Give Topicals A Chance

I’m just going to come right out the door on this one and say it.

Topicals are legit… or fire… idk I can’t keep up with lingo these days…

For those who aren’t familiar with topical cannabis products, they are really helpful to those of us with wide ranging issues from inflamed skin to joint pain and arthritis. I never really noticed how many people use CBD and THC topical for relief until I started needing them.

As some of you readers might know by now, and if you don’t, that’s cool, I have lupus. Aside from the internal problems my condition creates, there are external symptoms I experience. Many of us with lupus (and other autoimmune conditions) have skin rashes that show up when we have bouts, or flare ups in our condition. These rashes I get show up on my hands, feet, and sometimes my arms and sides. They itch and if I scratch them, they just get worse. I’m going to be frank, I have itched them until they bled, it’s that bad.

When I talked with my care team about them, they prescribed a high strength steroid cream to reduce the itching and inflammation caused by these patches. I’m not really a medication person, I listened to my care team though and I tried the cream they prescribed. It works, but the side effects and just the care necessary to use this cream kind of concerns me. For instance, the cream can only be used short term, otherwise it will cause thinning of the skin, I don’t need another reason to bleed from minor scrapes (I just got off blood thinners).

So, to me, it’s like a band-aid, works short term, but isn’t really going to solve the problem. Also there are risks, I have to make sure I only apply the cream at night, I have to watch what I touch, and I have to make sure that I’m really cautious and aware of blankets and clothes that I’ve worn, they can’t go anywhere near my kids or pets. It’s like more trouble than it’s worth, it’s like I’d rather scratch myself to death.

I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one too. I’ve met a goat farmer who decided to change over to using CBD cream for his arthritis over prescriptions. I’ve read articles and blogs on and about other lupus patients who (like me) found cannabis creams to be very effective as a therapeutic solution for their skin irritation problems and also pain. So that’s just to say even though there isn’t a lot of research out there on cannabis products and efficacy of its use, there’s plenty of first hand anecdotal accounts.

I appreciate Lemonnade South Sacramento for giving me a platform to write on to bring some more awareness. I mean, I know I can get goofy sometimes here (if anyone read my new year’s article you know what I mean), that’s a bit of my nature.

But when it comes to how cannabis has improved my life and many of the people I’ve talked to and read testimonies from… Well, I think we as a community need to move some of these products from an “if you know you know” kind of space, into a space where doctors are more open to suggesting it to patients before moving into prescribing the big guns. The more we talk and engage, the more awareness we can bring. You know what I mean?

No, this isn’t medical advice. It’s just friendly information from someone who regularly uses creams, patches, and other topicals to help with my symptoms. And my hope is that when people are looking for an alternative, they can try these products to help them. Especially if they come from a place that carries the same concerns I have and symptoms I experience or maybe relates to others who I have interacted with.

So all that’s to say, I’m going to cover some topical agents that I use to help with my symptoms from lupus and how they’ve helped me on a regular basis.

Skin Irritation and Lupus Rash

When I have flare ups, the first thing that always shows up are dry skin patches coupled with a severely itchy rash. They usually show up on my fingers or toes. They can be painful too if I scratch too much. I use all natural ethically sourced and very gentle skincare products (as in soaps and lotions) that really help in combination with Mary’s Medicinals Transdermal Cream. I save the cream for when these sores appear, and it does a great job at reducing the itchiness and redness. Probably most important is the cream keeps me from wanting to itch and scratch because it soothes those parts of my skin.

So if you have dry skin, or skin conditions that are similar in appearance and carry the same symptoms, it might be a good idea to check in with your doctor and see if a topical cream can be added to your regimen.

Arthritis and Joint Pain

With my form of Lupus, the second thing that consistently shows up is inflammation in my joints especially when a gnarly flare up shows up. It’s gotten so bad that I can’t raise my arms on some days, or I need to switch arms if only one is working. Like, I’ve used my teeth to put a t-shirt on all the way because I can’t use my other arm, it just won’t bend.

Before I started using a Muscle Freeze topical or the transdermal patches, I would take pain medication for days on end until the symptoms subsided. Taking pain medication was not my idea of a great solution, so after trying and adding the patches to my routine, I found a great deal of relief.

I mean you’re probably imagining that I have patches all over my body everyday. But that’s not the case, Lupus kind of comes and goes. So, on the really bad days, where my shoulders are swollen and I can’t move them, I will add a patch or use the muscle freeze to aid me. It helps me, and if you’re looking for a therapeutic alternative, I’d say go for it.

Wrapped-Up

Like this is just a personal account of the skin care and joint care remedies I’ve found from cannabis topicals. It’s not all encompassing. The thing about health care in most of its forms is that no treatment is the same. All of our bodies are different and react differently to the regiments that we follow. What works for me might not work for you. You may have another type of skin condition or arthritis in other areas of your body.

In those cases, Lemonnade South Sacramento has a super caring and understanding team of budtenders. They’re not going to look at you sideways if you’re asking for a product that you need to help with the symptoms you are experiencing. Chances are others (like me) have interacted with them and they can start you on a path to finding the right products. Until next time all. Be good, do good.