10 ) It is extremely hard to give up and the biggest achievement of my life.

It beats all I have achieved in education and my career and anything else I have done because it was so hard won. I know exactly the battle and members of my family are still struggling to achieve it. One with Champix (we call it in UK) the other with patches and the sniffer both struggling. All I can say is if you keep on trying you will get there in the end it took a year before I even smiled , I felt bereft and nothing could fill the void. It sounds dramatic but its so addictive to some people and those are the ones needing the most help.

I have a friend in her late 60's and she is using gum and does not intend to come off it. I dont blame her she knows she will smoke if she does. She tried Champix and felt suicidal and paranoid/ The gum doeds for her, its better than inhaling all those chemicals. Good luck to all of you who are trying I admire you and believe you will do it Maz
__________________
DDD C5/6 C6/7 following a fall onto my arm in June 06
Left Arm pain 2007 spread to the right after 10 months
Misdiagnosed x 3 then diagnosed as DDD related July 08
Active C ADR 2 levels 18th Sept 08
pain remains in shoulders and neck but is better than before (level 2-6)
arm pain resolved
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  #15  
Old 11-01-2008, 11:49 PM
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Eddie_G Eddie_G is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Terry View Post
Michigan has a ballot proposal for the upcoming election on medical marijuana. I am very opposed to it the way the bill is written. I would not have any qualms for end of life pain with cancer or some other debilitating illness like MS. The way our bill is written is that it could be used for many different things including chronic pain. I am opposed to that due to the smoking issue as it is a carcinogen. The other thing is the last part of the bill says the following:

"Permit registered and unregistered patients and primary caregivers to assert medical reasons for using marijuana as a defense to any prosecution involving marijuana."

This is basically a large loophole that allows anyone who gets caught smoking pot to claim it is for medicinal purposes. It's going to pass with flying colors. Then we will have to hire all kinds of people to monitor the registering of people to use it, watch the physicians who are prescribing it, pay attention to the people who are growing it to make sure they can, also to make sure they are only growing for their own consumption. Tediousness in it's highest form when our State is bankrupt to begin with.

Maybe all drug use needs to be decriminalized instead of legalizing the use of drugs. Treat it as a public health issue rather than trying to control what people put in their bodies. We have become the most incarcerated country in the world due to the failed war on drugs. It is not a war on drugs to begin with as it is really a war on people.

Bottom line is that smoking is bad for you period. Whether you are smoking cigarettes or, smoking pot.

All my humble opinion of course.

Terry Newton
I agree that smoking is not a good way to injest cannabis. The dispenseries in California (and other states) offer cannabis cookies, brownies and tinctures for patients who choose not to smoke and want safe cannabis products.
Would anyone be against a patient eating cannabis to ease their back pain?
I've tried cannabis tincture and it absolutely helped. It was given to me by a MS patient who's quality of life was improved from it. If NJ passes this bill, I will not smoke it, but I will eat it like cancer & MS patients do. I hope someone has an answer about my vaporizor question as that may become an option for patients down the road.
Is Michigan going to receive any tax revenue from this?
It seems like there would be alot of people looking for licenses to run dispenseries and they should be taxed to help our struggling economy. It also seems that there will be more tax revenue coming in and less money being spent on enforcement.

Quote:
Then we will have to hire all kinds of people to monitor the registering of people to use it, watch the physicians who are prescribing it, pay attention to the people who are growing it to make sure they can, also to make sure they are only growing for their own consumption. Tediousness in it's highest form when our State is bankrupt to begin with.
Why would people need to be hired to monitor the patients and doctors? Nobody monitors me & my doctor now, and he is prescribing DEADLY Oxycontin at the tune of 510 pills per month. Should somebody be coming to my home now to make sure I am using the correct amount of Oxycontin? Why would someone need to monitor someone else taking a benign natural remedy when there is no monitor for the deadly drugs most of us take now? I feel it should be between the doctor & the patient.
__________________
12/16/03 Work Accident
Herniation and DDD at L4-L5
4/1/05 Discectomy
Epidurals and facet injections
5/15/06 Discogram confirmed L4-L5 DDD also an asymptomatic L5-S1 tear
10/24/06 L4-L5 Prodisc surgery with Dr. Goldstein
CAT scans & X-Rays show ossification
Trigger Point Injections, Medial Branch Blocks, Acupuncture, Weekly Deep Tissue Massage
10/27/08 Discogram (positive L5-S1 tear)
11/25/08 L5-S1 fusion with Dr. Goldstein
FAILED BACK SYNDROME
Liberty Mutual WC

Last edited by Eddie_G; 11-01-2008 at 11:53 PM.
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  #16  
Old 11-02-2008, 10:38 AM
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Terry Terry is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Eddie_G View Post
Why would people need to be hired to monitor the patients and doctors? Nobody monitors me & my doctor now, and he is prescribing DEADLY Oxycontin at the tune of 510 pills per month. Should somebody be coming to my home now to make sure I am using the correct amount of Oxycontin? Why would someone need to monitor someone else taking a benign natural remedy when there is no monitor for the deadly drugs most of us take now? I feel it should be between the doctor & the patient.
I know what you are saying but, because it is a schedule 1 drug, it ranks up there with heroin for law enforcement purposes:

  1. The drug or other substance has high potential for abuse.
  2. The drug or other substance has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States.
  3. There is a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug or other substance under medical supervision.
The Oxycontin you are referring to is medically approved.

