Christian's story

My name is Christian. I’m a professional writer and in 2014, after a week in bed with my left side paralysed, I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.

M.S is mainly a disease of pain and fatigue. The nervous system attacks the brain and spinal cord, creating false and strange signals the brain doesn’t deal well with. So it causes phantom signals, not unlike a very painful case of ‘pins and needles’. In my case, cramps bad enough to tear muscles. It creates ‘brain fogs’, where short term memories don’t form easily, where cognition slows and what was a simple task yesterday becomes a fiendish puzzle the next.

To deal with this, I was diagnosed with lyrica, a nerve pain agent, which was, yes, effective. But with poor psychological side effects, for me, pessimistic moods. And serious weight gain. Other medicines have their place. I find naprogesics useful. But not strong.

However, starting cannabis oil, a simple half-a-syringe twice a day, has been by far the most effective medication. With no real side effects, it has eased my pain, made my sleep more relaxing, lifted my mood and has certainly made sites of old cramping, often quite formidably painful, far easier to cope with. It has made my relationship with my body more positive.

It’s not an exaggeration to say this medicine has changed my life qualitatively for the better.