can quitting weed make you more tired then you felt before hand?

This is me. An update:

1. I smoked 10 bowls before the afternoon. I smoked more than I noted, I realized after posting.

2. The fatigue is much, much better a month out, buy still lingers. It either isn't crippling anymore, or I've acclimated.

3. TMI: I quit in part because I want to get pregnant. I used to ovulate when smoking, but since quitting, I have stopped. I have researched this and I think the reason for fatigue is the same as my anovulation. Our hormones become dependent on weed as a trigger, and quitting throws them out of wack. It takes 3 months after hormonal birth control for hormones to go back to normal levels, I am hoping it's the same for quitting smoking.

Incorrect! I've smoked for 20 years and it does stop you dreaming!

Hey ! So I’ve smoked weed consistently since I was about 17 years old . I’m 24 years old now and I quit once before but I started again . This time I’ve quit And it’s been about 3 weeks . I’ve been experiencing extreme tiredness ! Strange dreams and lost of appetite. I’ve slowly gained my appetite back . Im still fatigued almost every day I wake up and throughout the day . I have been struggling with some insomnia so that might be the reason I feel so tired throughout the day . You are not alone . Im praying it gets better overtime but I’m definitely ready to continue this new journey.

Hey ! So I’ve smoked weed consistently since I was about 17 years old . I’m 24 years old now and I quit once before but I started again . This time I’ve quit And it’s been about 3 weeks . I’ve been experiencing extreme tiredness ! Strange dreams and lost of appetite. I’ve slowly gained my appetite back . Im still fatigued almost every day I wake up and throughout the day . I have been struggling with some insomnia so that might be the reason I feel so tired throughout the day . You are not alone . Im praying it gets better overtime but I’m definitely ready to continue this new journey.

For someone who smokes biweekly, your body is trying to remove the toxins of the weed. Depending on how much you smoke and how frequently you smoke will affect this as well, for me personally the first week was the worst cause my body wanted to constantly sleep all day. By the second week, I was slowly gaining my normal appetite back. I will post after my third and fourth week to let you know how things are progressing.

I quit 23 days ago, and the last few days I've been experiencing the same thing. I am super tired.

I’m at day 7 of cold turkey pot, and have been very tired. Also experiencing loss of appetite, and depression.

Im 22 years old and i have been smoking weed heavily for the past 5 years (ever since i was able to buy it myself when i turned 18) Dont think i've had breaks longer than 5 days during that time. I quit last month because i felt like something was seriously wrong with my heart and i got pretty freaked out. ever since quitting i've felt like sh*t. I feel tired all day without any reason, i sleep a good 8/9 hours a night but i still feel like i've been up for two days. i've developed large black circles around my eyes i've been getting these weird panic attacks at night, something i havent experienced before. i also quit cigarettes so atleast thats a positive. its just strange how i feel like complete sh*t when i'm stone cold sober as when i was getting high everyday and staying up till 4am. i had so much more energy.

Thanks for post. I smoked my own home grown for 10 years only in evg hours but then when legalized in Canada I smoked the very strong (24% thc) and I think this really set me up for bad withdrawal . I really had no idea about weed withdrawal. I expected cravings and nothing else. I had all the symptoms talked about on forums like this as well as a massive panic attack which was made worse because I didn’t clue in to the cause after the trip to emergency dept.
To the point, I experience extreme fatigue and anxiety at same time soon have to practice meditation exercise before I can sleep. Any mental activity like conversation can be so taxing it brings on the anxiety and fatigue. It has lessened now after 16 days but still lying around half the day with some activity in between. Sometimes it’s a step forward and two steps back but incrementally better . I can see it will be a month or two at this pace.
Good luck to all! The clarity regained and increased presence in the world is worth it!

After reading 2 pages of people where only one had quit for a month most people seem to be around day 10. All I gotta say is... I smoked 13 years since 13. Literally half my life at 26. Quit 6 months ago. Still feel tired all the time. Great dreams and better self esteem but overall that’s the only benefits. I can’t get rest, I can sleep about 10 hours without trying and then take another midday (not afternoon) nap. Too much sleep you might say? Then why do I feel sleepy? I have been exercising lightly to help regulate but I think the cannabis has caused long term problems for my hormones.

