DaCrema da Crop

Posted on by mscellenea

My doctor recommended CBD for pain relief. Cannabinoid oil. Yes, from cannabis.

In particular, she mentioned this company, because they use no solvents to extract CBD from industrial hemp. It is legal in all 50 states. It doesn’t make you high. You won’t get the munchies. It can erase pain

I vape it

I put it under my tongue

The lip balm is amazing.

DaCrema Botanicals.

https://dacremabotanicals.com/

They  follow up each order with a personal email. Then they randomly send me free samples. And information about the status of hemp in the US. No disclaimer here; it just happens. I decided to write about it today because I was so grateful to open up my last order.

I give the free samples to friends with chronic pain, but I hoard the lip balm. Sorry.

In the photo above, I ordered the syringe with the concentrated CBD. The rest they just sent. LIP BALM! (Although the sub-lingual drops are also like gold around here. Got through the flu on them–otherwise falling over  because legs buckle, stabby pain from the chest down, (and other fun MS stuff.)

 

 

Long weekend

Posted on by mscellenea

I mean loooong weekend.

To which I was very much looking forward.

I knew I was getting my garden plants. I was also expecting a furniture delivery: tall leather upholstered headboards I’ve been lusting after for three years. They finally went on sale. A month later, I was really getting them. Thrilled.

After a year and a half in this apartment, I wanted to take advantage of my “extra” day to get my balcony all fixed up so I could sit out there and have a nice glass of wine and relax. Perhaps while looking at my new plants.

I moved two Christmases ago, and was still so knackered by early spring, I skipped the pot plants last summer. Now, I had pots, a plan, plants out for delivery –and was ready.

Here’s what happened. Continue reading Long weekend

KO for BO, aluminum-free

Posted on by mscellenea

I’ m three years into a concerted search for a natural product to rival my favorite antiperspirant. That product  is “clinical strength,” marketed for women, and is pretty much like aluminum-siding  your underarms. You don’t sweat, you don’t smell, and you can even skip a few days like they say on the commercial. It’s pretty much my last holdout in the supermarket toiletries aisle.

I know this can’t be good for you. Particularly since it’s used close to lymph nodes, breasts, and other cancer-prone body parts. So, every once in a while I try to find something more natural.

Something that actually works. Continue reading KO for BO, aluminum-free

Liver-friendly topical pain relief

Posted on by mscellenea

I have been on a hunt for some pain relief that will not compromise my liver. I figured I’d start from the outside in. I’ve had enough drama involving insides lately, and wanted to give them a break.

While topical creams can avoid gastric complications, some contain ingredients, which when absorbed through the skin, can have the same side effects as those taken internally. You have to be doubly careful if you are using such a cream while also taking an oral pain reliever with similar ingredients.

Pictured here are three pain relievers. Two are “natural” remedies, one is by prescription. Continue reading Liver-friendly topical pain relief

Thistle Truce!

Posted on by mscellenea

After three weeks of incremental additions to the dose, I’m finally on the recommended 40 drops of this stuff, three times a day. And, I feel pretty darn good.

My doctor put me on this blend when recent blood tests showed elevated liver and kidney functions. I’ve since found that a lot of the problem was caused by diclofenac, a precsription NSAID pain reliever (liver-knew about that) and the diclofenac in combination with candesartan (kidney). Continue reading Thistle Truce!

“Emergency” chili

Posted on by mscellenea

I had a couple of bad weekends recently because of drug and supplement reactions. As it turns out, diclofenac, the NSAID I take for pain, doesn’t get along at all with my blood pressure med (candesartan) or with the coumarin in the cinnamon I used to use. I usually don’t use much diclofenac, so the drug didn’t have the opportunity to react with the rest of my daily doses until I had some significant pain.

I took a lot of diclofenac in January, as an old shoulder injury I had flared up again. In the last blood test, done after taking 2-3 diclofenic tablets a day, my kidney and liver functions were all out of whack. Continue reading “Emergency” chili

LDN and pain relief — the nettle and the sting

Posted on by mscellenea

About three years ago, I fell on some black ice, landing  hard on my palms and one knee. I healed quickly and didn’t think much more about it. However, since, during times of low atmospheric pressure–as in an impending storm, I find that the pain comes back, twice so far, much worse than it was in the original fall.

The first time this happened was extremely painful. I squirmed my way into the car to see my doctor, who prescribed an opiate with many warnings. I took it. Nothing happened–like taking air pills. I had to call back and point out that LDN was an opiate blocker.

Oops. Continue reading LDN and pain relief — the nettle and the sting

The 40% solution?

Posted on by mscellenea

To drink or not to drink with chronic pain associated with a disease like Multiple Sclerosis? There are two recent studies that argue for pro- and con-sides of the argument. The “pro” study says that regular moderate consumption improves the EDSS scores of MS patients. Another says that moderate drinking reduces the risk of developing MS. Continue reading The 40% solution?

Med-making day

Posted on by mscellenea

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Today, I made a custom mix of supplements, some Ceylon cinnamon capsules, and the usual biotin test tubes. Here’s a slideshow about making capsules. I get my supplies at bulksupplements.com; I get the cinnamon from Penzey’s.

Yes, my medicine tray is a masala dhaba, a traditional stainless-steel Indian spice tray with seven cups and a lid. (Pfft to those “day-of-the-week” ones from the drugstore.)

A perfect TENS

Posted on by mscellenea
TENS machine

My knee hurts today–I was in the “palliative” drawer, which I emptied for the previous post.

But this thing usually does the trick. TENS stands for “transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation” and it can greatly help with those MS pains that show up just about anywhere. Then they start hopping around like a barrel full of monkeys. Continue reading A perfect TENS

My MS mini-me; tinfoil hat optional

Posted on by mscellenea

MMMMMMMMSmimime

  1. Tinfoil hat
  2. Eye patch for bouts of optic neuritis
  3. Neck, shoulder, back heating pad (highly recommended)
  4. Sling for dead arm days
  5. Blood pressure cuff
  6. Wrist brace
  7. Warming gloves
  8. Hot water bottle
  9. Ace bandage for whatever I don’t have a brace to correct
  10. Big-time knee brace
  11. Two ankle braces
  12. Winter boots with Yaktraxs installed

There, now you’ll recognize me if you see me out and about.