Halo

Move to Canada.

Small red dots - sounds like petechiae. But there's numerous other possibilities. Poor circulation. Allergic reaction. And more severe problems. Go to the doctor, only s/he can make a positive diagnosis of what it is.

Marijuana and psychosis. Interesting topic. I've known patients who go in for psychiatric evaluations after not having been sober for up to 11 years. It is next to impossible to tell whether their symptoms are there because of their biology or because of what they are ingesting into their body. Do they have a depressive affect because that is how they are, or because that is what 11 years of smoking weed is doing to them? The recommendation for them is to always abstain from marijuana use for about two weeks and then follow up to see if their symptoms have resolved or not. In terms of psychosis, what psychosis do you mean? The denotation of psychosis in a medical dictionary is simply: "A mental and behavioral disorder causing gross distortion or disorganization of a person's mental capacity, affective response, and capacity to recognize reality, communicate, and relate to others to the degree of interfering with the person's capacity to cope with the ordinary demands of everyday life." - Stedman's Medical Dictionary. Psychosis is divided into two major classifications given their origin. 1) Those associated with organic brain syndromes i.e: Korsakoff Syndrome**. 2) Those less clearly organic and having some functional component i.e: The schizophrenias, bipolar disorders. **Korsakoff Syndrome is associated with alcoholics and often coexists with Wernicke Syndrome. So, which psychosis does the original poster mean when asking if marijuana is it's cure or it's cause (which I think is what they were trying to get at). In my experience, marijuana use has often been the cause of such psychoses as bipolar affective disorders and schizophrenias. I don't think I have yet to see marijuana used as a stimulant to uplift someone's mood. Though I suppose I am an unlikely contributor as I have never engaged in the act of smoking marijuana and don't feel that I ever will. The destruction it brings upon the body and mind is not something I would ever find myself willingly doing - I enjoy my body and all my senses and don't feel that I should ever want any of them depressed. As I am at work, I don't have the time to cite any articles to back up what is now simply my opinion but given the logistics - one does not prescribe a depressant to one who is depressed, I would have to say that marijuana is not a cure for a psychosis. Though again, it's up to interpretation and anyone who can find articles in support of my opinion or in opposition. Cheers Halo

I would definitely consult with a doctor; self diagnosis is not always the best. There is a lot of misleading information to be had and only a medical professional would know what is best. What are your exact symptoms - just temporary paralysis or are there other associated symptoms? What parts of your body can you not move? Just all four limbs or what? Do you experience brief or partial feelings of musculoskeletal paralysis? Do you also experience hypnagogic hallucinations? Feelings of dread, malevolent presence etc? Did you know the sleep paralysis is often associated with narcolepsy? If you've had this problem at least once a week for six months - medical intervention can be beneficial. Still though, you should see your doctor to make sure that it is sleep paralysis and not something more serious. If you still do not wish to consult a physician then here are some things you can do to help avoid sleep paralysis: -Get adequate amounts of sleep (7-8 hrs a night) -Exercise regularly, but not too close to bed time. -Reduce stressors in your life. Leave work at work, home life at home etc. -Maintain a regular sleep schedule. Do not fluctuate the times you go to bed as this throws off your biological sleep pattern. Sleep paralysis is really when the body is wakened from a REM cycle into a fully awakened state - there's no fuzzy slowly waking up part - you're just suddenly awake. Our bodies naturally go through paralysis during REM cycles which happen about 4 to 5 times a night in an adult. They are shorter at the beginning of sleep and get longer near the end and they can range between 90-120 minutes in duration. Sleep paralysis usually happens, like I said, when you are awakened in the middle of a REM cycle where your body is naturally paralyzed. It is possible that low levels of melatonin may stop the depolarization current in the nerves and thus prevent the body from mimicing the dream activity i.e -prohibit the sleeper from running when they are dreaming of running. So, yes it may be a preventative measure to stop someone from sleep walking, however clinical sleep walking is a little bit different. In REM sleep the body releases a chemical to cause the sleep paralysis, in those that sleep walk they lack the chemical and thus end up mimicing what they are dreaming about - this is not always limited to walking. Sorry I rambled. My final opinion is to go to a doctor to be 100% sure it is what you feel it is. If you do not wish to do that, then follow the recommendations to proventing sleep paralysis that I have outlined above. Best wishes Halo

Not sure what to say in introductions. I'm Halo, and I stumbled across this message board ironically while doing a search for science based forums - imagine that. I don't really have a specific area of expertise so I'm here more to just learn about anything I can. I particularly enjoy biology and medicine. Cheers Halo