Now it has been 11 years of writing almost monthly blogs about fibromyalgia and attending to the stories about people who are ultra-sensitive, highly empathetic, anxious, unable to tolerate the pain of others, and have developed an overactive central nervous system which is known as fibromyalgia. I am today taking another route at the beginning of this lovely month of June.
Unlike Florence Nightingale who came back with her heavy lamp from the Crimea and collapsed with fibromyalgia, I am writing today about another kind of nurse, one who was every bit as brave as Florence Nightingale and survived until the ripe old age of 97, in her home town of Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. She was the marvelous Sara Corning. It is unlikely she suffered from fibromyalgia so the question you might ask is about the contrast between the two.
I don’t have an answer to that question, but what I do know is that nurses have heavy burdens to bear and never more so than those who faced devastation caused by wars and massacres. Like military personnel who return from wars, some develop post–traumatic stress disorder (aka fibromyalgia), while others can carry on their lives in a more usual manner.
Now to the purpose of this blog today. As you know from previous writings, I blame my highly sensitive nervous system on childhood trauma and in particular the experiences I had as a student nurse in the mid to late 1950s. During those days we were used as a source of free labor to staff hospitals, often without any days off for three years, working for 12 hours shifts with a great deal of responsibility, ill-trained, learning through an apprenticeship system.
It was not just in small-town hospitals in Nova Scotia, but generally throughout Canada, the US, and other parts of the world. We were exploited and did not have within us the knowledge or experience to rebel, after all, we were but teenagers. Wanting to record those experiences of student nursing days, I began interviewing in a conversational way, women who had been student nurses up until the 1960s when the times began to change. The oral histories I had with women who had been nursing in the 1920s and 1930s are stored in the Nova Scotia Archives and I thought I was done with recording nursing history.
Now, in my old age, as a time to reminisce, I look back at the trauma inflicted upon me and my classmates, and once again decided to speak with women of my vintage about their experiences. The result is the book whose cover I shall show you. I have just received the copies fresh off the press, published by GlenMargaret Publishing, Nova Scotia.
So, where does this tie into Sara Corning you might ask? Well, for the first reason, she, like me was from Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. Secondly, we were both nurses. Finally, as a social activist all my life I deplored violence, massacres, genocide, exploitation, and social injustice. Therefore, in order to pay back society as a result of the privileges I have had as a nurse, I decided that I would donate the proceeds to the Sara Corning Society in Yarmouth so that her story would never be lost in that small town.
A statue will be relatively soon erected, a street already named for her, perhaps a scholarship for a student nurse, a bench…the ways are numerous. As statues of unsavory men are being torn down, what better way to honor women, and nurses than through statues? But even more so the Sara Corning Centre for Genocide Education in Toronto whose work is far-reaching will have an impact on future generations Please go to their website and read more about her.
As I write I know that there are many readers who are nurses and whose lives are filled with pain from the sights they have seen, the exhaustion that can be overwhelming, and the death and despair they see on a daily basis. Yet, they persevere as did Sara Corning. It isn’t a book about Sara but about others who came after her, nurses everywhere who devote their lives, perhaps not as dramatically as she did, but are heroines nonetheless.
SARA CORNING
(Synopsis inside the book cover)
It was in 1919 that this remarkable humanitarian nurse departed for the Near East, where she helped to rescue and care for thousands of orphans, victims of the 1915-1923 Armenian genocide and Greek massacres, including during the Greek-Turkish forced populations exchange of 1923.
“After a traumatic experience, the human system of self-preservation seems to go onto permanent alert, as if the danger might return at any moment”, Judith Lewis Herman
In my book almost a decade ago, I wrote about Gulf War syndrome and the similarities between this condition and fibromyalgia. From the terms ‘shell shock’ and ‘Gulf War syndrome’ has emerged the contemporary ‘Post–Traumatic Stress Disorder’ label. We have now landed firmly on the relationship between these three conditions and fibromyalgia.
Years and years of studying and researching the topic of fibromyalgia have convinced me that PTSD and fibromyalgia are the same things. There I’ve said it! And, finally, others are saying it too. What do all those terms share in common? How is it that PTSD and fibromyalgia are twined? Wars, abuse, crises, and trauma of many sorts take their toll on us all, but it is the highly sensitive person whose psyche becomes over-burdened. Here are the ways in which the two conditions match:
Sleep: Insomnia is insidious, silent, and invisible. Worse still are night terrors and dreams that rob peace of mind and wear one down. Not only do physical ailments develop from unrestful sleep, but also emotional problems develop. Things that seem bearable somewhat during the day become unbearable in the dark. Sleep deprivation and other disturbances are common.
