If you have used marijuana extensively for a long period of time, you are going to experience some withdrawal symptoms. For some individuals the withdrawals are more severe than for others. It depends on body chemistry, degree of abuse, and other factors like whether you were using the drug to cover up some other problem.
For people that use marijuana to make themselves more comfortable in social situations, they may experience extreme discomfort and anxiety coming off the drug. Similarly individuals that used it for other reasons like appetite boost or to help with insomnia generally will experience some sort of a crash while their physiology changes to adapt to life without the drug.
Factors that influence marijuana withdrawal include:
1. Time Span
Did you smoke marijuana for a week? A few months? A year? 5 years? 10 years?
2. Frequency
How often did you smoke marijuana? Was it daily? Twice a day? Thrice a day? All day everyday?
If you smoked marijuana heavily for the past decade and used it at a high frequency (i.e. 3x per day), chances are that your withdrawal symptoms are going to be more severe than someone who has only used this substance for a few months a couple times per week. In fact the person who only used the drug a couple times a week may not experience any withdrawal whatsoever, while the individual that was addicted for 10 years may not be able to cope without the drug.
Marijuana Withdrawal Symptoms:
- Anxiety – You may feel more anxious in social situations and develop some sort of generalized anxiety. This is the exact opposite of how relaxed you felt while using the drug – your brain is trying to compensate for the chemicals it received while you used marijuana.
- Appetite changes – If marijuana helped boost your appetite, you may not feel hungry at all while coming off of the drug. In some cases, people actually feel hungrier coming off marijuana – it totally depends on the case.
- Cramps – Some people notice stomach cramps and digestion problems. Others may feel achy.
- Cravings (for marijuana) – At some point in time, most people will experience a craving to use marijuana again. This is because you stimulated your brains pleasure center and kept feeding it chemicals to make you feel good. It wants its fix, and knows marijuana makes you feel good, so you will likely crave the drug.
- Depersonalization – You may feel like you are not the same person or are going crazy. This is usually a result of intense anxiety. You may have never felt this way before; your brain chemistry has been thrown out of whack.
- Depression – Many people experience some sort of depressive symptoms when coming off of the drug. You may feel sad and as though you have lost all zest for life.
- Dizziness – Some individuals report feeling dizzy. Try not to lose your cool if this is happening, just accept it as a symptom.
- Headaches – Another common withdrawal symptom is that of headaches.
- Insomnia – Not being able to sleep at night is a problem, but one that you need to tackle head on. Try learning some relaxation techniques or getting more exercise during the day to help tire yourself out at night.
- Irritability – You may experience anger or frustration with the world when coming off of the drug. No one wants to get mad at little things, but this will eventually pass with enough time.
- Mood swings – Some people experience extreme changes in mood when trying to quit this drug. You may feel alright one minute and then raging mad or depressed the next.
- Nausea – Feeling nauseated, especially before, during, or after eating is common.
- Sleep disturbances – You may experience crazy vivid dreams or have disrupted sleep where you wake up in the middle of the night.
- Sweating – Some people end up sweating more than they normally would during withdrawal.
Note: It is known that marijuana stays in your system along with cannabinoid metabolites for between 4 to 21 days after your final ingestion. Some speculate that once the THC and cannabinoids are fully excreted, discontinuation symptoms become more prominent.
When will the marijuana withdrawal symptoms subside?
Depending on the length of time and frequency that you used marijuana, time period for withdrawal varies from person to person. Most people will notice that they are completely symptom free after 90 days. It also depends if you tapered off slowly or just quit one day randomly in “cold turkey” fashion. I think cold turkey is the best way to quit, but probably the toughest for your body and brain to re-adjust to normalcy.
Don’t freak out if you don’t return to normal after 3 months of withdrawal. Keep pushing forward and accept all of the symptoms that you experience without freaking out. Engaging in healthy activities like socializing, exercising, eating healthy foods, and staying busy will help you make it through this difficult time.
Fortunately marijuana withdrawal is easier than many other drugs – so consider yourself lucky. If you aren’t able to withdraw on your own or deal with symptoms, you should consider consulting a professional. If symptoms are still too extreme to manage, you may want to look into a rehab facility. Most people can quit with the help of family and a good social network.
23 year old, 2 year daily user here, would typically pump out 10+ cones a day. Currently on day 6 after quitting cold turkey and I’ve been on an emotional roller coaster, frame of mind bouncing from one extreme to another, also getting all kinds of sensations in my stomach like constantly feeling empty yet not at all hungry, diarrhea, cramps and all that fun stuff.
Thankfully haven’t been getting migraines or any bad headaches… a few minor headaches here and there but mostly a feeling of pressure around the temples which gets a bit annoying. To combat the withdrawals I’ve been dedicating at minimum an hour a day where I just destroy myself with exercise to the point where I’m wheezing and completely soaked in sweat.
You really have to force it out of yourself but It definitely helps and gives a sense of achievement in spite of all the anxiety and suicidal thoughts that are currently lingering. Shit sucks but hang in there humans, its still early days for me but it will get better, I’ll try to remember to update here. Peace & love everyone.
I don’t smoke to get high. I smoke to calm down the world for me. My habit has been going on since 2001, where I went from a bowl or two a day to at one point in 2009 I was at 5 blunts a day. Now I’m on my 2nd day quitting cold Turkey for a test by the 31st of March. I feel so depressed and lost. It has been masking my depression of being married to my wife whom is unmedicated bipolar. Once I pass the test, I am starting my habit again. I’ve got to get back to my normal self.
I smoked every day for 20 years. I work from home, and it’s easy to hide. But my wife is aware, as are my friends. It helps me pass the time, where a home job, even a successful one, doesn’t take 8-12 hours a day. I smoked about 3 “one hitters” a day. And this is the first time I have quit, cold turkey. It’s been 6 months now, and I can tell you that much of what I read about withdrawal is exaggerated.
I don’t mean to suggest that nothing changes, but the vast majority is positive. Yes, for a few days I had vivid dreams, but I sleep better, and wake rested. And I feel the anger at times, that I had to quell. But as for the severe symptoms that are listed on many websites, including Marijuana Anonymous, much of it is overblown. Even to the point of calling them scare tactics.
To say that you will live with the withdrawal for years, or the rest of your life, as I have read, is just false. 10 days after I quit, the only changes in my life were positive. Less sitting around, less TV time to waste. I lost weight, because I didn’t have the munchies anymore – although I usually smoked at mealtime in the old days, so I wasn’t eating lots of extra food during the day.
So don’t be scared into thinking you are going to be severely depressed, unless you already were, or suffer big physically withdrawal. Marijuana, no matter who tries to tell you, is NOT a physically addictive drug. You may need it, or think you do psychologically, but there is no chemical brain addiction. That is for opiates. Or alcohol.
Pot is a lifestyle that needs to be changed, not a psychotic-inducing hospital stay. And frankly, cold turkey is the only way to quit for sure. I’ve tried many times to limit use, and inevitably, I find a reason to go back to normal usage. But that is because the lifestyle is still there, not because I’ll kill myself if I don’t do it. Have no fear.
In just a few consecutive days, you will see enough reason to quit altogether. There are obstacles. If you have others who are going to lead you back to it, they have to go. And if you don’t make positive changes, and change up your routine, you may just go back because it’s your regular routine, but you can do it. I did it for 20 years, and it still didn’t have a physical hold on me.
Yes, you will have minor aspects like dreams and such, but nothing that won’t far outweigh getting your life back. Good Luck, if I can do it, so can you. The hard truth was actually throwing everything away (paraphernalia & weed), but I waited months to do it, to make sure I was serious. The real life issue is after you quit, and realize how much time you wasted, and wish you had back.
I had no problem finding distractions, and ways to fill my time after it was done. And so will you. I did this completely by myself, and so can you. Exercise, eat better, read more, call friends you haven’t seen in years – they will be glad to hear from you, watch upbeat, funny shows to improve your mood, smile more and go to bed earlier, and wake up refreshed.
Check out local weekend activities near you, immerse yourself in your family and kids, get a dog, keep a journal, and you will start to feel great and have so much more energy. :)
The withdrawals that people experience after quitting smoking weed, are often the same and the recovery of your brain is mostly 3 to 6 months. However, I know quite a few people who felt completely normal, but only after 1 or even 2 years. So I guess it’s a personal thing… All the best.
Hello I recently stopped smoking weed after 3 years of at least 5 blunts a day. I feel horrible physically. I now have a physical anxiety that is killing me. I hope I will be ok. It’s been 7 days and I seem to be getting worse.
Don’t worry Chad. You were a heavy user, my friend. It will seem crappy for a week or two, but you will be feeling soooooo much better in a month. And much better a month after that. Hang in there. Going back isn’t even an option. Find distractions, exercise and eat better, and go to sleep earlier if possible. These things, and lots of water will bring you back. Good luck!!
