Medical Strains for (bipolar) Mania?

[vh13]

Which strains have you found maximal relief for treating/preventing bipolar manic episodes? What about high characteristics, is there anything specific which makes a strain better suited for alleviating manic episodes?

I'm still pretty new to the medical part of MMJ. All I've noticed is if I catch the onset of an episode early on and use enough of a stony indica to cause crippling couchlock on an otherwise normal day I have a better manic day, but I'd like to figure out what works best.

Is couchlock the only thing you look for? Do you pay attention to how the strain effects anxiety levels as well? Is headiness good or bad during a manic episode? Does euphoria help? What about other head or body effects?

Also, do you find eating the medicine to be more effective then smoking it? I know there's a different high profile when eating vs. smoking, and finding clarity again a day or two later with a sore throat isn't nice.

Even though I do take a bit of medicine daily I'm not a rapid cycler anymore (thank jebus) so I haven't been able to test out various medications while manic often enough to figure out all these specifics.

 

[growone]

vh13 - can't really give you any good answers, other than i'm on a similar journey
i don't get the manic bursts too much, tend to have anxiety as a part of moderate depression symptoms
my 1st try with an indica has been fair, does seem to help a bit(nl#5, also seems to help with insomnia)
been vaping so far but going to try some tincture tonight

 

[vh13]

vh13 - can't really give you any good answers, other than i'm on a similar journey

No worries, I know enough about the MMJ scene to understand this much. Good of you to respond all the same.

i don't get the manic bursts too much, tend to have anxiety as a part of moderate depression symptoms
my 1st try with an indica has been fair, does seem to help a bit(nl#5, also seems to help with insomnia)

I'd say 40-60%+ of the emotional charge that builds up in a manic episode for me is anxiety, and insomnia has always been an issue too, so your notes here may actually be quite helpful for me.

been vaping so far but going to try some tincture tonight

I'd appreciate feedback on your tincture trial results too, if you don't mind, as I've recently taken an interest in trying some myself next time I visit my collective. Vaping would be a nice alternative to smoking, but if I can do away with lung-based ingestion altogether all the better.

 

[Hobbes]

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Hey guys, another bipolar here.

"Which strains have you found maximal relief for treating/preventing bipolar manic episodes? What about high characteristics, is there anything specific which makes a strain better suited for alleviating manic episodes?"

Mostly sedative strains which would also help with anxiety. Look for head highs like Kali Mist.

Big Bang by Greenhouse is great for anxiety.

I have Super Strawberry Diesel ((Strawberry Cough x Diesel) x Lemon Larry) by Elite and it works equally well for depression, anxiety and mania. I have 3 different phenos with different effect characteristics for each pheno.

Kali Mist by Serious is good for mania, depression and anxiety. A floating up-opiate, dreamy euphoric bliss. Cuts through moods and other highs. Kali Mist is the best I have so far, still testing SSD.

I've got seeds for: Querkel, The Flav, Trainwreck, Big Bang & White Widow; and I'm growing Jilly Bean, Chemdog, Skunkberry and a few others that should be good for mania.

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"do you find eating the medicine to be more effective then smoking it?"

It's a different effect, you almost don't feel high/stoned. Less trippy, more functional.

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"Is couchlock the only thing you look for?"

No, the couchlock strains are only for extreme mania. I look for strains that are good for anxiety, are slightly sedative, have a dreamy high - not trippy or too euphoric. Calming but still functional.

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"Do you pay attention to how the strain effects anxiety levels as well?"

Yes, I'll post a couple of smoke reports using a questionnaire I'm working on to rate strains for medical effects.

"Is headiness good or bad during a manic episode?"

Head/body are only part of the equation - some head high strains like Kali Mist are very calming.

"Does euphoria help?"

It does with the right strains but be wary of energizing euphoric strains that could add to your problems.

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[Hobbes]

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Kali Mist - Serious Seeds

I've always had trouble getting strains to finish on time so taking on a 14 week strain was daunting for me, my KM clones usually finish about 16 weeks hydro/17 weeks soilless. It grows easily but stretches incredibly in hydro, I had a 1.5" clone that ended up close to 36". In soilless stretch is not so bad, but its still a sativa stretch. The buds are loose and airy in hydro and are so encrusted with trichomes that they seem that they would break if bent. The soilless buds are tighter and not as crusty. Fox farm liquids and solubles, hygrozome, Dark Energy, Liquid Karma, Kool Bloom, Overdrive.

