A new analysis of over 38,000 patients who used Non Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAID’s) showed a 17% increase in the risk of atrial fibrillation.    Common NSAID’s used by patients are ibuprofen (Motrin) and Naprosyn (Alleve) to treat a variety of ailments.    Because they are sold over the counter and handed out by physicians [...]

As New Jersey tries to implement it’s medical marijuana program, the governor has made it clear what he really feels about it. Read this quote from the newly elected governor…Christie had said there are flaws with laws in some other jurisdictions, leading to situations where there is “”a head shop in every town and quack doctors writing prescriptions for people with headaches to get marijuana.’ A find it pretty unbelievable that he label a physician who has the courage to recommend cannabis to a headache sufferer as a “quack”… especially since he has NO CLUE what he is talking about. READ ON

A recent study examining the safety of Non-Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs (NSAID’s) demonstrated in increase risk of cardiovascular disease. Examples of NSAID are drugs like Motrin, Ibuprofen, Alleve, Naprosyn are used all the time by patients for any type of pain. They are also prescribed by physicians regularly. The bottom line is the data is showing that they are not safe and should only be used occasionally and not daily as patients typically do. This is why using medical marijuana is growing in popularity. It produces similar anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects and has been used safely for thousands of years. READ ON…

Last week the FDA decided to ban the use of Darvocet (propoxyphene) by doctors in the United States and for drug companies that make it to pull it off the market immediately. The reason: they found it increases the risk of fatal heart arrythmias!

Darvocet is an opioid narcotic used to treat pain. It is the same class of drugs as percocet, vicodin, hydrocodone, oxycontin etc. It was approved by the FDA in 1957 and has been regularly prescribed for pain in around the world. DOCTORS CONSIDERED IT SAFE BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT THE PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES THAT STUDIED IT SAID.

WELL ONCE AGAIN THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY GOT IT WRONG. And in this case patients died because of it. IT IS FOR THIS REASON THAT SO MANY OF MY PATIENTS COME IN AND TELL ME “I WANT OFF MY PAIN PILLS AND WANT TO USE SOMETHING MORE NATURAL AND SAFER”… HENSE THE REASON MEDICAL MARIJUANA IS THRIVING RIGHT NOW.

Today in Irvine I took care of a 56 year old man who has a herniated disc between his 5th and 6th vertebra in his neck and has debilitating pain, weakness and numbness to his right arm. He has been using medical marijuana occasionally for the past 12 months to treat his symptoms and wanted safe regular access to it because of how good it made him feel. He had been on a regimen of Tramadol (for sleep), Vicodin (for pain), Ibuprofen (for pain) and Prednisone (to reduce the inflammation). ALL of those medications were causing significant side effects and he no longer could tolerate them… read on.

A recent study performed by researches at McGill University in Montreal demonstrated a reduction in pain in patients who used medical marijuana. Here is the link to the article regarding the study.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-20015148-10391704.html

Although the study had only 23 patients in its pool I think their findings align with my conversations with over 5000 patients who I have treated for chronic pain. READ ON…

Today in Long Beach I took care of a 54 year old man who uses medical marijuana to control chronic pain after having 7 back surgeries. In the past he was a chronic user of opiates and NSAID’s such as Alleve, Motrin and Acetaminphen (Tylenol) but developed RENAL CELL CARCINOMA (KIDNEY CANCER) as a result of his chronic use of NSAIDS and just last month had to have his right kidney removed. READ MORE….

Today in my Irvine office I took care of a 56 year old man who uses medical marijuana to treat his acute attacks of Gouty Arthritis. He has had 4 attacks since my initial evaluation last year and states that he can not take typical doses of NSAIDS (alleve/motrin/indomethicin) because of a history of gastric ulcers (as a result of overuse if NSAIDS). In addition to diet modification, alcohol elimination and regular exercise, this patient can expect to get moderate relief of his pain and inflammation with cannabis alone.

Today in my Long Beach medical marijuana (cannabis) office I evaluated a 60 year old man who has been suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome. He explained that he gets a burning sensation in his right hand and also has pain with any type of wrist movement that involves flexing his wrist. The pain is most pronounced in the evenings and at night and it has caused significant problems with sleeping. He has been using cannabis successfully for the past 2 months and wanted to receive a physician recommendation so he can safely access medicine to treat his symptoms.

An important study just came out in the periodical “Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes” which demonstrated an increased risk of fatal and non-fatal heart attack and stroke for healthy patients who routinely use NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) such as motrin, ibuprofen, diclofenac, voltaren, celebrex, naprosyn, aleve etc. to treat pain. This is a very important study and you those patients who routinely pop motrins or take dicofenac to treat pain need to read. Marijuana has for many years been found to have potent anti-inflammatory effects without any of the increased risks associated with commonly prescribed NSAID’s.