Thank you Renata for approving my thread. I will underline 2 points that I make in my opening posting and they are firstly that this is prescription cannabis not street bought cannabis and secondly that it is smoked through a vaporiser and not mixed with tobacco. It is not set alight in a vaporiser.

I am keen to hear from anyone else who has tried this route successfully or otherwise.

Frank

Hello Frank

          reading through your post l can empathise with the effects of neuropathy. Having become one of the lucky recipients following Bowel Cancer treatment l can attest to the ever present effects of this blessing.

Now ten years on from the onset of this problem, l spent the first three years dropping everything and constantly falling over with unfeeling throbbing feet. l lived with kneepads to protect myself. What it did not do was deter me from getting back to where l was before

Your last sentence struck a chord insomuch as l fully understand what you are trying to convey. Where l would differ with you is the method of how you arrive at that position.

It took three years for my command centre, l hesitate to use the term brain, to finally give up the futile task of constantly informing me that l was in pain, since my mind was not open to hearing that message as it was not an option l wished to persue.

Now fully housed during the day, it restricts itself to letting me know that my feet are very sore at the end of a full working day, and informs me of the blissful relief from them as l climb into bed and the suggestion of pain evaporates within 30 minutes at worst

The pain will never go,but its how the information about it is controlled, your suggested route of numbing your command centre leads to not being able to differentiate between the information of what you need and what you don't. Whereas l prefer the option of training to allow the bad to get locked away leaving the remaining functions unaffected.

It took a time but the end result was well worth it, there were no shortcuts or aids as such, just willpower and determination, l view it as sticking plaster or cure. Each of us are different and l hope you are able to find your way of coping with it,

David

David, very many thanks for sharing your story.

Yes, dropping things and stumbling over have been part of my life for the past 3 years. I know exactly what you mean.

In one sense, prescription cannabis is meant to do pretty well what drugs such as duloxetine are meant to do. Duloxetine is said, by the Pain Clinic, to be the most effective drug for treating neuropathy but only has a postive effect on less than 20% of suffers. It was developed as an anti-depressant drug which interrupts the signals to the brain. But for me, and many others, it turns you into a zombie.  For 3 or 4 months, I was living in a fog until I said "no more".

I have accepted that the pain will never go away now. It is there every second of every minute of every hour of every day. The first sensation you feel when you wake up and the last you feel when/if you get to sleep. I have found it overwhelming at times.

Hopefully my "command centre" will get the message that yours has and allow me to lock away the bad as you have suceeded in doing.

Many thanks again and good wishes on your continuing journey.

Frank

Hi Ed. Very many thanks for joining me in this thread. You are completely correct when you say that the aim is to take the focus off the pain. I was prescribed amitriptyline many years ago after I had shingles. It worked and with no after effects. The Pain Clinic put me on Nortriptyline, which is a more modern version of the drug. But it did not work for this chemo induced neuropathy pain. Maybe as you get older (I am 77), these anti-depressant drugs have stronger side effects.

You say (of cannibas), "I don't like the feeling it gives". Can you describe that feeling and what it was that you did not like?

I take it from your last comment that you are not cancer free. I am sorry to hear that. I do wish you well and thank for so much for sharing your story.

Frank

HI Frank

I am pleased that you are gettiing relief from your prescription cannabis. If you dont mind me asking how much do you pay for a months prescription. You ask about the unpleasant feeling I experienced. Id say over introspection, Im already carrying enough baggage in my head. Unusual thoughts. Paranoia and Lethargy. In addition to this a very dry mouth, I already suffer from this having had a parotid (saliva) gland removed and radiotherapy. So while cannabis is being touted as the new panacea it may not be suitable for everyone. It may have more benefits in your case of peripheral neuropathy than just pain relief. I have a friend who has been successfully using cannabis for 20 years to control spasticity caused by MS. Wishing you a good day ahead.

Ed

Hi Ed. Very many thanks for getting back to me and sharing further information. Most helpful.

Paranoia is something that you are warned about at the clinic. In fact, they will not prescribe for you if you already have suffered from episodes of this. There are many hoops that you have to get through before you are given a prescription. There is a (short) list of ailments that will qualify for treatment and you have to have been prescribed and failed with at least 2 orthodox treatments. MS is one of the ailments that will qualify.

The monthly cost of the prescription will depend upon how much you use. 10gm of 20% THC flower costs £55. I also use CBD oil at night (THC 20 mg/ml) and 10ml costs £50. Not a bad price for a guaranteed quality product. That is around a month's supply. But you also need to see a consultant every 3 months and that costs £50 a time. You can take out a subscription service which reduces the cost but I prefer to see how/if it works before commiting. 

Baggage in your head. I remember Fraser Crane saying something like "We all have our baggage to carry but sometimes that it what makes the journey more interesting". That quote always stuck with me.

Ed, I wish you well on your journey and thanks again for responding to my thread.

Frank