Anxiety: Often gripped with the feeling of dread but cannot tell why. There is a constant merry-go-round of fearful thoughts in the brain. Looking constantly for anticipated trouble. A neurotic terror of the unknown is a frequent companion. The world is seen in black and white. The anxiety levels rise to panic. Change is not well tolerated.
Lack of contentment: Achieving even little contentment and peace is a struggle. Living in the moment is difficult as there is the anticipation of the possibility that danger lurks around the corner. Living with tension and fear of the future while remembering the past is common.
Lack of resilience: Easily startled, frightened even when not in a dangerous situation. Flashbacks in terms of smells, sights, and sounds from shocking, scary, or crises once experienced. Negative thoughts about oneself result in being hard on self and mired in depressive thoughts.
Along with these emotional reactions, there are the physical ailments that accompany the emotional ones. Pain, fatigue, abdominal upsets, lack of energy, sensitivity to sounds, smells, frightening sights, uncontrollable itching, tingling of limbs, and a myriad of other symptoms are what PTSD and fibromyalgia have in common to a lesser or higher degree.
Each person is unique and may or may not share all of these emotional and physical symptoms but the similarities can no longer go unheeded.
So, the hip replacement happened almost three weeks ago. I had hoped that when I took my first step post-operatively I would not have pain. So many people told me that would happen. I should have known better. Of course, there is still pain. It is too soon for me to know the nature of it. Is it fibromyalgia? The scar? The hip itself? I thought I was the expert of my own body but it has now had an assault of a different nature. I believe I will have a handle on it in a few more weeks. For now, I am trying to live every day in a slower manner. At first, I rushed through walking, stopped using the walker too soon, and developed shin splints. It is my misfortune I am not patient and calm. I have learned even more about this highly motivated personality of mine. Are all of us with fibromyalgia this energetic type who suffers because we rush through life?
It is a beautiful summer day with a slight breeze. Time to heal.
I will write more in a few weeks, for now, breathe and slow down…
“The traumatic moment becomes encoded in an abnormal form of memory, which breaks spontaneously into consciousness, both as flashbacks during waking states and as traumatic nightmares during sleep”,Judith Lewis Herman
Trapped in our psyche, past traumas wind themselves into the body and present as a multitude of physical symptoms. Pain, extreme crushing fatigue, intestinal difficulties, severe itching, rashes, tingling of limbs- the list seems endless. We seem not able to control our anxiety about when or which kind of bodily experiences will be next. We are constantly on guard, judging past and possible future symptoms… was this pain the same a few minutes ago? Will it become worse? If I do this or that will it harm me? What is this new symptom about?
I realize that hurt does not mean harm, but my brain does not seem to register that fact. My central nervous system is always on alert. The term ‘central sensitization’ is now a term used more happily (or less dubiously at least) by physicians and other health care workers, so I rarely use the stigmatized word of fibromyalgia anymore.
I believe it is PTSD, but I don’t mention that either. I can reflect upon my childhood and young adult life and pinpoint the traumas that etched themselves in my central nervous system. I wish the neuroscientists would ask for fibromyalgia volunteers for their PET scans and fMRIs. I would love to see these images of my brain. I know how many major traumas have affected my mind/body.
This book has become my source of hope and courage. I urge my readers to read Dr. Van Der Kolk’s book from cover to cover. It is only through at least a cursory understanding of the neuroscience of the brain that we can get a handle on the stored memories of pain that are reactivated with a fibromyalgia flare-up, or the nagging constant symptoms that have become chronic. One of my favorite lines in the book discusses ways to regulate our own physiology:” breathing, moving, and touching”, themes I have been advocating throughout these blogs. It is about letting go, which isn’t easy.
Bessel Van Der Kolk’s thesis is that after the trauma we are left with a different nervous system and we are trying to control our inner turmoil. He writes: “These attempts to maintain control over unbearable physiological reactions can result in a whole range of physical symptoms, including fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, and other autoimmune diseases”.
Dr. Van Der Kolk has introduced the diagnosis of Developmental Trauma Disorder in the Appendix of his book. It is a useful guide for those of us who are hypervigilant, highly sensitive, inundated with unpleasant bodily sensations, fearful, and yet willing to change the brain and “befriend the body”. He writes “Being frightened means that you live in a body that is always on guard”. That defines fibromyalgia.
