Real Patient Voices: With age comes wisdom - medical cannabis and me

This week, for our ‘Real Patient Voices: Medical cannabis and me’ series, we’ve decided to pay particular attention to Releaf patients who decided to share more about their experiences starting medical cannabis treatment in their sixties, seventies, or even eighties.  

They say with age comes wisdom, but often so does chronic pain, restless sleep, inflammation, and sometimes - low mood. However, we’re pleased to say many Releaf patients are living out their golden years with grace and support from medical cannabis, and our specialist team of specialist doctors, GPs, nurses, and fantastic patient support staff.

Peter, Mary, and Simon are just three of these patients, but there are hundreds - if not thousands more - that have started their journey with prescribed cannabis based treatments through Releaf - because it's never too late for an adventure - especially when it may make life a little easier to manage.  

Here we share snippets of their stories, in the hope that hearing about their journey, might inspire you to take a similar one yourself. 

Peter: Treating trigeminal neuralgia symptoms with prescribed cannabis.

As a retired filmmaker, Peter, is well versed in the value of sharing your truth, your story, and your experiences with the world. So, at the age of 78, he sat down with us to return the favour - this time in front of the camera instead of behind it - and explained how his trigeminal neuralgia symptoms have changed since he started using medical cannabis through Releaf.

While Peter’s doctor had explained THC is a treatment worth considering for the tremendous pain trigeminal neuralgia causes, he also explained he was unable to prescribe it through the NHS. This left him wondering, and after a conversation with the husband of a dear friend, and a coincidental sighting of Releaf’s services featured in the national news - the signs felt too strong to ignore. 

Peter had his initial appointment with Dr Sue Clenton, a GMC registered Oncology specialist - and Releaf’s Clinical Director - over a year ago and says it felt “like a weight being lifted off my shoulders”. 

Soon after, his prescription arrived in the post, and Peter had a potential solution to the problem that had been plaguing his golden years. 

When we sat down with Peter to learn more about his journey, he said: 

“Medical cannabis works on so many different levels, that's the interesting thing about it. Neurological pain is somewhat different from a chronic backache, for example, because the way the pain is received by the brain is not the same. With medical cannabis, it’s kind of like the pain gets put into another place. It's still there, the treatment doesn't necessarily eliminate it completely, but the perception of the pain is changed.

Before, with my treatment with OxyContin, it was like I had a baseline, and then the pain would peak, and I’d medicate in an attempt to bring it back down to the baseline. With medical cannabis, it’s a different approach. I’m kind of attacking the whole condition, rather than just treating the pain, and that results in fewer and fewer times when my pain peaks. 

Pain is an extraordinary thing, and so is our relationship with it. It's very debilitating, and it can make people very lonely—people feel that they have been singled out to have pain. But pain is the human experience. Like the Buddha said, “All life is suffering.” 

You have to look at more than just the pain itself. 

For example, if today I wake up with pain, I have to embrace it - I have to try to understand it and learn all I can about it. I also have to stay active and try to eat well, which is a continual challenge, especially at my age. I use all the tools I have available, and medical cannabis is one of those tools. 

If I said it’s been life changing, that would not be an exaggeration. Medical cannabis can change people's lives. I just wish more people were aware that it’s out there and available.”

If you’d like to read Peter’s full account of using medical cannabis for trigeminal neuralgia, head over to his patient story page. 

Mary: Using cannabis oil for spinal curvature. 

Ever since she was a child, Mary has been dealing with the pain and complications that come along with having a curved spine. From steroid injections to endless prescriptions, at the age of 84, Mary thought she’d tried it all, and had given up on searching for new solutions. 

Her spinal condition, which her orthopaedic surgeon refers to as ‘spectacular’ due to her spine being both curved and twisted, makes even standing for short periods, or walking for a short distance, incredibly difficult to endure. But, when her daughter suggested she take a look into medical cannabis, Mary felt as though she had nothing to lose - and so she got online, and searched for alternative options like prescribed cannabis oil. 

As a busy grandma, part-time helper at her family business, and currently studying for her master’s degree in history, Mary told us now medical cannabis aids her daily routine, and helps her to live life to the fullest. 

