Questions for chronic dopers. (weed) Or individuals close to one.

[Kali]

:smoke:

How do you handle doctors? Is your's cool? Do you include the fact that you smoke marijuana regularly as part of your medical history?

Personally I think it is important to include it but I also live in a small rural area and have experienced "the attitude" - that unprofessional sneer of disapproval when you are trying to be frank with a doctor whether about sexual behavior or recreational drug use, drinking or even serious questions about obesity or addiction. (hell I have expeienced that with "big city" "doctors")

Feel free to PM me if you are uncomfortable with public comment

[bicentennial_baby]

1. I don't tell mine

I don't feel that it's relevant. If I were to be in the Docs for a lung problem or something, I probably would, but otherwise they can mind their own business, imho.

[Shell Beau]

2. My husband was in the hospital a few years ago and the

nurse had to ask the routine questions. And drugs was one of them. He didn't lie. He told her everything he had tried before and that he did still smoke pot sometimes. No judgement passed at all. It they ask then I say tell. Otherwise I don't see the point unless you are having lung problems or hacking up nasty stuff!

[wildhorses]

3. it has to do with how your lungs

handle oxygen and carbon dioxide...

smoke is smoke...

if you are going to be put under anasthesia then you need to tell them you smoke

so that the anesthetist can keep the levels right

[dysfunctional press]

9. smoke is NOT smoke.

cigarette smoke acts as a vascular constrictor, pot smoke acts as a bronchial dilator.

completely opposite effects.

however- when i was having surgery, i informed the anestesiologist about my ounce/week habit- and he was totally unconcerned, but thanked me for telling him.

[wildhorses]

11. i didn't say HOW it affected---same diference

it still affected HOW your lungs work!!!!

he now had the information he needed

just cos he did NOT freak out that you smoke pot did not mean that he did not incorporate the information into your care plan


what did you want him to do start crying???

sheesh

[dysfunctional press]

12. start crying...??? huh?

and yes pot does affect how your lungs work- it makes them work better- that's why it used to be prescribed to asthmatics.

as to why i advised the anesthesiologist- i wasn't sure myself if there would/could be any adverse affects based on the anesthesia used. i also informed him about my daily prescription meds- methadone, vicoprofen, and prednisone. it's just what you do, and why they have the consultation in the first place. why would you ask if i wanted him to start crying? :shrug: he did say that the pot wouldn't have any ill effects in combination w/the anesthesia.

[wildhorses]

15. never mind

sorry i bothered

[Taverner]

14. Don't smoke - vaporize

You lose all the carinogens and get a more efficient "hit."

[dysfunctional press]

18. i got rid of my vaporizer fairly soon after i got it.

i was NOT impressed.

bongs or bubblers are far better imho.

[Taverner]

27. What kind did you use?

Did it look like this?



If so, you got a shitty one. You want one where you can control the airflow around the nugs. My favorite is the VaporCannon:



You should spend at least $100+ to get a good one...

[dysfunctional press]

30. it wasn't a cheap one...but it just didn't do it for me.

i honestly don't remember the brand, but it was definietly electric. i think it cost about $150 at the time...and the buzz was not of the same quality with the same weed as the one my bong delivers.

[Taverner]

31. Come over to my place

I'll show you a real vaporizor.

[wildhorses]

21. i leave you to deal with questionall

as my sarcasm has been totally lost on him

[dysfunctional press]

23. where was the sarcasm?

sorry i have to ask, but apparently it's not your strong suit.

[wildhorses]

28. the whole crying line

:sarcasm:

i grow bored with your nonsense...goodbye

[SPKrazy]

54. I've Been Interested In Those...

never tried one since I haven't smoked in a loooooong time

but were I to start again, that would be the route I went

my asthma doctor told me that pot was hurting my lung function

:shrug: but vaporized might just get the bronchodilating effects and lose the inflammatory aspects of the smoke for me

[TheFriendlyAnarchist]

49. Holy fuck! An oz a week?

I wish I had that kind of cash. . .

[SPKrazy]

53. Great Advice WH!

anesthesiologists and anesthesists need to know that kind of stuff and even if you are a heavy drinker since all of those things can affect how anesthesia affects a person.

:thumbsup:

[mike_c]

4. I live in northern Humboldt County and have a long ponytail....

I think doctors up here just make the correct assumptions, most of the time.

[NMDemDist2]

5. ROFL

i just love ya Mike, I swear :loveya:

almost wish I was still a stoner in NoCal just to come and meet ya (and make you make me coffee hehe)

[mike_c]

7. well if ya'll ever pass through this part of the country...