As far as your question of a vaporizer, I am not sure if that form is going to be available to Michigan users. I am also unaware if they are going to tax revenue made off of it. I would doubt it if they are as they are not talking about having marijuana dispensaries like in California. I believe it is supposed to be grown for consumption purposes not to exceed 12 plants. That's a lot of plants allowed. I would have less of a problem with tincture and vaporizer type applications rather than smoking which causes it's own share of medical problems.

Terry Newton
__________________
1980 ruptured L4-L5
1988 ruptured SI-L5
1990 ruptured C5-C6
1994 ruptured C6-C7
1995 Hemi-Laminectomy C5-C6, C6-C7 Mayo Clinic
Bicycle Accident 2004
MRI, EMG, Facet Injections, Epidural Blocks, Lumbar Discogram.
Stenum Hospital Surgery November 4, 2006
Prestige Disc C5-C6, C6-C7
Maverick Disc S1-L5, L4-L5
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  #17  
Old 11-02-2008, 01:52 PM
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Eddie_G Eddie_G is offline
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Here is a recent petition that makes alot of sense to me about rescheduling, (written by someone much smarter than me) It seems it should have been rescheduled in 1996:

Re: Petition for Marijuana Rescheduling

Dear Sir/Madam:
You are hereby notified that the current scheduling of marijuana in Title 21 Code of Federal Regulations, Section 1308.11 Schedule I, is in violation of federal law, Title 21 United States Code, Section 903, and you must immediately cease and desist enforcement of the illegal regulation of marijuana until marijuana is correctly scheduled or removed from the schedules entirely.

Failure of the Drug Enforcement Administration to cease and desist enforcement of the illegal regulation of marijuana within 30 days will result in a federal civil injunction being filed against the Drug Enforcement
Administration in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa.

MEMORANDUM OF LAW

It is established federal law that the states, and not the federal government, determine accepted medical practice. Gonzales v. Oregon, 546 U.S. 243 (2006); 21 U.S.C. § 903. Twelve states have determined that marijuana has accepted medical use. Rescheduling of marijuana should have been automatically triggered in 1996 when California enacted the first state law accepting the medical use of marijuana.
In Grinspoon v. DEA, 828 F.2d 881, 886 (1st Cir. 1987), the U.S. Court of Appeals told the DEA that a controlled substance cannot be scheduled in Schedule I if it has accepted medical use anywhere in the United States (". . . Congress did not intend 'accepted medical use in treatment in the United States' to require a finding of recognized medical use in every state . . ."), which proves the states, and not the federal government, determine accepted medical practice.

In Alliance for Cannabis Therapeutics v. DEA, 930 F.2d 936, 939 (D.C. Cir. 1991), the U.S. Court of Appeals told the DEA that there is no federal definition of "accepted medical use" (". . . neither the statute nor its legislative history precisely defines the term 'currently accepted medical use' . . ."), which proves the states, and not the federal government, determine accepted medical practice.

In United States v. Oakland Cannabis Buyers' Cooperative, 532 U.S. 483, 492 (2001), the U.S. Supreme Court told the DEA it could not put marijuana in Schedule I if marijuana had any accepted medical use:
Schedule I is the most restrictive schedule (footnote omitted). The Attorney General can include a drug in schedule I only if the drug "has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States," "has a high potential for abuse," and has "a lack of accepted safety for use . . . under medical supervision." §§ 812(b)(1)(A)-(C). Under the statute, the Attorney General could not put marijuana into schedule I if marijuana had any accepted medical use.

In Gonzales v. Raich, 545 U.S. 1, the U.S. Supreme Court noted that Congress put marijuana in Schedule I. But Schedule I is only the "initial" schedule for marijuana. Congress never said the initial schedules were permanent. 21 U.S.C. § 811(a) requires the DEA to "add to", "transfer between", or "remove" substances from the schedules as necessary. See 21 U.S.C. § 812(c) (". . . Initial schedules of controlled substances Schedules I, II, III, IV, and V shall, unless and until amended pursuant to section 811 of this title . . ."). Ms. Raich did not tell the DEA it could not put marijuana into schedule I, but the DEA should not have to be told that it must obey a federal law. The DEA should have rescheduled marijuana in 1996 and was legally obligated to do so at that time.