We can begin to reconnect with ourselves; it isn’t a hopeless scenario. We can begin with Talk Therapy but then progress to Mindfulness Meditation, yoga, mild exercise, and touching or being touched in a gentle non-threatening way. These are the ways to begin healing.
“Pain is real when you get other people to believe in it”, Naomi Wolf
As I have frequently written there are two kinds of pain: nociceptive and neuropathic. Those of us with fibromyalgia suffer from the latter. It is the most difficult to live with as it is long-term damage to the nervous system that has become chronic. It cannot be treated with opioids long-term as it only gives temporary relief. Many find some degree of effectiveness with Gabapentin ( I do) or Pregabalin.
So many readers write off their pain challenges, often resorting to opioids which result in addictions. However, nociceptive pain such as I had recently from a hip replacement does produce relief from such medications. Burns, operations, and broken limbs, usually all of a temporary nature, are examples of this type of pain. But, I quickly found that my highly sensitive pain receptors as a result of sensitization of the Central Nervous System rebelled and did not tolerate the morphine I was prescribed after surgery. Nausea was the side effect I suffered from, resulting in switching quickly to Tylenol. The pain from the scar has ended. This was nociceptive pain.
So, what are we to do with the other kind of pain? Neuropathic pain is complicated. Opioids are not the answer. While I keep advocating mild exercise as one form of self-help, sometimes more strenuous activity is warranted. Many of us can hardly tolerate any exercise at all, mild or vigorous. Strenuous activity usually brings about fibro flare–ups ( I found this out with increasing activity/ stretching following surgery in order to help with walking and avoiding limping).
Now I am in a quandary as to how much to do without increasing my pain level. My brain keeps me traveling down that same old pain neural pathway. Training the brain is not an easy task, but there is little option. Mindfulness meditation, walking in spite of the pain, and exercise biking are my strategies, and an understanding physiotherapist who tells me I expect too much of myself. I remind myself that is the bane of our existence, all of us with this dis-ease called central sensitization (fibromyalgia)… are too hard on ourselves.
I cannot overstate how complex daily living becomes for those of us with neuropathic pain. We have to be kind to ourselves and recognize that while this is a permanent condition, self-compassion is key to our quality of life.
What is happiness? Sometimes I think I have been seeking it my entire life and it still often eludes me. I want to be happy. I have worked at it. I meditate, have done yoga and chi-gong, I even have colored in books (the newest craze), made quilts, and listened to joyful music, all said to enhance creativity which is thought to be integral to being happy.
When I was young and religious I prayed. It made me fearful, not happy. I have looked at amazing skies, October foliage, and a calm lake and enjoyed their beauty, but I do not often experience the peacefulness that happiness is said to bring. Is the feeling of being at peace the same as feeling happy? Some happiness experts say that if you smile often enough it will entice your brain to believe you are happy. I smile often when around others and many would consider me happy. Maybe, then, I do experience happiness, which differs from peacefulness. Perhaps it is so fleeting that it escapes my attention?
We all bear our scars. I have a close family member who has Multiple Sclerosis, is engaged in life, has fun-filled outings with friends, and is an upbeat, self-defined happy person. She does not lament about her lot in life but is able to find joy in her everyday activities in spite of living in a wheelchair. Has she been programmed in such a way that she can overcome difficulties that overwhelm others to the point of despair? She does have a strong support system of friends. Is that her secret? Or, is it that keeping busy prevents her from dwelling on her disabilities?
Dr. Edward Diener the psychologist known as “Dr. Happiness” has the view that those who have a strong support system of family and friends are the people who report being the happiest. However, Dr. Sonja Lyubomirsky found that processes of social comparison, self-evaluation, and personal perception as well as genetics and circumstances comprise the gamut of happiness. Conversely, Dr. Mihaly Csikszentmihaly, a psychologist, suggests that people need to find difficult activities they can do and do them more often, that is, doing meaningful work and keeping busy. It can be seen that the happiness experts vary in their suggestions as to what compromises or enhances happiness.
I have a wonderful support system of friends and family, and a loving spouse. There are many enjoyable moments, but is that happiness? I have anxious days and nights, filled with pain and low energy, with worry about my abilities and perhaps loss of independence. One suggestion I read about was to change the ways in which one walks, that is, to take purposive long strides, swinging one’s arms.
I can’t do this as my walking is difficult and painful, particularly following a hip replacement four months ago, and especially when I try to take long steps. As a short person, I have never walked that way. So? I should walk in a way that is awkward for me and smile often even when in pain from fibromyalgia and then I will be happier?
