I went cold turkey after about 5 years using 400mg of Lyrica per day. Lyrica is a medication used to treat nerve and muscle pain, including fibromyalgia and can also treat seizures.I was prescribed Lyrica after my doctor confessed that gabapentin is a garbage drug. Full disclosure, I am a quadriplegic at the C-5/6 level. I was prescribed the drug for neuropathic pain. I decided to quit taking it after I felt like it wasn’t helping with the pain any longer. Then conveniently, I forgot to fill my prescription for the weekend and thought fuck it, I’m done. After about two weeks, I felt the wrath of that decision. My spasticity went through the roof. I have to now get straps to tie my legs and waist to my wheelchair or I will flip out of it. Ironically that only lasted about a couple of months.
Then about six months after that, they came back just as bad as ever. This time, they started to mess with my heart. I was admitted to the ER with Atrial fibrillation (a-fib) and tachycardia. A-fib is a quivering or irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia) that can lead to blood clots. They tried to stop and start my heart to get a regular rhythm back to no avail. During the five days in the Critical Care Unit, they attempted a cardiac ablation, but couldn’t do that because of an enormous blood clot in my filter. They sent me home on beta blockers to help with the a-fib, but the pills gave me pneumonia. I then knew I had to go homeopathic. I started taking magnesium and Hawthorn for my heart, and cannabis for everything else. CBD helps a lot to soften the blow from some of the side effects. Like others, I do not sleep. I never really was much of a sleeper even before all of this. I do have the edibles to help me sleep. I’m up to about 70mg of THC at night time. I have to wait a couple of hours still before I can lay down because of spasms. If you are new to edibles, please do not consume any more than 5mg the first time, meaning within the initial 24 hours of consumption – Trust me on that.
Over time, you will get a better idea of your tolerance. I also smoke Indica at night, and Sativa during the day. On difficult days I snack on lower dose edibles to keep my spasms under control. Smoking is a more immediate delivery. Eating takes a lot longer to activate, but lasts longer. Even though CBD is another aspect of cannabis, it can be used as an antidote if you accidentally get too high on THC. It’s always a good idea to have CBD around as a tincture, or maybe a Vape pen. It’s been two years since I went cold turkey, and unfortunately I still suffer from a lot of the same side effects. This has not stopped me from moving on with my life. I’m able to think now. My artwork is much more detailed and vibrant. Even though I may have a bad day, or series of days, my good days are fantastic. Hopefully, my story is a warning to not go cold turkey.
Richard Bell
