Cannabis withdrawal?

[Seanbbb]

Hello! I'm a first time poster and long time reader of the form. I have a question for all my fellow chronic smokers out there.

I smoke a fair amount of weed. I enjoy it, it helps me sleep, and it helps to calm my anxiety even past the acute psychoactive effects. I've smoked every day for the past year or so, excluding a few very short breaks. I go to college as a undergraduate and take difficult courses, but am considered to be gifted in many areas of deductive reasoning and logic. I find studying science and math to be very stimulating, which is where I run into a problem.

I stopped smoking weed to go home and visit my parents recently and within two days I began to experience a mild withdrawal syndrome. I had trouble sleeping, and night sweats when I did sleep, general lethargy and malaise, periodic head aches, inability to focus, and stomach discomfort. These are all thing I could deal with, and did deal with until I got back to school. Two weeks after the initial discontinuation I returned to school and found it harder than normal to focus and process the information. I smoked last night and am now able to learn at my normal speed. The difference is great enough that I am concerned I may have trouble with the classes. Does anybody else have experience with this? If I quit pot how long will I have to deal with this mental blockage? This is irksome, and the other various symptoms would be best dealt with when I was on a break too. I would like to be able smoke more occasionally without having to deal with withdrawal. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Tryptamino]

Cannabis WD effects are very real. After trying to quit earlier this week I experienced cold sweats, accompanied by almost 3 hours hugging the toilet bowl throwing up. This was coming off a 1-1.5gram-a-day wax habit. In the past quitting was very easy for me and I had no such WD, and tbph I laughed when others complained of cannabis WD, having gone through opiate and GABAnergic WDs before, but now I'd say a long-term, hefty habit can produce WD's somewhat comparable to coming off a mild hydrocodone dependency (10-20mg/ day for a relatively short period of time). Of course, it's mostly of psychological origin, but the results can be very unpleasant. The good news is that after about a week they subside, and tapering seems to help as well.

 

[Stotched]

Cannabis WD effects are very real. After trying to quit earlier this week I experienced cold sweats, accompanied by almost 3 hours hugging the toilet bowl throwing up. This was coming off a 1-1.5gram-a-day wax habit. In the past quitting was very easy for me and I had no such WD, and tbph I laughed when others complained of cannabis WD, having gone through opiate and GABAnergic WDs before, but now I'd say a long-term, hefty habit can produce WD's somewhat comparable to coming off a mild hydrocodone dependency (10-20mg/ day for a relatively short period of time). Of course, it's mostly of psychological origin, but the results can be very unpleasant. The good news is that after about a week they subside, and tapering seems to help as well.

Weed actually does affect serotonin, and MU, Kappa, and Delta opioid receptors. It is a full agonist of the kappa receptor, and I believe positive allosteric mods for the MU and Delta. I smoke a quarter ounce of hash every day, and have been for years. When I try to quit, I puke for many days, non stop, have dysphoria, anxiety, insomnia, and other symptoms similar to low opiate withdrawal. I compare it to coming off a 30-40mg per day oxy habit, but I'd say most will never feel this bad coming off. I just smoke a ridiculously unhealthy amount of hash.

 

[Seanbbb]

Really? I had no idea such a spectrum of opioid receptor sites were affected by cannabis. I used to be an opiate addict, so this makes the picture even clearer now. I would like to stop, however, as my school work is very important to me. Even after two weeks I still found myself with enough withdrawal to cause trouble in my classes. How long would one have to wait (generally) until most noticeable withdrawal effects have subsided? I really hate to have to smoke weed. My freedom is very valuable to me. Triptamino mentioned a taper, but considering how long cannabinoids stick around in your system I was under the impression that taper kinda happened on its own. Should I just smoke a bowl at night before bed for a few days and decrease even that slowly? Thanks for the support!

I smoke about a gram of medical grade cannabis a day. Not as much as the above posters, but certainly enough to cause withdrawal. Just thought I'd share for the record.

 

[DOB]

for me its unbelievable theres actualy sane person who would smoke gram a day for years............. meth crack heroin,yeah extremly addictive so its understandable massive amounts are used everyday,but weed? I mean the tolerance and joy disappear for me in like 10 days of smoking 4 times everyday,it just makes unmotivated tired lazy piece of shit and still at that point I am months away from any kind of serious addiction.......what the fuck did you think when was like,yup I am gonna continue this bullshit for years,how can you not take a break....

