Medical marijuana.

[KarenInWA]

I thought I've heard of some dialysis patients who cannot submit to a urine test for a job application being able to do a blood test for marijuana use? The reason you don't hear about these very much is because apparently, the blood test for marijuana/THC is very expensive. So, the question is - would they spend that kind of money on us for those labs we do each month that go to the blood bank, or at the clinic or whatever? Somehow, I highly doubt it. But, who knows. How to find out? I have no idea.

I am not a user of marijuana, but I see absolutely no problem with using it for medical reasons, or to take the edge off of a particularly stressful day. After all, look at how alcohol is accepted in society, and its over use causes so much more drama and strife than marijuana does. I guess it goes back to addictive personalities. There's nothing wrong w/a glass or 2 of wine, or beer, or cocktail, but when you start drinking the whole bar, it gets out of hand. Same thing can be applied to marijuana use. Both can have medicinal purposes if taken in limited amounts.

KarenInWA

[MooseMom]

    I've often wished i could use but im with MM on this one.  I just cant handle being 'altered'... With my stress these days, i sure wish i could

Yeah, sometimes I've wished I could get drunk and "altered", but that's just not an effective coping mechanism for me.

I don't think one gains anything by suffering.  I don't think suffering is noble or gives anyone any special insight, particularly if that suffering is chronic and intractable, so if medical marijuana is the only thing that helps, I'm all for it.  Alcohol and opiates and prescription pain pills just give me motion sickness, and I suspect mm would probably do the same thing to me.

[MooseMom]

EDITED TO ADD: here is the link to a previous thread that went over many of the concern put forward against MJ use - which I continue to contend are nothing more than nanny state tut tutting and overall an effort by rent seekers enforcing the prohibition on MJ  to maintain their business interests.

I remember that discussion.  Let's not go there again.  LOL!

[Henry P Snicklesnorter]

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[Riki]

I only know what my dad has told me.. I could be wrong on all of it.  My dad is truck driver.  He has to submit to random  testing and he doesn't like it.  He feels that it's an invasion of privacy because the THC shows up in your system long after the impairment has worn off..

I don't know about anyone else, but I know that I'm not tested for it in bloodwork for transplant.  When I was on PD, I used to hold on to the requisitions, because the dialysis nurses had nothing to do with the transplant stuff, and I knew what was on them.   As far as I know, nothing has changed in the 4 years that I've been on HD

[gothiclovemonkey]

i looked it up, it says with blood, it only shows if you are high at the time, or recently like within 20 hours
urine on the other hand, depending on how often and how much you use, can be 1 week to 3 mos....

[geoffcamp]

Regarding blood testing it can be picked up by running a specific chem panel and not just in a 20 hour window. I know from past drug free work place. I was on the employee board of heath and just like alcohol it as well as other drugs can be found in a blood test. I believe a regular drug test is called a chem 7 or chem 10 panel screening and the numbers reflect the types of substances they are testing for. But please know it will be found in a blood test IF they run the specific test for those substances.

[justjen321]

I smoked a little in my teen years, but never really liked the effect of pot on my brain and body. I wanted the 'up' drugs. (And good lord did I do a LOT of those.)

That being said, I'm on the opinion it should be legalized and taxed.

The only benefit I can come up with for a dialysis patient has been stated. Relaxation. The exact reason I hated it would likely be REALLY beneficial to dialysis patients. (Just keep the munchies out of their reach!)

[brandi1leigh]

Kit, what was the nature of your brother's pain while on HD?  Was it from the needles, or was it from the effects of the treatments?  I haven't heard very much about HD causing pain.  Nausea, yes, but not actual pain.

Tx drugs can cause diabetes; that's not strange at all.  My tx center gave me a lot of info both pre and post tx about drug-induced diabetes.

I'm sorry to hear about your brother and the trouble he had with infections.

I am not in a state with legal mj and do not use it, but I can say that I am on in-center hemo and after dialysis I often have nausea and I am in pain. It's kind of like a full body ache, feels a bit like the flu. I call it my dialysis "hangover". I have no idea if marijuana would help, but I have to think that it couldn't be any worse for me than the hydrocodone prescription my doctor has given me for it.

[Alex C.]

I used to occasionally smoke MJ, even though I seem to have a slight allergic reaction to it. In the end, though, I had to give it up, due to the fact that THC will stay in you blood stream for 7 weeks, making it the one drug that you can test positive for long after using it. Smoke crack on Friday? Drink a lot of grapefruit juice, and you'll test clean on monday. Same as cocaine and heroin, but not pot!

BTW, do they have 'medical hashish'? Now, THAT might be worth trying!

