Chris’ story: From post-polio pain to peace of mind with Releaf medical cannabis

Can you tell us a bit about your background, and what brought you to Releaf?

I'm 68 years old. I'm retired now, but I used to be a social worker, and I really enjoy history, and attending historical events and talks.

In 1958, as a toddler, I contracted polio. It damaged my muscles and growth development from the diaphragm down. What polio does is it attacks the muscles and kills them, and once they're done, they’re really done. 

The strength of your muscles while you're growing governs the way your bones grow. Because my feet were very badly affected, my bones didn’t grow properly, and now I’ve got very short club feet, and they’re highly arched.

I’ve had numerous operations to transfer tendons, I’ve had arthroscopies, fusing bones, all sorts of things like that - a lifetime of operations. And I’ve had essentially a lifetime of pain that’s gone along with it. 

That pain has slowly but surely progressed and worsened over the last 20 years, but particularly so in the last ten years. Since about 2015, I’ve been taking the maximum amount of Tramadol and Paracetamol you can take, along with other pain relief drugs like amitriptyline and various things, but it wasn’t really breaking through the pain.

I was trying to manage it the way I was advised by countless pain clinic consultations, trying to keep on top of it all the time, but I never got on top of it. It became extremely debilitating over the past few years, and was really affecting the quality of my life. I was just at the end of my tether. 

I’d been through the pain clinic referrals, done all the mindfulness and lifestyle things they recommend, and it still wasn’t making any real difference. 

I’ve got four sons. They’ve all been very supportive, as Is my wife, of course. One of my boys said to me, “Dad, have you tried this?” I said, “No, I can’t do that. Must be illegal.” And he said, “No, this company here, they’ve got it correct. They know how to prescribe it, and they’re doing it legally.”

So I thought, well, I’ve got nothing to lose. My sons were recommending it, so it was worth giving it a try. 

It’s been three to four months now, and the pain picture has changed massively. I repeat: massively.

What was your first impression of Releaf, from sign-up to consultation?

I was a little wary at first, applying for Releaf, I must admit. I thought, “This might be just another gimmick”. But when I started reading about medical cannabis in the UK, and then Releaf, I was surprisingly reassured.

I did the sign-up, and I was a little bit apprehensive about the cost, but then I thought, it’s not that much, actually. Maybe the cost of a few bottles of wine a month. But, in terms of value, it wasn’t too much at all. I’ve had private treatment at times, and this was definitely lower than a lot of the consultations I’ve had. So that was good. I found the process very easy, logical, and reassuring. 

When I got to my first consultation, the doctor was fantastic. I really clicked with him. I could tell it wasn’t a gimmick or a con, it all seemed very professional.

I’d tried to approach it through my GP to see if I could be on anything similar, but there was just no access to it. They just don’t do it. But then I started to do a little research, and heard that medical cannabis schemes were launching, and it all came together at the right time for me.

So yeah, the whole thing came together nicely. I liked the idea that you can commit to this if you want, or you can do it as more of an ad hoc commitment. That felt pretty genuine - you’re not trying to rope everybody into a monthly plan. That flexibility was reassuring too.

Did you feel supported as you figured out your treatment routine?

Yes. I am prescribed medical cannabis oil and I began with one millilitre and did that for the first week. Second week, two. Third week, three. Then I had a review consultation. In those three weeks, my pain level had gone down dramatically. It was helping, undoubtedly.

During the review, the medical practitioner said I could step it up if I wanted, but I said, “I’m okay around three or four. I’ll stick around there for the moment,” because that seems to be working. So that’s what I’m on at the moment.

I take it shortly after I get up and shortly before I go to bed. Just twice a day. I have, on one occasion, felt a lot of pain during the day, so I just had a little top-up, and that seemed to do the trick.

Can you describe what it feels like when the treatment starts to take effect?

If I take it first thing in the morning, before I’ve started moving around and things, and let it take effect, then I don’t get the early morning pain. It really helps getting the muscles I do have moving again. 

