Monday, July 28, 2008 AGSerra1 asks

Q: Marinol or Sativex

Hi - wondering why these two meds are not readily prescribed ? Marinol is am opiod that reduces anxiety, muscle pain and overall well being of particular MS patients ...

Sativex, is still in the process of getting an FDA approval, as to the packaging and dispensing ...

Why is it that an MS doctor will prescribe hevay duty opiods such as Gabpentin ( neurontin) which in fertile women can cause birth defects , and Soma , another heavy duty opiod .. but will not prescribe Marinol ?

As an MS patient , I am having a difficult understanding .. I am in pain and have muscle spasms and cramping .. the baclofen and neurontin are not doing the trick .. while I seem now to be having more pain in my muscles than ever ...

I understand that Marinol can help with my symptoms, including my anxiety ... so why can I not get a doctor to get me off all these other useless meds and prescribe the one that seems to fit my needs ?

Who answers these anyway ?

AGSerra

- A
- A
- A

Answers (11)

Merely Me, Health Guide

11/ 6/08 7:46am

Hey there!

First of all, I am sorry that your question was never answered. I just found it today...hiding in all the rest. I just came aboard after your question was posed so I will give it a try now.

You ask a darn good question. The use of medical marijuana to treat Multiple Sclerosis symptoms is still a controversial topic.

Did a literature search and found two good articles on this topic. Here is one for you to read as well as an excellent article here from Stu's MS Views and Related News site.

I think a lot of docs are just not comfortable going outside the mainstream and there has not been the push for it as in other countries. As far as I know...they have not been FDA approved here in this country.

So there is not much you can do but to voice your opinion or urge for legislation to get this type of med approved.

Thanks for your question...it was really interesting to research.

Terry

12/25/08 5:41pm

Sativex is still not available in the USA, but hopefully soon the FDA pushed it straight to 3 stage trials Jan '08. I am however taking Marinol for my MS and it helps, but still not the total answer. I have severe problems with Neuropathy, Muscle Spasms and Chronic pain and started the Marinol (15mg to 20mg/day)recently and seems to reduce it and causes further drowsiness. I prefer it over the lyrica, zanaflex and ultram I have been taking, but still need the Ultram sometimes when it gets too severe. BTW Once Sativex gets approved they are planning on trying it over the Marinol.

All I can say is you just need to find a good doctor willing to work with you I have some of the top Beverly Hills docs and they help much more than others.

ouch

4/ 7/09 3:41pm

Hi - you and I are in the same boat. I have ms and a spine that has 7 diagnoses' from my next to my coccyx. I am allergic to or have severe intolerance and sensitivities to all chemicals. Morphine was tried, allergic and all the way down to aspiriin to methadone. A pain doc who I never want to see again in Phila. started my script of Marinol - but the pain psych I go to wants someone more local to work with it. I need to get as much information for my primary. Even the doc who prescribed the morphine won't do the marinol. Good God people - how can someone who calls themselves doctors let someone suffer just because of ignorance. In less than one month I will be in a bed in so much pain that there will be no sleeping, no eating, stuck in the mire of our medical system. Marinol is very legal -keep on trying, look up on the net of a pain clinic in your surrounding area and talk to a guy who gives meds. for pain. I pray as I understand what you are going through. You try to get it and I'll try to educate a doc that needs more infor.......Stay in touch.....Ouch

Daddio

6/27/09 9:52pm

Apparently you are not too familiar with drug classifications. Marinol is not an opiod.

AGSerra1

11/ 1/10 11:05pm

Hi - I do know what these are .. I do know they are derivatives from pot. That is what I am asking.

I do not like opoids and take as little as possible of what I do take. It has been a long time since I posted this question.

I do know about the new meds and findings , at the time I wrote this I was in NM and had been using marijuana at home only. It depended on the pot , the symptoms were eleviated.

I have not been in NM for two years now and have not replied until now. I had a second relapse last July and am just getting back to posting here. I have forgotten how to do a sharepost and am only now getting back to any writing.

I appreciate all the replies, I am grateful for all the great responses. I pray you all have patience as I read these .