...I'll terribly disappointed if you don't stop by and let me cook you dinner!

[NMDemDist2]

8. it's a date! and back at ya if you ever get to the southwest

:hi:

PS you didn't have to edit, I knew what you meant :pals:

[wildhorses]

29. doctors like to have their assumptions backed up by

medical tests and procedures...

it is the art of science after all

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

6. I've never brought it up with my doctor.

He's never mentioned how much he smokes pot either.

But if I wanted to talk about it, I wouldn't hesitate. Lord knows it's a lot less embarassing than the things I normally talk about with him.

[dysfunctional press]

10. i've never mentioned it to my doctor, but i assume he at least suspects it.

but since i'm disabled with a condition that causes chronic pain, i'm sure that he would be entirely supportive. he's NEVER denied me any medication that i have asked for.

[Taverner]

13. I don't tell mine either

Not that I would think she would judge me - its just that I worry that any health problem I bring in would automatically be the "Demon Weed's" fault.

[wildhorses]

17. a doctor is a doctor NOT a judge

just sayin'

[Taverner]

19. Yes, and cops are supposed to hold up the law

But they tend to choose which ones they hold up and which ones they ignore...

IN a perfect world...

But my doctor wouldn't judge, I just worry she would attribute to any health problem I have to dope.

[wildhorses]

24. your medical records are private, to a large degree

unless they have been subpeonaed...

[skygazer]

33. Gosh, what a nice fairy tale world you live in

There are plenty of doctors who pass judgement on their patients. It may not be what they're supposed to do but they do it nonetheless. I had a doctor who tried to pressure my daughter to have an abortion because, and I quote, she felt it was her "mission to end teen pregnancy."

I also had a doctor refuse to prescribe me any kind of narcotic pain reliever because I'd told her I smoked pot and in her opinion, that make me some kind of a junkie.

As for junkies, don't ever tell a doctor you are an ex-junkie because I guarantee no matter what kind of pain you're in, you'll never be prescribed anything stronger than an aspirin. And I know several people who can attest to that.

[wildhorses]

34. the fairy tale world in which i live is called the emergency room

thank you very much!!!!

please feel free to put me on ignore....

i refuse to comment on any of your other staments as i do NOT know all the facts!!!!

doctors are humans, too.

tell your doctor what you choose ---YOUR health is your decision

[skygazer]

35. I don't have any desire to put you on ignore

And your statement that doctors are humans too is exactly my point. They come with their own pre-conceived notions that often they don't even realize they have.

I respect and appreciate doctors and all people in the medical field but I also realize that they may have prejudices. There are several doctors I've told honestly that I smoke. Others I've not told. I was simply responding to your blanket assessment that doctors were not judges - some of them are, unfortunately.

You seem to have rather a chip on your shoulder. Sorry if I offended you.

[wildhorses]

36. this thread has put a chip on my shoulder

i can NOT defend ALL doctors

and when i see a doctor getting a paycheck for being a judge then i will call him your honor. in the meantime i will continue to call them doctor. the doctors i know are really very opoen minded and concerned with trying to give the best medical care possible...

yes, they are constantly questioning and testing and the ones i know are BUSY trying to save lives...


and of course you did not use the fairy tale comment as to be derogatory in any way shape, form or fashion...naw, it was really sweet what you said

where is my unicorn?

[skygazer]

37. Okay, we'll play your way then

Do you get a paycheck for being a defense attorney? Because that's what it sounds like - like you feel your mission is to defend doctors.

I haven't seen anyone on this thread attack doctors in any way - they've simply pointed out that they tend to be careful about who they admit their (illegal) pot use to.

Jesus Christ, get off your high horse.

[catzies]

63. I've had doctors treat me that way too

And it sucked and I suffered because of it but that's another story for another time.

[SPKrazy]

57. True, and while one has to use their own judgment in their own healthcare

the facts are that a doctor can't really help a person unless they come clean about their lifestyle, including recreational or other substance use, right?

:shrug:

[SteppingRazor]

16. I give my doctor the laundry list.

She knows everything I do. I'd rather she know everything I stick in my body, so as to avoid any harmful drug interactions.

[wildhorses]

20. so far you have had the smartest most sensible response

in this thread...

doctors do NOT like to assume...

they like to be scientific NOT judgmental

[SteppingRazor]

22. Well, couple things though:

First, I've got a good doctor who believes deeply in the privacy of the doctor-patient relationship.

Second, if weed was my only vice, I might not bother saying anything, since drug interactions aren't as likely or as potent.

So, I guess I can see how there's no real correct answer on this one.

