I'm allergic to a medication that positively changed my life.
Two years ago I decided to try mmj. After an inflammatory brain attack, I couldn't sleep. I have IBS, which got worse, and caused regular nausea. I'm always in pain, and had headaches daily for six months after the attack. I found that it, overall, was incredibly helpful. It even lowered my heart rate, which averaged around 112. It never went below 100bpm, until after I started it.
My allergies were getting worse and worse. I'm allergic to my pets, so I figured that was it. Spent a lot of time and money chasing solutions with no success. When the allergies impacted my breathing I was finally able to make the connection. I'm not willing to fully abandon mmj. I would have to replace it with several other medications with new side effects. But it does mean I'm back to square 1. I've made some shifts that are making it manageable, but the changes mean new side effects crop up, and dosages and timings need to be changed.
I'm just frustrated. Can't I just have something that worked for me? Why does everything have to be so damn hard?
@funnyDrum5217 I sympathise with you, I agree that sometimes things seem to be so hard it feel unfair. And allergies just make everything worse. What are your next steps? Is there an alternative perhaps?
I can probably get a beta blocker for my heart rate. My doctors didn't want to prescribe one at first because I couldn't tell them if the high heart rate had side effects, but now that it is lower I do know. This is something I might seek out anyway, as those meds are pretty predictable and would work all day. Right now efficacy varies. If I could take mmj every 12 hours without mental effects I'd stay under 100bpm most of the time.
For sleep, anxiety, and pain I'd really only be able to get one or two addressed with traditional medicine at a time. Hypnotics (sleep meds) tend to turn on me and stop working after a while, or cause hypersomnia. And I have been on benzos on and off, but I misuse them. So I told my psychiatrist to ensure she won't prescribe them to me. I am on traditional meds for preventing some anxiety, and that does help. Over the last 15 years I've tried at least 20 combinations. My current combination limits paranoia and magical thinking (which I know is irrational, usually, but can't suppress.) Depression is thankfully gone.
One could argue that I have traded addictions, but, outside of the allergies, I think mmj is nicer to my brain and body than benzos, and I rarely crave it. So it could be helping there, too.
As for next steps, right now I'm trying to see if I can make it work despite the allergies. Like how I live with pets I'm allergic to. Using a tincture seems to be making a difference. It has allowed me to drop a significant percentage of my allergy meds. The dosage and timing isn't super predictable yet, as I'm only about 2 weeks in. I'm trying 3 drops at 10ish, with a second 3 2 hours later if I'm not tired enough, yet. I take Allegra 24 hour allergy 2x a day (with permission from my allergist.) once with my nightly mmj dose, once when I wake up. I can have up to 2 benadryl as needed, but if I go above that I get agitated and confused. No issues breathing. Sometimes my nose gets really congested, but sinex helps with that. The itching used to be incredibly painful. Now it's a step or two above normal, for 2 hours or so. Next Friday (payday) I intend to try a few new tinctures. The pure thc one I have seems to be better, allergy wise, than the 1:1. Still triggers symptoms, but not as badly. If I can't find a balance that works I'll just have to live with everything.