Medical Marijuana Versus Opiate Pain Pills for Treating Chronic Pain Conditions

jpwriter | Feb 22, 2010 |

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Medical Cannabis

Medical marijuana is in the spot light for its medicinal benefits in chronic and debilitating medical conditions. Oftentimes when people have chronic conditions they are facing many medicine facilitated treatments. Chronic pain can create many long term problems for a patient, a lot of those related to the long term use of opiate pain medications. Let's look at medical marijuana versus opiate pain pills for treating chronic pain conditions.

The Current State of Medical Marijuana as a Treatment for Chronic Pain?

Chronic pain conditions change peoples lives. The discomfort and pain is consuming. Many patients fail to truly weigh the pros and cons of the medications they are given for pain, especially those who have chronic conditions. Constipating opiates are almost always an option, but medical marijuana is rarely discussed. But, it should be an option for those facing hard treatment decisions regarding long term medication use. There are blood tests that doctors run to check for long term kidney and liver damage by medications, although they fail to mention all of the reasons for testing. The very idea that it is routine for some doctors to check to the amount of damage a medication can do to the kidneys and liver is indicative of its inherent damage. Medical marijuana presents none of those problems.

Chronic pain patients often end up at pain management facilities. Treating chronic pain is about providing the patient with the best quality of life while they are in pain, whether this is cancer pain or herniated disc pain awaiting new surgical fusion technology. Pain treatment often involves a combination of physical therapy, medication, relaxation, ice and heat rotations, and surgery. Doctors prescribe cocktails drawing from Opioids, Anti-convulsives, muscle relaxants, beta blockers, Benzodiazepines, antidepressants, and others. Rather than discuss medical marijuana and the proven efficacy of cannabis as a pain remedy, patients are given expensive cocktails. Medical marijuana has long been a taboo subject for patients, especially when it comes to asking their primary care doctor. The stigma associated with medical marijuana blinds physicians from seeing that cannabis often far outweighs the use of other medication combinations. Medical marijuana is a valid treatment for many conditions. Using medical marijuana can reduce the amount of other medications. Marijuana is safer.

Even when medical marijuana is legal, it is rarely talked about. Patients worry that doctor's will take away their other meds if they bring up marijuana. Even where medical marijuana is legal, it's rarely talked about and access is difficult. Doctors worry about losing their license because of legal misunderstanding, and stigma. Patients should bring up medical marijuana as a treatment option to their doctor if they have a qualifying condition.

Medical Marijuana VS Opiate Pain Pills for Chronic Pain Conditions

Medical marijuana can help pain patients in many ways. Using cannabis as an adjunct medicine can help opiate pain meds work better. Medical marijuana can successfully treat pain and help lower the overall dose of narcotics, something that is healthy for the patient. Both medical marijuana and opiates cause increased tolerance (need to take more for same effect). Marijuana tolerance can be easily broken by using a variety of medical marijuana strains. Opiates naturally cause dependence and easily lead to addiction issues, plus they are very hard on the body.

Table: Pros and Cons of Medical Marijuana and the Pros and Cons of Opiate Pain Medication

Pros of medical marijuana:

effective pain management
alleviates nausea
minimal withdrawal
can reduce or eliminate over-the-counter and prescription drug use
increases appetite
alleviates pain
only small amount necessary for desired effects
can lower opiate dosage by using medical marijuana
cannabinoids effect the body's pain signals thereby serving as an analgesic
treats insomnia
treats neuropathic pain
adjunct treatment for Anorexia

Pros of Opiate Pain Meds:

effective pain management
covered by insurance
agreed upon dosing
legal

Cons of Medical Marijuana:

legal status
somewhat limited routes of administration (smoking, eating, cannabis oil, capsules)
potential for abuse
danger of criminal targeting; increased potential of being robbed
difficulty with consistent supply
not covered by insurance
not recognized by all doctors as medicine
psychologically addictive
can cause asthma, bronchial discomfort
some people are allergic to marijuana
inconsistent legal interpretation and enforcement
stigma and disbelief

Cons of Opiate Pain Meds:

high potential for abuse
causes dependence
extremely addictive
stigma with certain pain pills like Methadone
causes horrible constipation
causes respiratory depression and failure, especially when mixed with other medications
increased dosage over time because of tolerance
shuts down organs including liver, kidneys, and causes obstructions in the bowels
slows intestinal motility
causes horrible withdrawals
some folks have allergies to Codeine, other opiates, dyes, additives, Tylenol, Ibuprofen, binders
expensive
only treats pain

The cons of medical marijuana are very different from those of opiates. Mostly, it's about medical marijuana policy whereas the cons and dangers of opiates are physical. This list is not exhaustive. Before agreeing to a long term opiate regimen, consider its dangers. Many pain patient become dependent and it is completely out of their control. Checking this pros and cons list about cannabis and opiates ought to give you a place to start further research. Strip the stigma and the "stoner" status that marijuana carries and think about it as a medication. Opiates are dangerous. Treating chronic pain is tricky. A research study by California's Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research (CMCR) offers scientific evidence that medical marijuana "can be helpful in easing pain in selected syndromes caused by injury or diseases of the nervous system and possibly for painful muscle spasms due to multiple sclerosis."

Advocate for your own health. Many pain patients do not get adequate relief. Medical marijuana can be advantageous. It can enable some to reduce or stop opiate pain pills altogether. Talk to your doctor about your options. If the doctor is not willing to discuss medical marijuana seek out a provider who will. Find a medical marijuana doctor if necessary.

*This article is not intended to cure, treat, prevent, or diagnose any condition. It is meant for educational purposes only. You may discuss this article with your provider.
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