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Citation:   FMS sufferer. "For the Pain of Fibromyalgia: An Experience with Cannabis (ID 11143)". Erowid.org. Jun 30, 2003. erowid.org/exp/11143

I suffer from fibromyalgia, a condition closely related to chronic fatigue syndrome. In a nutshell, fibromyalgia is similar to arthritis, but the pain is primarily in the muscles and not the joints. On a bad day, I may ache as if I had run a marathon the day before (or otherwise got an unaccustomed amount of exercise) even if I did not do anything but sleep or sit in front of the computer. This pain is coupled with severe sleep problems.

This is a lifelong condition; though it is not terminal or fatal some sufferers are unable to live normal lives (mine is not so severe) and one of Dr. Kevorkian's assisted suicides was performed on someone with fibro.

I have been on a number of medications since I was diagnosed for this illness. I have only been on two to kill pain however -- ibuprofen, and tramadol (ultram). Though the latter can be quite effective, it takes an hour to begin working and there are some serious concerns about addiction.

I have found no painkiller that works as quickly or as completely as smoking marijuana. Immediately after I toke, muscle pain fades almost completely. If I am in a lot of pain, I may still be able to feel that my muscles are aching, but the pain is no longer unbearable and can easily be ignored. It does not seem to affect my sleep in any way, although if I get too high right before bed it can be more difficult to fall asleep.

I have discussed my marijuana use with my doctor to ensure that none of my medications (including tramadol, citalopram, amitriptyline, and gabapentin) will react to it in adverse ways. She reassured me that they would not; in fact, she suggested it could be extremely beneficial (although she felt legally constrained from actually recommending it).

I hope others with Fibro or other forms of chronic pain will consider marijuana. I hope that someday it is legal for us to use it.