Q: I have had great results from marijuana oil for neuropathy.  Last year, I had extreme pain in my feet at night.  They were so swollen that I had trouble putting my shoes on in the morning.  I could not be as active as usual.

I took prescribed gabapentin for the pain.  When I read in your column about natural approaches such as benfotiamine, curcumin and alpha-lipoic acid, I started taking them.  Almost all my neuropathy symptoms disappeared, and I no longer need the gabapentin.

At 88, I still get the occasional foot pain at night.  It is instantly relieved by topical marijuana oil.  My doctor said many of his patients are finding it helpful for pain.  I live in an upscale retirement community, and a large number of people here are using marijuana oil to relieve pain without side effects.

A: Cannabis-based medicines have some scientific support for chronic pain (Pain Physician, September 2017).  In states where medicinal marijuana is unavailable, some people are using cannabidiol (CBD) oil instead.  This cannabis-derived compound does not make people high and has become widely available without a prescription.  More clinical research is needed to explore its pain-relieving potential.

• article by Jo and Teresa Graedon
• copyright The Seattle Times