Much love and peace .. Adrian

heather

1/17/12 1:37pm

Medical Marijuana is now legal in NM! ;)

Merinol is chemically made THC, the ingredient that helps found in marijuana.

For now, I live in a non-legal state and really need to get perscribed marinol. THC helps me with my anxiety/panic attacks, pain from arthritis and headaches, and my appetite (anarexia). But when I search about it, I find mainly info on using it for cancer/kemo and HIV pacients...?

It makes me so mad that they don't mind doping me up with pain killers (opiates) and anxiety meds (benzodiazapines), which are both so very addictive!!

Any info on my conditions and marinol being good for them out there that I can find? Please help!! thanks!!!!

Daddio

6/27/09 10:05pm

Apparently you are not too familiar with drug classifications. Marinol is not an opiod.

it is a marijuana derivitve using mainly THC from the marijuana. Sativex is also a marijuana drug using the entire plant. It is not awaiting FDA approval for packaging, but is undergoing Class II/III testing to determine if it an effective drug that will actually treat any specific diagnoses or if it will be classified the same as pot, LSD, etc. Gabipentin is not an opiod either. It is a drug mainly used in the treatment of seizure disorders, but prescribed by doctors because it also has an indirect effect on pain. Lastly, Soma is a muscle relaxer and is in no way a "heavy duty opiod". An opiod is a drug that directly binds opiod receptors primarily in the central nervous system. They are categorized as natural opiates, which are directly derived from the opium poppy plant or synthesized opium alkaloids(morphine and codiene), semi-synthetics (Vicodin, Oxycontin), and full synthetics (Fentanyl and methadone). Analgesics are pain relievers and are often opiod drugs and should not be confused with muscle relaxers, Neurontin and Lyrica, and other often prescribed drugs that help with pain, but are not actual analgesics.

skelit0re

3/16/10 1:54pm

FINALLY someone who knows what they are talking about!!! It pisses me off so bad when people rant about opiates and have NO CLUE what they even ARE. CONSIDER THIS: ANYYYY opiate (a substance derrived from the OPIUM poppy) is almost NO different from the big bad "HEROIN" that everyone is so damn affraid of. It's like "hmm..Oxymorphone? its in a pill? oh ok, must be safe". Oxymorphone is 2 to 5 times more potent than the big baddd HEROIN.

RedSunn

10/23/10 7:12am

Daddio

10/25/10 7:52pm

I stand corrected. I should have said Marinol is a synthetic based upon the properties of THC. Thanks for correcting me.

starnthanite

8/ 6/09 7:33am

if you find out pleaseeeeeeee let us know ms patient

Marcia

3/17/10 2:28pm

First of all, Marinol is NOT an opioid and has no addictive properties except psychological ones.

The biggest problem with marijuana or cannabis based medicines is the stigma attached. Next is the pharmacuetical industry. Marinol is very, very cheap to make but charges way way too much for people to be able to afford it. And now days, insurance companies can decide which medicines they will cover, even against your doctor's advice (you can still get the script filled, they just won't pay for it).

Politics and Profits, that is why these medicines are not readily available either by cost or by the stigma attached.

AGSerra1

3/21/10 8:27pm

Wow .. had not been on this site for quite some time but am happy to have received all these responses .. I am waiting now to see how this new "healthcare" is going to affect us all ...

RedSunn

10/23/10 7:14am

Marinol is fully synthetic and does not come from natural marijuanna or natural thc whatsoever. It also lacks so many components of mj, and also gets synthesized by the body entirely differently. Here is one of the many great links that explain it far better than I ever could... http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=6635 and if your doctor will not allow you to have a medicine that you believe will help you, I would get a second opinion. Keep in mind that marinol is definately different than marijuanna. I suggest if you live in pa you support house bill 1393 for legalization of medicinal marijuanna, or contact your local government to find out if there is any progress with it in your state.

