panic attacks caused by marijuana

I have smoked weed for over 5 years and none of the stuff mentioned above has ever happened to me, and i live in holland so i smoke every day atleast a gram so i find it weird that it has never happened to me... i think it just depends on the person and their mind state before and during the time they are getting high so... what i suggest is that you smoke a tiny bit of a joint and if it happens again then dont smoke again, but if it doesnt maybe u should smoke a lil bit at a time

I really feel for you guys because ive been thru the same stuff and i wouldnt wish it upon anyone. Was the most terrifying 2-3hrs of my life. That was over a year ago now and i havent smoked since - never will.

I still do x sometimes and love it - no problems whatsoever because its is so different. Thing is im keen to try some mescaline or lsd but im sh*t scared because of the bad trip i had previously on weed... any advice?

43 year old male. Smoking for 25 years. First marijuana panic attack's occured 5 years ago. They were the first panic attacks of any kind. Same symptoms as most others, impending doom, feeling like I am having a Heart Attack etc. Quit for a couple of months, slowly worked back up to daily usage. Two months ago had an out of the blue Massive panic attack right after getting high...very scary. Knew it was a panic attack, but that still didn't help any, the feeling of impending doom is indescribable to anyone who hasn't been through it.

Both series of episodes, 5 years ago and the current ones came on when I was under severe stress caused by job and other life events. As some other posters have remarked, it isn't the weed that causes the anxiety/panic attacks most of the time, it acts as the trigger.

As much as I hate to say it, I think my partying may be over for good. I know that I need to make some lifestyle changes to get the underlying anxiety reduced and or eliminated.

I used to huff gasoline daily for about 4 months till one day i started getting this intense feeling in my head right below my eye. It felt like someone was stabbing me with a knife really fast. After that I quit and said I'll never do drugs again. I had used weed before and been fine it was not my drug of choice. But one night about 1 month after that incident i decided to smoke some weed to help me sleep. About 10 secs after the hit that same pain came back 10x worse than what the gas caused. I sat down and drank some water but nothing helped. I ended up waiting it out for like 6 hours. The next morning I still had a sensation there and bright lights and loud sounds would cause that spot in my head/brain to hurt. It took me 2 months to recover from this but now im starting to notice other effects such as head pains in that spot, twitching, numbness/tingling all over my body, speech problems, can't read well anymore but used to be a excellent reader. I'm not sure if the Gas caused this or if it might be a medical problem. I have been very worried about this lately and last night I bought this legal marijuana and smoked it. Instantly I felt the same pain in my head and I said O no not this again. This was another scary/horrible experience I had to wait it out. Even today I don't feel the same. Because I was so worried about the Gasoline damaging me the marijauana could of been a trigger for these attacks or it could be a health problem.

Has anyone else had any long term effects after you had your panic? attack.

