My medical records are really sparse – where do I start?

[Spongecake]

Hello lovely friends. I would really appreciate some advice on my eligibility and how to get started on this journey.

I'm 56 and I have anxiety, agoraphobia and insomnia. One of my major anxieties is a phobia of anything medical (not to mention social anxiety), and so I hardly ever go to the doctor! I'm very reluctant to use conventional medicines and have had some awful reactions to them in the past, so I prefer to use holistic options instead. Consequently there's almost nothing in my medical records ... I haven't seen my GP for around 15 years.

I have been self-medicating with cannabis for over two decades and it's amazing. It keeps my anxiety under control to the point where I no longer have panic attacks. It has calmed my agoraphobia to the point where I can actually go out of the house every day. I just vape a bit every evening and it seems to keep me on an even keel. With 20-odd years of experience I know how much cannabis truly helps me, so I really ought to be eligible. But the requirement for two previous treatments is a sticking point.

There's only one relevant thing in my medical records. Around 2005 I had a very serious panic attack which caused me to have a seizure while driving. My GP wanted to prescribe me Seroxat (an SSRI antidepressant). I wouldn't touch the stuff with a bargepole due to the side effects, so I didn't take up the offer of a prescription. He told me I wouldn't get better without it, but I did – because I used cannabis instead, and it has kept me free of major symptoms ever since. (Though I never went back to tell him so.)

I now find myself in a position where I need a legal cannabis prescription. To cut a long story short, the police took away my meds but recognised that I was a genuine (if informal) medical user and advised me to get legal stuff from a clinic. I'm now suffering a lot more anxiety in the aftermath of dealing with the police, so I really feel I need to get this sorted out.

What do you suggest I should do as a first step? Do I go to my GP and tell him I've been self-medicating successfully for years but that my symptoms have flared up following the police incident? I don't really want to have to take the doc's meds just for the sake of it, but it seems that this is a requirement.

Or should I try contacting one of the clinics, tell them my circumstances and just see what they say?

I've been leaning towards Alternaleaf but am also looking at Cannabis Clinic Cardiff because they seem to be such great people. Any suggestions welcome.

 

[Spongecake]

Thank you @Dooby Doo, it's helpful just being able to sound off about it, so I appreciate you and the community here!

You're right, the missing records relate to a change of GP, although it was a while ago. They can only find the records which are on their own system. I suspect that the records are not really lost, but that it's just a hassle for them to access them and they're trying to fob me off to save themselves the bother.

If they really are lost, then I think it's the Information Commissioner's Office I have to make a complaint to. I'm hoping that if I threaten to escalate it then they'll magically find the records down the back of a filing cabinet somewhere.

I tried the NHS app but there's nothing in mine except a list of letters they've sent me.

 

[Spongecake]

Thank you @cornucopia, that's good to know. Medicann may be next on the list if the current application doesn't work out.

 

[Jester]

Hi, not sure this is going to help your case, but if you do decide to go to the GP to get some meds to 'not' try for a while, they will probably say you need to take them for a couple of months before you can say you have tried them and they didn't help you.

 

[Dooby Doo]

Hello lovely friends. I would really appreciate some advice on my eligibility and how to get started on this journey.

I'm 56 and I have anxiety, agoraphobia and insomnia. One of my major anxieties is a phobia of anything medical (not to mention social anxiety), and so I hardly ever go to the doctor! I'm very reluctant to use conventional medicines and have had some awful reactions to them in the past, so I prefer to use holistic options instead. Consequently there's almost nothing in my medical records ... I haven't seen my GP for around 15 years.

I have been self-medicating with cannabis for over two decades and it's amazing. It keeps my anxiety under control to the point where I no longer have panic attacks. It has calmed my agoraphobia to the point where I can actually go out of the house every day. I just vape a bit every evening and it seems to keep me on an even keel. With 20-odd years of experience I know how much cannabis truly helps me, so I really ought to be eligible. But the requirement for two previous treatments is a sticking point.

There's only one relevant thing in my medical records. Around 2005 I had a very serious panic attack which caused me to have a seizure while driving. My GP wanted to prescribe me Seroxat (an SSRI antidepressant). I wouldn't touch the stuff with a bargepole due to the side effects, so I didn't take up the offer of a prescription. He told me I wouldn't get better without it, but I did – because I used cannabis instead, and it has kept me free of major symptoms ever since. (Though I never went back to tell him so.)

I now find myself in a position where I need a legal cannabis prescription. To cut a long story short, the police took away my meds but recognised that I was a genuine (if informal) medical user and advised me to get legal stuff from a clinic. I'm now suffering a lot more anxiety in the aftermath of dealing with the police, so I really feel I need to get this sorted out.

What do you suggest I should do as a first step? Do I go to my GP and tell him I've been self-medicating successfully for years but that my symptoms have flared up following the police incident? I don't really want to have to take the doc's meds just for the sake of it, but it seems that this is a requirement.