[wildhorses]

26. trudat

i guess in the end it is your choice as to what you tell your doctor...

[regularguy]

25. I tell 'em.

I don't go into detail and they don't usually ask. I'm in a pretty liberal urban area; I might feel different if I was in a rural small town...

[qwertyMike]

32. Doctors are trained

that addicts always lie - nicotine, booze, grass.

They know

[Shakespeare]

40. Pot's not addictive, so I don't see your point. n/t

[qwertyMike]

41. The original post mentioned "Chronic Dopers"

Try quitting for 6 months.

Addiction doesn't mean losing your job, family, etc.

It's more a habit.

Try quitting caffeine, weed, dope, pills, beer for 6 months then call me back.

[WindRavenX]

42. hi, I just quit smoking pot after smoking daily for 3 years--not a problem here!

Sorry you think I'm addicted--clearly I'm not.

[qwertyMike]

45. Good for you

And how did the last 3 years go?

Upwards I hope

[WindRavenX]

46. Reduced stress, increased productivity

Marijuana has been a tremendously positive experience for me. I intend to continue to smoke it after I pass a drug test.

[qwertyMike]

51. At work?

Glad that it has been a positive experience for you.

[WindRavenX]

55. Yup.

Granted I'm a student, but I studied more and was much more relaxed. One of the reasons I started was simply looking for a way to relax.

[qwertyMike]

69. And you're grades wher?

Higher?

[ganeshji]

71. Yes, mine are.

4.0 GPA, community service, volunteer work in numerous fields, numerous scholarship offers, a few job offers. For an addict, I feel somewhat accomplished.

[WindRavenX]

73. Went up almost a full .6 points

I made Dean's List.

[Shakespeare]

43. Again, I say, weed is not addictive.

And you're incorrect to suggest that partaking of something regularly in any way constitutes an addiction.

[skygazer]

44. I've been smoking for over 30 years

Sometimes I smoke every day for months or even years. And then comes a time when I run out or I'm poor or I move or I need to take a drug test or whatever and I stop.

And that's just it. I stop.

Maybe in several months I start again. Sometimes it's been a matter of years. I've never once jonesed for weed. Wanted it maybe but never jonesed. Caffeine, beer, dope (I consider dope heroin myself), I'll grant you addiction. Not pot.

[qwertyMike]

47. So sorry

I used alcohol for almost 30 years.

I used to think that pot was a safe alternative

HAHAHAHAHAHA

Been where you where.
I seen potheads who where "Chronic". We call them Rum-Dumb where I live.

Like nicotine, it seems harmless at the time.

Chronic Potheads don't design space shuttles or design computers or build skyscapers or go to foreign countries to do aid work.

They live between their ears

[Shakespeare]

50. That'd be just swell if science didn't directly contradict you.

Pot is not addictive. Caffeine is, nicotine is, booze is, coke is, heroin is....pot's not.

[qwertyMike]

52. Recreational use

is OK I guess.
Like alcohol, nicotine and so on.

Chronic use melts your brain.

But the music sounds better :)

[WindRavenX]

56. bullshit

All my stoner friends are going to be doctors. You need to cut the judgemental attitude asap. Carl Sagan was a huge toker--but I guess he didn't go anything :eyes:

[SPKrazy]

59. Actually Addiction Is In The Addict Themselves

and not so much the substance

yes, one can become physiologically dependent on a lot of things and pot isn't one of them, but physiological dependence (the presence of tolerance, and withdrawal symptoms upon cessation of the substance) is not the only symptom of addiction, it is often one that is used, but one need not have withdrawal to be addicted.

One can become addicted if they have the disease of addiction, not the drug causing the addiction directly.

Pot may be much less likely to be a drug of choice of addicts, but I've met a lot of addicts who were heavy pot users, myself included.

:shrug:

[Shakespeare]

64. That's really not true.

Certain substances are known to be highly addictive, whether or not one has an addictive personality. Repeated scientific tests have never found marijuana to have addictive properties.

[SPKrazy]

65. No You're Wrong

addiction is not found in bottles or substances

otherwise everyone who used a substance would become addicted and that DOESN'T happen.

[Shakespeare]

66. No, certain substances ARE addictive, regardless of the person.

There's a reason doctors carefully monitor people on opiods like oxycontin--they are addictive substances, regardless of who's taking them.

[SPKrazy]

70. That's Just Not TRUE

they monitor them because yes certain substances are more likely to be addictive

however if they were 100% addictive (and if the substance was the problem then it would be the case that everyone got addicted) then they wouldn't be used at all

Oxycontin for example, having worked in a pain clinic I can tell you that anyone who uses opioid drugs will become "dependent" which is different than addicted. Dependent can be detoxified and the person is not obsessed with the substance, nor do they become unable to not use it. Addicted persons on the other hand will have problems staying away from them.