I am still confused about whether or not feeling peaceful is the same as being happy? Is happiness just a temporary state that which one can measure how much happiness s/he has in a day? Does the weather and time of year affect one as dramatically as some suggest?
This is an extraordinarily beautiful time of year where I live, but it will soon be grey November, a time when there is so much darkness and which is, for me, a sad time. Am I then living in the future and not enjoying the moment? October is a wonderful month. The weather is cooler, the trees are turning magnificent colors, it is Thanksgiving (for Canadians) as it is harvest time, plus the air is fresh. It is a time for reflection and hunkering down for the dismal November month with bare trees and cold harsh winter (not so for my Australian and New Zealand friends!).
Is it my fault I don’t consider myself an unusually happy person? Was it the past trauma I experienced or is it genetic? I have been reading a most extraordinary book by the historian Yuval Noah Harari Sapiens (2014). He writes:
“There’s no natural selection for happiness as such- a happy hermit’s genetic line will go extinct as the genes of a pair of anxious parents get carried on to the next generation”.
Well, as I end these musings today and watch the waning of lovely October, I realize I had both: a pair of anxious parents, and a great deal of past trauma. Together these two nature and nurture traits have produced me with a highly sensitive nervous system- this “central sensitization” which produces anxiety and difficulty with living in the present.
I will keep on with mindfulness meditation (although I know that MM is not intended to bring happiness but to pay attention, on purpose, to our thoughts and to live in the moment) and walk as much as I can, and even more importantly I will do the things that bring me happiness in spite of the challenges. Either way, I will have the pain so why not combine with those activities which are joyful? After all, happiness is fleeting and varies from minute to minute.
“evolution has molded us to be neither too miserable nor too happy, It enables us to enjoy a momentary rush of pleasant sensations, but these never last forever. Sooner or later they subside and give place to unpleasant sensations”.
“There’s someone in my head, but it’s not me”, Pink Floyd
Just as I thought that I had nothing new to write about I have discovered that the weird ‘brain’ sensations I have, which only last for moments, are common among those of us with this frustrating condition of fibromyalgia! I have had these peculiar short-lived experiences that are followed by dizziness for several years now. The episodes are almost like a small temporary memory loss, almost feeling faint-like. I don’t have the language to describe them. It is as though my skull almost empties for a few seconds. It is somewhat creepy to imagine a skull without a brain.
Many have written that coming off a medication brings about these zaps/pings/shocks/memory loss/dizziness occurrences. But, I have not come off any medications. Still, I have read that being on Gabapentin can cause them. I do take 300 to 400 mg per day. Is this what is causing them? The attacks aren’t too frequent but certainly do cause slight dizziness and loss of balance.
I have often had electrical shocks throughout my body- this isn’t the same thing. I have written about ‘brain fog’ several times – again, this isn’t exactly the same thing. I have had vertigo- it is different from that as well. I wish I had the language to describe the episodes. It’s as though my brain loses a second or two into the air, is not in my own body!
Others have written that changes in temperature can affect brain zaps. This may be so as changes in the environment affect all of us with fibromyalgia. But, this isn’t the complete answer. The causes seem to be unknown although definitely connected to the nervous system. Like fibromyalgia itself, the problem is that we are seeing so many of us with common symptoms and questions about our nervous systems gone awry, but with very few answers available.
There is little doubt in my mind that these zaps are part of my anxiety episodes. It is the cause I keep coming back to. My hyper-aroused central nervous system, based on past trauma, which is in a constant state of hyper-vigilance, is in its usual mode of overload. At least this is the only tentative answer I have for now. It fits with the rest of my modus operandi.
Well, along with other weird sensations those of us with fibromyalgia live with, let us at least know for now that this weekend there are many who will dress up to look and behave even more creepy than our nervous systems! Be safe.
“There is a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in”, Leonard Cohen–Anthem
Cannabinophobia has resulted in a frenzy of political, medical, social, and cultural chaos for generations in spite of the fact that this herb has been around for 38 million years. Prohibition against cannabis usage has resulted in billions of dollars spent trying to stop its usage; hundreds of lives have been destroyed because of arrests, labeling them as criminals while governments have wasted their time trying to contain its widespread recreational use. But, it is medical marihuana specifically that I am the most interested in, and as Backes has written:
“The way to approach cannabis as a medicine is to do so cautiously, despite the fact that human beings have been using medicinal cannabis for millennia”. Physicians cannot prescribe but can authorize the use of cannabis. However, some physicians will not even do that in spite of the patient’s pain, and even worse in cases like multiple sclerosis where it has been shown to help with spasms, many will not even authorize it! For those of us with fibromyalgia and other chronic pain, as well as other conditions such as multiple sclerosis, waiting for the legalities to be sorted out means that we are expected to wait until the hysteria has subsided.