Or should I try contacting one of the clinics, tell them my circumstances and just see what they say?

I've been leaning towards Alternaleaf but am also looking at Cannabis Clinic Cardiff because they seem to be such great people. Any suggestions welcome.

I forgot to mention, try CB1 Medical for your MC treatment, they have close ties with the NHS. When signing up with them, its them who chase your medical records for you if you are unable to get them yourself. They do the leg work for you regarding your Summary.of Care. Its worth a try if you fail elsewhere again because you don't have the up to date records. Give them a call, you never know

 

[Spongecake]

@Dooby Doo Ah, that's very useful to know, thank you.

 

[GrownHealth]

Thank you @cornucopia, that's good to know. Medicann may be next on the list if the current application doesn't work out.

I really hope this Alternaleaf application works out for you but just looking at the Medicann page here it does say:

A case-by-case prescribing model with no firm rules on two previous licensed medication failures while fully aligned with GMC guidance.

 

[Spongecake]

@GrownHealth

See, this is why this community is so valuable. I was feeling very low today but everyone here has been so supportive and made really useful suggestions.

It really makes a difference.

 

[Jester]

@GrownHealth

See, this is why this community is so valuable. I was feeling very low today but everyone here has been so supportive and made really useful suggestions.

It really makes a difference.

Hiya, going by what you have said, i would have thought that the talking therapy would definitely count as one of the med things. I think you can even self-refer, or you could do at one point. Hope you are feeling a bit happier about things now - it really helps being able to run things passed other people. xx

 

[GrownHealth]

@GrownHealth

See, this is why this community is so valuable. I was feeling very low today but everyone here has been so supportive and made really useful suggestions.

It really makes a difference.

You have had a testing time with this not that I need to remind you but clearly there is hope of a solution sooner rather then later so fingers crossed you get access this time and it is heartening to see the community step forward with plausible solutions when things look in deadlock and here's hoping your feeling a little more positive now understanding your options a little bit more

 

[Spongecake]

Right, I'm now cautiously optimistic!

After scraping together all the bits and bobs of medical evidence I've got, which still isn't much, Alternaleaf were happy enough with it to allow me an appointment with a doctor, which I had yesterday afternoon.

He was lovely, and I felt he was on my side and wanted to help. The first half of the conversation was about the scarcity of my medical records, and he said they don't normally prescribe on that level of evidence, so I thought here we go again! But after telling him about my condition and how my whole life has to be worked around my agoraphobia and trying to avoid panic triggers, he decided to prescribe. I was only asking for 20g, which he was happy with, and he recommended two moderately low-THC strains. Although I'd done my research on Montu's website and had a wish-list of strains which might suit me, I gratefully agreed to go with his choices. It didn't feel right to start making demands at this point.

He did however warn me that it could be rejected at the MDT stage, given that my medical history is not as clearcut as it should be.

But I am so deeply grateful to have got a prescription in principle, and will now be checking my email every 10 minutes for the next 3 or 4 days.

 

[GrownHealth]

Right, I'm now cautiously optimistic!

After scraping together all the bits and bobs of medical evidence I've got, which still isn't much, Alternaleaf were happy enough with it to allow me an appointment with a doctor, which I had yesterday afternoon.

He was lovely, and I felt he was on my side and wanted to help. The first half of the conversation was about the scarcity of my medical records, and he said they don't normally prescribe on that level of evidence, so I thought here we go again! But after telling him about my condition and how my whole life has to be worked around my agoraphobia and trying to avoid panic triggers, he decided to prescribe. I was only asking for 20g, which he was happy with, and he recommended two moderately low-THC strains. Although I'd done my research on Montu's website and had a wish-list of strains which might suit me, I gratefully agreed to go with his choices. It didn't feel right to start making demands at this point.

He did however warn me that it could be rejected at the MDT stage, given that my medical history is not as clearcut as it should be.

But I am so deeply grateful to have got a prescription in principle, and will now be checking my email every 10 minutes for the next 3 or 4 days.

You've cheered me right up now and you couldn't be any closer so fingers crossed the next you see is a payment demand and then you can start getting the relief legal MC provides and once onboard you can see what amount will be needed as you go along but the main thing is getting that first delivery and then your rolling

 

[Spongecake]

You've cheered me right up now and you couldn't be any closer so fingers crossed the next you see is a payment demand and then you can start getting the relief legal MC provides and once onboard you can see what amount will be needed as you go along but the main thing is getting that first delivery and then your rolling

Aww, thank you!

 

[Spongecake]

Wooohooooooooo!

I am now one of you!

I haven't heard directly from Alternaleaf about the MDT but I got a payment request from Montu, so presumably that means I've been accepted. My magic meds should be arriving tomorrow morning. It still feels quite surreal to be honest, almost too good to be true, after 26 years of doing this under the radar.

I will now spend the remaining hours with my face pressed against the window waiting for postie.