PimpnALimP

10/27/10 8:46pm

Hi, Names Ray. im 27, i got diagnosed dec 05 08. i couldnt feel my legs and went down urinating on myself. my brains covered, cant gine me a count and my spines t1-t2, solid through c4-c7.optic neuritis. cant even drive anymore they had me on 2 mg's of klonopin40 mg's of adderall. and 7 more plus my shot a daybut i had to stop that, i couldnt take it.. just yesterday i read your post. i printed off everything about marinol. from the side effects to dosages. 7 pages worth. im as fu*ked up as a football bat. very high anxiety, i lost my whole life. i operated heavy machinery.. i told him you wanna give me these doper pills, i dont want them. marijuana works perfect.. seriously it is perfect for me. i took my daughters mother to court. her thing is i am a drug addict lol. i can be on 9 meds a day. ups and downs and id be fine but THC im a loser... i explained this. it is my medication. they want me on klonopins because i have so much stress but thats another addiction/problem to worry about... i explained i needed to justify my reasons for my marijuana use.. i explained a PREVIOUS Dr. said no like they had this disease 1ST THING. put that 1. if you dont want to be a doper drop those pills and explain you wanna trade out, know the drug, learn it. its our disease. good luck, god bless y'all

AGSerra1

11/ 1/10 11:10pm

thanks ray .. i get what you are saying .. i am getting that i need to do that .. finding the right doctor is the thing .. for some resaon i cannot find one that will prescribe .. it is just a matter of time as i search here in FL.

thanks for sharing , and God bless as well !!!

Adrian

murray

10/14/11 2:11pm

Hi I have been taking Marinol 2.5mg twice a day for the last 6 years when I approched my doctor he said he wanted more info so he did the research and agree to give me RX

I use the dmarinol to control chronic pain and cannot take anything with codine and tried other pain killlers and break out in hives and shallow breathing so this is why i take it

my doctor is in his 50s but will listen for that i'm happy

murray

Martin Podski

11/ 8/11 3:20am

How much does Marinol cost (I'm in PA)? Just wondering if I should even bother asking my Dr for a prescription if it costs more than I can afford. Plus does health insurance cover any of it (I'm with Highmark BC)?

BJB

5/ 3/13 6:54am

I checked with 2 pharmacies in Anchorage, ALASKA "TODAY" ( 5-2-2013 ) and at WALGREEN'S for 30 capsels ( it only last's for 15 days ) and the cost was $375.00.

I ALSO CHECKED AT "GENEVA WOOD'S" PHARMACY in Anchorage and the cost was

even HIGHER @ $391.00! This is a bunch of B.S. We with MS as horrible as this disease IS, we with it KNOW what work's on our bodies and what doesn't. IF our GOVERNMENT and the POLITICAL JOKER"S out there were getting *TAXES* off of Marijuana.....Well then, it WOULD have been LEGALIZED many many YEAR"S ago........ That's where I'm coming from. I can BARELY carry on my daily tasks with the Horrible Tremors, PAIN, lack of sleep, numbness & needles & pin's, stabbing pains, feels like WORMS running around the RIGHT side of my BRAIN + sooooooooooooooooo MANY MORE symptoms, and NOT enuf space to put em all here. Last year I started FALLING all the time, then my legs went out COULDN"T walk, stand, was bed~ridden for 5 months, all my hair fell out in 3 weeks time. The RIGHT side of my body went TOTALLY PARALYZED for 5 MONTHS + so much more. I HATE IT ALL, but also feel that perhaps GOD is "allowing" me to go thru this as a Testimony to *HIS MIRACULOUS HEALINGS* even in *TODAY'S

TIME'S*. >>> And PLEZ understand that I am **NOT** saying that GOD has "CAUSED" this to happen to me.

I was DX'd with MS only 2 weeks ago and am now waiting til May10th for my "neuro" to let me know what "stage" I'm in.......Its looking more like stage 3 or 4..............

Must run its almost 2 a.m. This disease is all so bran~nu to me....If anyone would like to share any of their experiences with me or enlightening me in as what I have to look forward to, this is acting VERY aggressively and rampant. It would be very nice to be able to speak with some of you and see what KIND of med's you are on now and also when you were first DX'd.

Peace and Blessings to each and everyone of you suffers and to those of you who love us.

~Miss NASCAR~ALASKA 2013~ >> > BjBinBigBear@gmail.com

Thank you All very much for listening............ 2:30 a.m. ALASKA Time @ 19*

Q: Marinol or Sativex

Related Questions

Ask a Question