Medical cannabis and me: Real patient voices

Last month, three of the patients we spoke to told us that when they arrived at Releaf they were dealing with intense, chronic pain that considerably impacted their day to day lives. 

From affecting their quality of sleep and mental wellbeing, to their ability to enjoy their hobbies, or be present for their families and friends, Scott, Marlyse, and Lukas all turned to Releaf medical cannabis clinic in the hope of finding a solution.

And, it's safe to say, that’s exactly what they found. 

Here’s a little insight into each of their individual journeys:

Scott: Medical cannabis and trigeminal neuralgia

One of the patients we had the pleasure of speaking with last month was Scott. 

At age 37, Scott explained that for almost the last decade he’s been plagued by chronic, crippling pain. His pain is caused by Trigeminal Neuralgia - a condition that is estimated to affect only around 8 in every 100,000 people in the UK.

After battling to get an accurate diagnosis and cycling through what felt like endless medications and conventional pharmaceutical treatments to try to find something that effectively managed his pain, Scott told us he was loosing hope. 

But, ever since a chance conversation with a friend led him to Releaf, Scott’s noticed some remarkable changes.

In his patient story, Scott explained:

“Before starting with Releaf, my neuralgia could be triggered by the smallest things. If my window was open too much at night and I had a cold draft coming in, that would start it. 

Cleaning my teeth would start it. Drinking a hot drink would start it. Getting into the cold van and turning the heater on would start it. Getting out of the van and stepping back into the cold would start it. 

Everything was a trigger. But not any more. I can go outside in the cold, have a hot drink, and even experience stress without setting it off….

Now, I feel like I’m back better than ever. Honestly - better than I have ever been. It's amazing…. Every single night, I used to wake up at 1 AM and then again at 3AM every night without fail. Now, I sleep the whole night through until my alarm goes off.”

Read Scott’s full story

Marlyse: Medical cannabis and Sudeck’s disease (CPRS)

In March, we also helped Marlyse tell her story. 

Marlyse told us how what should have been a lovely day out rollerblading with her dog turned into a tragedy two and a half years ago, when a freak accident left her with crushed bones, torn muscles, and dislocated tendons and ligaments.

To make matters worse, months into recovery Marlyse’s arm still wouldn’t heal, and instead it became extremely swollen and painful, it began to spasm and even turned black. 

Eventually, she met with a consultant that knew what was happening: Sudeck’s disease - also known as Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. 

In her patient story, Marlyse explains:

After my diagnosis, my doctors were practically throwing morphine at me. For a year and a half, I was taking up to 25 tablets of codeine, plus oral morph three to six times a day…

Eventually, a stellate Ganglion Block on my spine was proposed. The pain surgeon said, “Now, if I get it wrong, you'll go into a coma for three months.” I didn’t hesitate. I said, “If it helps with the pain, I'm willing to go for it.”...

I completed the operation in January 2023, and with my own hard work, as well as the help of my husband’s massages, yoga, meditation, physio as well as my prescription medications, I reached a point where I gained some mobility back, but I still suffered from chronic pain….

If I didn't have medical cannabis [now], as well as the support from my husband and family, I think I would literally still be stuck with my big black arm, crying in pain. I have got a fantastic routine going with different forms of medical cannabis for different needs. I have morning oils, night oils and pain oils as well as different types of the flower.

For example, I have one strain that I use if I’m going outside with a lot of people. That strain just calms me down, and I’m sure no one will know about it, so I don’t feel any judgment or stigma. I have another strain that I use as a daytime painkiller, and another that I use at bedtime”.

Read Marlyse’s full story

Lukas: Medical cannabis and peripheral neuropathy

Lukas also shared his experiences with medical cannabis last month, and told us how he’d turned to these options after a series of traumatic, life-changing events. 

In 2018, Lukas was recovering from a perforated ulcer. He was determined to get back to being fit and healthy after his hospital stay, and so he went out on his mountain bike. 

But instead of having a peaceful ride, tragedy stuck, and he ended up in a crash that left him with a traumatic brain injury, two collapsed lungs, and multiple fractures. Lukas told us he was in intensive care for the next five months, one of which he was in a coma for, and during his hospital stay he was resuscitated nine times. 

Since then, Lukas has been diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy, functional neurological disorder (FND) and complex post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD). To manage his myriad of symptoms, Lukas was prescribed a concoction of strong pharmaceuticals, but, after encountering limited success and many side effects, Lukas went in search of an alternative. 

In his patient story, Lukas said:

When I first signed up for my initial consultation, I thought, “let's see what they come up with”  and I am pretty happy that I took that first step. 

While it took a bit of work, and some changes to my treatment plan over the past 6 months, the result has been somewhat life-changing…

It helps me manage my psychological response to my condition, rather than just being about pain relief. Some people might use it and find that it instantly takes their pain away, but that is not really how it works for me.

It relaxes me, especially at night. That is when a lot of the problems arise - when I am lying on my back, and my legs start going like I am possessed. That is when it really helps.

It does not completely take the pain away, but it helps because my body is not fighting against it as much. I don’t have to overcompensate all the time, which makes a huge difference. When everything is relaxed, it stops me from constantly using other muscles to try and compensate, and that has a knock-on effect in terms of pain.

Read Lukas’ full story

The UK’s most trusted medical cannabis clinic.

At Releaf, our mission has always been to put patients first, and that’s evident in more than just our patient stories.

In just over a year since our official launch in February 2024, thousands, including over 1,100 verified Trust Pilot users, have left a review for our services, and thanks to their positive ratings, we’ve grown to become the UK’s most trusted medical cannabis clinic, with a 4.7* Excellent average Trust Pilot rating. 

In fact, at the time of writing, we had received over 70 5-star reviews in just the past week.

Some of our favourites include: 

Final thoughts

Stories like Scott’s, Marlyse’s and Lukas’ remind us how powerful shared experiences can be. 

If you are a current Releaf patient, you can help others find the confidence, or inspiration, to try an alternative approach by simply leaving a Trust Pilot review, or ask a member of the team about sharing your patient story. Your words could change somebody’s life. 

If you’re not yet a Releaf patient, but are considering cannabis-based options, simply use our fast and free eligibility checker to give you an indication of if you’re suitable or not in a matter of minutes.