The high is ... delisious. It's so beautiful and pleasant that I crave it more than the other strains and go through this strain at a record pace. It's a floaty dreamy high, like an up narcotic. Nothing maters, everything is OK. It reminds me of when I had my elbows operated on and got a hundred percocet with each operation. Like an opiate nothing is wrong, but I can do things, not just sit and look out the window. I use 2 of 12 spots in my garden for Kali Mist and I may add another two spots.

I find myself very forgeful high on Kali Mist, and I know it while I'm high and I don't care. Just now I'm keeping my dogs seperated because of an operation one had, the second dog got by me twice (under my desk - 3' wide hole) and I didn't notice for a half hour each time.

The smell and taste is a beautiful strong spice, I can smell it everytime I crack the jar, and I've had my nose broken a few times so I don't smell so good. But after a shower I can smell this stuff, very strong. After a 4 week hang/bag/cure vaporizing gives an incredibly smooth vapor, very thick Volcano bags with 1/3 level teaspoon.

This isn't a trippy or a knock out of reality high but it's very stong. I've read it described as a cutting high, right through other strains and moods, and I agree.

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Spectrums of experience

Onset: fast effect or creeper. 1 fast/5 slow: 2

I've just taken 3 hits and can feel a tingle everywhere and pressure in the top of my head and ears.

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1. Up (stimulating) and Down (sedative): Neither.

Liven the disposition and stimulate the emotions: encourages a love of existance.
Inspiring sociability and talkativeness: You could stand just about anybody on this high.
Sedative and depressant effects: Chill but not sedative. If you want to do things you can, but you have to make a small initial effort to overcome inertia.

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2. Head High / Body Stone: mostly head.

Energizing: Not energizing but not couch lock.
Motivating: Frees inhibition but there is inertia to overcome.
Couch lock: No, see above.

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3. Tolerance: ability to provide the same experience via the same amount over time – the burnout factor. "Over time" means the long run: months, years, decades...

I've been vaping Kali Mist for 4 or 5 months and the high seems to be getting better, probably because I'm getting better at growing and curing it, but the high is better 4 months later. No chasing the Dragon.

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4. Ceiling: How high (of far) one is capable of going with the variety. How many hits can be consumed until more hits are unnoticeable.

I notice a ceiling, but it takes a few Volcano bags.

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5. Emotional State

Anxiety: melts anxiety, nothing is wrong.
Euphoria: not so much euphoria as bliss.
Calm: very calming
paranoia: reduces or eliminates paranoia.

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6. Body - medicinal effects

Nausea: mild help
Pain: fair help
Seizures: not known
Back: fair help

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7. Head - medicinal effects

Depression: works like a dreamy opiate
Mania: calming
Anxiety: good help
Antisocial: you could tolerate anyone high on this strain.
Anger: calming.
Rage: From first hand experience, this strain has saved some lives. Medicinal help.

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8. Duration short 1 2 3 4 5 long: 3

Two consecutive Volcano bags will last two hours.

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9. Potency: weak 1 2 3 4 5 strong: 4. Hit's hard but not time loosing nor reality knocking out of. Cutting dreamy high.

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10. Taste: SPICE

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Overall just a great strain, if you've got room for a 14 week sativa and want a dreamy high I couldn't recomend Serious Kali Mist higher.

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[Hobbes]

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Bubblegum - Serious Seeds

I've got extreme tolerance build up so my review of the potency will be out of kilter with reality. I have a friend who stops in a couple times a year when he goes by my town, he and his evil twin brother got me smoking bud 10 years ago and he smokes regularly and considers himself a pot head.

Last time he was up I had some Dr Greenthumb Big Laughing - which is great but I don't find it as potent as Serious Bubblegum - and we shared a Volcano bag. I usually have a bag every hour or so and hardly notice any effects. My buddy couldn't finish 1/3 a bag and had to stare at the wall for 15 minutes before he was functional enough to focus on the TV.

So, by comparison I can say that Bubblegum has a fairly good hit and it gives me a mild but beautiful floaty high. Good mood elevator.

Serious Bubblegum is an excellent strain, to grow and vaporize. Love it. If ordering remember that Serious is the sativa pheno and TH is the indica which would give a more sedative stone than energizing high. Another option would be Bogbubble or one of BOG's amazing crosses like Sour Bubble.