 

[Seanbbb]

I find your reply quite cynical and conceited... I've smoked every day for the past year; a gram a day is my current use. That does not imply it was the same for the entire time. Also I know many people who smoke more than me, so obviously I'm not alone. I still get enjoyment out of smoking, and clearly smoking pot affects me differently than it does you. It hasn't caused problems in the past and I am very successful in academics. To paraphrase, I enjoyed it and I saw no reason to stop. It also helps me deal with insomnia and anxiety issues even past the acute effects (which I stated in my first post if you had read carefully). Just because you experience a drug one way does not mean that everybody does. People, as well as our individual neurochemistry, are different. I appreciate input, but please try to keep it constructive.

 

[Jibult]

for me its unbelievable theres actualy sane person who would smoke gram a day for years............. meth crack heroin,yeah extremly addictive so its understandable massive amounts are used everyday,but weed? I mean the tolerance and joy disappear for me in like 10 days of smoking 4 times everyday,it just makes unmotivated tired lazy piece of shit and still at that point I am months away from any kind of serious addiction.......what the fuck did you think when was like,yup I am gonna continue this bullshit for years,how can you not take a break....

It's not an inability to take a break, it's the lack of a desire to take one.

I've smoked at least a gram a day since August 2009, when I finally got my feet on financially stable ground. Most people I know have that kind of a weed habit as well. Are we insane? Could be. Most of us, though, we just like to smoke weed in our downtime and then find some shit to do. We're the "Everything's better on weed"-guys around here, even if we don't walk around looking at the back of $20 bills yelling, "Red Team, go!"

 

[DOB]

"Everything's better on weed"

I understand it have different effect on you than me........yup everything is better on weed for first two weeks then I feel like mentaly drained lazy unmotivated brain fog,the joy is gone for me,but not for you right?

 

[Freon]

for me its unbelievable theres actualy sane person who would smoke gram a day for years............. meth crack heroin,yeah extremly addictive so its understandable massive amounts are used everyday,but weed? I mean the tolerance and joy disappear for me in like 10 days of smoking 4 times everyday,it just makes unmotivated tired lazy piece of shit and still at that point I am months away from any kind of serious addiction.......what the fuck did you think when was like,yup I am gonna continue this bullshit for years,how can you not take a break....

My thoughts exactly. I can't believe I used to smoke so much weed but I was a teenager.

 

[Jibult]

I understand it have different effect on you than me........yup everything is better on weed for first two weeks then I feel like mentaly drained lazy unmotivated brain fog,the joy is gone for me,but not for you right?

I get that way, but only when I smoke way more than what my body's used to. Generally, I'll get a quarter every Thursday/Friday and smoke about a gram a day throughout the week. Occasionally (more and more infrequently lately, to be honest) something Life throws at me'll beat me down and I'll go through the 7g before the weekend's out. When I do that dumb shit, I'm pretty much a zombie for a day or two, in exactly the way you describe:

"mentaly drained lazy unmotivated brain fog,the joy is gone for me"

Only.... the joy isn't gone. It's just accompanied by other, less pleasurable side effects. That's how I look at it, at least.

 

[ParappaTheRapper]

Hello! I'm a first time poster and long time reader of the form. I have a question for all my fellow chronic smokers out there.

I smoke a fair amount of weed. I enjoy it, it helps me sleep, and it helps to calm my anxiety even past the acute psychoactive effects. I've smoked every day for the past year or so, excluding a few very short breaks. I go to college as a undergraduate and take difficult courses, but am considered to be gifted in many areas of deductive reasoning and logic. I find studying science and math to be very stimulating, which is where I run into a problem.

I stopped smoking weed to go home and visit my parents recently and within two days I began to experience a mild withdrawal syndrome. I had trouble sleeping, and night sweats when I did sleep, general lethargy and malaise, periodic head aches, inability to focus, and stomach discomfort. These are all thing I could deal with, and did deal with until I got back to school. Two weeks after the initial discontinuation I returned to school and found it harder than normal to focus and process the information. I smoked last night and am now able to learn at my normal speed. The difference is great enough that I am concerned I may have trouble with the classes. Does anybody else have experience with this? If I quit pot how long will I have to deal with this mental blockage? This is irksome, and the other various symptoms would be best dealt with when I was on a break too. I would like to be able smoke more occasionally without having to deal with withdrawal. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

well, running into things in you're own concscioiuness you were fixing with the drug are always part of stopping. But, its important to seperate them. Ya quitting pot is brutal. Pretty downplayed. I couldnt sleep.