Hello All! First thanks for being brave and share all this information that is being very useful for me and makes me feel I’m not alone. I was almost a daily user from the last 1.5 years and intese for the last three months before quitting, by intense I mean 3 to 5 bongs daily mixing marijuana with strong hashish. I keep on my way from stop smoking and just want to share my experience.
I quit smoking weed cold turkey 7 weeks ago and this is how I felt:
Week 1: Hard flu, not sleeping well (around 3 hours a day), green phlegms with brown spots and not appetite at all. After investigating those phlegms are signs that my lungs are cleaning of all the tar by being smoking.
Week 2: This is where things start to become weird. I wasn’t conscious about the withdrawal syndrome, so on monday I drank a cup of coffe and later I was feeling strange, a lot on anxiety and last for 2 hours. I was able to sleep a little bit better, I asume it was because I return to my exercise routine.
Week 3: Started with a hard headache and then I had an axiety attack, my heart was in a rush and felt hard chest pain, I felt like I was going to die, it was my worst experience ever. I ended on the ER and that day I told the doctor I quit smoking weed 2 weeks ago, she explained me it was a withdrawal syndrome from quit smoking and gave me some pils for anxiety and sleeping, I do not took the pils and prefered cleaning myself the natural way, just my decision, I’ve read if you are able to move clean is better, but some people need the meds if the symptoms are heavier, up to you. That day I had some blood tests and an electrocardiogram, everything was ok. Problems to sleep returned, my hearbeat was strong some moments, maybe for hours, then return to normal, feeling socially unconfortable, happy some moments and then depressed just in seconds, not appetite at all, weakness on my legs, hands sweating. This was my worst week.
Week 4: Not any important highlights. Appetite came to normal some moments, sleeping for 4 to 6 hours but sometimes I had vivid dreams, sometimes I felt that strong heartbeats for 1 or 2 hours, feeling my heart on a rush sometimes during nights, feelings ups and downs, some days I woke up during night because my arms felt numb, start feeling worried about that and start investigating during insomnia nights about it, but it is the same, withdrawal syndrome.
Weeks 5, 6 and 7: Almost the same as week 4 but syntoms occur with less frequency. I’m starting to feel better, but as I said, syntoms still going.
What I did to make things easier:
1. I keep busy all the time and distract my mind with job and having good times with friends, remember that body goes where mind goes, if you start having negative thoughts you’ll start feeling that way, avoid that thoughts. It is hard, but try it!
2. I eat clean, eat lot of greens, lot of beans, lot of fruits and clean carbs.
3. I do exercise daily, the days I passed from exercise I had problems to sleep and symptoms are stronger.
I’m starting to feel better each day, still having some bad days, but good days occur more often. Keep up my friends! We can do it!!
I’m on my 5th week of going cold turkey after few years of occasional smoking, but I smoked almost every day (up to 6 big ones shared in two people) for almost a year. I had a psychotic attack after 1 week of quitting. Stopped for a month and started back. I didn’t actually related it to withdrawal cause I had no cravings or particular changes besides getting completely mental. Started again and then stopped.
Worst 3 weeks of my life. Got slowly better and started again until I realized what was happening. Now, on my 5th week I drift in and out from paranoid-schizophrenic like experiences. I am seriously worried as sometimes I just snap from normal to suicidal but I’ve learned to cope with that although it feels real. I just hope this is just the time where THC is out of my system and my body is getting finally used to it.
I like to think that fearing that I might suffer from a psychological disorder is just part of those paranoid thoughts. Sure I have my issues due to experiences, insecurity, family and shit, and seeing those thoughts manifested as delusions of persecution or other “well planned” stuff is giving me lot of clues for introspection, but to see all this shit coming out in such power scared the hell out of me too many times.
I’ve never cried so much in my whole life and I’m going for my 30s. Don’t smoke if you’re sensitive, dreamy, insecure, anxious, by nature or, if you do it, just know that even if you will learn a lot about yourself and how to overcome your dark side, it’s gonna be really painful.
Long time smoker, started 20 years ago but heavily for the last 8. I have tried to quit cold turkey a few times but always end up caving. I suffer from anxiety and depression as it is, so the withdrawals have always been very hard. Currently on day 3 of no smoking. I’m antsy and bored. I NEED to stop because my life is at a stand-still. I don’t see my life moving forward until I stop. This is damn hard. Everyone keep up the good work. WE can do it!!
You CAN do it Carrie. I smoked 20 years, and quitting cold turkey is the best, and only way. In a couple months you won’t believe how much better you feel. Exercise, drink water, get out more, even if just to walk. Go to bed earlier, and find someone to hang with who doesn’t live the life. You just in need of repair my dear, you aren’t broken. Remember that! Love sister!!
Check my entry on 2/3/16. It is a long slow process, you can do it or I’m happy to be a pen buddy to help out. Been smoking for over 25 and have to quit for my family and health, but I love it and it has never been an issue in my life. So the giving up is even harder. Speak to your doctor or rehab in your area. They can help with the withdrawals, anxiety. I suffer from depression and a myriad of health issues and used dope effectively to function everyday. Now I want to be able to cope drug free naturally. BABY STEPS and lots of hurdles. Good luck on your journey.
Well I’m on day 22 of no weed and no smoking at all, after 9 years of weed and 14 years of smoking and yeh it’s not easy but knowing in the long run I get my life back is what’s keeping me going. First week was rubbish sleep and night sweats, second week seemed good but this week has been nightmares every night of people out to get me (mainly old enemies) and cramps are starting up.
But going to stay focused and busy, I want the old me back the bloke with hobbies and interests. I know the symptoms aren’t nice but no pain no gain! Been using meditation and breathing techniques to control myself the best I can… Highly recommend it. Good luck everyone it will be worth it!
Hello everyone, I smoked weed for 12 years every evening. I have stopped for almost 4 months now. Had most of the common withdrawals which are are pretty much gone now. The vivid dreams are still present, but they don’t bother me much. The thing that I worry about is my eyesight haze. I’m not seeing sharp (even with my reading glasses) and it feels like sand in your eyes. Are there more people here have this after stopping? All the best. Greetings, Bastiano
This gives me strength to see someone who’s come out the other side. Hope your eyesight improves bud.
After 30 years I think it is time to quit for good. I really enjoy it but I got to the stage of smoking constantly, day & night. I now have children so it’s time for them to have the real me, not the stoner dad they’re used to. I am going through lack of appetite, stomach cramps, mood swings, the lot basically, but the worst is the vivid dreams & waking up 2 or 3 times a night absolutely soaking with sweat.
I could quite easily go out & score, but I shall stay strong for my family. I would not wish this on anyone so please if you are a smoker, quit sooner rather than later and it will be easier. It’s been nearly 3 weeks now & it’s getting slightly better, stay strong, stay clean, stay healthy.
Thank you so much to everyone who has posted here & to Gloom – I can’t tell you how much you have helped me. I’m on day 9 of being free. My first j was when I was 15. I was smoking regularly by 19. I’m now 55. In the last 10 years I’ve tried to give up twice (before this time).
The first time I managed to last 5 months, the second I managed 3 months – mainly to be able to look after my Dad. I started again when he died. I’ve always worked so the amount I could smoke was limited to after work & weekends, but I took voluntary redundancy & then there was nothing to stop me – smoked constantly, day & night – spending £320 per month. it took 3 before breakfast just to face the day.
If I wasn’t smoking I was thinking about it – I realized it was controlling my life – when I was stoned I’d think about giving up but when I wasn’t all I could think about was getting stoned again. Somehow I managed not to smoke 9 days ago – the first day was ok but from day 2 I’ve felt dreadful – like most people here I had days of sweating, feeling hot & cold, depression, crying, not able to sleep (not getting the vivid dreams yet) but the worst has been nausea.
I’ve made myself eat as I feel really sick if I don’t. I’m not feeling quite so ill today, so hopefully that’s coming to an end. Twice before I’ve failed & gone back to it – this time I’m going to stick at it. Thank you to everyone who has posted, you give me hope. It’s good to know I’m not alone. Be free.
Day 14 – feeling much better, nausea has gone & don’t feel so tired. The vivid dreams have started. Depression/sadness coming & going, but overall I feel much happier. I hope everyone who’s posted above is still doing well.
I’ve smoked weed for 20 years, quit a few times, no more than 6 months. Up until 3 days ago I was smoking bud and dabs all day everyday for 3 years. Like I said I recently quit a few days ago after cleaning every remaining spec of resin out of my pipe. I know it can be done from past experience, that’s what’s giving me a little strength right now. The problem is rewiring your brain and it takes time.
