Intros New patient - hello! - looking for some strain advice.

[Kieran84]

Hello all,

I have recently started trialing medical cannabis as a potential alternative to opioid painkillers - specifically: exploring cannabis as an alternative to tramadol for managing breakthrough pain while retaining Fentanyl patches for baseline pain management - and I would appreciate some advice re: strain selection.

I am very new to cannabis - I smoked during my late teens and very early twenties however I am now 41 and haven't touched it, or any other illicit substances, in the circa 20 years since - and my first prescription was for 10g of a strain called: Pennywise. Pennywise has provided quite effective pain management, albeit at the price of significant intoxication (ie 'getting high' - something I had hoped to avoid during the daytime) however every now again a stimulant effect seems to kick in and when it does some ADHD related problems which I am also trying to keep a lid on flare-up quite unpleasantly.

I believe it may be the terpenes (possibly the Pinene) that are causing this stimulant effect, however, as I am very new to cannabis, I feel it would wise to seek the advice of those with far more relevant knowledge and experience than I have - can any fellow forum users help me to identify the cause of the unpleasant stimulant effect which I'd prefer to avoid? and moreover can any forum users suggest some good daytime options which: relieve pain; won't bring about the above-mentioned stimulant effect; allow me to remain reasonably clear-headed and focused; and aren't sky-high in THC (while I'd probably have a fairly low tolerance in any event, using cannabis alongside Fentanyl patches makes the effects of both the cannabis and the Fentanyl stronger)?

On a separate note: this site has genuinely been very helpful and informative so thank you to all those who've contributed to its creation and upkeep!

 

[Dooby Doo]

Hello all,

I have recently started trialing medical cannabis as a potential alternative to opioid painkillers - specifically: exploring cannabis as an alternative to tramadol for managing breakthrough pain while retaining Fentanyl patches for baseline pain management - and I would appreciate some advice re: strain selection.

I am very new to cannabis - I smoked during my late teens and very early twenties however I am now 41 and haven't touched it, or any other illicit substances, in the circa 20 years since - and my first prescription was for 10g of a strain called: Pennywise. Pennywise has provided quite effective pain management, albeit at the price of significant intoxication (ie 'getting high' - something I had hoped to avoid during the daytime) however every now again a stimulant effect seems to kick in and when it does some ADHD related problems which I am also trying to keep a lid on flare-up quite unpleasantly.

I believe it may be the terpenes (possibly the Pinene) that are causing this stimulant effect, however, as I am very new to cannabis, I feel it would wise to seek the advice of those with far more relevant knowledge and experience than I have - can any fellow forum users help me to identify the cause of the unpleasant stimulant effect which I'd prefer to avoid? and moreover can any forum users suggest some good daytime options which: relieve pain; won't bring about the above-mentioned stimulant effect; allow me to remain reasonably clear-headed and focused; and aren't sky-high in THC (while I'd probably have a fairly low tolerance in any event, using cannabis alongside Fentanyl patches makes the effects of both the cannabis and the Fentanyl stronger)?

On a separate note: this site has genuinely been very helpful and informative so thank you to all those who've contributed to its creation and upkeep!

Welcome to the Community @Kieran84 and for sharing your experience so far with Medical Cannabis. It sounds like you need a balanced strain with a lower THC level. A 10/10 mx maybe THC/CBD. It could be a particular Terpene triggering these unpleasant effects. Someone here will be able to guide you more on this subject who mix or use lower THC or avoid a particular terpene. Good luck on the rest of your journey hope to see you in the forums sometime.

New post automatically merged: Today at 12:44pm

Welcome to the Community @Kieran84 and for sharing your experience so far with Medical Cannabis. It sounds like you need a balanced strain with a lower THC level. A 10/10 mx maybe THC/CBD. It could be a particular Terpene triggering these unpleasant effects. Someone here will be able to guide you more on this subject who mix or use lower THC or avoid a particular terpene. Good luck on the rest of your journey hope to see you in the forums sometime.

If still unsure speak to your Consultant

 

[joint_account]

Hello all,

I have recently started trialing medical cannabis as a potential alternative to opioid painkillers - specifically: exploring cannabis as an alternative to tramadol for managing breakthrough pain while retaining Fentanyl patches for baseline pain management - and I would appreciate some advice re: strain selection.

I am very new to cannabis - I smoked during my late teens and very early twenties however I am now 41 and haven't touched it, or any other illicit substances, in the circa 20 years since - and my first prescription was for 10g of a strain called: Pennywise. Pennywise has provided quite effective pain management, albeit at the price of significant intoxication (ie 'getting high' - something I had hoped to avoid during the daytime) however every now again a stimulant effect seems to kick in and when it does some ADHD related problems which I am also trying to keep a lid on flare-up quite unpleasantly.

