Let's Talk About Marinol

[monkawat]

Hey everyone,

After discussing a bit of pot related stuff with y'all on my MMT induction thread, I wanted to see about if anyone here has experiences with Marinol (or Cesamet) for chronic nausea and or stomach issues.

Due to both my IBS and (recently diagnosed) Chrohn's disease diagnoses, I suffer from fairly severe nausea much of the time. This was a daily struggle with opioids/opiates adding to the issue. Luckily, methadone causes no nausea for me so I am now only dealing with my usual issues with it. I puke every morning, complete with violent retching and end up with only bile coming out. I have had plenty of endoscopy procedures, scans, tests, etc. and only the two conditions listed above can be identified as potential causes by my two GI docs. I have been dealing with this shit my entire life, starting at age 4-5. It got a bit better during my time in the military but after my shoulder injury in Afghanistan, the stress and pain seemed to send it back full circle at a much worse level than it was in my earlier life.

Anyways, I know marinol is usually scripted for nausea and appetite loss due to chemo and aids wasting syndrome, but can be off-label scripted for other nausea indusing and GI tract irritating conditions. Has anyone here been prescribed it for any reason? If so, what was the experience like as far as how it reduced nausea and increased your appetite?

I have been losing a lot of weight recently (down 12 pounds in a month and a half) and while I have gained 2.5 lbs back in the past 2 weeks, I have got to get my appetite back up.

Oh- and how is the psychoactive effect? Similar to a small amount of a pure sativa strain perhaps?

hope you're all well,
monk

[Opi-ette]

Monk I'm sorry to hear about your GI issues. Nothing worse than feeling sick and nauseous.
I had a couple of episodes that sent me to the ER. Puking until there was nothing but foam coming out. I couldn't even walk as my legs were trembling. Rolling around the bed wishing I was dead. I don't suffer with what you have, so my heart goes out to you for having to deal with that on a constant basis.

The only thing my doc would script me for nausea is Zofran, so I'm not much help giving advice
for Marinol, but just wanted to say I hope you get something that helps the nausea and you find relief.

[Mr.pooper]

I've never directly taken the labeled synthetic cannabinoid marinol. However I have used an extensive amount of other synthetic cannabinoids.

I too suffer from weird GI issues. Both when I was using, and after I stopped.

When I was using H daily, the synthetic cannabinoids did a great job of reducing my nausea and stomach issues related to my use. Also would stimulate appetite similar to marijuana.

I cannot comment on how the synthetic cannabinoids work when I am not using opiates daily. I stopped use of synthetics, and just starting smoking good ol' Mary Jane. Solves all my GI issues and nausea currently.

Oh and I developed a nasty physical addiction to synthetic cannabinoids. When I was kicking the synthetics I had as much H as I wanted. It barly took the edge off the withdrawals. I put that shit almost on par with H to kick IMO.

[lawyerup]

I know what ur going through brotha I have chronic vomiting syndrome and have gone through virtually every anti emetic out there. I had no luck with marinol thc in general exacerbates my nauseua. The only thing I've found to work is zofran for intense nausea, metochloperamide daily to help digestion, and ativan for when i start puking. I used to puke so long blood would start coming up from the constant retching. 

[monkawat]

Monk I'm sorry to hear about your GI issues. Nothing worse than feeling sick and nauseous.
I had a couple of episodes that sent me to the ER. Puking until there was nothing but foam coming out. I couldn't even walk as my legs were trembling. Rolling around the bed wishing I was dead. I don't suffer with what you have, so my heart goes out to you for having to deal with that on a constant basis.

The only thing my doc would script me for nausea is Zofran, so I'm not much help giving advice
for Marinol, but just wanted to say I hope you get something that helps the nausea and you find relief.

Thanks Opi-ette. How are you doing with your pain issues these days and pill amounts?

I wish I could get by with zofran since docs are so keen on that as their main anti-emetic these days and it would be easy to get.

But I can't take zofran since I am allergic to odansetron and phenothiazine type drugs like compazine and promethazine don't give me much relief.

The only good relief I ever got from my nausea was when I was a daily weed smoker in high school. I especially found Indicas the most effective. I just am too worried about getting arrested for pot out here to try smoking again though.

[Jega]

My first thought was Zofran too.

Are you allergic too all Serotonin agents?

It's funny. I cant tolerate SSRIs, SNRIs, TCA's etc. but i can tolerate Zofran and Tramadol with occasional use.

[Opus]

Zofran++

Zofran and weed are my instagrabs, fortunately I haven't been having to do that for awhile now, but the Zofran is never far away. I don't think that stuff has failed me yet.