When we asked Mary if her medical cannabis treatment for chronic pain had helped her keep up with her busy lifestyle, she said: 

“Oh, yes! I'm not so exhausted any more. I'm not looking at my garden and thinking, “Gosh, I am not going near those roses! Not today, maybe tomorrow!” Now, I just get to work. This has made a huge difference to me. I really was exhausted with all the pain, constantly thinking, “Oh gosh, I can't do that today.” That’s an awful feeling. 

Of course, the pain is not gone completely, but I didn’t expect that it would. The main thing is that I am not so tired. That's the best result so far. 

People get used to pain, and they don't know how much pain they're in until it finally stops. Occasionally, I think about stopping the cannabis as an experiment, just to remember how effective it is, but I don’t want to risk it….

I’m aware of the stigma, but this is medical cannabis, so it's different from the cannabis people may have come across over the years. I’m now able to do things I couldn’t before. It's a simple thing that really has helped. Long may it last! 

No one wants to take medicine, but this is natural, and I'd rather take this than any kind of pharmaceutical pills. With every pill, there’s an ill, isn’t there? And the effects of the medications I was prescribed by my GP always wore off over time, so I always needed to change them. I feel that the medical cannabis is a bit more holistic.

Since I began my treatment, I’ve seen medical cannabis help other people in my family. I have a grandson in America, and his wife was terribly anxious. Oh, my goodness. She was having problems leaving the house. She is taking medical cannabis now, and she's a completely different person.”

If this short snippet has inspired you to learn more about how spinal curvatures are treated with medical cannabis, read Mary’s full patient story to find out how her treatment has been going so far. 

Simon: Managing chronic pain with medical cannabis.

Now 70 years of age, Simon has been battling chronic back pain for around 50 years. This, combined with daily struggles thanks to his arthritic hands  and the discomfort of a trapped nerve affecting his neck and shoulder, is what led him to Releaf last year. 

Codeine, temazepam, diazepam, acupuncture, osteopathy, deep tissue massages - you name it - Simon tried it. But two short years ago, a friend introduced him to CBD. 

Simon told us he’s also a retired filmmaker, and he’d been curious about the medicinal and therapeutic properties ever since filming educational documentaries about illegal substances. But, this soft introduction to CBD left a lasting impression. 

Simon described CBD as being “quite helpful for general rheumatic pain” and its success left him wondering just how much the ‘real stuff’ could help. 

The rest, as they say, is history. 

When we spoke with Simon, he told us about reaching out to Releaf for the first time, and how things have been going since. He said:

“I called the phone number, and the staff member I connected with was absolutely fantastic. That’s the first thing that impressed me, and it's a big reason why I chose Releaf: the support staff are excellent.

In fact, every time I spoke to somebody at Releaf, they were always concerned and helpful. I was just speaking to one of the support staff today and I told them as much. 

All the people I’ve come in contact with at the clinic have been great, including the doctors. I've had three consultations now with three specialists, and the conversations I’ve had with them have all been very interesting. Each doctor had very insightful information….

The cannabis oil I received from Releaf is much more effective than the CBD I was using before.  The CBD made me more sluggish than the oil. It’s interesting: the oil doesn’t completely kill the pain, but the effects effectively distract me from the pain. I become less and less aware of it. 

And here is the most important thing about the cannabis oil: it doesn't affect my work life. 

I write. I'm retired, but I still write. While using my cannabis oil, I can still go to meetings; I can focus on my work and function absolutely normally. I really appreciate that aspect of the oil: it doesn't affect my cognitive ability at all. It just makes me feel better.

I generally only use my vape pen at night. Of course, as you get older, one gets aches and pains. If I've had a long day, done a lot of physical work, vaping the flower at night really helps. In the evening, it's lovely. I just relax in front of the television. In the daytime, I only use the oil. That’s just what works for me.”

To read Simon’s full story, in his words, of what it's like to manage chronic pain with medical cannabis, head over to his patient stories page. 

Is it time for you to rethink healthcare?

If you’ve found these stories relatable, or think these experiences are similar to those your loved ones have been facing, reach out to Releaf to see if medical cannabis might be suitable. 

Our online eligibility checker offers an indication of whether you’re an appropriate candidate for this specialist treatment in under a minute. 

All initial consultations are held with a GMC registered specialist doctor who is based here in the UK, and our money-back guarantee ensures you won’t be left out of pocket if it turns out these solutions aren’t suitable for your specific needs. 

Let’s rethink healthcare.