I'm 17 year and in my senior year in high school. I remember, this was like 2 month ago I went to my boy's house with 2 of my other boys to smoke some weed. We rolled up like a gram of purple haze into a philly. We smoked it up and had fun obviousily everything went fine when I was smoking it and then after I finished I started to feel all shaky. I was like okay? this happened before before because I've been smoking chronic for 5 years so I just let it go and started to make jokes with friends and then all of a sudden my heart started to pound like crazy and my breathing just went up. Then I just sort of collapsed into my friend's patio chair and then just started to stare at his sun flower then I quickly got up and went into my boy's house my heart was still beating like crazy and I was still shaking. I was sitting and just started to trip out that I'm going nuts. I started to say OH sh*t WHEN IS THIS GONNA GO AWAY! My friends started to laugh I bet they were real high as well and then one of them passed me some Captain Crunch I remeber I killed the cereal in a second but the feeling would not go away. When I walked back to school I was feeling like I'm floating or something everyone was staring at me because I kept rubbing my face and was walking quite weirdly I remember my friends who were smoking telling me to go back and sleep or something but I was like Nah I have a test to write for my math class then I go into the class. I feel a bit better the teacher passed me the test after 5 minutes the paranoia and the rapid heart beat started to come back. I started to trip out that I'm surely out of my mind and I'm dying with that I started to hum some tunes quite loudly but not loud enough to disturb anyone. The thing that I notice even though my eyesight went blurry I started to write real fast I didn't even what I was writing on the paper. A girl that I really like was sitting beside me I remember she was nudging me to borrow my eraser instead of the eraser I started to pass her my whole math binder she gave some dirty look and took the eraser from me. I felt quite embarassed and stupid for diong something like that. Then I asked my teacher if I could go to the washroom with still the horrible paranoia and my heart beat growing louder. I sit on the toilet and close my eyes and all of a sudden I felt all dizzy I was like oh sh*t i'm never going to smoke weed again. I went back to the class and teacher was like YOU SPENT 20 MINUTES IN THE WASHROOM? but I couldn't answer instead I just rushed to my desk and started writng like crazy. The school bell rang to mark 5th period and I was still writing. I couldn't even hear the bell or my teacher saying that its time to go. Finally my teacher came by my desk and grabbed the paper from me. "Time's up , go to your next class". I looked up at the teacher and he was staring at me. I got up and went to my english class. I started to burp all of a sudden and I felt bit better after burping. The thing is, that was the worst and scariest 60-90 minutes of my life. But I still smoke weed occasionally and drink but I've never burnt a cigarette before or taken any other drugs. The good part that I got the highest mark in the test. But all this paranoia and the rapid heart beat they never occured to me before, like I said bfore I've been smoking weed for 5 years the things I witnessed before this incident was that Imy eyes would get blood shot, I would get the munchies or my throat would go dry, I would feel like wondering around, I would laugh at anything I saw but never the rapid heart beat or the paranoia. Sometimes I still wonder while rolling up a blunt what was that all about? i still smoke weed but after that incident I've never felt like that again. Do any of you know? Was it just the grade of the weed? Or I had smoked too much? That couldn't be because I can smoke up a gram myself and still I would be fine other than getting the giggles at nothing or just get blurry eyed. Is it time for me to quit? What was the reason for all that happen and still getting a 90% in my test which I've never gotten in my whole school career especiallly in math.

OMG i found this article by actually searching on google, marijuana panic attacks, the SAME thing happens to me! i hate it, worry and fear and throwing up for hours!! its like death!!! i dont know what it is either, but i kindof think it may be like an out of body experience or something. it feels like im going out of body or somthign but my mind is racing and spinning and being dizzy. and omg...it happend to me twice. once i lil while ago and again last night. last night wasnt as bad b.c i knew what was happening (even though i was scared sh*tless) and i managed to tell who i was with to talk to me about happy things and put on soft happy music so i could get some positive things going through my head, bc otherwise my mind races with unstoppable negative thoughts that just bring me down and down and further down. i gotta find out what causes this. ive never had a panic attack either, just while high!! its so crazy.

OMG i found this article by actually searching on google, marijuana panic attacks, the SAME thing happens to me! i hate it, worry and fear and throwing up for hours!! its like death!!! i dont know what it is either, but i kindof think it may be like an out of body experience or something. it feels like im going out of body or somthign but my mind is racing and spinning and being dizzy. and omg...it happend to me twice. once i lil while ago and again last night. last night wasnt as bad b.c i knew what was happening (even though i was scared sh*tless) and i managed to tell who i was with to talk to me about happy things and put on soft happy music so i could get some positive things going through my head, bc otherwise my mind races with unstoppable negative thoughts that just bring me down and down and further down. i gotta find out what causes this. i shake like crazy, my heart beats incredibly fast, time moves slow slow . . . im so glad im not the only one who gets this!