For me the withdraws are gone in about 3-4 weeks. I’m only 3 days in and I feel awful, no sleep, cant eat when hungry, irritable as ever with a snap trigger temper, which makes landing and holding a job very difficult. All things come to head when you quit all the issues you suppressed while smoking come back to haunt you. It does go away, you have to fight and fight.
I am high right now, and I’ve decided to quit. I have been smoking daily for 2 years, sometimes I would smoke more than 10 joints in a single day. I always get strong panic attacks, it’s so f*cking bad. It’s time to stop. I find all the comments encouraging. A lot of positive energy here.
My Partner was diagnosed with Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome a week ago and has been continuously vomiting for 9 days now… He was improving a little after 3 days of no weed, but then had cones and woke up worse the next morning. He has been smoking for 15 years so this is going to be a hard habit to break. Any advice of how he can calm his anger and mood swings whilst detoxing? It’s hell for me and my kids.
Exercising, meditation can help.
Been a smoker (mostly) on and (sometimes) off for about 12 years. My biggest withdrawal symptom when I’ve stopped each time over the past year has been the absolute worst restless leg syndrome when I’m sleeping. It wakes me up and it feels like I have hundreds of ants crawling underneath my skin and I just want to scream. I’m on psych meds so maybe it’s probably an interaction from withdrawal, but Christ, it’s such a killer.
I’m trying to stop for a while for the new year and see if my memory gets better, plus it’s stupid to be doing anything that gives you withdrawal symptoms when you don’t get it. Thankfully I get prescribed alprazolam for panic attacks so I’ve taken bits over the past two nights. It’s taken the edge off, but last night it was so bad I just wanted to hit my bowl to get that edge off.
When I got up today I realized that sounds like every junkie or tweaker in every movie I’ve ever seen, so I’m making a resolution to cut it out of my life for the foreseeable future.
Hi everyone, I’m 15 years old and I’ve been smoking since I was 14. Not day to day or even month to month. Even if I didn’t get high, I still did it to be cool or fit in with the crowd. I got very high about 3 weeks ago and haven’t touched a blunt since then. Now that I’ve stopped, I’ve had a major anxiety attack, and I’ve also been feeling withdrawal symptoms. Please keep me in your prayers. We’re all going to make it through this.
I’ve been smoking since I was about 15, I am now a 53 year old grandma, remember thinking that I was never going to be some 50 year old fried pot head. What a loser that would be… Well here I am, quit about a year ago, lasted maybe a month, gave in because of the anxiety, but was long enough to notice some positive changes in me. I remember were how much more I got done in a day and how much clearer my thinking was.
But then I started feeling as if I was being denied something. What a load of crap. This drug will tell you whatever it needs to to make you smoke some more. I’m just sick of not accomplishing things I want to do. Ashamed that I’ve been numbing myself to life for 35 years. What a waste. So many things I want to do but I got high and just thought about it, never took action.
Realizing, I don’t know myself without this mind numbing drug. Hugs to everyone fighting this fight. Thank you for sharing, lets me know that I’m not alone. Not addictive MY ASS. Tired of needing to smoke to feel normal. I wasn’t feeling normal, I was feeling drugged, fried, slow, unproductive. Hugs to all of you going through this. Always remember WHY you wanted to quit in the first place, don’t let this “herb” control you anymore. Good luck to everyone.
I smoked pretty much everyday all day for fourteen years. I started with buds, which I smoked for about nine years (wake and bake all the way till late at night) and then I eventually switched over to only smoking hash. Smoking hash was better because I didn’t have to smoke as much to get as high as from smoking bud and it was overall better on my lungs. I did hash for about 2 years then made the switch again to vaporizing wax.
Vaping wax was the best method because it did not affect my lungs at all and the high was intense, just like how I liked it. I just cold turkey quit after vaping wax all day everyday for almost three years. The first few days it was hard, I was still in the habit of wanting to vape, but after 3 – 4 days I got past that. I haven’t had really any physical withdrawal symptoms, which I am completely baffled by this. I smoked to help me eat, to help me go to sleep, and to deal with general anxiety.
The only real problem is that since I stopped smoking it became impossible for me to get to sleep at night, but this was the way I was before I started smoking, so in effect, things went “back to normal” for me. After a couple sleepless nights, I got a hold of some liquid melatonin and I’ve been sleeping much better ever since. I still wake up not feeling hungry (loss of appetite) but nowadays I just try to force myself to eat. Loss of appetite was a problem I had before I started smoking as well.
It’s been 2 weeks and 4 days since I’ve gotten high. The actual biggest problem I’ve had was that I’ve been sweating non-stop since I’ve stopped smoking, well that and the loss of appetite. Not being able to sleep or eat was how I was naturally, and one of the reasons I got a medical card. But in terms of physical withdrawal symptoms, I have thankfully not gotten those in the almost 3 weeks I’ve been sober now.
I’ve taken breaks before in the past and that’s when I really felt some serious depression, so I was expecting the worst this time around. So I guess my point is that if you set yourself up for success and plan ahead, you can reduce your withdrawal symptoms. I’ve stepped up my exercise and I’ve started drinking tons of water, along with eating more fruits and veggies.
Also keeping a positive mindset and choosing something to focus on (I started teaching myself programming) will also go a long way. Also, changing your view towards smoking is a big one. I look up to people who can smoke and still function normally in society, I was able to do that but just barely (I smoked constantly in college and ended up graduating 2nd in my class, which reinforced my perception that was okay going through life being high).
So now I know that I can’t reach my full potential without being sober so that’s what truly drove me to kick the habit and stay clean. F*ck withdrawal symptoms lol.
I am a successful 43 year old…30 year pot smoker. All day everyday! Quitting for first time. Day 2! Not easy, but know if I want to have “the rest of my life” to be the “best of my life,” I have to quit. And I do want that! Wish me luck!
I myself am battling the harsh withdrawal symptoms. I smoked for 16 years and for the last 2 years, I was smoking onwards of an ounce a week, I only smoked cheese – nebula normally. Probably the worst strain to be addicted to! I am going insane to the point I am considering taking my own life! I physically couldn’t take this for weeks, let alone months! I fear I am destined for a room with 4 white walls! Stay strong guys…
Just a little personal experience. I have thought about taking my own life many times throughout my life. I am 43, and thankfully haven’t felt that way in a long time. But one thing that has always stuck with me and that I am grateful for… Every time… That feeling eventually goes away for whatever reason, and I am always glad I didn’t do it. So just stick in there and don’t let Pot ruin your life and all the lives of your family.
Also, think about your family and what that would do to them. You will be condemning your loved ones to forever be sad and in pain for what they could have done to help you. So even if you think, your life isn’t worth it… It is. And if you can’t find any reason right now, there is always the reason to not cause eternal pain for your loved ones. Be strong. It always gets better.
Oh man I am not alone. I smoked pot once a night, maybe half a blunt or a vape for 3 and half years to help me sleep and wind down. Then I had to stop cold turkey, and it was fine for about two weeks but I still had insomnia, but one night out of nowhere I just had a panic attack. I actually had to call the ambulance cause I thought I was going to die.
Ever since then I had anxiety and I mean severe anxiety and at least two panic attacks thus far, I can’t sleep… it’s freaking horrible. I am like some people on here I used to drink a lot of coffee hadn’t had a sip or any stimulant in two months because I think it’s going to trigger another panic attack. Just two days ago I had another panic attack and went into the emergency room.
I hadn’t felt this way before until I stopped smoking. With all the symptoms I thought I had diabetes or was have a heart attack or something else, but the Doctors tell me everything looks good. They gave me some Valium it seems to help but only a little still cant sleep and anxious. I hope it gets better I am tired of freaking out…
Omg! Had no idea there was this chat anywhere… 27 year smoker. Obviously it’s bad or I wouldn’t have looked for this, but yes exact symptoms. Hardest thing I’ve ever done. Day 2, life sucks, but I know it’ll get better. Wow!!!
Guess we both made it our New Year resolution… 30 year smoker trying to improve my life too… On day 2. Good luck!
There is smoking cannabis and then there is intentionally abusing cannabis. I smoked recreationally once every few days…and I was able to quit without any symptoms or withdrawals. I started smoking again after few months, only this time I smoked every few hours all day everyday. I have completely stopped smoking for 2 weeks now, but this time I am experiencing withdrawal due to my abuse of cannabis.
Endless depression, hopelessness, random sadness, emptiness, starring into space, extreme negativity and pessimism, complete loss of interest in everything, and of course extreme insomnia. I cannot stay asleep for more than 2 hours and I cannot fall back to sleep for hours…needless to say the withdrawal has been agonizing. Despite cannabis not being addictive…withdrawal can happen if it was abused. Now I am painfully aware.
