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tonrsoul82

New member
Hello all I am new to the forum here.  I will start off by
Describing myself a little bit<br>
I Am 23 years old (male)<br>
I live in Montana ( eastern montana to be excact in Miles City)<br>
I was diagonsed at 3 months old.  At age of 19 I was diagonsed
with diabeties ( think its cfdr)<br>
I am 5' 9" and my average weight is from around 125 lbs to 130
lbs.<br>
I am a single male that has a heck of a time with women.  Not
sure if its my personality or the CF or the small town I live in.
 not to sure what else to say here but to get on to my topic
summary.<br>
<br>
I have smoked the green a few times ( well ok about 2 dozen times
from about 18-21 years old)  I have asked my CF specialist (
Dr. Frank Accurso in Denver CO.) about it.  He told me that he
could not really tell my anything good or bad about it CF related
because it is against the LAW and the Government won't let them do
any studies. but since I have been seeing him since I was
diagonosed he told me on a sort of "off the record" deal
that It does seem to help.  I foreget the exact word but it
helps open the airways.  And personally from smoking it I
found I was coughing a bit more then normal for about 2 days and
was able to cough up the mucus easier and breath easier.  He
said (Dr. Accurso) that it was probably the effects of the weed.
 Anyone else here tried the green and have similar effects (
lol other then getting high and eating alot).  <br>
One other thing on the weed subject.  I have asked the DR.
about getting a prescription for it for medicinal purposes.
 He said that the only way he could prescribe it is if I am
unable to gain weight.  I told him I have problems doing that,
but he said If i slowly loose weight and can't gain then he would
beable to prescribe it.
 
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Lilith

New member
First off, welcome to the forum!<br>
<br>
Second, I've occasionally smoked the green, but very rarely.
 I haven't done it enough to be able to tell the difference,
but I have also heard that it does help.  I think the
government is totally screwed up for outlawing it in general,
considering we have much bigger things to be worried about than a
weed, but if it were easier to get, I'd be all over it.  When
I get the chance again, I'll breathe a little deeper and see if I
get the same effect you do. <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif" border="0">
 
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anonymous

New member
First off--Welcome to the site! <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif" border="0"> Personallly I have no first hand knowledge about weed and it's effect on the lungs but I would think that over the long haul smoking it would do some other damage that wouldn't balance out the benefit you seem to be having.

What are you presently doing for airway clearance? Do you exercise and use the Vest? Have you tried Hypertonic Saline? Personally I love doing HS and find it very helpful with clearing mucus.
 
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anonymous

New member
The Vest is good, that is if you use it regularly as prescribed.<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif" border="0"> I really recommend you try the HS. Many of us have been very pleased with how it has improved airway clearance and even has increased our FEV 1 number. Good luck to you and I look forward to your future posts.
 
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amber682

New member
maybe you could eat in instead of smoking it... get the good effects without the damage from the smoke. Might not be as fun though...<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">
 
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Hughett

New member
First off I have to say I am biased.  I was a police officer
for a time before coming back to school.  To quote you,
"And personally from smoking it I found I was coughing a bit
more then normal."  Anyone who is not a regular smoker
will cough more when inhaling a smoke, weather it is cigs, or weed.
 Eventually that will ware off and you will be worse off.
 With any foreign substance you put in your body there are
trade offs. <br>
<br>
<b>Short Term Effects:<br>
</b>The short-term effects of marijuana use include problems with
memory and learning; distorted perception (sights, sounds, time,
touch); difficulty in thinking and problem solving; loss of
coordination; and increased heart rate, anxiety, and panic
attacks.<br>
<br>
<b>Long Term Effects:</b><br>
People who smoke marijuana often have the same <b>respiratory
problems</b> as cigarette smokers. These individuals may have daily
cough and phlegm, symptoms of chronic bronchitis, and more
<b>frequent chest colds</b>. They are also at greater risk of
getting <b>lung infections</b> like pneumonia. Marijuana contains
some of the same, and sometimes even more, of the <b>cancer-causing
chemicals</b> found in cigarette smoke.<br>
<br>
<b>And for good measure Effects on Social Behavior:</b><br>
Marijuana affects memory, judgment and perception. Learning and
attention skills are impaired among people who use marijuana
heavily. Longitudinal research on marijuana use among young people
below college age indicates those who use marijuana have lower
achievement than the non-users, more acceptance of deviant
behavior, more delinquent behavior and aggression, greater
rebelliousness, poorer relationships with parents, and more
associations with delinquent and drug-using friends.<br>
<br>
<br>
Like I said I am biased.  So many people think that the
negative effects of this drug are minimal if anything at all.
 If I could let you see some of the things I have seen than it
would change your mind.  Try looking at a dead baby, suffering
from malnutrition because the parent needed another hit of weed.
 <br>
<br>
For me...I don't see the payoff.  You trade a day or so of
better coughing for all of the above bad effects (I didn't post all
of the effects, these are just some of them).  For me, there
is no trade off.  I would say that the time you spend on
smoking, you can do another PT of Vest treatment and you will come
out better.  I have had personal friends in my life who smoke
weed.  They were healthy when they started and now they
are...well not.  If this drug can turn healthy people
unhealthy, what can it do to a person with CF?  Your doctor is
right, there have not been studies done in this area so he has
no clue but conjecture.  We have to operate on common sense on
this one until studies are done.  What we CAN do is look at
the studies that HAVE been done (see above effects of Marijuana)
and go from there.  <br>
<br>
Ok, I admit this is quite the ramble on smoking weed and CF but in
my mind it is well founded.  I don't have this argument when
talking about terminal cancer patients.  I have seen the
suffering they go thru before they pass on. (just so you don't
think I am completely aginsed it)  I would hate to see you
hurt your health more than help it, on a hunch.  <br>
<br>
*Everyone feel free to research the above findings if you don't
take my word for it.*<br>
<br>
<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">Sorry for the long post<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">
 
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Diane

New member
Welcome to the site <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0"> Its always nice to meet new people ....
 
