I quit smoking 4 days ago because I had an abnormal chest x-ray. They won't tell me what it is untill I go see the respiratory specialist. I am so scared I have cancer that I don't want to touch it now, even though the withdrawals are horrible. I smoked daily for 3 years to cope with depression, because all the antidepressants and herbs I tried had awfull side effects, I tried them all, and pot was the only one that made me feel better. But I did not like the high feeling, just the calm it gave me. I had no idea the stomach pains were from quitting, I thought it came with the chest pains I had from smoking. I was caughing all the time and had shortness of breath and sore throat. Now I have insomnia, terrible stomach pains, migraines, sweating. The irritability is gone now. Pot is the most deceiving drug I know. It can help you and hurt you at the same time. I always told people there are no withdrawals except being irritable, boy was I wrong! And you get either lies from government on the internet or people saying that it is not addictive! There should be more research on this, I still think it can help sick people without the smoke. But for now, I want to get clean and see how I do.
I just quit, along with my husband, because it stopped being fun. I started freaking out and thinking about mortality all the time. I forgot about withdrawal, and I had a mini anxiety attack tonight (I had convinced myself that my husband, who is going to the ENT tomorrow for his adenoids, was sick and could die. Talk about irrational!o.O) Thank goodness I remembered that I'm not crazy, he's not going to die, I'm just having withdrawals! I read that one negative thought can trigger any withdrawal symptom. I'm also having stomach pain when I eat, decreased appetite, and some crazy scary dreams. The normal stuff. I get cravings to smoke, but really I don't want to. The fear is too intense. Thanks for letting me unload. I feel so much better!
If you are experiencing stomach pain as you are ceasing to use marijuana, it could be caused by health problems not related to marijuana.
Many people use marijuana to treat stomach discomfort caused by Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and other illnesses. In the past, using marijuana may have concealed the pain that you would have otherwise experienced; now that you are no longer using marijuana you are now feeling the pain. If you stop taking headache medicine, you may start getting headaches. If you stop using marijuana, you may start getting stomach aches.
If your stomach discomfort continues you should see a doctor. Also take note of your diet and see if certain foods cause you discomfort. Pain is the body's way of telling us something is wrong; regular use of a pain-relieving substance like marijuana may have prevented you from getting the message earlier.
Many people use marijuana to treat stomach discomfort caused by Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and other illnesses. In the past, using marijuana may have concealed the pain that you would have otherwise experienced; now that you are no longer using marijuana you are now feeling the pain. If you stop taking headache medicine, you may start getting headaches. If you stop using marijuana, you may start getting stomach aches.
If your stomach discomfort continues you should see a doctor. Also take note of your diet and see if certain foods cause you discomfort. Pain is the body's way of telling us something is wrong; regular use of a pain-relieving substance like marijuana may have prevented you from getting the message earlier.
Has anyone had anxiety AFTER quitting marijuana?? I just came back from the emergency room because I thought I was having a heart attack. After a chest xray and echocardiogram I was told it's nothing more than anxiety. I had been smoking marijuana for 6 years and today was my 4th day off it. I was have chest pains and severe anxiety, could this be at all be related to quitting smoking? :O
Folks, this is called DENIAL.
I am on day 12 of quitting, and I'm still having anxiety and chest pain. It started out as extreme irrational fear, and after about 10 days it decreased to uncomfortable nervousness.
I've found the best way to control it is with exercise. Even the smallest bit every day, especially strength training (in my opinion), can help your body release the tension of anxiety. Stretching and/or yoga are also very beneficial. If you're not used to exercise be careful because you might get nervous if your heart rate is raised too high.
Plus, with exercise, you metabolise fat which releases the THC stored in it, cleaning your system. Just make sure to drink lots of water to flush the THC out of your bloodstream.
Hang in there. It'll get better!
I've found the best way to control it is with exercise. Even the smallest bit every day, especially strength training (in my opinion), can help your body release the tension of anxiety. Stretching and/or yoga are also very beneficial. If you're not used to exercise be careful because you might get nervous if your heart rate is raised too high.
Plus, with exercise, you metabolise fat which releases the THC stored in it, cleaning your system. Just make sure to drink lots of water to flush the THC out of your bloodstream.
Hang in there. It'll get better!