In Canada where I live the Liberal government has promised to legalize cannabis, but it is a slow process. It is likely to happen in 2017, the first of the G7 nations to do so. The government’s task force will release its report momentarily. Currently, in the US, eight states have legalized marihuana for medical and recreational purposes. With the recent US election, it is possible that all this progress may be rescinded. Only time will tell. Many want to be open-minded about the topic but it is far too often that their personal biases prevent reasonable discussions. While it is often said that religion, sex, and politics are taboo subjects to be avoided in polite company, I believe cannabis should be added to that list.
While I have many books and other reading material regarding marihuana (often spelled marijuana), The Pot Book remains among my favorite. Searching through the hundreds of internet sites, published articles, and books is an ominous task leaving the confused even more in a quandary. There is so little out there about the fibromyalgia pain, fatigue, and malaise, (among a host of other symptoms) and using cannabis for treatment, that it is a little wonder those of us with this syndrome wonder what should be done. Even this extensive book does not cover the topic and although most researchers write about chronic pain, the term fibromyalgia is not specifically used.
My view has been and remains- if alcohol, cigarettes, and prescription medications are available as a panacea for stress, anxiety, depression, and pain why not cannabis? If one can easily access cigarettes or imbibe alcohol for the social, recreational, and personal pleasure of relaxation why isn’t it the same for having a toke? Why is it legal to take a prescribed chemical such as valium (Diazepam) for example, but not an herb, like marihuana?
But, wait for a minute-an herb? I have long ago given up on herbs knowing that the myths associated with them are airy-fairy, woo, and snake oil, in fact, are unproven to be helpful. I can attest to their ineffectiveness. Why is this particular herb one which I consider to be beneficial for medicinal purposes? In fact, years ago I spent much money and time boiling Chinese herbs, not even realizing the heavy metals and other toxic substances in those concoctions and all this without any positive results.
Do people like to be deceived? Although I did not derive any benefit from them I still hoped I would. It was self-deception on my part as were the so-called ‘complimentary/alternative’ concoctions I wasted even more money on before giving upon them. They are not scientifically evidence-based. The ways in which we deceive ourselves are due to inherent biases. Most of these herbs are generally in the realm of pseudoscience. So here’s the question: why do I believe cannabis is helpful for the many ailments of fibromyalgia? Is the use of marihuana scientifically evidence-based? Are anecdotes enough for us to rely on? It is difficult to be unbiased/neutral and there are indeed unsupported assertions about marihuana, a highly contested issue.
When I first wrote about cannabinoids on this site 2019 all those years ago I explained that I had never tried cannabis for pain or fibromyalgia, nor for any other reason. I have never smoked a cigarette nor do I drink alcohol, the latter because it is too stimulating for me; it is not a moral issue. I avoid caffeinated coffee for that same reason. I simply don’t like the feeling of being out of control, my central nervous system cannot tolerate stimulants.
I have never taken a psychotropic drug, and other than Gabapentin and an occasional Tylenol I suffer through this unrelenting pain. I am not a martyr but until it was suggested I try medical marihuana I believed there wasn’t any other hope for relief and the anecdotes I was reading about cannabis seemed encouraging. When I read the hundreds of comments on these many blogs I have written over the years, I am in awe about how many mood-altering drugs people are taking for their emotional wellbeing. The pain of fibromyalgia is nonending. Why not try the unknown I thought. I was eager to try! I am considered a naïve user.
I confess to worrying I feel when people smoke cigarettes knowing that the evidence is clear, even written on cigarette packages, that smoking causes lung cancer. The tobacco that tobacco pickers made themselves from leaves burned the back of their throats. Over the years many have told me and written about the same sensations they incur after smoking cannabis, particularly from unknown sources, that is, there is more phlegm and inflammation in the respiratory system like burning, coughing, and wheezing from the heat of the smoke.
Tobacco wasn’t always regulated nor were the ingredients clearly stated on packages. If cannabis was regulated and ingredients stated before use would buyers become more cautious about from whom they were buying? Would they switch to vaporized, oils, sprays, suppositories, even the new market of pills, or edible means of taking marihuana for recreational reasons?