8 year pot smoker here, on day 36 cold turkey, started when I was 13 using heavily everyday, averaging about 6 bowls a day, didn’t smoke on a rare occasion that probably accumulated about 4 months between that 8 year period, I used to be that guy who jumped up to argue the benefits of dope to people who said bad about it. I just wanted to start off by saying good on everyone for their efforts of kicking the addiction to better themselves and future, I wish I had done the same a lot sooner, before I got this major anxiety and paranoia.
When I was using I couldn’t enjoy food sober. It took me about a week off it to start getting my sleep pattern right and my appetite in shape to eating 3 and a half meals a day. I’m doing a lot of working out (every second day) and exercising, even meditating to replace the huge amount of time I’d spend lighting up and I think that’s helped out a tonne with the withdrawal symptoms since I haven’t suffered nearly as bad as some of the people here considering how heavy I used.
Just some advice to any of the younger ones that could be reading this (I wish I took all the people who lectured me about pot seriously and didn’t miss all my opportunities and potential), pot is great until you find yourself over indulging then it sucks out all your motivation to succeed with your goals, whether that be your life education or small things like taking out the trash and doing dishes, confidence drained; you forget what your purpose is and you just get an over all empty feeling, it just makes you numb and you smoke up to suppress those feelings and then feel extra crappy in the morning.
It’s a vicious cycle coupled with the depression and dependency you get from abusing it like I did, it made me forget about the future and just focus on getting high to make the time fly by in that moment. It distracted me from accomplishing what I want to be in my life. I used to be a naturally happy teen before I took my first hit, it only got worse using it to try and achieve contentment. If only I made that early decision to listen to family and take control and kick the dope.
If your “friends” are pressuring you or you feel inclined to smoke with them stay strong with your beliefs and if they persist in trying to make you, try to get some new friends and you will come out the other side so much stronger for sticking to your guns and believing in yourself. They say high school years are the best years. Soak them in and don’t take it for granted. I never believed them until I experienced what’s on the other side. If only I had a time machine, I would do so much different, starting with never touching the stuff, moral of my story; do it before it’s too late.
You can all do it, trust yourselves. Love and health to you all in your journey. <3
For everyone that’s been puffing for more then a decade and went cold turkey, you own yourself a big pat on the back. The road to sobriety is a long and tough one, but just know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Be strong and fight through every temptation. One thing that I would use is Tylenol for when things were bad, but just know that it will get better. You will be able to sleep again and you will dream again. Be Strong and be safe.
3 weeks and the tinnitus (ringing in ear) is horrible. I know just a couple people on here said they’re experiencing that, but it’s not that common. I am freaking out. Please if anyone knows if it’s ever going away please let me know! I went to the doctor and she laughed at me saying there’s no withdrawals from weed. I bursted out in tears. People don’t know what it’s like to have no silence. Please help!
I’m sorry dude…I wouldn’t go back to that doctor. She is obviously not keeping up with the latest medical info… Don’t listen to her. She is wrong… We all know how you feel.
Because of chronic pain, I was prescribed medical cannabis and was given a prescription wherein I took 1 tablet a day. If the pain increased or I couldn’t sleep, I would take an additional tablet. This was in a concentrated form and perhaps a great deal stronger than smoking or vaping because I ingested it orally. I stopped taking the pills about 4-5 days ago, after being on it for about a month, and I thought I had the stomach flu.
Nausea in the extreme, hyper-vomiting, chills, (my feet would be freezing), and night sweats. I also thought I was going crazy; anxiety, depression and terrible dizziness and light-headedness. I smoked marijuana recreationally as a teen, but quit over 35 years ago and hadn’t touched the stuff until I was prescribed it for pain. I’m glad I’m not on it anymore and have decided to cope with my pain with other modalities, but these symptoms are real, not imagined or contrived.
To have so many individuals describing the same condition is not a coincidence. I’m glad for those who don’t experience withdrawal; you’ve been spared, or haven’t quit long enough for the withdrawal symptoms to appear, but please, don’t add insult to injury to those of us who are experiencing this terrible situation by calling it B.S.
Just a question, if you were prescribed it for pain, why exactly did you quit? It may have given you withdrawal symptoms to come off it… But I don’t see why you’d need to quit it in the first place anyway if you were using it for a medical reason. You don’t mention any negative side effects in your post that caused you to want to quit using it medically.
Hi all, I just wanted to share my story, Im 31 and blazed heavily daily for about 8 years, plus a pack of cigarettes a day and getting super drunk a few times a week. I went cold turkey on all 3, I am currently on day 14 and holding strong. The worst side effects for me so far are extreme irritability with all human beings and situations, and intense insomnia.
Sleeping is getting easier. I would sweat intensely the first week, especially night sweats.. Wow it was intense! But that has stopped. What I have been doing is trying to exercise a lot, it’ll jack your metabolism up, and then when you are hungry eat as much veg and fruit as you can, it’s been working for me. However, this physical shit isn’t too bad…
What is REALLY tough is now that this fog is clearing out of my head and I can think clearer… I realized I am an emotional wreck. I can’t handle my emotions at all, from frustration to sadness to loneliness to excitement, all at the drop of the hat. I’m pretty sure it is just my body and mind reestablishing their natural equilibrium; my body, heart and mind haven’t known sobriety for years and years and it’s almost like they don’t know how to operate now that zero mind-altering substances are present in my system.
It is very hard but also new, exciting and challenging, and that keeps me going. I’m sure others are experiencing similar stuff. You are not alone, stay strong and we will get through this together :) Good luck!
Ok so it’s been 3 weeks for me and it is hell. I still have tinnitus, hot and cold sweats, insomnia, anxiety and headaches. But the worst are the panic attacks! I can feel them creeping up and I just lose it. I get the shakes, my heart feels likes it’s coming out of my chest, I have thoughts that I might be dying like I have a brain tumor or cancer. This is the most difficult thing I ever had to deal with!
I feel you on the panic attacks. When feel them creeping up I just jump in my car and go for a ride around the block or I go for a nice long walk, anything to distract me…
Hey everyone! Thank God I found this website. I’m quitting after almost 12 years of daily use. I decided to quit (cold turkey), after this hash made me have a panic attack. It’s been almost 3 weeks now, I haven’t had more panic attacks, but the anxiety is very, VERY real! The diarrhea was gone after the first week or so. But insomnia? It’s been hard to fall asleep,the night sweats, and vivid dreams like I didn’t remember.
Weird, weird dreams. I went to the doctor, he prescribed me anxiolytics, but I’m not trading one drug for another, so I’m not taking those so far. Maybe that’s the hard way to do it, but in time I believe I will get better. Also have some mood swings, irritability and a certain degree of loss of appetite, but I guess that’s normal from the withdrawal. Also cut off the caffeine, alcohol, and tobacco, I guess that’s also helping to the anxiety.
Started exercising after the first week, it has helped me a lot! I guess I am just getting used to having my brain normal and not numbed down everyday. The dizziness also and tinnitus (that weird ringing in your ears) are bad. But from i’ve been reading it’s normal from the anxiety. The rushed heart is also part of that.
From what I’ve experienced so far, praying to God (if you are religious), meditation, and a good amount of exercise (aerobic) can help you a great deal. My brother also has helped me a lot, because he went exactly through the same thing 2 years ago. From what he said, after the first month and a half, you should be starting to feel normal again. But everyone is different, so it can last longer or not.
Also, you should be ready for relapses on these symptoms. So you won’t get caught off guard. I’ll be checking this page regularly from now on, and I sincerely hope I was of any help. Be strong on your quest to quit weed, and if you are a chronic user like me (I used to believe withdrawal symptoms from weed were a myth) remember that you only have to gain from this decision. Stay strong, and God bless you all!
Just found out I’m pregnant and stopped smoking right away..my body is going through so much and I’m really feeling the withdrawals. I’ve been smoking for a long time and a couple of times a day… Cold sweats, insomnia, vivid dreams and loss of appetite I just want a good nights sleep God Bless us all and give us the strength. I’m starting yoga tomorrow, hopefully that will help.
Did anyone have tinnitus (ringing in ear) when they were going through withdrawals?
Hey sadness: Having the same thing here. I guess it’s related to the anxiety. In 3 days I’ll be 3 weeks clean (cold turkey). And man it’s been hell…
Hey, I stopped smoking weed probably a month ago now or just a little over, and I’ve been going through some frustrating withdrawal symptoms as well. I only smoked pot for 2 years, but on a daily basis, mostly at night before going to bed, sometimes a few times during the day to help me relax. I also used it for whenever I was having PMS symptoms, it was helping with the mood swings!
