Is marijuana good for diabetes?

[paul-1976]

I wish I had used cannabis to de-stress instead of booze-I have Asperger syndrome and used alcohol to loosen my social phobias but then it became a routine and then ultimately an addiction and I believe now cannabis would have been a better choice..I do know someone with MS and cannabis has been a friend to them.

 

[martwolves]

Are you still dependant on alcohol? My daughter has aspergers and makes rash or careless decisions. I hope she doesn't get the craving for alcohol.

 

[paul-1976]

Are you an alcoholic?

Yes,I always will be..I haven't drunk for ages but I'll always have the addiction so I'm just in remission I guess

 

[zolabud]

I thought it was Zola Budd. Never mind.

I heard that....

 

[martwolves]

Sorry to hear that tubsolard! That must play havoc with your blood glucose control. Do you work and if so does alcohol mess with your job?

 

[paul-1976]

Sorry to hear that tubsolard! That must play havoc with your blood glucose control. Do you work and if so does alcohol mess with your job?

My daughter has AS too and also makes rash and wrong decisions-it worries me like hell,she also appears to have an addictive personality and comfort eats and i pray that she doesn't make some of the bad choices in life that I did..I always functioned and worked when I was a drinker but I don't currently work as I'm recovering from a colostomy reversal operation,I ended up with a stoma aged 34 due to bowel cancer..as for BG control,when I did drink the booze used to lower my levels so It had a positive affect on them but a negative affect on my personality.

 

[LittleWolf]

I see you were referring to the concentration of cannabis in hash/resin. One more reason not to touch it as you can never be sure of the true content.

You also have Aspergers Syndrome, Tubsolard? That is interesting.

I've read some controversial stories about parents of children with severe autism using cannabis (obviously not smoked!) and it appears to have improve their function- as well as that story about a couple whose child had various forms of cancer... Now treating children is a different matter entirely seeing as they are still in the developmental stage. Might have to go into that debate very carefully once I find the stories and do a bit more research.

But yes, Tubsolard, my boyfriend also has Aspergers Syndrome and was severely withdrawn, depressed and had social anxiety all the way until adolescence. He also began drinking to lessen the anxiety and socialise with people, however alcohol being a depressant, it made his depression worse and he began self harming. The alcohol consumption became more and more. When I met him he was still drinking a case of beer a night just to get to sleep, which upset me because I've lost a lot of people to alcoholism. (if my grandfather doesnt stop he'll be next. He's been admitted at least 6 times for hepatitis, then cirrhosis, heart problems etc) its not just a psychological addiction because your body begins to treat that toxin like a vital fluid and withdrawal can seriously harm or even kill you. His mother is a vicar an father a lawyer but when they saw the positive change in him as he started growing cannabis and lessening his alcohol intake, they learned to embrace it. My mother has the same attitude, especially since recently experiencing how dangerous (physically) and psychotic her boyfriend gets after a few beers. I think some people are also genetically predisposed to react in extreme ways to alcohol, because it doesn't take alot for his thought patterns to become warped, furniture being smashed and thrown at my mother and myself, twisted mind games, him trying to get us into a car and driving off drunk. He is a totally different person sober. Very scary.

I very rarely drink now. Maybe every couple of months if chaperoning my mother on a night out. She can get drunk and I am in charge of watching our valuables, her person and navigating our way home because she knows I prefer to smoke while we are out, which also covers the joint pain when walking around for so long... I have been frightened by hypoglycemic episodes when drinking cider lately so I think I might stole drinking entirely. My boyfriend was with me when I last had a bad hypo and rebound hyperglycaemia- seeing me so Ill put him off and he has hardly touched the stuff since.

My personal belief is that this plant really is for the 'healing of all nations'. If it were discovered in the Amazon right now it'd be hailed as the Messiah Plant or something. If alcohol and tobacco were discovered right now they would most certainly be banned. Well, alcohol was prohibited, until the country made enough of a hissy fit about it. Our species likes a drink, or it is out human nature to catch a buzz /somehow/ only I think I picked something that has helped me so much in life as well as being 'a bit of fun'.


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[martwolves]

Wow, that's tough. I thought I was going to need a stoma a couple of years ago, also at 34! I had 2 mtrs of bowel removed due to a massive blood clot. I now have warfarin daily and have to have my blood checked each week. So glad to have such a great surgeon. She saved my life.

 

[LittleWolf]

Tubsolard, I feel your anxiety :/ Aspiea are often obsessive and can develop addictive personalities. Being young myself I can still remember some of the bad decisions I made, how often I misunderstood people etc The most frightening thing is how easy it can be for someone to take advantage of her. I've been blackmailed over nothing, stolen from, lied to, abused and sexually assaulted more times than I care to think about

Particularly, you need to talk to your daughter about men. Help her understand that people do not always mean what they say (though you cannot exactly wrap her in cotton will or be too paranoid)

How sad you've suffered with bowel cancer Its all around us at the moment, isn't it... The two of you, that is a scary condition to be saddled with and some major surgery- and to think I am scared of a little laparoscopy :/ I wish you all the best in life.

I'll agree, alcohol can really skew one's personality. As I mentioned before, it made my mother's boyfriend and grandfather a dark and nasty, abusive person. It doesn't affect everyone that way, clearly, just a mention.