Or, is it the ritual, of preparing, and/or sharing a smoke that is enjoyable? Even more significant, the cost may be prohibitive for many forms of cannabis, so it is likely that those who are taking cannabis for pain are smoking. Costs must always be considered as many people with fibromyalgia have had to stop working due to their pain and cannot afford an oil or vapor and certainly not the spray. For those of us with fibromyalgia and sensitive to smoke we do have alternatives, hopefully, the costs will not be prohibitive.
In an article for CBC News, November 24, 2016, Opinion, Peter Thurley writes:” Stigma of the lazy pot-smoker hurts medical marijuana users” and the ways in which “they often give a nudge wink and say, “Lucky you, getting high on weed, eh?” He writes of the extractions (such as an oil) that “take much more plant matter to produce than other methods such as smoking or vaporizing”. The process results in higher costs.
In another CBC production, on November 25, 2016, Marketplace, alarms went off at the findings when the science-based study of four participants who were given weed to smoke to determine brain wave data after they had become high. But, it is this kind of scientific–based research that is sorely needed. Technology has allowed us to view the responses of our brains using fMRI and EEGs. We have to be able to make informed decisions. However, where is the brain research after a person has consumed a prescribed psychotropic ‘medication’?
In the last four years at one hospital in Denver, it was said that there was a big increase in the number of young clients with nausea, abdominal cramps, and vomiting due to cannabis. The data has shown that the current level of THC in weed is now 6 times more powerful than it was in the 1970s…and adolescent psychosis is an even more serious problem. It is speculated that using marihuana before the age of 25 is harmful to the brain. Yet, there is anecdotal evidence that cannabis is helpful in some cases of children with such conditions as epilepsy and certainly in cancer-related situations.
I am unhappy when I see someone inebriated or completely stoned. It is obvious that regularly drinking alcohol or toking toexcess is harmful for personal and societal reasons, as are other addictions. So now where am I on this controversial issue that has the general population in such a frenzy? Well, I have just become registered as a person who is legally allowed to use cannabis oil, taken orally for medical reasons. My fibromyalgia pain has increased tremendously since my hip replacement five months ago.
I have residual pain. Central sensitization has accelerated and flare-ups are more frequent with intense back pain from many degenerations of the lumbar spine. I have a choice: increase Gabapentin (and weight gain) or take an herb in the form of an oil. I chose the latter, despite still believing that most other herbs do not serve many purposes (although at least half of prescription drugs are plant-based, with added chemicals). I conclude after many years of reflecting and reading the science and hearing anecdotal testimonies that cannabinoid usage is helpful for chronic pain, and what is more chronic than fibromyalgia? It is not a cure but a potential panacea.
There are many internet sites, articles, and books that delve into the history of the herb, this Indian hemp plant cannabis, from which marihuana and hashish are made. For the most part, the history is written about how it was used for euphoria, or hemp itself was used in clothing and other products, rather than for medicinal/medical purposes. As a hallucinogen, it is said to have been used by the Chinese Emperor Shen Nung in 2727 B.C. (2737 B.C?, dates vary. See narconon.ca and/or deamuseum.org and/or livescience.com) who reported on its therapeutic use. Books and articles are plentiful about its history. “Cannabis is one of the oldest psychotropic drugs in continuous use.
Archaeologists have discovered it in digs in Asia that date to the Neolithic period around 4000BCE”, (Groopman, 2014). More ‘recently’, in 1839, a British doctor, William O’Shaughnessy wrote about its benefits and it became widespread for medical use, even prescribed to Queen Victoria for menstrual discomfort (Groopman, 2014).
Could this physician have imagined such a device as a gel pen filled with cannabis oil to apply locally? Or that there would be vaporizers, suppositories, oils, pills and other edibles, and even patches? That there were hundreds of slang words/terms one used that have evolved over the decades of marijuana usage? The spelling of marijuana or the terms used by users seems to men to be irrelevant so I will use them in various kinds of ways that are easiest for me to make a point.
The literature often appears to be completely two-sided without a middle ground of pros and cons about using the plant for mood-altering purposes in any form. Furthermore, whether or not it is effective for medicinal purposes has not been as carefully researched as prescription drugs. Much of the data is anecdotal. It is understandable since it is illegal in most countries. Now that several American states have legalized its use it is hoped that more participants will be willing to volunteer for larger studies without fear of repercussion, that is if the ‘new’ President does not undercut those states who have legalized it.