Hi all...I posted a few weeks ago and found coming to this and other forums quite informative. I am presently on day 51 and I feel all the physical withdrawl is gone but still dealing with some of the mental aspects of not partaking.
Backround: Tried marijuana at 11 yrs old(1974) became a regular user at 14. By 15 was dropping LSD and drinking heavily with heavy pot smoking to counter everything else. At 19, dropped out of college after developing an addiction to freebasing. Turned to crack at 24 and was spiraling down. Right before hitting bottom I quit everything but couldn't shake my pot addiction, but became socially functionable again. Married at 27 and now have 3 children( all good normal kids, thank g-d). Tried to quit when I was 35 and lasted 92 days. Experienced terrible withdrawl and anger issues for the first two months and then convinced myself that after 3 months I was cured and could smoke normally(once or twice a week socially). After my first day back I was smoking at least 5 times a day asocially. Now at 43, I was smoking every few hours, waking and baking, after each meal, before going to sleep, and waking up in the middle of the night..to smoke so I could fall back to sleep...So once again, I am trying to quit.
Physical Withdrawl: There are physical differences that I experienced when I stopped using. Loss of appetite, insomnia, swings in body temp(chills to sweats), headaches, stomach aches, increased blood pressure and physical fatigue. These are are now completly gone.
Mental Withdrawl: Irritability, quick rising anger, wild dreams, anxiety and mental fatigue are the mental differences I have experienced and are now almost gone.
So for me, these physical and mental problems that I experienced from quitting cold turkey were so intense to the point that for at least the first 3 weeks it was quite difficult coping with everyday life. From that point on almost everyday I would feel a little better (some days more..some days not at all) to where now after 7 weeks I am almost devoid of any negitive symptoms. Rising anger and wild dreams that I have suppressed from my lifetime of drug abuse now must be accepted(dreams part) and worked on(anger issues). The lesson I learned though from 8 years ago when I tried to quit before was don't be fooled that I can become a causal user after this initial success. It took 10 years after my last hit of crack to no longer crave it and this is something I have to come to terms with when dealing with my pot addiction.
Tips to Quit: Read these forums, Talk to a friend, Maintain a journal, Keep it fresh everyday as to why you want to quit.
Exercise. Replace this addiction with exercise. Period. Its difficult at first and don't overdo it but it is a great way to counter the urge and chemical imbalance that addiction causes. Also sweating helps you physically and mentally purge the built up metabolites in your system. Take pride that you are cleansing your body and spirit( Sounds weird but you will appreciate that feeling after awhile). I found saunas(or a hot shower or bath) are great ways to complement the exercise. Must be accompanied by increased water intake and vitamin supplements. Both will help other symptoms as well.
Caffine. Duel edge sword. Helps fight fatigue and headaches but causes greater anxiety and insomnia. I have learned to limit but not to eliminate. Once again drink lots of water on top of the caffine.
Appetite. I dropped 7 pounds(I'm on the thin side to begin so this is not a positive sideeffect for me) from not eating. Then came the stomach aches and bad sh**s. I started to drink a lactaid-free protein shake. Helped me put weight back on, gave me more energy, and explanded my stomach so i could eat more. I've regained the weight and on top have added 7 pounds of new muscle and fat.
Sleep. Accept the fact that for a few weeks your gonna have trouble but it gets better. I am keeping a journal of my dreams to try and diffuse the frustration of having to dream again. Works but the fact is... I don't like dreaming.
Habit. After each meal and exspecially on Sundays during football season I would love to partake. Now I take a walk after dinner and throw the football around at halftime to get out of that automatic desire.
Anger. My biggest issue. I was and will be, hopefully soon, a very laidback type of guy. Nothing bothered me..of course i was baked all the time. Now I'll be fine but if something rubs me the wrong way, watch out, cause I will explode. I guess perspective is the only key. Something I am working on daily.
Please post anything you want to add or subtract to what I have written.
Thanks for reading my post and I wish you success.