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thelizardqueen

New member
Welcome to the site. I used to smoke pot all the time when I was younger. I found that I gained weight from it (munchies = weight), and that it did make my lungs feel better. Since turing 20 (I'm turning 25 this month), I've smoked on occasion, but find that it irritates my lungs now. I would say go with brownies. That's what I do. Eating it is soooo much less harmful on your lungs.
 
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catboogie

New member
wow, welcome to the forum. i think you will get a lot of feedback about this given the comments i have seen before. i used to smoke weed, and i am not against it, but i can't honestly say i feel it helped me. i haven't ever had weight gain problems, maybe it would have helped with that. what i did notice was that after the high wore off i felt worse than before i started. it did help me cough, but i guess i always felt like it made me have more mucus in my lungs or something. i don't know... it will be interesting to see what everyone else says.

laura, 27
 
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kybert

New member
ditto to what hughett said. you should not be smoking anything fullstop. of course you are coughing when you smoke it. you have a cloud full of poisonous smoke in there that needs to get out! not worth it imo. if you really want it, do what others have said and make brownies.
 
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Scarlett81

New member
Welcome! Nice to meet you. I can't tell you how many people I've come across from Montana the past few days.....weird.

I don't want you to think for one second that this is personal-you sound like a nice guy. But I think you'll get alot of varying opinions on this one, some strong b/c people usually feel strong about this topic.

My first thought when reading your post was-Of course you are coughing more-you're smoking.

Maybe you've had some short tern good effects on your lungs, maybe you're spitting up more. But what everyone has said about the damage long term this could do is absolutely true, and you really can't dispute that. It's not even arguable-smoking in any form for a person with Cf is dangerous, and unwise.

Now I'm not trying to blast your doctor, maybe he's good in other areas of care. But I can not believe that a doctor for Cf would tell a patient that basically its ok. Bad practice!! Anyway-that's really all I can say. I don't want to upset anyone.

There's no if's, and's, or but's about it-it's very bad for you. We're fighting every day to inhale the right stuff for our lungs, doing the airway clearance to cough it up to save every ounce of lung function we can. We can't afford to smoke.
 
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anonymous

New member
I have used it for years and i'm 39 with cf. The one thing that go hand and hand is wieght and lung function. Dont think that it is good for the small air ways.. Learn too burn: )
 
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Ender

New member
Hey..

I'm indifferent to smoking. If it works, go for it, if it doesn't, well then don't.

It definitely affects me less then cigarette smoke, but it also makes me more lethargic...and just drained. So if i do smoke, it is right before bed.

I know they have THC pills out now. I was actually in my clinic once when i heard this guy asking about it. So my doctor made some calls to see if he could get it. Not sure the outcome. But it might help with the weight gain without the lung irritation.

Just a thought,
Kiel

ps. The good thing about a chronic illness, is that we pretty much get what we ask for. Heheh i love it
 
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amber682

New member
Just wanted to add that pot has been known to have asperigillus (spelling?) in it, don't want to be smokin' that! I'm in no way against it, but maybe brownies would be a better option.
 
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anonymous

New member
Ok, this is one subject that unfortunately i know a lot about. I smoked pot every day basically from age 25 to 38.....i smoked what we call spliffs (70% pot with 30% tobacco) and i smoked a LOT. In the morning before work, as soon as i got home from work and through the evening....on a bad day i'd even come home at lunch time and have another one. I smoked on average 4-5 spliffs a day. I know.......f#$ing stupid!!!!

Now finally after a couple of years of trying and failing I have finally been able to kick the habit.

I've noticed three main things - I don't cough anywhere as much and when i do, it's not as productive. I have way more energy to do things and more motivation. Finally, my appetite is more regular, i actually wake up hungry for the first time in years. I don't get the munchies anymore but I am hungry at all the right times and am therefore also eating better food.

My only concern is the not coughing as much. Oh and i'm depressed and anxious but i'm sure i'll get over that. I'm not sure if the pot made me able to cough up gunk that was in my lungs and now I can't cough it up......or if the pot made me more junky in the first place and now there isn't as much to cough up...??????

One thing though....at age 20 my lung function was 51%....at age 38, it's 40%. Now I've done very few antibiotics in my life and over the years have virtually ignored my CF....so why is my lung function declining so slowly???? could it be the pot??? I just don't know.....and obviously, neither do the doctors.

It's a fascinating subject to me and I just wish they would do some damned studies on the stuff - it could just be GOOD for us.....but i've kicked it anyway. However, I'm watching my health like a hawk and should my lung function start to drop more rapidly....i'm starting up again!!!
 
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amber682

New member
Pot can ease inflammation and I think its actually a bronchiodialator, so I'd say it definately could be a good thing. But at the same time, the smoke from it could really aggrevate the lungs and cause problems. I've wondered also about it making pwcf cough more, if its making it easier to cough up what you do have in there, or just making more junk to cough up. But, if it wasn't being smoked, but eaten, then the smoke wouldn't be irritating the lungs, so in my opinion it wouldn't cause more junk. It could also give someone without much of an appetite a little boost, but someone who already eats well might fill up on snacks when they've got the munchies and not eat as well as usual. I do believe it has some medicinal qualities, but for people that have cf, I'm not sure if the damage from the smoke is worth it. I guess its sort of a double-edged sword. Sorry if I'm rambling, I'm kind of thinking out loud here about all I've read.
 
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EnergyGal

New member
Here is the real pot head
<a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://eatliver.com/kermit/">http://eatliver.com/kermit/</a>
 
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