But now that I’ve completely stopped, drastically and without cheating once, I have massive headaches, sometimes for a week straight. (Except when going to bed, it goes away until a little after I wake up.) I also sometimes feel dizzy, light headed, my brain feels foggy if that makes any sense? And it makes me panic… I also started to have anxiety, lately being not so bad, but still, it’s very annoying! Sometimes I have a hard time to focus at work, and it’s not fun when your job is waitressing!
I feel a bit off, unable to fully focus on my tables/stuff that needs to be done… I sometimes feel depressed, also not as bad lately, but I remember feeling alone and paranoid for tiny things that didn’t matter, and still today! Sometimes when I wake up in the morning I feel achy, not in a good mood, helpless… Also have digestive problems lately. Sometimes during the day I feel like I’m starting a cold, I’m very tired, like I could just fall asleep, feel achy and no energy. I know it takes time for THC to completely be gone, but anybody else out there experiencing similar things?
I was a marijuana user for 14 years. My drug use led me to discover another more harmful drug, synthetic cannabinoids, which I abused for the last 5 years off and on in binges. For me the realization that I needed to quit came while I was laid up in a hospital in Jamaica. I was being treated for severe dehydration, but what was causing my dehydration was a combination of 1) The Sun 2) Not drinking enough water (I was drinking beer but not in excess maybe 3 a day avg throughout the entire day) 3) The one thing I feel caused my dehydration to get severe however was I was not able to keep water down.
The likely culprit was withdrawing from a heavy binge of synthetic cannabinoids just a week prior. I had been off all synthetics for about a week and a half as I was in Jamaica. My appetite was gone, I was not thirsty and when I did start trying to rehydrate I was already far to gone. I was withdrawing bad. I could not keep water down to rehydrate, dry heaving most of the day. Eventually I could not even walk. I made it to a hospital barely where they gave me an IV of 12+ 500ml bags of fluids to rehydrate me. I was in the hospital for 2 days.
But that was not what made me want to quit using. I was in Jamaica for a wedding. A wedding which I could not attend. I was watching everyone else around me grow up and I was acting like a child. I could not control myself. 3 hours after being discharged from the hospital I went and smoked up with the wedding party. And as I pondered on the beach what the hell I was doing. I looked at my girlfriend and wondered why was she not my wife. We had been together for 7 years.
Live together. We do everything together. Except drugs, I kept that part of my life hidden for the most part. I was watching all these other young couples growing up having children, moving on with their careers. While I do have a good job, a good life. I could tell I was holding myself back by using drugs without regard. So I came back and checked myself into rehab. I had a near mental breakdown coming off this synthetic stuff, there was definitely a barrier at first.
A haze? A fog? cloudiness? The feeling is that you know you have more processing power in your brain but there is something in the way holding you back . But its been nearly a month now since I used anything, even caffeine. I have found a support group. I am in a much better place now. But I have so much to work on. Discovering why I even use in the first place. I am discovering who I am without the use of drugs, and its exciting, exhilarating. I have only been to 8 groups so far but I already have made so much progress. And its been showing in my work and relationships.
I have begun reconnecting with people I had detached from. I post this to let others know. It is possible to quit. You do not have to fall into the trap that Marijuana is not a dangerous drug. Because you know what. For some they can use it and be perfectly fine. For me I found that I used it as a way to detach from things that were not going well in my life. I would use it in combination with pushing people away. I came to the conclusion I have pushed everyone I knew away, even my beloved.
I started accusing her of things because I became insecure of myself. And to avoid the pain of the relationship I would use drugs, and push people further away. Eventually I was lonely and selfish. But that is not who I am. That is why marijuana can be so harmful. It replaces natural feelings of joy and happiness with falsehoods. And then you start going down the rabbit hole of which is very difficult to return from. Anyways take away what you will from my experiences.
Love yourself for who you are, its hard to challenge yourself as a person when you are on drugs. Everyday turns into a challenge when you are on drugs. Eventually you use just to use, and the things you do everyday become boring. It started as using drugs and playing video games. Now I cannot play video games because it not only reminds me of drug use, but they are boring without the drugs. That is what you risk using drugs. You will ruin the things you love. For me that was video games.
As I said without the drugs they are boring for me. But it has led me to discover other things that I did not do when using. Like getting out and seeing the world. Making friendships. Just living life and trying new things. And I thought that was the allure of drugs. They were supposed to allow me to live life and try new things. They ended up, for me, doing the exact opposite. Great stories guys and gals. Thanks for everything. Your Friend, George
I’ve smoked for 3 years now. The first year or two was the mild stuff, and it wasn’t every night. Then I started getting into the good stuff. Over the last year I’ve smoked just about every evening. I smoked at least a bowl a night (sometimes two or three) right before I went to bed.
I felt that it was the only way I could get to sleep. Well, the sleep I was getting wasn’t good sleep. I didn’t have dreams anymore, and I wasn’t getting good sleep at all. I am in a high pressure, high stress career, so I thought this was actually helping me. It wasn’t.
This is day 7 of no smoking, and I tell you what… it’s a mess. Headaches, dizziness (HATE THAT PART), anxiety through the roof. I’ll never smoke again. The first night I quit I slept for 11 hours. The second night, 9 hours. Then the insomnia kicked in for a few days, then the sleep started coming back.
I was actually having dreams again! I didn’t realize that in over a year, I hadn’t once slipped into REM sleep and had a dream. The last few nights I’ve had dreams from the time I went to sleep to the time I woke up. I can even go back and forth through dreams. It’s crazy.
I didn’t realize just how bad this high end pot was messing with my head. I have lost motivation, clarity, and creativity. A part of my career is marketing, and I used to get published nationally all the time… since the pot use got heavy this past year… nothing.
I still believe that marijuana can help people in certain situations, it affects everyone differently. I’m out. Don’t let anybody tell you that this stuff isn’t addictive because it is.
I’m 51, smoked weed and concentrates heavy for many years, 20 or so. I quit 7 days ago cold turkey. I haven’t slept much in those 7 days, anxious, sweats, cloudy head, emotional, and not eating much. I am not feeling panic or sadness. I feel great about the decision to quit pot altogether. I have spent so much money, time, and energy on the habit, that I wanted control of my life back.
I read a lot of posts and one thing is for sure, everyone has different withdrawal symptoms. I’ve been chugging water and Gatorade, reading at night which helps me sleep, trying to get exercise each day, and I am being honest with my family and friends, which also helps. Stay strong friends, thanks.
I consumed cannabis more or less daily, with occasional breaks lasting up to a few weeks, for about six years, starting the summer before I began high school. I really wanted to make cannabis a thing for special occasions, but I remained dependent on it for some time after realizing I had a problem. I decided to swear it off for a whole month, beginning October 1st, and then allow myself to enjoy it again if I wanted to. I had done the same for Lent this year, and spent six weeks without it.
During that time I experienced some depression (lack of enjoyment in things I normally loved to do as well as less motivation to do things I needed to do) as well as some anxiety, though none of this was particularly serious, especially given that I had expected a bit of withdrawal and was somewhat prepared for it. I even found that I enjoyed cannabis less upon resuming use, as it actually sometimes made me anxious, which it hardly ever used to do, but as I kept it up I rehabituated and fell back into the usual rhythm.
No one tells you that cannabis withdrawal could be any more intense than what I described above plus a bit of insomnia and lack of appetite—and in my experience taking occasional tolerance breaks, those latter two only lasted a few days at most. But since resuming regular use after Lent I didn’t take any further breaks for more than a week or two; I also got ahold of some high-grade wax (concentrate with a very high THC percentage) in September, and that stuff was so potent that I actually felt a degree of physical discomfort and anxiety that is rare for me with cannabis.
That probably increased my dependence as well as my tolerance. I still smoked it, though, and after going through it as well as more herb, I realized I was dependent on the stuff. It was time to really take a break. So from the first of October I began my month of sworn sobriety (other than the occasional drink). And I thought it was all going swimmingly for the first week or two. Then, after about two weeks, I started being overcome with a profound anxiety—a complete terror. I felt it as soon as I woke up. I began to fear sleep because I knew that once I woke up I would be shaking, sweating, and in total fear of my own consciousness.
My heart would race, my upper body would shake, my muscles would feel used up, my breathing was sometimes irregular—it was horrible. I wondered whether this was really due to cannabis in the main and not some deeply repressed anxiety that I’d been numbing, or even if it was some other problem. This had gone on for a few days when I came across this site. To read others’ accounts of much the same symptoms was such a relief that I wept. I also felt shame for having allowed myself to develop such an awful dependence.