JB
Backround: Tried marijuana at 11 yrs old(1974) became a regular user at 14. By 15 was dropping LSD and drinking heavily with heavy pot smoking to counter everything else. At 19, dropped out of college after developing an addiction to freebasing. Turned to crack at 24 and was spiraling down. Right before hitting bottom I quit everything but couldn't shake my pot addiction, but became socially functionable again. Married at 27 and now have 3 children( all good normal kids, thank g-d). Tried to quit when I was 35 and lasted 92 days. Experienced terrible withdrawl and anger issues for the first two months and then convinced myself that after 3 months I was cured and could smoke normally(once or twice a week socially). After my first day back I was smoking at least 5 times a day asocially. Now at 43, I was smoking every few hours, waking and baking, after each meal, before going to sleep, and waking up in the middle of the night..to smoke so I could fall back to sleep...So once again, I am trying to quit.
Physical Withdrawl: There are physical differences that I experienced when I stopped using. Loss of appetite, insomnia, swings in body temp(chills to sweats), headaches, stomach aches, increased blood pressure and physical fatigue. These are are now completly gone.
Mental Withdrawl: Irritability, quick rising anger, wild dreams, anxiety and mental fatigue are the mental differences I have experienced and are now almost gone.
So for me, these physical and mental problems that I experienced from quitting cold turkey were so intense to the point that for at least the first 3 weeks it was quite difficult coping with everyday life. From that point on almost everyday I would feel a little better (some days more..some days not at all) to where now after 7 weeks I am almost devoid of any negitive symptoms. Rising anger and wild dreams that I have suppressed from my lifetime of drug abuse now must be accepted(dreams part) and worked on(anger issues). The lesson I learned though from 8 years ago when I tried to quit before was don't be fooled that I can become a causal user after this initial success. It took 10 years after my last hit of crack to no longer crave it and this is something I have to come to terms with when dealing with my pot addiction.
Tips to Quit: Read these forums, Talk to a friend, Maintain a journal, Keep it fresh everyday as to why you want to quit.
Exercise. Replace this addiction with exercise. Period. Its difficult at first and don't overdo it but it is a great way to counter the urge and chemical imbalance that addiction causes. Also sweating helps you physically and mentally purge the built up metabolites in your system. Take pride that you are cleansing your body and spirit( Sounds weird but you will appreciate that feeling after awhile). I found saunas(or a hot shower or bath) are great ways to complement the exercise. Must be accompanied by increased water intake and vitamin supplements. Both will help other symptoms as well.
Caffine. Duel edge sword. Helps fight fatigue and headaches but causes greater anxiety and insomnia. I have learned to limit but not to eliminate. Once again drink lots of water on top of the caffine.
Appetite. I dropped 7 pounds(I'm on the thin side to begin so this is not a positive sideeffect for me) from not eating. Then came the stomach aches and bad sh**s. I started to drink a lactaid-free protein shake. Helped me put weight back on, gave me more energy, and explanded my stomach so i could eat more. I've regained the weight and on top have added 7 pounds of new muscle and fat.
Sleep. Accept the fact that for a few weeks your gonna have trouble but it gets better. I am keeping a journal of my dreams to try and diffuse the frustration of having to dream again. Works but the fact is... I don't like dreaming.
Habit. After each meal and exspecially on Sundays during football season I would love to partake. Now I take a walk after dinner and throw the football around at halftime to get out of that automatic desire.
Anger. My biggest issue. I was and will be, hopefully soon, a very laidback type of guy. Nothing bothered me..of course i was baked all the time. Now I'll be fine but if something rubs me the wrong way, watch out, cause I will explode. I guess perspective is the only key. Something I am working on daily.
Please post anything you want to add or subtract to what I have written.
Thanks for reading my post and I wish you success.
JB
OK...im sure this has been stated a hundred times....Im 25 years old and i have smoked pot for as long as i can remember. From around 15 to 25. I couldnt get pot as often when i was 15 but i smoked a good amount. From 18 to 25 i got really high every single day all day. i stopped smoken everyday about a week or two ago, then stopped all together about 2 days ago. I am in the most paranoid fear filled world i have ever been in my life. I dred waken up because i just worry and worry. i have horrible stomach pains that will not go away no matter what i am doing. My brain just obsesively thinks of horrible things happening to me. Im truely worried i have some sort of mental dissorder. I dunno...i stopped smoken once before for about 5 to 7 months and i went through this kinda same thing then it just went away. Suddenly the irational fear left my body after about 3 months or so...the things i worried about seemed like i was crazy at the time when i think back. SO i dunno if you can relate to me, but ive been here before and i pray that it is the same as last time and all my paranoid thoughts will go away. I truely believe it is my brain flipping out from all those years of smoken good pot. Pot is changing and i think so is the addiction. (?!?!)