I am certain that Canada will lead the way in research as soon as the new year legalizes this ‘weed’. There is hardly a day that passes when the national paper ‘The Globe and Mail’ does not feature an article on marihuana. Who then will fund these studies? Will fibromyalgia sufferers be participants in these studies?
To be realistic Big Pharma might be unlikely to fund the research so the problem of funding remains an issue unless it can be shown to be profitable for the pharmaceutical companies. As a point of interest the study conducted by Dr. Mark Ware and colleagues of McGill University in Montreal in 2016, writes about the pharmaceutical development of cannabis patches for diabetic nerve pain and fibromyalgia! It is a small beginning for those of us with fibromyalgia and chronic pain. ‘Illegal’ home growers and ‘legal’ growers are of course somewhat leery about this new legalization, particularly if it is taken over by Big Pharma.
Marihuana is a social, political, and medical issue that is very complex. Growing a crop in one’s yard may be subject to criminality. The pharmaceutical companies may end up having complete control over the countries where it is legal.
The difficulties persist as most people are passionate about the topic and especially about government and/or Big Pharma’s control of the industry. Daniel LeBlanc wrote “Canada’s new legal marijuana regime is expected to feature a mishmash of provincial rules and a heavily regulated production system that will initially favor existing producers of medical cannabis, sources say” (The Globe and Mail, December 1, 2016).
It is obvious that with the issue of medical marihuana the ‘prescription’ is not precise. How is a person know which product will be effective for individual clients? How much THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and the ratio to CBD (the second most common cannabinoid produced by the cannabis plant) is appropriate for each person? Briefly stated THC will give a person a ‘buzz’ while CBD does not. CBD has medical benefits and can counteract THC lethargy and getting ‘high’. It is used for anxiety, and pain, as an anti-inflammatory, and antispasmodic. Finding the right combination is a slow process for each individual.
Neither side is willing to be open-minded to the other, no doubt myself included. An example might be a discussion about why a drug such as a valium for anxiety is socially acceptable and legally prescribed while smoking weed is considered illegal in most countries. The opposite position could be that valium has been scientifically shown to alter a mood and the dosage is tightly controlled, whereas medical marihuana without much THC may not change such conditions as anxiety, in fact, may even increase anxieties.
Those who are definitely in one camp or the other are in the majority while those who see both sides of the argument seem to be in the minority. The entire concept is mired in controversy with passion raging on both sides of the argument. Nonetheless, health care providers are left in a quandary as to whether or not medical marihuana is effective for pain or is thought to be because of the placebo effect. That is, those compounds without much THC may help with pain, for example, but may do little for underlying anxiety. Evidence-based research is not yet as abundant as it could be, and it is not black and white. When authorizing medical marihuana physicians must use caution and it is by trial and error that one finds the right script.
It is here that I confess my own bias against any kind of invasion of the mouth, throat, larynx, and lungs by smoke, having seen many cancer patients suffering as a result of inhaling cigarette smoke. (There are others who are not in favor of edibles as they have been concerned about gastric issues and the difficulties of dosage control.) In my view, the evidence supporting either position is not definitive so our own biases are not ‘provable’ (I use this word loosely).
Some suggest that cannabis can actually prevent lung cancer while others suggest it is instrumental in causing it! Those who are pro-smoking disagree with others who say that it is equally as dangerous as smoking cigarettes. In fact, it may be more deleterious as the smoke is held longer in the lungs by the inhaler.
While science-based evidence is badly needed it may or may not help the situation if one is not open to discussion about their own point of view. It is the old idea that if marihuana is legalized it will lead to addiction and the use of dangerous drugs. A casual alcohol drinker does not necessarily become an alcoholic so that issue is a moot point.
One would have thought that California, of all the perceived laid-back states, would have legalized pot but it wasn’t until November 8, 2016, with the ‘Adult Use of Marijuana Act’ that this state ended its prohibition for those over 21. They now have what they consider to be a sensible system that treats marijuana similarly to alcohol with regulations and taxing procedures. Patients with a state ID card for medical usage will not have to pay taxes. It should be fully implemented by 2018.
However, “the state would impose a 15-per-cent tax on retail sales of pot and additional taxes on growers” (Gary Mason, The Globe, and Mail, Monday, November 7, 2016 A7). “Legalization could generate more than $1-billion in tax revenue” (Mason). As marihuana becomes legalized in more and more countries, small growers will be penalized, and the greater the opportunities for Big Pharma. It follows that the underground ‘bootleggers’ will be forced to proceed illegally.
