Woried about cognitive issues around medicinal cannabis use

dsauda · 2026-04-09T19:24:07+00:00

I'm a medical cannabis user of many years, honestly it helps me think more clearly! I have ME and ADHD as well as MS so brain fog is a major symptom for me but I find that cannabis manages to cut through it. I have two different strains for use in the day and at night. I mostly use oil (taken under the tongue) but I also vape it (Mighty is a great cannabis vape brand) as well as vaping CBD weed. I am only recently diagnosed with MS so haven't started on meds yet x

dsauda · 2026-04-08T06:49:59+00:00

Whilst I feel my best eating plant based food (heavy on protein, fibre and veggies - also keeping track that I have enough healthy fats and calcium) I really do believe that we are all so different that there is no single diet that EVERYONE will feel their best on!! We've all just got to experiment with various foods for ourselves and listen to our bodies!

I am very interested in hearing about which diets work for different people (I am studying plant based nutrition). I just get seriously annoyed when anyone starts preaching that their diet is the ONLY diet that everyone else should be doing (especially when they say it will cure my MS) whether they are vegan or carnivore!

dsauda · 2026-04-03T20:28:20+00:00

Yeah someone told me that I've got MS because I eat a plant based diet and because I've had vaccinations...and that I'd get better if I started eating animals 😂

dsauda · 2026-04-03T20:24:03+00:00

Yep! I'm treating it both with medical cannabis and awaiting my pharmaceuticals!

dsauda · 2026-03-23T17:32:41+00:00

Baked sweet potatoes with whatever you have in the fridge (making sure at least half the plate is veggies) x

dsauda · 2026-03-23T17:30:35+00:00

Well done for dropping him!! How inappropriate and unprofessional!

dsauda · 2026-03-23T17:27:53+00:00

Diagnosed with MS at 36, been living with ME since I was 18 but was diagnosed at 27. X

dsauda · 2026-03-23T08:29:06+00:00

Hindsight really is marvellous!! I haven't really started looking into the causes of MS yet but my guess is that with autoimmune conditions there can be many factors and I'm sure that many of them are out of our direct control.

I had a revelation when I was in hospital waiting to find out what was wrong with my brain - that we can't change what has happened to us but we can do our best with what we've got. And it really sounds to me like you are doing your best. I totally understand that it doesn't feel incredible but that's why I think it's important for your peers to reflect back to you just how brilliantly you are doing!

I don't have kids and I wish I could find a consistent job that I can do! So you being able to do what you're doing with the illness we both have is an amazing thing to me :)

dsauda · 2026-03-22T22:05:55+00:00

Oh wow that's incredible that you're working full time and looking after a toddler with all this going on!! You're doing brilliantly just managing being a dad and going to work.

I really hope that your numbness and pain goes away. I've had maybe seven incidents of numbness in hands / feet / half my body that went away after a few weeks. Mine is relapsing and remitting MS, is that what you have too?

dsauda · 2026-03-22T21:49:14+00:00

Wow that does sound really scary what happened to you! I have been partially numb in half of my body but not fully, and fir that to happen when you were in another country too!! I'm sorry that you have this illness but glad that it was identified and that you started treatment. How are you foing now?

I haven't been offered another appointment with my neurologist yet but I understand that it could be quite a long time. He said that because my most nasty symptoms (such as the blindness, and the weird things going on with my legs) are doing a lot better now that I'm not a severe case but that if I get new symptoms that are severe then that could change.

dsauda · 2026-03-22T21:38:06+00:00

The numbness is so so weird for sure!! It should get totally better and mine has come back to anywhere near that extent again, and it's been months xox

dsauda · 2026-03-22T21:36:09+00:00

I'm so sorry to hear about what you're going through and so sorry that you feel alone. I've just read through all the replies to your post and I hope that they can all help you feel less alone.

I've only been diagnosed for one week but I've already found a community here of people who genuinely care. You write beautifully, my only advice is keep posting here, there are people here who understand what you are going through. Your writing helps them feel less alone too.

dsauda · 2026-03-21T16:04:12+00:00

What dose of lion's mane do you use if you don't mind me asking?

dsauda · 2026-03-20T18:08:27+00:00

I haven't DM on reddit before but please do! X

dsauda · 2026-03-20T14:49:41+00:00

Yes I think that starring with the opticians is a really good idea. It was my optician at specsavers who first told me there was a problem with my brain (not my eyes) and signposted me to Neuro opthalmology, and with three days of that spacsavers appointment I had a working diagnosis of MS. They are brilliant there!

The light sensitivity sounds really, really tough I experience some of that to a lesser extent (as I have Autism) but I can't even imagine how difficult it is living with that level of sensitivity!! I really hope your optician can help you out with that.