Guest wrote:
Yeah....total denial and total load of c**p. How can so many people have the same symptoms if they "don't really exist"?
I'm on my 11th day of quitting and I've had night sweats, lack of appetite and SEVERE insomnia. And it definitely isn't a psychosomatic response to hearing about withdrawl symptoms. Because in my personal case, I didn't expect any symptoms, I really just expected to quit and be done with it...because I had quit cigs after 10 yrs (of 1.5 packs a day) cold turkey and had zero issues. That's when I learned the hard way about all of this. And I thought I was suffering by myself and looked up the symptoms online and was SUPER relieved to find this board and know that other people were going thru the same thing.
So yeah....that guy don't know jack~!!
Guest wrote:
In all scientific research ever done on Marijuana, which is not minimal (but not extensive either) no Physical dependency has ever been found.
I am not doubting any of the feelings that those of you trying to quit are having, but I feel that many people have phantom withdrawal symptoms due to propaganda about marijuana being addictive. People think that it is addictive and expect to feel withdrawal symptoms and so they do. Its a psychosomatic response and is EXTREMELY common. If anybody knows anything about the placebo effect and how powerful it can be, they know that this is very possibly true.
The fact of the matter is, all scientific scholarly research on Marijuana has shown that withdrawal symptoms of heavy marijuana use, if any are minor, and can include loss of appetite, mild nausea, and mild insomnia that can persist up to two weeks after use.
There are a lot of misconceptions about Marijuana use, and Im not trying to start some sort of debate here or anything, but the scientific research has proven that marijuana is not harmful to ones mental or physical health, and if anything provides positive medical benefits from its ability to prevent cancer, vasodiliatory effects, promotion of neurogenesis (production of new brain cells in the hippocampus), and its protective effects against alcohol use.
To whomever said that Marijuana addiction is still being debated by scientists, that is a load of c**p, anybody who has ever seriously studied the biological effects of marijuana have concluded any addiction to marijuana is psychological, the same kind of psychological addiction people can get to sex, television, or computer games.
The only negative effects of responsible marijuana use is law enforcement.
Folks, this is called DENIAL.
Yeah....total denial and total load of c**p. How can so many people have the same symptoms if they "don't really exist"?
I'm on my 11th day of quitting and I've had night sweats, lack of appetite and SEVERE insomnia. And it definitely isn't a psychosomatic response to hearing about withdrawl symptoms. Because in my personal case, I didn't expect any symptoms, I really just expected to quit and be done with it...because I had quit cigs after 10 yrs (of 1.5 packs a day) cold turkey and had zero issues. That's when I learned the hard way about all of this. And I thought I was suffering by myself and looked up the symptoms online and was SUPER relieved to find this board and know that other people were going thru the same thing.
So yeah....that guy don't know jack~!!
For anyone to say that Physical and/or emotional side effects do not happen when quitting weed hasnt done their homework.There are plenty of sources on the internet that back up the claim that withdrawal is a very real part of qutting for most cronic users. Ive recently quit and im on my fourth day and ive been expericing several symptoms including;decrease appetite,mood swings,insomnia,hand sweats and digestion problems including diarrhea and nausea during/after eating.Anyone that is trying to quit just remember that it seems harder then it really is. If you google "marijuana withdrawal symptoms" you can find several sources dedicated to this subject. As President bush would say"Stay The course"
i`ve smoked mj for over 10 years only on a night but insomnia and the need to build my buisiness up has made me quit, i`ve managed a week so far and do`nt have any in the house which helps but ive been getting pains in my guts and chest i honestly thought i was having heart probs i`m glad i found this site it has made me feel alot better already. thanks.