It doesn’t really constrict the day at all. I just have a cup of tea and wait for the drops to work, and then it’s pretty good. It really helps me get through the day more easily, and my mood is much better.

I had been prescribed a mental health medication in the past because I was beginning to get down with the pain. But, since starting with my Releaf prescription, my general mood has lifted as well. And that’s nice to have again. I can feel relaxed enough to laugh again, and things like that, which is amazing.

Through my job as a social worker, I'm well aware that heavy cannabis use (especially the unregulated long-term use of high-grade recreational cannabis) can come with issues. I have known people who’ve smoked too much and had mental health issues arising out of that. So I’m conscious of all that. If anything, that was another reason that made me sceptical about it.

But my prescription through Releaf isn’t that. I’d reiterate that, because it’s so well regulated, both the products and the service, I think it’s as safe as it can be.

Has the ongoing specialist-led support helped you feel more comfortable with this treatment?

Yes, it does reassure me. I looked up the doctors independently and saw that they were all qualified and experienced practitioners.

The fact that there’s an open line, that I can call somebody anytime I want to, is really reassuring as well. I haven’t needed to, but knowing it’s there is reassuring.

I also travelled abroad with the medication. Of course, I was very worried I’d get pulled up on that. So I printed off the guidance your company gives, and I’ve got the medical cannabis card. I looked up the laws in France and Belgium, where I went. It was fine. I had my travel certificate and Releaf medical cannabis card. I wasn’t stopped, but if I had been, I felt quite confident this would be okay. They might rip the car apart, but there’s nothing there anyway. So, it was good to have that reassurance.

Have you shared your experience with friends, family, or clinicians?

Not many people yet, but I’ve got a pain clinic appointment this afternoon, and I am going to tell them about it and see what they say. I know it’s on my medical records with the GP, and I’m seeing her again later this month, so I’ll try and have a chat with her then as well.

But in terms of other people around, I’ve felt a bit wary about admitting to it. My son was with me when I told the first person. I said, this is the first time I’m going to say anything about it.

The person I spoke to was a very respectable councillor, and he just said, “Well, if it works for you, that’s great.” So it didn’t create the worry I thought it would. That was good. I think people are more open to it.

Although there’s still some backlash, the arguments about cannabis have, I think, been won. Now they just need to get on with it. I think it would help save a lot of money in the NHS.

How would you describe the overall impact of cannabis oil on your quality of life?

I think the most noticeable change is that I can get on with doing some of the things I’d stopped doing, and that’s nice. I love gardening, and I had essentially stopped because I just found it too difficult. But I’ve been able to get back to doing a little bit of gardening. That’s been good. Gardening helps me relax as well, so it’s a win-win all round.

I also think my appetite has changed, and for the better. I’m not hungry all the time like I was. I think I was comfort eating to try and block out the pain, but I don’t feel the need for that anymore, which is nice.

There’s definitely a feeling of being more relaxed, and I can feel that in my muscles. I used to get a huge amount of muscle spasms, which were very painful. That’s slowed to hardly any at all now. 

I haven’t felt anything like feeling high. I just feel relaxed. It’s not like feeling drunk or anything like that. It’s just quite pleasant.

I also think I’m a bit more present now. I was in a bit of a tunnel, going like that. Now I can look around a bit more and appreciate everything a little more. The pain overtook everything at times in the past. It would be hard for me to really notice anything else, I would just be thinking constantly “I wish this pain would go away.”

What advice would you give to someone on the fence about medical cannabis with Releaf?

I think it’s definitely worth inquiring and looking into it. You won’t be pushed into taking it if you don’t want to. The availability, quality, and the 24-hour advice line is great.

If you’re worried about anything, you can talk it through with somebody at Releaf. I’m quite sure the consulting clinician will be able to answer any queries you have about it, and answer with credibility.

It’s credible now. This isn’t about going and getting stoned. It’s about trying to use it properly, medically. And I suspect that historically, it was probably used a lot more than we realise.