I don't think we are light years away on this, yes substances have a greater potential for abuse if they have certain characteristics, if they are euphoria creating, if they cause increased tolerance, and if they bind to certain types of receptor sites on neurons, then yes, they are something that a person would get addicted to.

I'm not going to get addicted to penicillin because it doesn't make me high

i would be more likely to get addicted to oxycontin. Yet not everyone does, in fact MOST people don't develop addiction to it or it WOULD NOT BE marketed. It is abused highly on the street because if you crush up the time release opioid, you get really, really high all at once, and in fact it can be life threatening to a novice user because they have not developed tolerance to it.

[Shakespeare]

72. You're playing with words that you don't fully understand.

I don't think you fully understand the meaning of "dependent" OR "addicted." Call any doctor who deals with addiction, call any medical school that conducts research in that field, and try to get any of them to say there's no such thing as an addictive substance. I'm not going to argue with you any further on this, because the science is overwhelmingly clear (and on my side). Whether someone also has an addictive personality can complicate a situation, but yes, certain substances are chemically addictive, and have been studied and proven as such.

[SPKrazy]

74. Considering I've Worked In The Mental Health Field

including the field of addiction for years, and have worked in a pain clinic as well for a couple of years.

A substance might be called "and addictive substance", however it is well known that the substance itself is not what causes addiction. As I've stated in previous posts and won't go into it again it is the physiology of the person (not a personality either) that makes a large part of the difference as to whether a person becomes addiction. Dependent and addicted, are indeed confusing terms, especially since the DSM IV- TR terminology refers to addiction as dependence, it is however a misnomer in reality as it is confusing nomenclature when one looks at the parallel fact that dependence on a substance is a physiological term when discussing opioids in particular, and does not equal addiction.

I don't really care if you do or don't discuss this further with me or not. I happen to feel 100% confident that I am indeed correct and have no reason to argue this further with you since you seem so willfully determined to ignore my argument in favor of your mistaken belief system. I've tried to correct that and that in fact is all that I can do.

Good luck to you my friend, and Peace to you as well!

SPK

[Zookeeper]

38. I don't do any drugs (except coffee and alcohol), but....

if I did partake of any illegal substances, I would be very reluctant to have it appear on my medical records. I would expect an insurance company to use it as a reason to deny coverage or charge higher premiums. :shrug:

[SPKrazy]

60. Thats One perspective

another is that a health problem might be related to the use of substances, and they could easily do a drug screen if needed.

It is a problem and to assume that records are confidential is a mistake, they are not as protected as some would have you believe. In fact, HIPPA actually made records more accessible to some, and less to others :shrug:

[idgiehkt]

39. I don't smoke, but no way would I tell if I did.

Because a doc would write that on your medical record, and it might eventually somehow interfere with insurance coverage in one way or another and that is way too big of a risk to take.

[SPKrazy]

61. And If Your Health Problems Are Related To Your Smoking

then how is that going to help your overall health?

costs vs. benefits.

[idgiehkt]

62. I haven't smoked pot since my early twenties

I didn't know it caused health problems. (Lol, I'm listening to "The Pot" by Tool while typing this).

But when I was smoking I was young and everyone around me was too so we thought we were bullet proof.

[Kali]

48. Thanks everybody (but keep it coming)

Because I never seem to be insured, I tend not to think of the potential consequences of those sorts of records being used against you. And now that I think about it drug use wouldn't stand alone on that - almost any condition might cause someone to pause before seeking treatment for something else just because of the fear that some bean counter insurance asshole might make a medical decision for you instead of your doctor. THAT is pretty fucked.

[gravity]

58. I usually tell them

Sometimes I get someone who always lecture me on it, so then I would stop telling them. Every doctor has a differnt attitude on these things.

[ComerPerro]

67. if you know you can trust your doctor, tell them whatever the hell you want

the more you can say, the better.

I once (when I was still insurable) told a doctor that I on occasion smoke (maybe once every few weeks, tops, honestly), and she told me I was smart to bring that up, but it shouldn't impact any of the meds she was gonna give me.


EDIT in afterthought: but if you live in a small town that is known for rumors and judging, then you don't have to tell them anything.

[Bullwinkle925]

68. I've worked in physician's offices. You really can't slide much past them.

Labwork, etc. don't lie. It's always for your own good to let them know what they are dealing with in terms of your health. Especially if you plan any outpatient procedures.