Not sure if this is the right place... does weed react badly with opiods?

[Autismscreams]

I'm currently taking an opiod medication for pain. And i treat my autism with marijuana. Forgot to ask the doctor but does anybody know how or if the two interact?

[MsNobleEleanor]

Hello there,

I am unable to give medical advice as TeenHelp isn't a medical team but are volunteers and peers.

If you are taking an opiod for pain, did the doctor talk to you or the pharmacist about medication reactions? I know I have been asked if I smoke weed when I was given pain medication. There is a reason for this as some things do react, but I am unsure what would react to what. The purpose of them asking is because they can help you to ensure you are taking the medication safely.

I would also recommend calling your pharmacy or your doctor to ask them. A pharmacy would know more as they are trained in knowing which medications react or interfere.

On TeenHelp we have a resources page where you can find some helpful information, I found something that I thought could be helpful for you:

Erowid
This site contains a vast network of information on countless drugs including the effects, doses, health issues, legal issues, images, and the chemical structure of drugs, as well as experiences from those who have used the drug.

I know this isn't an answer you were looking for, but I recommend you calling a pharmacy to ask them as they are trained and know a lot about medication.

[HloeGH]

Of course I'm not a doctor, but I read a lot about it because of legalization and new cannabis-based medicines. People say cannabis reduces dependence on opioid painkillers but... It may happen that taking these drugs together will reduce the sensitivity to pain relief. This is very bad. This reduces the chances of good anesthesia during surgery. Here you need a doctor’s consultation in your particular case.

[FONT=""][COLOR=""][SIZE=""]Weed is not contraindicated with any substances I know of, meaning there are no specific interactions that cause a medically unsafe reaction in your body. However, most drugs have a number of effects on people, and this entourage of effects can be a little different in different people. Where I'm going with this is that sometimes you can wind up with effects from two drugs that do not go together well for you. Some people experience panic attacks with just cannabis alone. If they were to combine it with a stimulant that increases their heart rate and possibly even causes some anxiety of its own, it could create a really negative experience that could even result in heart rate increase, for example, that is dangerous, or at least scary to the person. Because of this, approach all combinations, just like all individual drugs that are new to you, with caution and, even if they have no known interactions, start slow to carefully find out how you system reacts.

I can't think of an interaction like this with opioids that could happen, but it could be possible that some people who experience some nausea from opioids actually have it made worse, rather than better, from cannabis if it contributes to a spinning sensation (I have seen it push drunk people over the edge into throwing up before!) I personally used to really enjoy taking a little puff of weed after a low dose (5mg) of oxycodone.

So, the short answer is, in my own extensive drug research, I have never come across anything that warned about cannabis having a dangerous pharmacological interaction with any other drugs, and I have no idea what HloeGH was saying ~ I have heard that for some people, certain cannabis actually helped them lower their opioid intake by helping with pain relief, but there is no way in hell cannabis is going to prevent an anesthesiologist from being able to effectively put you under anesthesia during surgery[/size][/color][/font]

[Stacey]

Hello,
As everyone has mentioned, we are volunteers and cannot give medical advice. However, my education is in Addictions and Substance Use.

To my knowledge, there are no negative interactions between the two substances. Both substances are used by many to treat chronic pain and often end up being co-ingested for pain itself, or for treatment of co-existing conditions. Here is some reading for you on the topic : Mixing cannabis and opioids.

However, I will say that since we don't know your medical history, this is just general knowledge information. You should contact your doctor or pharmacist for individualized guidance.


Edit: Just realized this is a thread from nearly 3 years ago. Mods, perhaps it should be closed?