My takeaway: if you are having trouble reproducing, and/or your doctor finds some anomalies in a full fertility workup, you may want to talk about your marijuana use with them. That's about it.
You should discuss all use of non-prescribed drugs with your doctor on a routine basis.
Absolutely; in my experience, they always ask (you probably won't have to be the one that brings it up). Healthcare is expensive, at least get your money's worth!
In Norway, admitting usage of recreational cannabis to your doctor is likely to result in your driver's license being suspended as they are known to forward the information on to police.
Advice to talk about it with your doctor is useless if you can just stop taking it. If you cannot (f.e. due to chronic pain), then you may as well stop worrying about it. Your doctor will not be able to magic anything away in either one of those scenarios.
The only caveat I would imagine with what you said is in the case of prescription drugs. Drugs of all kinds can have interactions when combined with together (both known and unknown), so disclosing the usage of non-prescribed supplements and alternative drugs can be vital information.
However, in the case of the GP comment about Norway -- if there are legal ramifications, then I suppose this becomes a more complex issue to navigate. Though, if "socially unacceptable" drugs and their usages were not so stigmatized, this wouldn't be an issue either.
One can see something like this in the US a bit. There is a somewhat rare condition called CHS (Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome) where chronic, long-term users of cannabinoid products develop a condition similar to Cyclical Vomiting Syndrome. For ER professionals, telling the difference between the two (and other GI issues) can be extremely difficult -- especially if the patient does not disclose their usage of cannabinoid products. Some ERs are starting to drug test patients exhibiting symptoms of CHS/CVS to help in the diagnostic process, so they do not have to rely on patient honesty.
You should still be able to be 100% honest and open with your doctor in regards to your health. The more they know about your health and habits, the better they can help you. Your doctor should not be ratting you out to the cops. That just keeps shit underground and untreated.
I agree, but the unfortunate fact is that it's not just Norway where you are one mistake away from being ratted out. General rules of thumb in this case should serve the individual. If you are very scared of drug interactions, you can just as easily find this information online.
YMMV but my prescribed cannabis usage did not impact my life insurance premium. I was worried it would, but knew that the blood + urine tests would show usage anyway. It worked out for me.
Maybe things have changed but in 2016 I was unable to get life insurance in CA due to admitting to recreational cannabis use with a vaporizer. A ridiculously expensive “smokers” policy was the only thing on offer.
Things might have changed. I got my policy Sept. 2021.
There was a whole section of my application regarding cannabis usage. I provided my medical rec. There was a question about seeing a psychiatrist regarding cannabis usage (no). No questions about consumption method. My premium was that of the quoted non-tobacco premium, so I don't think it was affected at all.
On the contrary you should assume it does unless you explicitly ask otherwise and even then it still might. And the OP is right, when you ask for life insurance they get everything because you have to allow them to ask for all data as if the request were coming from you.
Comments
You should discuss all use of non-prescribed drugs with your doctor on a routine basis.
Absolutely; in my experience, they always ask (you probably won't have to be the one that brings it up). Healthcare is expensive, at least get your money's worth!
In Norway, admitting usage of recreational cannabis to your doctor is likely to result in your driver's license being suspended as they are known to forward the information on to police.
Advice to talk about it with your doctor is useless if you can just stop taking it. If you cannot (f.e. due to chronic pain), then you may as well stop worrying about it. Your doctor will not be able to magic anything away in either one of those scenarios.
The only caveat I would imagine with what you said is in the case of prescription drugs. Drugs of all kinds can have interactions when combined with together (both known and unknown), so disclosing the usage of non-prescribed supplements and alternative drugs can be vital information.
However, in the case of the GP comment about Norway -- if there are legal ramifications, then I suppose this becomes a more complex issue to navigate. Though, if "socially unacceptable" drugs and their usages were not so stigmatized, this wouldn't be an issue either.
One can see something like this in the US a bit. There is a somewhat rare condition called CHS (Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome) where chronic, long-term users of cannabinoid products develop a condition similar to Cyclical Vomiting Syndrome. For ER professionals, telling the difference between the two (and other GI issues) can be extremely difficult -- especially if the patient does not disclose their usage of cannabinoid products. Some ERs are starting to drug test patients exhibiting symptoms of CHS/CVS to help in the diagnostic process, so they do not have to rely on patient honesty.
You should still be able to be 100% honest and open with your doctor in regards to your health. The more they know about your health and habits, the better they can help you. Your doctor should not be ratting you out to the cops. That just keeps shit underground and untreated.
I agree, but the unfortunate fact is that it's not just Norway where you are one mistake away from being ratted out. General rules of thumb in this case should serve the individual. If you are very scared of drug interactions, you can just as easily find this information online.
Do you not worry about buying life insurance and then asking for your medical history and then denying coverage or increased premiums?
YMMV but my prescribed cannabis usage did not impact my life insurance premium. I was worried it would, but knew that the blood + urine tests would show usage anyway. It worked out for me.
Maybe things have changed but in 2016 I was unable to get life insurance in CA due to admitting to recreational cannabis use with a vaporizer. A ridiculously expensive “smokers” policy was the only thing on offer.
Things might have changed. I got my policy Sept. 2021.
There was a whole section of my application regarding cannabis usage. I provided my medical rec. There was a question about seeing a psychiatrist regarding cannabis usage (no). No questions about consumption method. My premium was that of the quoted non-tobacco premium, so I don't think it was affected at all.
Just because you discuss something with your doctor, doesn't mean that data needs to go into the EHR.
On the contrary you should assume it does unless you explicitly ask otherwise and even then it still might. And the OP is right, when you ask for life insurance they get everything because you have to allow them to ask for all data as if the request were coming from you.
Yes, what I was insinuating is that you should talk to your doctor about keeping occasional drug use out of the EHR before revealing any data.
They might add that data to your EHR against your wishes, though.
Then fire them.
Unfortunately, that doesn't fix the problem.