In Gonzales v. Oregon, 546 U.S. 243 (2006), the U.S. Supreme Court told the DEA that a federal interpretive rule cannot conflict with an accepted state medical practice. The DEA cannot create an administrative rule that conflicts with 21 U.S.C. § 903, and it cannot maintain an existing regulation that conflicts with 21 U.S.C. § 903.

Marijuana, temporarily scheduled by Congress in 21 U.S.C. § 812, Schedule I(c)(10) in 1970, has been incorrectly classified in 21 C.F.R. § 1308.11(d)(22) since 1996 because it no longer fits the criteria for inclusion in Schedule I as set forth in 21 U.S.C. § 812(b)(1)(A)-(C):
Schedule I. -
(A) The drug or other substance has a high potential for abuse.
(B) The drug or other substance has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States.
(C) There is a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug or other substance under medical supervision.
Because marijuana has been incorrectly scheduled since 1996, the DEA must immediately cease and desist the enforcement of the illegal regulation of marijuana until the federal scheduling has been corrected.

Respectfully yours,
__________________________
Carl Olsen 130 E Aurora Ave
Des Moines, IA 50313-3654
__________________
12/16/03 Work Accident
Herniation and DDD at L4-L5
4/1/05 Discectomy
Epidurals and facet injections
5/15/06 Discogram confirmed L4-L5 DDD also an asymptomatic L5-S1 tear
10/24/06 L4-L5 Prodisc surgery with Dr. Goldstein
CAT scans & X-Rays show ossification
Trigger Point Injections, Medial Branch Blocks, Acupuncture, Weekly Deep Tissue Massage
10/27/08 Discogram (positive L5-S1 tear)
11/25/08 L5-S1 fusion with Dr. Goldstein
FAILED BACK SYNDROME
Liberty Mutual WC
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  #18  
Old 01-13-2013, 07:37 PM
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Suncatcher Suncatcher is offline
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Default E-Cigarettes

I have been smoking for 30 plus years - not something I'm proud of, and WOW, is it hard to quit. I actually take Wellbutrin for depression, and it's had no effect whatsoever on my smoking. I've tried gum, patches, hypnosis, herbal supplements, cold turkey and finally, e-cigarettes. The e-cigarettes, of course, depend on you actually USING them, but they are a great alternative. They cost a little less than actually smoking, and can cost a lot less if you figure out how to refill your own cartomizers, which I have. I buy my supplies here - Vapage E-Cigarettes, E-Cigs, Disposable E-Cigs & Electronic Cigarette. And they sell the e-liquid to refill the cartomizers here - KB Results. I use the "Cig2O" brand. I am having trouble using them consistently, but am forging ahead and believe this is my best chance of quitting. Right now, I alternate between the e-cigs and the real ones. That may not work for everyone - the temptation to have the real thing is pretty strong sometimes, but I have cut way back on my smoking even so. Goal is still to quit. Does anyone know if the nicotine alone is OK if you are having ADR? I already have severe DDD throughout my spine and severe stenosis with myelopathy in four cervical levels. If anyone has more questions about the e-cigarettes, feel free to message me.
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  #19  
Old 01-13-2013, 09:33 PM
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Harrison Harrison is offline
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Thanks for the information, it will help others. Nicotine in chewing gum may be OK, but I am not sure (my hunch is that it is). Ask your doc.

Also, have you heard of these? Some people say it helps diminish the craving:

Amazon.com: Thursday Plantation - Tea Tree Australian Chewing Sticks, 100 sticks: Health & Personal Care

Also good for your oral health, so it's a win-win.

When you can, pls see to this: http://www.adrsupport.org/forums/f58...-health-11053/
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"Harrison" - info (at) adrsupport.org
Fell on my ***winter 2003, Canceled fusion April 6 2004
Reborn June 25th, 2004, L5-S1 ADR Charite in Boston
Founder & moderator of ADRSupport - 2004
Founder Arthroplasty Patient Foundation a 501(c)(3) - 2006
Creator & producer, Why Am I Still Sick? - 2012
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  #20  
Old 01-14-2013, 07:02 PM
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Suncatcher Suncatcher is offline
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Default Signature Done - Whew

Thanks for the reminder - all done. Took me a bit to get it whittled down! I think that's why I hadn't tackled it yet : ) All is well now....and thank you for the idea on the chewing sticks! Looks like a real option!
__________________
Cervical - Multilevel DDD / Stenosis all levels – most severe @ C5-6 & C6-7 / Mod. neuroforaminal encroachment @ all levels but C2-3
Thoracic - Spur formation, Schmorl's nodes & spondylosis
Lumbar - Multilevel DDD / Lower lumbar spondylosis & facet arthropathy w/L3-4 being most severe / Grade 1 retrolisthesis of L2 on L3 / 20 degrees lumbar dextroscoliosis
NOTE: Dr. Bertagnoli's ProSpine office in Germany recently informed me that I am a candidate for a cervical hybrid fusion-ADR procedure.
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