[jeannea]

Please don't drink a lot of grapefruit juice, whether for marijuana or not. It is very dangerous for anyone on prescription meds. It interacts and gives you a different dose usually. Screws everything up.

[glitter]

I work for a hospital in Florida and Part of my job is to read progress notes and code them- I can't tell you how many times I see the Dr commenting that the tox screen was positive for MJ even though the patient denies using it- you are tested more then you realize and it does become part of your medical record. Its routine because they need to know the truth to treat you- and most people are not forthcoming.

Also the mold is aspergillius- and it can be fatal to someone with a compromised immune system.

[geoffcamp]

I work for a hospital in Florida and Part of my job is to read progress notes and code them- I can't tell you how many times I see the Dr commenting that the tox screen was positive for MJ even though the patient denies using it- you are tested more then you realize and it does become part of your medical record. Its routine because they need to know the truth to treat you- and most people are not forthcoming.

Also the mold is aspergillius- and it can be fatal to someone with a compromised immune system.

Thank you. Good answer. Like I said I'm not using now but was curious how it worked in states that have made it legal. In some states I read it is legal for recreational use. But I was curious how it worked being on the list. So they test for a lot of things, is it part of the paperwork we signed to be listed??  Because without my authorization I would think that would be a slippery slope legally speaking for the centers to test for whatever they please without consent.

[Riki]

So they test for a lot of things, is it part of the paperwork we signed to be listed??  Because without my authorization I would think that would be a slippery slope legally speaking for the centers to test for whatever they please without consent.

yeah.. I was wondering about that one myself.

[jeannea]

I think HIV is the only thing they must have consent to test for. You've already signed some form that consents to treatment. Usually when you go for tests you know what they're testing because you have a script. But when I go to transplant clinic or I'm admitted to the hospital, all I know is they've been told to get 3 red top tubes and 3 others or whatever it is.

[glitter]

drug testing is part of the "tox screen" they do to almost all pts in a hospital setting.  Its routine.

[Riki]

I don't think it's something that you're tested regularly for if you're not in hospital or in an emergency situation.  As I said before, I know for a fact that I was not tested for it as part of my transplant bloodwork, because I had the requisitions and they were written in plain English, which made them easy to read.  Whether that's done in other places, I've no idea.  I don't know if they use the same requisitions now either, as it's been 4 years since the transplant blood requisitions were given to me to hold on to.  They send them to the dialysis unit now, instead of to me.

[jbeany]

So they test for a lot of things, is it part of the paperwork we signed to be listed??  Because without my authorization I would think that would be a slippery slope legally speaking for the centers to test for whatever they please without consent.

yeah.. I was wondering about that one myself.

Yes, it is included in the endless pile of paperwork you have to sign to get on the list.  I know my center pointed it out during the orientation day.  Given the amount of crap they throw at you in a short time span, it's easy to miss, though.

[jeannea]

Check this out.
http://www.philly.com/philly/health/news/NJ_bill_would_allow_medical_marijuana_users_to_have_organ_transplants.html

[geoffcamp]

drug testing is part of the "tox screen" they do to almost all pts in a hospital setting.  Its routine.

But taking blood from me during routine dialysis (in-center dialysis) is not a hospital setting. In an emergency room setting yes I can see that. But my questions are about the routine testing they do for dialysis to check levels and monitor progress to see if anything needs adjusting. G.

[YLGuy]

Check this out.
http://www.philly.com/philly/health/news/NJ_bill_would_allow_medical_marijuana_users_to_have_organ_transplants.html

Nice find.  The article has a link to the full article:

http://www.njspotlight.com/stories/13/02/06/bill-would-clear-way-for-medical-marijuana-users-to-receive-transplants/

[Whamo]

I'm not up for a transplant, but I looked into at my center.   Marijuana use will get you kicked off the list in my area.  They made that plain to us in the orientation.  I don't think marijuana helps much for the pains of dialysis, but it does elevate the mood a bit.  One can mitigate the harmful effects on the lungs with a vaporizer.  The feds shut down 3 or 4 medical marijuana dispensaries in my town the other day, but there are over 50 of them in town.  I don't buy it.  I grow my own each summer.  I give most of it away.  I take a few hits now and then, but I like to stay straight most of the time. 

[jbeany]

drug testing is part of the "tox screen" they do to almost all pts in a hospital setting.  Its routine.

But taking blood from me during routine dialysis (in-center dialysis) is not a hospital setting. In an emergency room setting yes I can see that. But my questions are about the routine testing they do for dialysis to check levels and monitor progress to see if anything needs adjusting. G.

When you are on the list, you have to send in bloodwork directly to the transplant center once a month.  They insist on doing their own testing, not just getting results from your local center or doctor.  They are free to test that for whatever they want.