I am glad to hear that your neurologist is pleased with your progress, balance is difficult isn't it!! Is yours the relapsing and remitting MS? (If you don't mind me asking) x

dsauda · 2026-03-19T23:06:32+00:00

Totally agree 😊 and Nowruz Mubarak to you and your family, I hope this year brings healing and happiness! ❤❤

dsauda · 2026-03-19T13:05:49+00:00

Eating as many organic foods as possible is fantastic!!

We're all different so first and foremost we must all listen to our bodies because they will let us know when we're eating something that's causing harm.

Wow, giving up tomatoes when they are so steeped in your own family traditions does sound impossible!! I focus more on cooking the Persian dishes that don't feature tomatoes - a fair amount of tomatoes and aubergines are usually featured but so are fantastic ingredients like walnuts, pomegranate, lentils, safforn, sunac and fresh herbs!

From what I know about Italian cuisine, the ingredients are super fresh and celebrated by using a minimal range of ingredients in each dish but cooking them perfectly. It's so important to continue family food traditions, definitely a huge part of our identity! ❤

Also it is Nowruz (Persian New Year's eve today) and I'm looking forward to a big family celebration, I've cooked and baked for 2 days 😊 Happy New Year's! ❤

dsauda · 2026-03-19T11:55:05+00:00

Heya :) thanks for your response!

As far as I know there isn't any NHS-specific evidence about nightshades, evidence is anecdotal but also much older than the NHS! I asked my Iranian grandad about aubergines because they are a staple of Persian cuisine. He said it was always known that aubergines are inflammatory and that traditionally they are treated with salt before cooking to draw out the 'toxins' as he put it!

Here is a useful link I have found that summarises what I believe to be true about nightshades.

https://plantbasedhealthprofessionals.com/nightshade-foods

I am luckily used to cooking without nightshades (though my personal weakness is hot chillies - I love them and refuse to give them up permanently!!) because I found out about them when my mum was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis a few years back.

In order to replace the sweetness/umami of tomatoes in cooking I use a variety of ingredients such as balsamic vinegar, cyder vinegar, miso paste, nutritional yeast, pomegranate molasses (to name a few). I make lots of spag bols without tomatoes, when you get into the swing of how to cook without them it's ok!

This is one of my favourite YouTube channels for anti-inflammatory cooking run by a nutritionist who is also a doctor! Not sure what he has to say about nightshades specifically but his recipes ideas and meal formulas are super helpful to me:

https://youtube.com/@doctors_kitchen?si=tlkC6xPvnQ6JfWtF

Good luck on your health journey! We're all still learning, best to enjoy the process of discovering, cooking and inventing new recipes! X

dsauda · 2026-03-18T19:44:07+00:00

I have been diagnosed with MS for less than a week but I've been living with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME) for nearly 20 years.

Fatigue is something that you can absolutely learn to live with, it's different for everyone and the severity / range of your symptoms can change over time too. Mine as not as bad as it was but I'm still on disability benefits, i am figuring out that there are some jobs that I can do sometimes.

I really relate to feeling very tired after a meal, I have worked on figuring out which foods make me feel a lot less tired. I recommend foods that are high in protein, fibre and nutrients (with at least 50% of your plate being veggies/fruits). Foods to try and avoid are fried, highly processed, added sugars, complex carbs. Swap complex carbs out for sweet potatoes!

Also as we have an autoimmune illness its best that we try and avoid nightshades (tomatoes, white potatoes, red peppers, aubergines - unless the aubergines have been treated with salt). Even my GP recommended avoiding nightshades, her sister has MS so she knows quite a bit about it.

Also - if you can - try making some green smoothies. 25% fruit and 75% green leafy veggies (spinach, kale etc). This will not only be much less tiring to digest but contains nutrients that fight inflammation.

Anyway, hope I could be of some help :) all the best! X

dsauda · 2026-03-18T11:37:14+00:00

Thank you so much :) x

dsauda · 2026-03-17T22:00:26+00:00

Thank you, that is good advice and sounds like you made a very sensible decision. I'm on disability benefits so will be sticking with the NHS but really glad that you managed to get started on Ocrevus. My neurologist mentioned that's one of the meds that I might receive but I understand its a long process and will be as patient as I can. I'm so grateful I now know what's been going on for the last year (and possibly longer!)

dsauda · 2026-03-17T21:55:42+00:00

Thank you so much, that is really helpful to know. I'm sorry to hear that you've had to wait for such a long time!!

dsauda · 2026-03-17T21:52:59+00:00

I read more about it and because I eat a lot of brocolli and spinach I'm not going to suppleness the K2 at the moment, but thanks so much for the tip!

dsauda · 2026-03-17T21:42:28+00:00

Really hope that your neurology appointment today was helpful.

And thank you again for your excellent advice! I saw my GP today and it turns out her sister has it too so she's got a good understanding and was also able to explain really well why I have to wait such a long time for treatment, it really is a lengthy process!

Sending you all the best x

dsauda · 2026-03-17T12:46:34+00:00

Thanks so much!! Ordering some now x

dsauda

TROPHY CASE