I believe it may be the terpenes (possibly the Pinene) that are causing this stimulant effect, however, as I am very new to cannabis, I feel it would wise to seek the advice of those with far more relevant knowledge and experience than I have - can any fellow forum users help me to identify the cause of the unpleasant stimulant effect which I'd prefer to avoid? and moreover can any forum users suggest some good daytime options which: relieve pain; won't bring about the above-mentioned stimulant effect; allow me to remain reasonably clear-headed and focused; and aren't sky-high in THC (while I'd probably have a fairly low tolerance in any event, using cannabis alongside Fentanyl patches makes the effects of both the cannabis and the Fentanyl stronger)?

On a separate note: this site has genuinely been very helpful and informative so thank you to all those who've contributed to its creation and upkeep!

Hi @Kieran84

Welcome to MedBud, thank you for sharing your journey with us and I hope medical cannabis does turn out to be fruitful for you.

I think the first I'll say is that if you've not touched anything in 20 years you will need to build a tolerance, even the balanced strains will have some effect on you because your endocannabinoid system is getting a bit of a shock. After a few weeks you should see things really calm down - well thats the hope.

Pennywise is a balanced flower, that means it has higher amounts of CBD and less amounts of THC. the CBD helps keep the THC at bay. That is why you've been prescribed it, to ease you in. If you can purchase OTC CBD Cannabis, carts, hash, etc. (I would recommend flower) then you can dilute things further and create a more dominant CBD effect.

Many in the community use CBD products for this reason and can recommend some if you like.

The dominant terpenes in Pennywise are Myrcene, Caryophyllene and Humulene.

Myrcene - sedative properties; pain relieving, muscle relaxant, anxiety relieving
Caryophyllene - pain relieving, anxiety relieving, gastroprotective, antibacterial, antidepressant, antioxidant, neuroprotective, antifungal
Humulene - anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and appetite suppressant

A flower with Myrcene, Caryophyllene, and Humulene is heavy, sedating, and physical, not stimulating. It's good for pain, muscle tension, insomnia, and evening use. It also tends to kill appetite instead of increasing it.

Cannabis as a medicine is something we're still learning about and its very complex. Emotional state, sleep, diet, terpenes, THC, CBD, CBG, CBN all play a huge role in how cannabis effects us, even their relationship with one another changes how the overall experience can effect you. so I think its really important to know that we don't quite know why everything with cannabis is the way that it is and any number of factors and factors interacting can create a billion different effects.

with that said, I'll put my house on it being the THC that is giving you the stimulant effect. I think its just a natural case of needing to build a tolerance before things balance out for you. If you're able to ride it out for a while, that's certainly one option, but I would really recommend some good CBD flower/tea to back you up. I tend to go for the horrible cheap stuff but @Lank72 may well be able to recommend some quality for a good price.

 

[Kieran84]

I would really recommend some good CBD flower/tea to back you up.

Hi @joint_account, thank you very much for your helpful and informative reply! Apologies if this is a daft question but re: the CBD flower: how should I consume it? Should I mix it in with my existing flower? vape it separately? or something else? I have, at the cannabis clinic's suggestion, some CBD gummies which I have been consuming, albeit at a fairly moderate rate as there doesn't appear to be any readily available clear guidance re: CBD dosing and I'd like to avoid inadvertently taking too much.

 

[joint_account]

Hi @joint_account, thank you very much for your helpful and informative reply! Apologies if this is a daft question but re: the CBD flower: how should I consume it? Should I mix it in with my existing flower? vape it separately? or something else? I have, at the cannabis clinic's suggestion, some CBD gummies which I have been consuming, albeit at a fairly moderate rate as there doesn't appear to be any readily available clear guidance re: CBD dosing and I'd like to avoid inadvertently taking too much.

No daft questions around here mate!

Actually a good question - we tend to mix it in. The ratio is a bit self dependent but many start on 50/50 and adapt it depending on effects.

The great thing about CBD is that there isn't really a to much dosage. It's not a psychoactive compound so it doesn't feel like anything, what you feel is just the relief from pain itself. 300mg per day is verging into heavy use but we're still just talking about feeling tired as the worst effects. I bet your gummies get nowhere near that 300mg in the entire pack lol.

Im not an edibles guy, I find them a bit hard to dose and they're a little unreliable for trying to get them to kick in. That said, if you took them regularly you may feel the benefit in the same way you would with flower.

The reason I recommend flower is mainly because it's easier to divvy up with your THC flowers for an immediate effect.

I personally use 3:1 ratio of THC:CBD flowers in the morning but I think 1:1 is a smart starting point.

 

[Kieran84]

Thank you! You're right re: the gummies - 10mg CBD/gummy which equates to 250mg/pot. I will order some CBD flower and try mixing it with my THC flower.

 

[joint_account]

Thank you! You're right re: the gummies - 10mg CBD/gummy which equates to 250mg/pot. I will order some CBD flower and try mixing it with my THC flower.

Looking forward to seeing how you get on.

I've just looked at some old threads and Bud Bros is typically a good place to get some CBD flower. Sometimes it's called tea.

 

[Dooby Doo]

Looking forward to seeing how you get on.

I've just looked at some old threads and Bud Bros is typically a good place to get some CBD flower. Sometimes it's called tea.

I was surprised how many sites use tea as its use