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Spectrum of Experience


1. Onset: fast effect or creeper. creeper 1 2 3 4 5 fast

3 to 3.5 - I start to feel it fast, sometimes a lightness in the head while holding the inhale. Most of the effects start within a couple of minutes and build. It takes me 15 minutes to go through a Volcano bag.

2. Up (stimulating) and Down (sedative)

Up.

- Liven the disposition and stimulate the emotions:

Mood elevator. A lightness of being. Great for hiking the beach/woods with an I-inhale or just sitting alone.

Inspiring sociability and talkativeness:

I'm usually very solitary and Bubblegum makes people tolerable to be around and still leaves me sharp enough to make fun of them and deliver some cutting insults.

Sedative and depressant effects:

None that I notice, even on the come down which is mild.


3. Head High / Body Stone
Energizing - yes
Motivating - yes
Couch lock - no

Bubblegum releases you to do the things you want, but doesn't drive you to do them with uncontrollable urges.

4. Emotional State Caused
Anxiety - no
Euphoria - yes, but controllable euphoria.
Calm - yes
paranoia - no

5. Body - medicinal effects
Nausea - mild help
Pain - not known
Seizures - not known
Back - not known

6. Head - medicinal effects
Depression - very good helping depression while leaving functional
Mania - have not had the pleasure of finding out. Yet.
Anxiety - good
Antisocial - makes people tolerable for short periods
Anger - fucken right I get angry but the Bubblegum doesn't help me get angrier!

7. Ceiling: How high (of far) one is capable of going with the variety. How many hits can be consumed until more hits are unnoticeable.

I'm noticing a ceiling but I'll check with my buddy next time he's up. If I can get him to keep hitting the Volcano.

8. Potency: weak 1 2 3 4 5 strong

More potent than Big Laughing, not as potent as Kali Mist. 3.5

9. Duration short 1 2 3 4 5 long

Maybe an hour.

10. Tolerance: ability to provide the same experience via the same amount over time – the burnout factor. "Over time" means the long run: months, years, decades...

Not known.

11. Taste

Bazoka Joe, sports card gum, that pink gum that comes like a Tootsie roll. The lightest hint of icing sugar, pink gum sweetness.

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[growone]

since you seem to some anxiety in the mix, i'll put in a few more details
just finished an inside nl#5 grow, took her to the '1st touch' of amber
not much experienced with indica, and didn't want to get weed that put me in a coma
with vaping, i've been getting quite a head rush for the 1st hour, too much rush but what do you expect for a 1st guess on what ripeness was right?
anyways, i've found if i get the amount just right, and this is the hard part, the rush pretty much goes way down, and i feel pretty damn good
so i'm hoping the tincture will help the precision, so far the vaping has been a bit too much hit or miss

 

[vh13]

Hobbes, much thanks for your very thorough feedback and reviews. I'll be sure to use this template (or even a more comprehensive one if available) when the time comes for me to review my own.

Kali Mist and Super Strawberry Diesel are now top on my list to try.

So, head highs, eh? They don't trigger episodes for me but I always worried they might have a less then beneficial effect during one.

Good to know Kali Mist has great results for you too, as I've been very curious about this strain since I first heard about it. Especially now that I know it "cuts through moods and other highs."

"...the couchlock strains are only for extreme mania."

Indeed, thus far I've focused mainly on making sure I'm well taken care of for just such a situation. Now I'd like to focus more on balancing day to day stability and functionality.

"I look for strains that are good for anxiety, are slightly sedative, have a dreamy high - not trippy or too euphoric. Calming but still functional."

This sounds like a good description to me, helps me understand what it is I'm looking for much better. Thanks.

growone, thanks for the more detailed feedback. Much appreciated. I'd +rep you but it seems I did that too recently already. =P

 

[Hobbes]

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"Kali Mist and Super Strawberry Diesel are now top on my list to try."

Serious is the only Kali Mist to grow.

Elite bred SSD and he's out of business. Sag's Strawberry D-lite is similar genetics to Rez's SD that's part of SSD.

Attitude is the Mercedes Benz of seed banks. Great prices, trustworthy, easy ordering, fast delivery, stand behind their products.

http://www.cannabis-seeds-bank.co.uk/serious-seeds/serious-seeds-kali-mist/prod_527.html

http://www.cannabis-seeds-bank.co.uk/sagarmatha-seeds/sagarmatha-seeds-regular/sagarmatha-seeds-strawberry-d-lite/prod_178.html

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[vh13]

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"Kali Mist and Super Strawberry Diesel are now top on my list to try."