I was now determined to stay away from cannabis until these symptoms had completely subsided and my neural circuitry had been well enough rewired that I could truly take or leave cannabis and not be dependent on it—and I was so afraid of exacerbating the anxiety that, as another person here noted, I didn’t even want to relapse. I wanted to make a post here but decided to wait until I had gone another month sober. So here I am, two months sober and loving it. The anxiety was almost a non-issue by the beginning of November, and what had been multiple daily anxiety attacks were now more occasional.
Now I don’t get anything like that level of anxiety, though I still occasionally wake up with a hint of it. That’s nothing, though, compared to what those third and fourth weeks were like. I feel as though I descended into Hell and came back up purified by its fire. I am still not opposed to very occasional use once in a blue moon to celebrate a holiday or what have you, but at this point I simply have little desire to use it at all. So to everyone who’s commented here with stories and support: thank you a thousand times. You kindled a will in me to see this through, and I did it.
And to everyone who’s just now quit or is still going through symptoms: hang in there!—it really does get better. For some it may take much longer than it did for me, and for some it may be much less intense. But whatever your situation, know that you can get through this. Eat right (there’s good advice above on this above; basically avoid junk food and get lots of veggies and good meats), get regular exercise (I especially recommend weightlifting), avoid high doses of caffeine, adopt a meditative practice (free your mind from the ups and downs of thought), and keep up some hobbies to hone your focus.
A buddy of mine likes to talk about Mr. Resistance. He’s there waiting when you wake up and he stays with you throughout the day, waiting for you to fail. You see people every day who let Mr. R run their lives. Right now Mr. R is giving you a particularly hard time. Tell that motherf*cker to get lost. Every day you succeed, and every day you keep a good attitude, is a day you kick his ass.
I used marijuana for roughly 16 years and have been off it for over 2 years. The first week after I quit (tried to get a better job) I developed Bell’s palsy which is a nervous condition that ultimately ended up shutting down half of my face for roughly about 2 weeks and I’ve not had it come back. I smoked a couple of times within my first year of quitting and haven’t touched it in well over a year, but I’ve been having almost all of the symptoms listed above and the worst is my severe anxiety and depression that I’m now on meds for (buspirone and xanax), but they don’t seem to be helping me much or even at all.
I get insane panic attacks that I’ve even called the EMTs 5+ times for feeling like I’m having a heart attack, I’ve had EKGs, sonograms and even a stress test. I’m not feeling any better although I do have good periods that tend to last 2 weeks to my last one which lasted 2 months of feeling good but still not myself. In those periods I still struggle to even leave my house or go anywhere but work and work is extremely hard to get through.
I feel lost and not sure what I should do, should I try better meds (I hate pills though) or try smoking again, which is what I’m kinda leaning towards, but the last time I smoked I freaked out the whole time a good 4 hours and I’ve been scared to death to even touch it again. I could go on for days talking about my struggle with this, but I’ll spare you all. Just looking for help and suggestions. Thanks, John E.
I stopped smoking on September 22nd after smoking heavily since April 20th. The first month was fine, no issues at all. On or around October 20th, I got a real heavy feeling in my head. It lasted a week straight. I would cry for no reason and I would get really mild panic attacks. Here it is, Thanksgiving and I still get this feeling in my head along with muscle spasms on the side of my head and face and pretty much all over my body.
I went to the dr. and all test came back normal. Has anyone else had this happen to them and how long does it take to get back to normal? I’ve smoke off and on since I was 18. Every time I’ve quit cold turkey, I’ve had no issues. This time it got so bad that I am scared. This feeling in my head comes and goes as it pleases. Sometimes, when I eat, it gets worst.
For the few months that I smoked, I smoked heavy Indicas. About a gram a day. I never had any of the symptoms that I having now until mid October. Can anyone tell me what is going on? The dr. didn’t really give me any hope.
I have stopped now for 4 weeks and it is super tough! I suffer from bipolar mood disorder and have been very depressed. I have been a chronic smoker for over 10 years. My doctor has put me on an anti-depressant and has told me to quit weed. I have also had alot of pressure from my family to stop. Although I thought that it was helping me cope with anxiety but it has made my mental illness worse.
Since I have stopped I have experienced severe insomnia. Waking up in the middle of the night with severe night sweats. I have also been having vivid dreams, and sometimes wake up from them. I feel more anxious and I feel much more manic, restless and agitated. I am hanging in there and waiting for these withdrawals to stop. But the worst is that I want to smoke again, I just want these effects to stop. Just have a peaceful night of sleep.
After reading through this blog, or as much as possible for time reasons, I have a profound new awareness that may help many people. As a person who has smoked some of the finest herb for 40 years, and a grower who has grown his own for 30 years, having done quite a bit of reading on metabolism, isoenzymes, and (human) genetics, here is what just occurred to me. In all my growing experience, I employed selective breeding to increase potency, and never were any chemicals used, other than a very minimum of basic compounds.
Now, I employ microbes and microscopes to aid any increase in taste or yield. When I stopped back in spring of 2007 probably because I ran out from the previous harvest, I never experienced any headaches, and only after 4 or 5 weeks insomnia which became more pronounced caused me to have to take Ambien for a week. But I have ALWAYS had insomnia! It is one good reason I do smoke, beside the obvious…That was enough so I began to smoke again.
Cannabis that is grown naturally or organically has a much smoother effect, and comedown, it is totally different to be honest. The high feeling comes on slowly, one hardly notices it, it is very natural, it lasts quite a while, and later one feels even energized, almost the total opposite of store bought MM, or RM. After some time of smoking chemical or store bought cannabis, and quitting, I do have headaches, am dizzy, have vivid dreams, and insomnia.
So, it is my contention that if you want the best, insist on naturally grown, or organically certified cannabis. Now, if you do have severe withdrawal symptoms, by all means, eat a lot of cilantro, beets, blueberry, cabbage, kale, lemons, organic milk thistle, seaweed, and these are most of the best detoxifying natural foods, herbs that should help to transition away efficiently and reduce withdrawals. This should help you all, and all the best!
Peter, Thank you for your insight! Reading these comments, I was beginning to think I was a medical miracle. I have been smoking pot since 1965, getting my medical card when it became legal in the late ’90s. I was always a closet “pot head” and in the last 5 years or so smoked very strong pot daily. A friend has a permit to grow and grows organic. I am one of his limited number of clients.
His product is vastly superior and much stronger than retail. I used it daily for chronic pain and insomnia, choosing the highest THC available – nothing less than 20% lab tested. When the pain increased, I focused on getting the highest CBD percentage. I decided to quit cold turkey about 2 months ago. I’ve always been a very busy person, and all the extra free time in semi-retirement was messing with my motivation. I thought stopping pot for awhile would help, substituting 800 mg, ibuprofen horse pills and capsaicin patches for pain, with melatonin and herbal teas to help with sleep.
NOT happy taking so much ibuprofen! The only other Rx I take is Valtrex as needed to control nasty cold sore on lip when I get too much sun or stress. Yuck! Other than more vivid dreams, I’ve had no withdrawal symptoms! It’s been 6 weeks, and I did read that symptoms can be delayed. Crossing fingers. Peter, I think you’re on to something! My cannabis was grown without pesticides, etc. I am also very careful with my diet, eating organic foods and filtered water, with limited amounts of wild caught salmon and grass fed bison when I was missing meat.
I work out daily to keep my arthritis in check -weight training and yoga. Without the exercise, I get stiff and have much pain, walking like an old lady. For those of you who are struggling, please don’t flame me. I am NOT advocating anyone using pot. I am just relating my symptoms, or lack thereof, and suggesting what might be helping. I truly believe healthy eating, especially with managed sugar intake can work wonders. Since I changed my diet in 2006, I’ve lost 50 lbs and look/feel amazingly younger and happier.
The food labels don’t mention that the maximum RDA for sugar is 26 grams. A 12 oz can of Coke has 40.5 grams, a teeny box of raisins has 30 grams. Who knew?! I can tell when my RA clients eat excess sugar, because they have more pain/inflammation. Peter has great advice, I know from personal experience. Making lifestyle changes are not easy, and not without relapse. Good luck to everyone on their journey to wellness. I wish you all great success!
Just came here to share with people how I have overcome withdrawal symptoms – by undertaking a strict detox (no caffine, sugar, processed foods) while also giving up pot!! Withdrawals have always been terrible for me with hot flushes, headaches, sweating, no appetite, no sleep, terrible mood, general emptiness, etc. When I decided to do a liver detox at the same time as giving up I thought I was signing myself up for the worst bout of withdrawal symptoms ever… when I feel the exact opposite.