I too have a had similar episodes. I've been smoking for about 6 years, and for the most part it has been rather positive experience over all. I've had about five experiences where I've had some sort of "attack". These attacks ranged from sudden nervousness, paranoia and breathing complication to extremes where, at times, I felt isolated and scared. Noises seemed unatural and foreign. Light (everything from the television to a light bulb) seemed overly bright and even hurtful to the eye. I felt like I was going to die and eventually I got down and prayed. I'm not really religious so its seems amazing that I would even resort to praying - obviously at the moment I was completely sure I was going to die. So yes, I think I've pretty been to the edge, as far as negative side effects from weed. The trick, as pathetic as it, is to prepare youself mentally before you get high. If your stressed, or sick or just not in a good mood, don't smoke. Because for me personally, if I have something important or serious going on in my life that is on my mind all the time, then the last thing I want is to take a drug that would only magnify those worries.

alright so ive read what a lot of people have to say and im relieved that im not the only one who experienced this.

but heres my story...

Im 17, im a junior in high school, i have a job, i love my life but its been a while since ive had (a lot) of fun,

I smoked A LOT of stuff like 3 nights ago with some friends,(this is my first time smoking anything in over a year) and we were having a blast! I was high, they were high, WE WERE HIGH RIGHT? and then it was time to drop me off at my house, the moment the car started moving was the same moment i got every symtom of a panic attack, something ive never had before. i remember everything i remember my skin feeling freezing and hot at the same time, the feeling of your brain coming out of itself and restless panicing scared feeling. i was giving them directions as i was gaining more and more panic. i could tell they noticed i was freaking out, because they got quiet while i was just blurting out directions to them and telling them that somethings wrong with me.

So i got home and it seemed fine on my way to the front door and up the stairs to my room where my brother, who is a year older than me was playing a game. (hes also more experienced in smoking) he wasnt sure what i was going through, so he tried convincing me i was okay while i was just FREAKING OUT.

My own mind found a way to turn my imagination against me and convince me that this is the end as my heart speed increases and my body is numb hot and cold. I knew in the back of my head sleep was my only way out of this, so i did i woke up fine, perfectly fine.

so now were getting to the climax of my story...

That was three days ago. as I type this i have just now experienced my second panic attack, in a dream. Yea i had a dream i was having a panic attack, then i woke up and actually had a real one. this is my second panic attack, and my first one was 3 days ago that night. So i might remind you i smoked a lot of different things at once, and also for the first time in a year or so... this seems to have triggered something. because now i think im going to be getting more panic attacks :-(

Someone help me!

i know exactly how you guys feel. I had my first panic attack over a year ago. I was alone in my attic when I started smoking. At this point i used to blaze every single day for about 4 months straight. Prior to this night i hadn't smoked in over a week since i was on vacation. once i got back from vacation i decided to smoke my usual 3.0. when i first lit up i was fine like old times, but then when i came down from my attic into my room i got nervous all of a sudden i dont even know why. I started bugging out, i began to go numb all over my body. i was warm and cold at the same time. eventually i began shaking as well as my heart was racing. Everything i saw was not like usual everything i touched seemed to go through my hand, i was on the fone with my friend as this happened and it seemed as though i was talking faster and faster by the second. I tried to lay down in my bed but felt as though i were levitating. I had a terrible panic attack and felt like sh*t til the next day. After that i stopped smoking for a while til 4/20. when 4 20 came around i smoked with my girlfriend and i was completely fine. The next day i smoked up alone and had another panic attack. After my second panic attack i didnt smoke again until october. In october i smoked for about 3 weeks without any problems, til 1 night i took just 3 hits of a blunt and was bugging out for hours. I feel like ever since i had my first panic attack im prone to more ever time i smoke. My friends thought i was crazy for having these bad highs. but i understand because before i had my first 1 i never had a fear when i took my first hit.