My prayers are with you and your families, Mart and Tubsolard x

Note: is it me or are there a lot of diabetics with bowel/digestive tract problems?


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[Robinredbreast]

Tubsolard, I feel your anxiety :/ Aspiea are often obsessive and can develop addictive personalities. Being young myself I can still remember some of the bad decisions I made, how often I misunderstood people etc The most frightening thing is how easy it can be for someone to take advantage of her. I've been blackmailed over nothing, stolen from, lied to, abused and sexually assaulted more times than I care to think about

Particularly, you need to talk to your daughter about men. Help her understand that people do not always mean what they say (though you cannot exactly wrap her in cotton will or be too paranoid)

How sad you've suffered with bowel cancer Its all around us at the moment, isn't it... The two of you, that is a scary condition to be saddled with and some major surgery- and to think I am scared of a little laparoscopy :/ I wish you all the best in life.

I'll agree, alcohol can really skew one's personality. As I mentioned before, it made my mother's boyfriend and grandfather a dark and nasty, abusive person. It doesn't affect everyone that way, clearly, just a mention.

My prayers are with you and your families, Mart and Tubsolard x

Note: is it me or are there a lot of diabetics with bowel/digestive tract problems?


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Hi Mart and Tubsolard, I concur with Littlewolf, and I send you good wishes and a positive future ahead. XX

Little wolf, I have had Type 1 for 24 years, I was diagnosed with Coeliac Disease in November 2012. The weird thing is my sister has IBS, my grown up daughter has IBS, my 12 year old was diagnosed with IBS a few years ago and is on medication. My older brother had an emergency operation last year, he had a twisted bowel. So it would appear bowel and stomach problems run in my family, but out of all of us mentioned, I am the only one with diabetes :thumbup: Unfortunately, digestive problems like Coeliac go hand in hand with diabetes, also Thyroid ( my daughter was borderline Thyroid when she was only 7, in her last year at infant school and now has IBS)I hate it when children have medical conditions :thumbdown:

RRB

 

[OrionRich]

I read so many articles saying that marijuana can actually improve the health of diabetics. Is this for real?

All I can say as an ex Cannabis smoker who smoked the evil weed daily for many years, my personal view is that the tiredness and munchies you get when you're stoned are due to lower blood pressure and a lower blood sugar level. People who get a "whitey" when they're stoned used to get revived with a Mars bar or something similar. I cannot see how weed would be of benefit to anyone who needs stable blood sugars. Would like to see the articles you've read.

 

[jake60]

I'm 60 smoked weed as good as daily for most of my life packed it in a few years back cos I simply got bored with it.
I'm convinced that the weed is as good as harmless for the majority of people on the planet but I too fail to see how a spliff can help with diabetes. :?
With MS and other painful conditions yes and a whole host of other ailments but diabetes? :***:

 

[LittleWolf]

I think the main draw is that it lowers blood pressure through dilating blood vessels, including ocular blood pressure , thus being helpful with neuropathy and neuropathic pain.

It lowers my blood sugar marginally. Like 0.5mmol. Alcohol has crashed me through the floor twice with rebound highs so I'm frightened into sticking to the weed it appears. I suppose my reasons for advocating it are a bit more than most as I use it for multiple forms of relief.


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[LittleWolf]

Cannabis does indeed lower blood pressure thus reducing the chance of cardiovascular problems and glaucoma or other types of diabetic eye disease. It is an anti-inflammatory and we all know how much inflammation is involved in diabetes; cannabis can lessen the chances of retinopathy and can ease neuropathic pain.

I guess the interest is greater for me because I have multiple medical uses for it. It's probably something to consider for those who suffer from complications already. I'm pretty scared of alcohol after two big hypos resulting in a rebound high- conversely cannabis doesn't really have much of an effect on my blood sugar. Just my experience though.


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[alex_dgarcia]

OrionRich, here's the latest I've come across: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/23/healt ... a-diabetes

There are a lot of other articles when you look up "marijuana on diabetes," and all of them, probably 98% of the articles are all about the good benefits of marijuana on diabetics.

 

[thebassist84]

That's the crazy bit of this. All the "pro" cannabis people are posting links to studies supporting their stance. The "anti" cannabis people are drawing on anecdotal evidence and simply stating opinion. This is brilliant!

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[heinemenusch]

A recenty study shows that, especially if you start smoking young, using marijuana lowers your motivation: that doesn't strike me as good for someone with a serious chronic disease.

http://www.medicaldaily.com/articles/17065/20130702/long-term-marijuana-use-alters-brains-reward.htm

Older studies also show that for a minority it causes brain changes (damage) leading to paranoia. Probably not a good thing for a diabetic to be either.

http://healthland.time.com/2011/04/06/why-pot-smokers-are-paranoid/

 

[thebassist84]

Post links to these studies then please. That's what this thread is missing!

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[catherinecherub]

Here are some references you might like to read.

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the ... motivation

http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/newsandevent ... 3-11-49-21

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/247729.php

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/247729.php

 

[thebassist84]

Yeah, that's more like it! However, here's a quote from one of the studies.

"This study found that smoking marijuana actually lowered the odds of having repeated episodes of psychosis"

Even the studies into the negatives find positives!

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