Sure on day 3 and 4 I had headaches (nothing like pot withdrawals without a liver detox though!), and I have had some issues falling asleep, but overall I feel more energetic, happy and quite well. So grab some liver detox tablets (my bottle said liver and gallbladder detox), also get some detox herbal tea (yeah, it tastes crap, but small price to pay) and do a detox! My version was pretty extreme because I usually eat pretty clean anyways, but I did 1 day of only water and herbal teas (easy without an appetite!), then 1 day of only fruit, 1 day of vegetable salads, 1 day of veg salad with rice or some other grain, 1 day of veg salads with beans/legumes added and final day add some fish to the salad too.
You’ll not only have a cheap food bill for the week, you’ll feel great too!! I must say I have been hungry though. :)
Hello everyone, Currently on a cold-turkey detox (Day 17) and just wanted to share my experiences. First smoked when I was 16, progressively started smoking more and more until I turned about 18 and have been smoking daily since (Currently 25). My usage drastically progressed over the past 7 years to the point where I was smoking daily (can’t determine an actual daily amount but up before my detox I was smoking at least 6-7 bowls everyday minimum, sometimes even more if I can be honest).
For whatever reason, any attempt I would try at detoxing would always lead to what I like to call “Day 1” syndrome… I would get so anxious/nervous whenever I was running out of weed that I would never let that problem happen. I would be irritable if I went more than a day without it (never went more than 2 days max) resorting to smoking my crystal/kief/resin/secret stashes to get a fix.
To be quite honest, I didn’t think I had the willpower to do it. I was succumbed to the fact I would just be a stoner for the rest of my life. Although I would say for the past year or two, I didn’t even feel the full effects like I use to. I’d be smoking with my friends (who were no where near as heavy a user as me) and I watch them almost with jealously as they would be feeling the full “stoned” effect when I would be barely feeling anything.
Yet irregardless of this feeling, I continue to use in hopes that, the next bowl/hit/joint/blunt would give me one of my “first-time high” experience. In essence, you can say I was chasing the dragon. I don’t know exactly why I decided to do this detox, perhaps I just wanted to take a break from the routine to see if I could do it. Subconsciously, I guess I understood that this addiction wasn’t the healthiest thing for my body.
Although I must admit that I do feel like I was a functioning stoner (graduated college, than university, worked full-time hours at a job that I didn’t really have a passion for, but hey everyone strives to have an economic independence, right?). I can’t really say that it impacted my relationship with my family or friends. Its not as if my addiction prevented me from living the life I wanted to live, I guess I just knew this was a habit that I didn’t want to continue. I told all my friends what I was going to do, and gave all my paraphernalia to one of my closest friends on the condition than under no circumstances could she return these items to me until my detox was finished.
I thought by day 2, I would be begging her for my stuff back but here I am still kicking! In saying that, it hasn’t been easy at all. From almost Day 1, I experience certain withdrawal symptoms that are still impacting me weeks later. My symptoms have been as follows: 1) Insomnia/restlessness 2) Irritability/Moodiness 3) Nightmares 4) Excessive Night sweats. The first thing is the vivid dreams/nightmares. Usually, I would smoke numerous bowls before going to sleep to the point where I would have dreamless sleeps.
Now I’m going through phases where I have the craziest, realest nightmares that are horrible because they have been playing on my insecurities that I’ve had throughout my life (relationship with family / friends / work / school / girlfriends / lovers, etc). The first week was extremely bad for this but thankfully it has been getting better everyday to the point where I am at least able to tell that they are just dreams! And the frequency in which these horrible nightmares is decreasing (rather then everyday, maybe only 2-3x a week and getting better).
Tied together with the nightmares would be the restless nights and the excessive night sweats. Again during the first weeks of my detox, I would wake up at least 2-4x a night drenched in sweat from head to toe to the point where my bed sheets are soaked. It got so bad at one point that I had to keep an extra towel by my bed just so I could have something to wipe me down and sleep on so I could try and force myself back to sleep. Through online research I found out this is most likely because of the high THC content still stored in my fat cells (even though I would say I have an extremely high metabolism).
This is probably the most annoying/stressful part of the detox. My sleeping schedule is all out of whack. I haven’t gotten a solid 8 hours of sleep since I started, and am constantly waking up in 3-4 hour spurts. Unlike the vivid dreams however, this has not improved much since the detox. I also have to say that I’ve felt a little bit more irritable than usual. It’s bizarre because I’ve always considered myself a laid-back person irregardless of my marijuana usage.
However, during my detox I sometimes find myself getting angry/frustrated over the simplest things that don’t warrant that kind of reaction. This has probably been the most manageable symptom though, so I can not complain too much! I’ve had a couple of days where I would say I went into a very low, depression-like state but to be honest I had these bouts of the blues previously in my life (from childbirth till now) so I can’t exactly say the cause of it was my detox.
In spite of these symptoms, I’m generally surprised at how easy I was able to put the herb down! I hope anyone who took the time to read this and is thinking of doing the same thing to do it! I’ve learned through this detox, that the mind truly is the most powerful thing in the body! But you have to want it for yourself and above all else you have to be prepared to make changes in order to achieve it! Personally, I am detoxing from alcohol/other drugs/cigarette smoking.
I’ve been more active these past 17 days than I have been my entire life (exercise/going for runs/playing soccer), trying to read more books, listening to more genres of music, making way more home-cooked meals. My suggestion is that if you have any kind of interest or hobby, take the time in your detox to pick it up! Time is the most valuable asset you have in this world, so use it wisely! The key thing is to keep your mind preoccupied, the more you focus on your detox the more you’ll succumb to my old adage of the “day one” syndrome. To have a good support circle (whether it be friends, family, boyfriend/girlfriend etc) is another key factor as well.
If any of my friends were as heavy a smoker as I was, I am not sure that I would have been able to be as successful so far. Albert Einstein once said that “insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting difference results” and when I think about my previous marijuana usage, I think it was very naive of me to believe that I could just continue living on the way I was without any repercussions. It goes without saying that of course I miss certain aspects of smoking, but I take comfort in the fact that my will has been stronger than my will not, and I know that the next time I do smoke will be much more enjoyable because I wouldn’t need to go to the level I was previously at before.
In saying that, I absolutely will take the time to enjoy the next time I do smoke because I know how much work I have put in through this detox to get to that point! I wish all my brothers and sisters reading this the best of luck in their journey and I wish them nothing but prosperity and happiness. I want to personally end this by thanking everyone who took the time to post about their own personal experiences, as you helped me realize that I’m not fighting this fight on my own.
If people who have been smoking for much longer than I have been alive are able to conquer their symptoms, than whose to say that you cant do what seems like the impossible? Keep fighting the good fight, your withdrawal effects will eventually weaken to the point of disappearance, and you will feel 1000% better about yourself because of it! One Love
I’m on day 3 after smoking weed for 25 years very heavily every day. I quit for one and a half years 3 years ago but started again when I got robbed and my father died. Right now I have real trouble sleeping, sweat buckets at night, don’t want to eat and feel generally restless. I also have stomach cramps. I know these feeling will pass and I remember how great it felt to get off the MJ last time. I will be strong as life without MJ is infinitely better. I never want to go through these feeling again. Ever.
I come from the land of Hash, Morocco. I’d been smoking hash for more than 12 years. My peers used to call me, “The king of Hash,” I actually smoked as much hash as I won’t talk back to someone would do the same. I abused hash, not only smoked it. 2 months ago, I started to have severe headaches, I thought I was gonna die of a stroke, I thought a vein in my head was gonna burst.
This feeling would occur again and again after each hit I had. I had to stop unwillingly. Now, I feel like if I ever try a hit, I will die immediately. Whenever I see someone smoking hash, it scares me. About the withdrawal symptoms I am experiencing, I don’t know who I am anymore, I feel so depressed… I can sleep sometimes, sometimes I can’t. I have vivid dreams, the worst dreams I have are those where I see myself smoking hash which makes me feel guilty.
My heart beats so fast. I have symptoms of IBS. I feel like these symptoms won’t go away. I try to ignore them as much as I can, but at times, I just feel weak. I cried for no reason!! I can just say, smoke hash, but don’t abuse it, because if you do so, hash will quit you before you quit it. And that’s what happened with me. I didn’t quit it willingly, it quitted me in fact.
First allow me to say that the comfort I have found in sharing everyone’s experience in their their weed cessation is nothing short of immeasurable… I am a 28 year old who smoked his first joint at the age of 13. When I first started smoking it was an every weekend kind of deal, however as I neared college it became a daily habit. From 13-18 I went from smoking 2-5 times a week to 2-5 times a day. I successfully graduated college and eventually landed my career in which I am still gainfully employed.
These days I work primarily from home and in the past 4-5 years my pot intake exponentially increased as I became more successful and was able to afford myself more personal freedom and time. The older I got and the more weed I smoked the more I felt myself being removed from the care free days of getting stoned with friends. I would even argue while I was smoking frequently I would sometimes experience panic attacks, anxiety, and presumably many of the same things that brought my fellow readers here.