This is one of the best things I've ever read, as someone who smoked pot from the age of 15. I'm 21 now, and I had a panic attack just three weeks ago. I went to the ER three times, and consulted the family physician. All four doctors told me there was nothing wrong with me, but I didn't believe them. Same sh*t-

Thought I was dying

Bad chest/heart pain/palpitations

Pain in the arms

Tingly fingers

Trouble breathing

But if what I've been reading on this thread is true, I suppose I can relax a bit. The symptoms ARE brought on by smoking, and it's also true that a couple of puffs can be ok, but still. The experience is horrifying. I have taken a brief vacation from smoking pot since, and immediately things improve. I'm trying to exercise and whatnot, but like everyone else in the thread, I don't want to quit smoking. Hell. I love to smoke pot. However, it's really not worth the risk of a bad night, especially in this particular fashion. Anyhow, I think I'll continue to take a break, but it's nice to know I might be able to smoke again : )

This happened to me a couple of nights ago and i had to go to the ER because i thought i was dying. This happened to me once before but not as bad. This time i was with my friend and i took a huge hit from the bong (more than i should of) i started coughing real bad and after that everything starting to get messed up. Things didnt feel real and my heart was racing and i thought i was going to have a heart attack and die like u guys said. Once i got the hospital they gave me some meds to help me calm down and i didnt calm down till i fell asleep. I think the reason i get panic attacks is when i try to smoke too much and the coughing sets it off. If your scared to try it again just roll a small joint and take it nice and slow theres no way u can have a panic attack from that. I dont think i will be able to smoke bongs ever again but definetly joints are fine with me

Im 14 and i got some really good pot once. Smoked a couple bongs worth, was sitting on my friends bed, then things started going numb and i was getting burning sensations all over my body.I sat up quick and it felt like my body flew across the room. MY face was half numb, and the kid right next to me was telling me to calm down because he almost died from it. Yea, like i would calm down after that. My heart was racing so much i was tackaheartic, or on the verge of a heart attack, and ended up in the er. I was stoned for a week after that. Then 2 weeks later i tried smoking again and it happend AGAIN, the same symptoms. Then i just said i cant do it ne more. About 3 months later, i took one hit of a joint, and the same sh*t happened, just not as bad. 2 months after that, took 1 hit of a blunt, sh*t happened again. I just tell myself i cant smoke. I think i make myself nervous. But im not sure. I dont want to not ever smoke again cuz weed is great, but i dont want to die from it. Any suggestions. like what can i do, i want to smoke again?!

i am 18 years old i smoked pot normally and hiabitually until one day i smoked out of a bng and got highest id ever goten and i was so scared i actualy tried t dic trough my wrists with my nails then i did it again couple time to experiment and understand what was going on but slowly starting with a little high then last night i did a couple hits and i wasent as severe as that one time but it was a very horrible experience but atleast for me the key to get passed it as to realize its a panic attack
and have ur friends talk to you try to focus on whats going on not on your own thoughts

Haha wow, I feel the same way. I'm 14, smoked about 7 times. It definitely has something to do with being depressed or stressed. I've had about 3-4 panic attacks, but they seem to be less intense the less i do and the slower I do it. The best thing (for me, anyway) to do is to sit or lay down, maybe put a fan blowing on your face(or get cool), try and get some milk to drink (trust me-it works), and if possible, a spoon of sugar. I Highly recommend also distracting yourself, as it is VERY easy to do when high, and it helps instantly. I watch cartoons or talk to my high peeps around me to calm me down. Soothing music, or music that makes you feel good or brings out welcome memories, are also very good for distractions. Just know that NOBODY has died directly from weed, and know what you're going through is normal for yourself, and you'll be okay. I would also recommend taking a Benzo (anxiety pill (can be addicting though, so be careful.)) before smoking, as that's REALLY helped me to mellow out, and even lead to a better high. The biggest thing to me is the physical reactions. They mess up my mental self. Thank you, whoever started this forum. You've helped tons of people, including me, in helping me to know that I'm not alone. Its like a sign, we deal with our stress and can then smoke, or just freak out every time we smoke (or just not do it). If all that fails... just try to sleep through it!