Posted 10/21/2017 3:43 PM (GMT -5)
By no means do I have any medical qualifications, I just wanted to post my current situation on here as I see so many others offering their solutions to this issue that we're forced to cope with. I hope this helps:
I was diagnosed with UC back in June after going about a month with rectal bleeding. At the time I had no pain, but I had a constant urge to use the bathroom in addition to leaving the toilet water red and also wiping fresh blood. I got a colonoscopy which caused my flare up to become almost unbearable to the point that I was either bed ridden or in the hospital for the span of a few months. During my three stays at the hospital, I had to get two blood transfusions as I was going to the bathroom upwards of 30 times per day (mostly blood). I was also unable to eat or drink anything due to the nausea, sharp pains in my gut, and the constant feeling of exhaustion due to the continuous loss of blood and 35 lbs in a month. I was miserable to say the least; unable to walk up stairs, carry anything, or even move without my heart rate skyrocketing. Cooking became a challenge so my mother and significant other constantly kept an eye on me. I truly felt like I didn't want to continue living through the hell my body was putting me through. Emotionally and physically, I had nothing left. Then I found my solution...
I had been speaking to so many people that had my condition or something similar and all of them had to take several medications on a daily basis and eat specific diets which often didn't provide relief. I, myself, tried all available options, except biological, to no absolutely no avail for months. A friend of mine mentioned that UC was eligible for medical marijuana in the state of New Jersey. After I was discharged, I bought some marijuana from an acquaintance and decided to try it to fight my condition that would inevitably land me back in the hospital with the treatment at the time. Two minutes after smoking a small amount (.2 to .5 grams), I felt the relief I had been searching for for months. My urgency, pain, nausea, lack of appetite, and constant anxiety were GONE.
After a few days of feeling relief I decided to obtain my medical marijuana card and ever since things have been amazing. My life is essentially back to normal. I have to use the bathroom maybe once or twice when I wake up and that's it; no blood (90% of the time and when there is blood it's only on the toilet paper and is not fresh), and no anxiety. I have my energy back and gained all of my weight back in a little over a month. My diet is no longer restricted and I haven't had diarrhea in over a month. All of these symptoms went away from me no more than a few days after my first MM purchase.
I know some people refuse to be open minded about this, but I urge you- If you can't find relief and are miserable, please look into marijuana as an alternative treatment. I use it at least 3 times a day which I personally enjoy, however, if your concern is being "high" then know that they make strains such as one called AC/DC that is high in a compound called CBD (cannabidiol) which has absolutely no psychoactive effects; NO HIGH, JUST RELIEF. I know marijuana has tons of stigmas behind it, but keep in mind- big pharmacy companies need to make money. Essentially, you being sick keeps them in business so why would they want it legalized? Personally, I see marijuana as a natural and much safer alternative to prednisone, lialda, remicade, or any other available "treatments."
Again, this is just my story, and not everyone's body reacts the same to different treatments. But, I will say that medical marijuana has given me my life back at a time where I saw no other options but surgery. As of now, and for a little over a month, I am only on 5mg of prednisone which I will be off of very soon as the MM has been so effective. I will report back if anything changes, but as of now, life is great.
If you have any questions please feel free to reach out. I tried to make this post as condensed as possible.