Serious is the only Kali Mist to grow.

Elite bred SSD and he's out of business. Sag's Strawberry D-lite is similar genetics to Rez's SD that's part of SSD.

Attitude is the Mercedes Benz of seed banks. Great prices, trustworthy, easy ordering, fast delivery, stand behind their products.

http://www.cannabis-seeds-bank.co.uk/serious-seeds/serious-seeds-kali-mist/prod_527.html

http://www.cannabis-seeds-bank.co.uk/sagarmatha-seeds/sagarmatha-seeds-regular/sagarmatha-seeds-strawberry-d-lite/prod_178.html

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Sagamartha's Seeds Strawberry D-Lite added to my list.

Attitude has a great rep, that's for sure. Considered getting the recent pineapple express newsletter freebie, but didn't care enough about the rep to justify paying for shipping. Also, I haven't given them my credit card yet, wasn't sure if I should use a more anonymous payment alternative.

Any thoughts on Sour Diesel? My collective sometimes carries clones.

 

[Hobbes]

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"Any thoughts on Sour Diesel? My collective sometimes carries clones."

Oh man, snap one up and clone it. I'm waiting for Rez' Sour Diesel IBL project to get done, go for a pack of those. I'd get the original clone before seed if it were available around here.

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[Hobbes]

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"time I visit my collective. Vaping would be a nice alternative to smoking, but if I can do away with lung-based ingestion altogether all the better."

VH I forgot about your tincture interest. I've been working on tincture for a while, looking for mediums and methods of making it. I've got a thread where I collect the methods: I'm working on Glycerin and Grape Seed Oil now, I'm using a slow cooker now but I'm going to pick up an electric pressure cooker to reduce the preparation time.

The effects are similar to eating brownies but some of the cannaboids in the tincture can be absorbed sublingually (under tounge) in minutes, opposed to the hour brownies can take to produce effects. Tincture is versitile, you can drop it under your tounge, put it in coffee or tea, drop it on your food, etc.

Most tincture tastes like ass water, I use kief from ice water hash - tastes like the tincture was made with very clean honey oil, without any butane taste. As well you can put in more kief than the medium will dissolve and hold in solution, the tincture will be as potent as is possible with the bud you have.

https://www.rollitup.org/cooking-cannabis/125137-alcohol-tincture.html

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[vh13]

Next time I sense the presence of an orphaned Sour Diesel in the universe I'll find my way.

I've got a thread where I collect the methods: I'm working on Glycerin and Grape Seed Oil now, I'm using a slow cooker now but I'm going to pick up an electric pressure cooker to reduce the preparation time.

Now I recognize you! I've subscribed many of your threads for reference. Alcohol Tincture was the most recent I think.

Wow! I feel like I'm becoming part of a community or something.

... some of the cannaboids in the tincture can be absorbed sublingually (under tounge) in minutes

Which effects load in minutes? A drop or two here and there could do wonders. I'm good with time and numbers.

 

[Hobbes]

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"Which effects load in minutes?"

That's one I've never thought of: With sub lingual absorption do all the characteristics of the high/stone start at the same time with reduced potency, or do some of the effects start before others?

Damn that's a good question VH! My grape seed oil tincture has been slow cooking for 48 hours but there's still residue at the bottom after sitting, I'll turn my hand mixer on it and give some a try. See if it's potent enough to notice some effects yet.

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"A drop or two here and there could do wonders."

I've read of Two Drop Tincture where you get put away by ... well. I haven't gotten the results I want yet, but 1 ml of my Glycerin tincture is enough to put any of my pot head friends away (I hardly notice 10 ml in my coffee).

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Another method of quickening the onset of effects while vaporizing or smoking is to exhale through your nose - the olfactory nerves in your nose will carry the cannaboids directly to the brain. It also slightly increases efficiency of absorption for inhalation methods.

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"Wow! I feel like I'm becoming part of a community or something."

I've been to just about every marijuana forum on the net and this one is the best for people discussing and hanging out, not arguing opinions. Great spot, good people.

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[duke23]

Sagamartha's Seeds Strawberry D-Lite added to my list.

Attitude has a great rep, that's for sure. Considered getting the recent pineapple express newsletter freebie, but didn't care enough about the rep to justify paying for shipping. Also, I haven't given them my credit card yet, wasn't sure if I should use a more anonymous payment alternative.