The complexity is overwhelming. I am at this point myself overwhelmed by the amount of information I have been exposed to over these many years. I could write reams of pages on the political issues involved with legalization, for example, the legalities of driving while taking medical marihuana, using it at work, or traveling to other countries as a medical user.
While there is promise regarding the patches I cannot imagine using them for the ‘pain all over’ which affects us on a daily basis! A peculiar sight indeed! I cannot yet attest to the efficacy of medical marihuana oil for fibromyalgia and specifically for myself– stay tuned.
Well, here I am in the second month of experimenting with this wondrous herb. It isn’t easy trying to find the right mixture of THC to CBD that fits me! Medical marijuana is not to be considered one size fits all. In fact, I am not sure I have the right times of day with the right amounts of each of the ingredients completely suited to me even now after two months. It has been trial and error.
But I have been aided by my family physician and the very well-informed members of the National Access Cannabis clinic. The choices are mine and it involves reading, understanding, and recording how each process is helping (or not). It is winter, cold, and depressing as I struggle with hip and back pains combined with fibromyalgia and sleep issues. My brain seems frozen in this ice block.
But I have a new kind of cannabis to use! My physiotherapist gave me a free sample of a topical cream of cannabis PANAG Topical A OTC which will be marketed this spring. I have just begun using it on various painful spots. It is too soon to tell if it will be helpful.
The times they are a’chang in’… time to lobby for universal acceptance in Western society of an herb that can help with chronic pain and multiple other symptoms. We need to reduce taking many chemicals whose long-term usage is dangerous to our kidneys and liver. Prohibition of cannabis is senseless, it is a safe herb, nonaddictive, and often effective for many conditions like fibromyalgia.
In the words of a famous, highly influential, and significant astronomer Carl Sagan:
The illegality of cannabis is outrageous, an impediment to full utilization of a drug that helps produce the serenity and insight, sensitivity, and fellowship so desperately needed in this increasingly mad and dangerous world.
” People who are prone to anxiety are nearly always people-pleasers who fear conflict and negative feelings like anger”, David D. Burns
Everyone worries, it falls under the umbrella of anxiety. It is not about living in the moment but rather it is about looking back in the past where it all began and into a future that is pure fantasy. Those of us with excessive anxiety are prone to catastrophic thinking, our thoughts go to the worst-case scenario. The glass is usually half empty. We are often gloomy but hide those thoughts from everyone; the sky is falling. Our brains are encouraged to ‘worry well’ by closing in on the worry loop. It is obvious that we face multiple challenges. The amygdala in our brain is constantly fired up, and on high alert, causing adrenal fatigue and a hyper-aroused central nervous system.
And so, our ‘symptoms’ continue hyper-vigilance, un-refreshed sleep, brain fog, joint and muscle pain, digestive disorders, itching, nightmares, extreme reaction to loud noises, lights, smells, an intolerance to all but mild exercise, prone to carpal tunnel syndrome, and supersensitivity to foods, chemicals and any kind of excitement. The list seems endless. We have been called ‘jumpy’, ‘neurotic’, ‘malingers’, and ‘high strung’, among other names that stigmatize.
So I want to rename our personality traits as positive. We are caring, highly emphatic, compassionate, intuitive, and sensitive. In a world that is exceptionally chaotic, it is little wonder that we are anxious for our fellow human beings, in particular those who are marginalized, that is, the poor, those who suffer because of racism and sexism, and people subject to homophobia. We listen to lies on television, we are pitted one against the other, and we sense the hopelessness of others while at the same time we have our own struggles and do in fact, lack self-compassion. We feel the anxiety of others which adds to our own extreme anxiety. This is why we have fibromyalgia…we relate to the pain of others while our own is neglected.
In other blogs, I have written about how to take care of ourselves to have a better quality of life, but here my rant is about the madness we see around us every day in a world where people in power place the world at great risk. There are many who are fighting the good fight, but right now in history it is easy to be overwhelmed, which is what the four relatives of fibromyalgia, PTSD, Multiple Chemical Sensitivities, and Chronic Fatigue are about- feeling overwhelmed, anxious, and struggling with despair, our own and the fate of the world.
I have rarely written about the politics of fibromyalgia, instead kept this website to the personal. But, the old adage of the feminist movement “the personal is political” seems to me to belong overdo for discussion about these four siblings noted above.