[monkawat]

My first thought was Zofran too.

Are you allergic too all Serotonin agents?

It's funny. I cant tolerate SSRIs, SNRIs, TCA's etc. but i can tolerate Zofran and Tramadol with occasional use.

Weirdly, no. Isn't trazodone a serotonin agonist? I take it nightly at a high dose for sleep and have had no issues with it.

With zofran I get difficulty breathing, tingling, rash, etc. Found it out the hard way via IV in the hospital in Germany.

[Jega]

Weirdly, no. Isn't trazodone a serotonin agonist? I take it nightly at a high dose for sleep and have had no issues with it.

With zofran I get difficulty breathing, tingling, rash, etc. Found it out the hard way via IV in the hospital in Germany.

Trazodone behaves as an antagonist at all of its receptor sites of which it's binding affinity is massive. It is an inhibitor of transporters (SERT), as well. So no.

It still fits with someone sensitive to Serotonin agents like Zofran.

Are you on a benzo and does that make any difference with your nausea?

[monkawat]

Weirdly, no. Isn't trazodone a serotonin agonist? I take it nightly at a high dose for sleep and have had no issues with it.

With zofran I get difficulty breathing, tingling, rash, etc. Found it out the hard way via IV in the hospital in Germany.

Trazodone behaves as an antagonist at all of its receptor sites of which it's binding affinity is massive. It is an inhibitor of transporters (SERT), as well. So no.

It still fits with someone sensitive to Serotonin agents like Zofran.

Gotcha.

I have no clue how to go about getting a script for marinol. No info on propublica and TX docs don't exactly advertise their usage of it.

Y'all thinking a GI doc or a regular internal med doc? I don't care much for my GI doc because of the size of his practice and the insane wait times to get appointments/inability to EVER get contact with their nurses, docs, or PAs. But I guess I wouldn't mind switching to a new one should I burn the bridge by bringing it up. He is the one who diagnosed me with Chrohn's recently but that was just through his nurse calling me to say that was the diagnosis- I haven't seen him again yet since my last visit.

[monkawat]

Weirdly, no. Isn't trazodone a serotonin agonist? I take it nightly at a high dose for sleep and have had no issues with it.

With zofran I get difficulty breathing, tingling, rash, etc. Found it out the hard way via IV in the hospital in Germany.

Trazodone behaves as an antagonist at all of its receptor sites of which it's binding affinity is massive. It is an inhibitor of transporters (SERT), as well. So no.

It still fits with someone sensitive to Serotonin agents like Zofran.

Are you on a benzo and does that make any difference with your nausea?

No, I actually get a paradoxical reaction with most benzos, particularly xanax and klonopin, where I get this weird form of nausea when I take them that is unique to their ingestion. I have only ever liked/tolerated one benzo well and that was low dose (2.5-5mg a day) of valium and I still wasn't very fond of it.

[Jega]

Weirdly, no. Isn't trazodone a serotonin agonist? I take it nightly at a high dose for sleep and have had no issues with it.

With zofran I get difficulty breathing, tingling, rash, etc. Found it out the hard way via IV in the hospital in Germany.

Trazodone behaves as an antagonist at all of its receptor sites of which it's binding affinity is massive. It is an inhibitor of transporters (SERT), as well. So no.

It still fits with someone sensitive to Serotonin agents like Zofran.

Are you on a benzo and does that make any difference with your nausea?

No, I actually get a paradoxical reaction with most benzos, particularly xanax and klonopin, where I get this weird form of nausea when I take them that is unique to their ingestion. I have only ever liked/tolerated one benzo well and that was low (2.5-5mg a day) of valium and I still wasn't very fond of it.

You need a Gastroenterologist. You can ask your PCP if he can "think" of anything to try and maybe he will throw out Marinol, give it a shot, but you need to make an appointment with your Gastroenterologist asap and if they called and said you had crohn's disease you deserve the next available!

[gutterslut]

I was prescribed Zofran through my first pregnancy,  and marinol during my second.  I found it to be fairly effective and without side effects. would definitely suggest it for anyone having uncomfortableb side effects even though I think Zofran was more relieving.

[Jega]

Zofran is the gold standard for antiemetics. Promethazine would be second line treatment. Compazine would be third line treatment

If all of those fail then you start pulling from the grab bag. and someone who knows pharmacology.

I'd prescribe you Marinol and a low dose of a benzo but you can't even tolerate that.

You'll probably get your Marinol because there arn't many other options.

[lawyerup]

monk have u tried metochloperamide?