Any thoughts on Sour Diesel? My collective sometimes carries clones.

Sag's strawberry d-lite has sour d in it. In fact it has the strawberry cough from rez as well as some nycd from soma thrown into it. i think their bubbleberry might help you with bipolar since it's a nice happy weed.

 

[growone]

here's a follow up on the tincture discussion, just brewed my 1st batch of tincture
i've cooked up plenty of hash oil in the past, so not really new to this process
i refluxed about a gram or 2 of some strong northern lights in 40% vodka, called green dragon by many
basically just covered the chopped up bud with vodka
reduced to the 'damp state', then recovered with vodka to bring it back to the original volume
sublingual was a bit dissapointing, got an effect, though seemed to be fairly weak
not close to the vaping effect, so trying to figure if it was my process
didn't decarboxylate(bake the weed), was thinking the reflux would do that
it did have a good effect, just less than i was expecting

 

[vh13]

Wow, a lot has happened since my original post. I have a few notes for others having difficulty managing mania:

Glycerin tincture is great. It works quickly enough, 10-15 minutes rather then 1-2 minutes compared to smoking, but if you manage your doses it lasts all day long. Smoke free is the way to be!

Kali Mist (KM) is a vitamin in my life. Doesn't matter whether I eat, vape, smoke, sublingual, all the trace amounts of KM built up in my system have made me virtually immune to wreckless behavior.

KM is not concrete like lithium, expect much longer and more vivid creative thought streams... almost like the early days when I was young and mania was fun! I'm an entrepreneur and an artist, this kind of influence has proven to be highly beneficial to me on both a financial and a spiritual level.

Watch out for a truly tweaked metabolism with constant use of KM however. I lost all my stoner weight, quick. I'm taking advantage of it, I train during the peak of my daily ingestion and eat well afterward. I almost have a 6-pack, it's like high school all over again, except now I have manly little muscles. The girlfriend loves it!!!

To compensate for the HIGHLY stimulating (yet oh so gentle) effects of KM do indulge on thick and heavy sedatives when appropriate. Blueberry, God's Gift, Herijuana, anything dominantly from the Afghan line comes to mind. Fear not the couchlock, for the force of KM will be strong in you.

For now I get my KM from my local dispensary. They say they don't have access to KM clones however, it seems they randomly get batches of whatever, so I've been eye-balling Manadala's Satori as a quick cheap option for seeds, until a few more cycles when I can afford the four times more expensive KM from Serious.

I've yet to try Satori, however, so any tips or observations about Satori vs. Kali Mist would be appreciated.

 

[Sr. Verde]

Hey hobbes if you read this could you drop some info on the Jillybean?

I've heard good things and bad things, what was the smoke like and yield/growing like?

I got the bipolar, depression, insomnia & anxiety

 

[clasonde]

i was prescribed mmj for my bi-polar I disorder. i have been using marijuana for about 10 years now, and I only smoke indicas. I feel like the calming effect of indica dominant strains really helps my mania/racing thoughts/insomnia. Sativas on the other hand increase the symptoms by like 100%. Blueberry has worked well for me, seeing as its not a really potent indica, but still provides the calming effect needed.

 

[vh13]

i was prescribed mmj for my bi-polar I disorder. i have been using marijuana for about 10 years now, and I only smoke indicas. I feel like the calming effect of indica dominant strains really helps my mania/racing thoughts/insomnia. Sativas on the other hand increase the symptoms by like 100%. Blueberry has worked well for me, seeing as its not a really potent indica, but still provides the calming effect needed.

I started off using indicas exclusively. I found myself over-medicating to treat individual episodes, which left me just as non-functional even though I felt a hell of a lot better.

Have you tried KM? I know what you mean about stimulating sativas aggravating the symptoms. All the fun strains can really amplify an already exaggerated emotional response. But I don't find this to be true of KM; not while I use heavy sedative indicas to sleep, KM alone in my system will keep me awake at night. Blueberry is nice during those times for me, but occasionally stronger is nicer.

Once I got my KM doses worked out I found it immensely easier to maintain focus in my conscious/rational thoughts and my deeper/intuitive feelings are never so powerful I'm made uncomfortable. I feel as if I experience normal levels of emotion at all times, I devote much more of my energies towards fruitful decision making, and I enjoy the subtleties of life immensely more.

I have had absolutely no episodes in months, not even an awkward hiccup, and for me that speaks for itself.