It was as if my body came into its own realization that this substance we once enjoyed was now a barrier between the highs and lows that we must face in reality as an adult. To much of my dismay I probably ignored my bodies cries for help, possibly even for years. At times I would even defend pot explaining to friends and family that it “regulated” me one way or the other…bu11$h1t. I am currently with the love of my life whom I will marry one day and I adore immensely, my little brother is the shining light of my existence, he just entered high school and I am literally weeping as I type this and think of times in his more innocent years I probably chose weed over spending time with him.
I could go on but I would rather narrate my experience quitting because that is more important for us right now… I have quit for about 2 weeks now and I can’t deny the symptoms which I am currently undergoing… headaches, constant sweating, trouble eating/digesting meals, diarrhea, panic/anxiety, twitching, restlessness, feelings of hopelessness, and VIVID dreams. I will say my dreams have ranged from elating to downright horrifying. Since quitting and probably even while I was still smoking, there was always a feeling that I may be dying from an undiagnosed disease/tumor which may sound silly.
But after reading these testimonials I am nearly positive that these negative feelings and feelings of impending doom have been aroused during my late years of heavy use. If you possess similar feelings or think that you have done damage that can’t be revoked please take into consideration the larger life altering tragedies people have overcome in the past, people who were told they would never walk again after a terrible accident and indeed doing so after committing to the idea of walking regardless of medical diagnoses, people with brain damage thought to be life altering battling back to a functional state, even my mother was diagnosed with a condition which doctors told her there was only a 10% chance she would ever successfully have a child, well if you have read this far you know she has had two…
Unfortunately I tore apart my meniscus in my knee 4 days ago playing hockey so I am forced to sit here and marinate with all these symptoms of my marijuana withdrawal. However part of me wants to believe it is my mountain to climb before I can be the best me for the wonderful people around me. Also, if it wasn’t for my injury I may have never discovered this forum which has not only comforted me immensely by showing me I am not alone in my current struggles but has also provided me the opportunity to potentially provide comfort to another sharing this hardship.
Don’t get me wrong, I am nothing short of miserable right now, part of me still thinks I am dying and my inability to eat correctly makes me feel as if I am withering away. But please bear in mind my friends, the brain is an amazing specimen that can be our most powerful tool in conquering what sometimes seem like impossible tasks… I promise to anyone that has read this far I will post a follow up in 90 days commenting on my continued experience with quitting, and please remember, you are not alone… Your Friend Ant
I am almost 1 Month clean, smoked since age 13 on and off (now 21 years Old). I get panic attacks when I am driving I fear I am going to crash which has stopped me from going to school, I depend on people to drive me around in order to feel safe. VERY vivid dreams. I lost a ton Of weight, was up to 145lb now 125lb which sucks because none Of my clothes fits me. I avoid going out because I always repeat the clothes That does fit me and That makes me depressed, simply not being able to feel comfortable in my own skin, but that’s part Of the withdrawals.
I once believed I was having a heart attack as well, it was horrible. It’s just so hard because the holidays are coming and I hate feeling depressed because it not only affects me but my family. I don’t have much friends just a boyfriend who really cares for me and I hate myself for putting him through this, we had moved in together but I told him I need to go back to moms in order for me to get better and make our relationship work.
I will go to church tomorrow because believe it or not it helps me a lot. I jog everyday to get my dopamine, avoid sugars and coffee. Knowing That people are going through this too, and that it is a withdrawal has helped TONS!! Blessings to everyone.
Hey Guys, You will be fine for sure, no matter severe your withdrawal seems. I was smoking for over a decade and very heavy in the two years before I stopped because I was working from home and it allowed me to smoke whenever I wanted. Which was all the time :) I’m guess I was smoking 4-6 grams of nice bud a day. I stopped and honestly thought my head was fried, it was a very scary experience, some of the symptoms I experienced that I can remember now were: Depersonalisation, involuntary thoughts, insomnia, quick switches from euphoric highs to depressive lows, feelings of intense fear, over thinking, sweats, anxiety, lack of appetite and crazy dreams.
I honestly thought my world was ending and couldn’t believe what I was experiencing, it was seriously scary but i’d say within a week I was seeing the wood through the trees and the above symptoms were going away if not gone. I found myself anxiously reading these comments to know I wasn’t alone and it was massively helpful to me, it would have been so much worse if I had thought I was alone and didn’t know what was going on with me was actually “normal” for a heavy user who just decides to stop on a dime after using heavily for an extended period of time.
This was January 2015 and now it’s October, I just want to share my experience with anyone who is feeling like I did because it meant so much to me when I was going through it (only reason I thought of it is because I was googling nicotine withdrawal because I’m stopping my vape pen and it reminded me how crazy that time was and how different life is now… I’d forgotten all about it). Within a month max I was in a much much better place and it was well worth it, life is so much more productive in many ways, so stick with it!!! You will be fine 100%.
I got a wild sense of humour and I wondered if that would go when I stopped smoking and my creativity because I write/produce music and play instruments etc but it definitely doesn’t… I’m exactly the same person just minus the weed. Took a month for me to get back on my feet properly and messing about like a loony tune and within a week/ten days of stopping the symptoms were noticeably diminishing, much to my relief. All the best to you, know your already getting better, the symptoms will go, you will still be you and your a wonderful human :) Much love.
Coming up to 3 weeks and just starting to get a good night’s sleep again. Most of the irrational thoughts and paranoia are fading and I’m starting to feel normal-ish again. I Nearly lost everthing after 20 years of continuous puffin. I’m exhausted but I ain’t going back. Onwards and upwards with a clear head for me! Stay focused :)
I’ve been smoking for the past 13yrs or so and I went cold turkey 6 days ago…. going from about 7-8 blunts a day, more if social, to zero…was not the move for me. Since day 3 I’ve been in constant pain, shakes from time to time, cold sweats at night coupled with no sleep. I went off on my boss and almost got fired, until I told him I recently quit smoking. My head is screaming for a fix and twice I almost said fu@k it this is not for me…in just 6 days…I’m a wreck.
Then I see my 3 babies and how proud of me they are, and the pain is bareable. It’s hard. Sooooooooo hard but kids are my inspiration. They really help me keep my eyes on the prize. And it’s not like I didn’t take care of them or handle my business. Bills were always paid and they had what they wanted and needed. I just decided it’s been long enough for me… my babies needed this from me.
I was smoking habitually everyday for 6 months straight, this is my 6th week quitting, and so far the random panic attacks and anxiety have tapered down, I still have random panic attacks just not as much, as of now I feel depersonalized from everything, as though I’m living life through a dream, my perception is off. I am hoping that this will pass though. The 2nd and 3rd week for me were definitely the absolute worst. I had severe anxiety, insomnia, and panic attacks every single day anywhere from 3-6 a day.
I just want to ask anybody else if they also felt this weird depersonalization feeling, and how long does it last? I’m able to fall asleep now after 4 weeks of absolute hell. I still feel tired throughout the day though even if I get the 7-9 hours of sleep. My main worry is the depersonalization. I will be taking zoloft for the anxiety and panic attacks as of tomorrow. Thanks to anyone who can give me more insight on this feeling.
Hey, yes I had horrible depersonalization and it will definitely go away – we all take different amounts of time to come though these things but every minute you a minute closer to it not being there :) Your brain is amazing and it will readjust in no time – when you feel up to it, go interact with people, maybe just a walk or something, it will guide you neural pathways in the right direction, they will find their way anyway though.
Maybe you’d be better dealing with the panic/anxiety until it fades instead of using meds, meds are a bandage and you don’t want to hide from this because it could still be there when you stop taking them otherwise and maybe another can of worms is opened are meds then. I don’t know you or your circumstance so just saying it in case it is of any help to you. All the best, you’ll be fine!
Hello, just wanted to leave a note as well as this site really helped me because I tough I was dying last week. I’ve been smoking for 20 years now everyday except 6 years ago I went abroad and didn’t smoke for 3 months and besides vivid dreams and having some trouble sleeping I had no side effects really and it dissipated quickly. When I got back I started smoking again.
I am now 37, and I stopped smoking last week. For the first 4 days I woke during the night several times with my clothes all wet. During the day I had trouble concentrating like crazy, was dizy, mostly wanted to curl up in bed in fetal position. I lost weight ( and i’m a skinny guy ). And of course, there are things I loved to do that at times now i’m just like meh, I don’t feel like doing this.
Its slowly getting better but the symptoms are very real. I had previously stopped and had none of this so when it happend it scared me, which caused stress and probably augmented my symptoms. I am convinced as well that age is a factor in all this.