I may just be an outlier because when I search for others in my position it’s rare to find. I’ve also experienced other arthritis like symptoms which have persisted for about 3 months. Tests have been inconclusive.

In terms of will it get better and all that, I don’t know. I am certain that no average doctor can help as so far they’ve all been no help and can’t figure it out even with all the detail of my symptoms I give them. And some just seem dismissive. I basically feel disabled at this point as I can’t work 8 hours 5 days or anything close and I can’t prove it because it’s just feelings.... guess I have to fall asleep driving a forklift or something to prove it lol.

Anyway just thought I’d add in my two cents and maybe there are other posts in the 30 pages or wahetever of people with longer quit times but all the people talking about 9 days in 12 days in etc are basically just too early in their exhaustion to know whether or not it’s something long term or not

Well I've regularly smoked weed almost everyday for 40 years or longer...have quit 3 times during that period one time for a 20 years (or I wuld say 50 years of use) I'm off again each time I get very tired sleep 20 hours a night plus nap and the dreams come back vividly insane at times...takes generally 10 days to 2 weeks to get rid of the tired.

Good news it goes away I've been off for a year now all good...

Hello my fellow withdrawal brethren,

In regard to the fatigue most of you are experiencing i don't see anyone ACTUALLY explaining what's happening to our bodies. So for some peace of mind (since most of us are here for that), here's an explanation as to why you're probably feeling so tired and fatigued.

Using weed daily (especially right before going go to sleep) messes with your REM sleep. Weed supresses the REM sleep stage (rapid eye movement), this is the sleep stage where your brain is still actively in motion before it goes into the "deep sleep state" where it actually goes dormant and rests. Weed Shortens the REM stage by a significant amount and increases the 'deep sleep state". So in other words, you sleep more heavily while on weed, you're putting your brain to bed early so to speak. People (like me) who've used weed daily for YEARS without taking lengthy breaks get used to having more deep sleep at night. Now that you're sober and sleeping normally your brain needs to reacclimate to a lesser amount of deep sleep. This can be quite a shock to the ol' noggin. Thats why you're feeling so tired. It's like making somebody who only runs 5 miles a day suddenly do 15 miles a day, they're not gonna effortlessly do that in a short amount of time.

There's no saying as to when these symptoms dissapear since every human body reacts different to change and it also depends on how consistently you've been using it. Some might get back to normal in a few days but heavy chronic users (pun intended) will take at least a few weeks to get back to normal. It's just your body readjusting to a new way of life. I'd recommend buying some B12 vitamin and magnesium, these should help a little bit. They did for me.

I also see alot of people talking about having sudden panic attacks and heart palpitations. Ofcourse these are not completely related to withdrawal BUT the lack of enough sleep will worsen these emotions. Exhausted people are more prone to panic and anxiety attacks and worrying about not feeling good certainly wont help matters. Just give it time and let your brain sort it out, dwelling on the problem wont help anything. Get out there and try to live as normal as possible!

Good luck everybody!

I have been a heavy marijuana smoker for 27 years. Came to the forum to research why I am feeling so tired and weak. Guess it's a common thing reading all the comments.

Update
Feb 2022
Stopped all of it including delta 8 for 2 months and sank in to deep depression. Like cannot function depression. I resumed delta 8 in very small doses. Maybe a hit once a day. It helped me regain my life back. I've found controlling the delta 8 much easier. Somedays I go without completely. It acts as a mild antidepressant for me. No desire for weed. And no desire to take bong rips of delta 8. The tiredness is much better and I feel much more balanced in my sleep patterns. I did join the ymca and exercise helps alot. As does water intake....I eat alot of salads and apples. Thank you God for giving me the strength!

That was the best response I've read, can totally relate and it helped me alot a week in. I'm 60 going to be 61 next month, smoked since I was 15 pretty much daily and use to joke I want hooked. I'm a successful businessman and a heath nut too so smoking anything dosen't for into my lifestyle. I have quit several times and for a few years at a time, I've got my medical card and have smoked more then ever since covid began. I just had a hernia surgery and don't want to cough or have excess mucus and also have started beach at the gym before the surgery and notice a significant decline in my cardiovascular ability. I'm feeling tired and found this post which has been very encouraging. Thank you for your insitful and helpful post!!