 

[GrownHealth]

Wooohooooooooo!

I am now one of you!

I haven't heard directly from Alternaleaf about the MDT but I got a payment request from Montu, so presumably that means I've been accepted. My magic meds should be arriving tomorrow morning. It still feels quite surreal to be honest, almost too good to be true, after 26 years of doing this under the radar.

I will now spend the remaining hours with my face pressed against the window waiting for postie.

You always was one of us
Brilliant news at the end of a long day and yes you've been accepted going off what you say so exciting times as you look to improve your wellbeing legally and no more stress of trying to get a clinic so you really have done the hard part already in your instance with the bonus of your clinic announced a £5/month price drop today

Next for the postie and then it'll be absolutely real

 

[Dooby Doo]

Wooohooooooooo!

I am now one of you!

I haven't heard directly from Alternaleaf about the MDT but I got a payment request from Montu, so presumably that means I've been accepted. My magic meds should be arriving tomorrow morning. It still feels quite surreal to be honest, almost too good to be true, after 26 years of doing this under the radar.

I will now spend the remaining hours with my face pressed against the window waiting for postie.

Welcome to the club glad everything went well for you. Haha you'll be glued to the blinds/curtains or ears twitching to every sound of a vehicle

 

[Spongecake]

Yep, I'll be slobbering on the window pane.

The price drop is a pleasant surprise. It was already pretty good value at £10 I thought, but I won't say no.

 

[joint_account]

Wooohooooooooo!

I am now one of you!

I haven't heard directly from Alternaleaf about the MDT but I got a payment request from Montu, so presumably that means I've been accepted. My magic meds should be arriving tomorrow morning. It still feels quite surreal to be honest, almost too good to be true, after 26 years of doing this under the radar.

I will now spend the remaining hours with my face pressed against the window waiting for postie.

 

[Spongecake]

Well, what a lovely voyage of discovery!

This is the first time I've ever bought cannabis in my life. Up until the bust I was a happy homegrower. So this is doubly surreal for me. Three months ago I had my house turned over by five police officers, my plants destroyed and my jars taken. And now here I am getting the exact same thing in the post and it's all legal and legit. It's a strange world we live in.

So I've got some Berry Cream Puff and some Ghost Train Haze, both from Upstate, both chosen by the doc. They're not ones I'd have chosen myself but I'm happy to be open-minded. I've made a start on the Berry Cream Puff.

I knew that medical flower can be very dry, but wow – this is so dry it doesn't smell of anything. Except wafers. It's like if you sniffed the inside of an empty wafer packet. It's very harsh to vape as well, and the only discernible flavour is sort of ... Dettol.

They sent me some Boveda packs (another new experience) so I've put the buds in a glass jar with one of those. The stuff I already ground up has been in a tub overnight with some orange peel and is now lovely and fluffy with a bit more flavour, though still mostly Dettol.

Effects-wise though, I've got no complaints. It's a nice mood lifter. I'll be sure to do a review of it when I've spent a bit more time with it.

 

[GrownHealth]

Well, what a lovely voyage of discovery!

This is the first time I've ever bought cannabis in my life. Up until the bust I was a happy homegrower. So this is doubly surreal for me. Three months ago I had my house turned over by five police officers, my plants destroyed and my jars taken. And now here I am getting the exact same thing in the post and it's all legal and legit. It's a strange world we live in.

So I've got some Berry Cream Puff and some Ghost Train Haze, both from Upstate, both chosen by the doc. They're not ones I'd have chosen myself but I'm happy to be open-minded. I've made a start on the Berry Cream Puff.

I knew that medical flower can be very dry, but wow – this is so dry it doesn't smell of anything. Except wafers. It's like if you sniffed the inside of an empty wafer packet. It's very harsh to vape as well, and the only discernible flavour is sort of ... Dettol.

They sent me some Boveda packs (another new experience) so I've put the buds in a glass jar with one of those. The stuff I already ground up has been in a tub overnight with some orange peel and is now lovely and fluffy with a bit more flavour, though still mostly Dettol.

Effects-wise though, I've got no complaints. It's a nice mood lifter. I'll be sure to do a review of it when I've spent a bit more time with it.

Sorry to hear you had your hobby stolen from you and I grew my own for years previous to MC so understand what therapy it is in itself

Great to see it's landed and you can carry on medicating again now after having to take the legal route and you'll find your way round what's up to scratch soon enough as we all do between us here and the dryness of some products compared HG can be pretty stark but you'll soon know what to avoid and what suits best but the choice is pretty mind boggling , anyway enjoy your new meds and we look forward to your review when your ready

 

[Spongecake]

Indeed it was an incredibly therapeutic hobby and I had a real love for the plants. I'd spend ages hanging out with them and enjoying their beautiful scents. I hope a time will come when we can resume our hobby without being persecuted.

I'm looking forward to exploring the medical strains and I'm having a great time educating myself about them.