Hey everyone, i just quit three days ago and the only symptom that i have experienced thus far is severe severe insomnia, i have slept about 2 hours since quitting. How long should the insomnia last? i smoked religiously for the past 2 years, and off and on before that
Hi all, Very interesting study conducted a few years back. Worth while to just take a glance. For me the withdrawl timeframes that they discovered are very close to my experience. You can tell by the charts that most withdrawl seems to tapper off around 3 weeks. Interestingly during the course of the study, 45 days, strange dreams was the only withdrawl that did not decrease. I am on day 65 and I still suffer from them.( I really dislike dreaming ).
uams.edu/psych/car/pdf%20files/budney_pubs/Timecourse-JAP03.pdf[/url] JB
uams.edu/psych/car/pdf%20files/budney_pubs/Timecourse-JAP03.pdf[/url] JB
Yeah, i've been trying to get of pot for a while, have been smoking for post 8 years, but past four is daily (all the time) , have tried and didn work, always cold turkey ... when i dont have it the withdrawal symptoms are very bad... dont get stomach pain, but sleping problems, eating and so on... also my muscles in my arms are sore... wanna stop so badly baut there is something much stronger wich always pullme down the street to get some more. On the other hand when iam smashed, i feel grat, full of ideas and my work is easy (3d modelling) , when iam not, i get anxious , angry, frustrated and so on... am married and my wife dont like me to smoke (she does occasionally) all the time, but i cant manage to smoke occasionally.. when i have it i HAVE TO smoke it... now, thats a problem, and i know that... sometimes think that am getting crazy... havent smoke for a day now ... thats why iam here writing about that... it's very bad... somewhere i read that we got pot from the gods... i thing we have it from the evil... take care
Withdrawal symptoms are definitely for real. If you think about this from a purely scientific standpoint, it makes perfect sense. Every foreign substance you introduce to your body over a prolonged period of time can't help but change some things - especially when you're dealing with something that alters your mind state as radically as THC. One quick example of this is how your munchies gradually subside and then disappear the longer and more you smoke. For me, it got to the point where smoking actually suppressed my appetite, and I lost a not insignificant amount of weight as a result.
I recently quit cold-turkey (it's been about 3 weeks) after heavy usage for the past 3 or 4 years (I was running through a quarter of the dankest of dankness every week or so by myself) and let me tell you, I feel much better. It was getting to the point where I would hoard weed and lie to my friends about not having any in order to sit at home and smoke by myself.
That is not to say that I don't appreciate marijuana - in moderation it can be quite enjoyable. But for me, my own lack of self-control has led me to the conclusion that it is just not something that I can do without spilling over into the realm of excess.
As for physical effects of withdrawal, I, too, have noticed definite symptoms. For instance, last night I awoke after an hour of sleep to find that my clothes and my sheets were literally drenched with sweat. I thought for a moment that I had urinated in my pants (yes, the night sweats were that bad), only to discover that my shirt was equally as wet as my pants. I've also noticed the mood swings, as well as the feelings of anger that sometimes spring out of seemingly nowhere. But in my opinion, the pros of quitting have far outweighed the physical cons. I am more awake in the mornings, have motivation to actually get things done, and have rediscovered the joys of just hanging out with friends and people I love.
My personal advice to those of you struggling with quitting - exercise and eat well. The symptoms will fade as the stuff leaves your system. Oh, and beating off helps too. Hope this helps at least one person out there to follow through on his/her desire to step back from weed. Peace out.
I recently quit cold-turkey (it's been about 3 weeks) after heavy usage for the past 3 or 4 years (I was running through a quarter of the dankest of dankness every week or so by myself) and let me tell you, I feel much better. It was getting to the point where I would hoard weed and lie to my friends about not having any in order to sit at home and smoke by myself.
That is not to say that I don't appreciate marijuana - in moderation it can be quite enjoyable. But for me, my own lack of self-control has led me to the conclusion that it is just not something that I can do without spilling over into the realm of excess.
As for physical effects of withdrawal, I, too, have noticed definite symptoms. For instance, last night I awoke after an hour of sleep to find that my clothes and my sheets were literally drenched with sweat. I thought for a moment that I had urinated in my pants (yes, the night sweats were that bad), only to discover that my shirt was equally as wet as my pants. I've also noticed the mood swings, as well as the feelings of anger that sometimes spring out of seemingly nowhere. But in my opinion, the pros of quitting have far outweighed the physical cons. I am more awake in the mornings, have motivation to actually get things done, and have rediscovered the joys of just hanging out with friends and people I love.
My personal advice to those of you struggling with quitting - exercise and eat well. The symptoms will fade as the stuff leaves your system. Oh, and beating off helps too. Hope this helps at least one person out there to follow through on his/her desire to step back from weed. Peace out.