 

[dankplantgrower]

Your brain returns to normal after a month or so in my experiences. You learn better when youre stoned because youve been living like that and your body has adjusted to it. Now you have to let it readjust to sobriety, and youll be fine. A solid month will do it, maybe even a good 2 weeks.

Some people get gnarly cannabis withdrawals like the gentleman above ^ who was vomiting substantially. A fair amount of heavy smokers get severe hyperemesis upon cessation, on top of insomnia, malaise, anxiety, depression, etc. Ive never experienced the extreme symptoms like hyperemesis (thank god) even after quitting a very large habit but Ive had insomnia where I literally didnt sleep for 72 hours and started getting slight hallucinations (like seeing the shit in the corner of your eye that isnt there when youve been awake on meth too long).

Another major side effect of cessation IME is an extreme deterioration of appetite. I lost 10-15 pounds last time, a solid 2 weeks until I actually had an appetite. I would go all day on a single packet of ramen noodles, like way in the afternoon, even with laborous jobs that usually require food for fuel. Its no benzo or booze kick but Mary Jane abstinence can do a number on you if youve been a heavy smoker for awhile.

Good luck my man youll be fine if you give it a couple weeks, month tops.

 

[burn out]

My thoughts exactly. I can't believe I used to smoke so much weed but I was a teenager.

Same here. These days I smoke once, twice in a day maximum and not every day and I take week long breaks often. I absolutely cannot believe I used to smoke weed all day long every day, what an incredibly stupid thing to do.

 

[ThaDudeAbides]

Very much like a mild opiate WD. I've been feeling weak all day after being out of herb for 48hrs. I just popped a few tramadol and feel a lot better. Picking up some new buds tonight and am looking forward to a night without waking up soaked in sweat. I feel better after taking the trams. You basically just have no energy, but it can also be hard to fall asleep. Usually lasts about a month from my experience.

 

[MissFormaldehyde]

I had no idea there was even severe weed withdrawal like that. I smoked everyday for about two years and didn't notice anything peculiar.

 

[angeleyes]

I'm a bit late to this thread, but there is a lot of good information in here!

Your brain returns to normal after a month or so in my experiences. You learn better when youre stoned because youve been living like that and your body has adjusted to it. Now you have to let it readjust to sobriety, and youll be fine. A solid month will do it, maybe even a good 2 weeks.

This. In my experience when I've gone through chronic use it has taken me about 2-4 weeks to return back to being fine, where I'm mentally on top of all my shit and any ill effects such as the brain fog, thought loops and at a loss for words consistently will have gone.

With regard to the OP's question, he is currently experiencing something called state-dependent learning. Its a thing, basically because you are so used to operating on weed, not being on it your body pretty much isn't used to being sober again. Its not really familiar with it. That is why when you smoked again you found learning to be back how it used to be again. Many people will view this point as a make-or-break (I did) and will either keep going with their use or cut down a lot. Or try and do a mixture of the two.

I initially didn't go with the break and ended up having to spend a little extra more time in recovery when I eventually had my break. But I can't really seem to notice any major damage that interferes with my life. The break was fine, the first week I did not enjoy it at all, (bad moods, the sweats, trouble sleeping) but after that I started to feel just naturally good again. It was great. The liberation I felt when I was talking to people and having flowing conversations was really good; made me feel better about myself.


But yeah, good luck with this!

 

[onetime6801]

I just quit a month ago. I have smoked since 15, I am now 37.. withdraws are very real just as not as bad as others I have to deal with... i had to smoke before i went to bed, or there was no going to bed. the first 2 weeks i was not sleeping. i was taking enough sleeping pills to kill a small dog, yet i still could not sleep. i stopped taking sleeping pills and in a couple of days i slowly started to sleep for 20 min at a time. i would wake up with a sudden jolt of energy!!..i am now in week 5 and sometimes i don't know if i am sleeping at night. the time just goes by but yet i feel like im not sleeping. although i am not as tired during the day as the first couple of weeks. i guess im sleeping.. good luck bro. for me its getting better. one night at a time...

 

[Nighthowl]

Never had withdrawals until I had my own and it was much higher quality then I could buy. Plus, when you have a large amount, you tend to use a lot. My withdrawals last about 1-2weeks. But I would have to be using for quite some time (6months-year) everyday. But I do have a high tolerance. Your mileage may very.

 

[Lube4Jesus]

That synthetic pot causes vomiting and shit I should know. I have never experienced wd on real weed. I just get those cravings.

 

[Nighthowl]

^ True, I can't tell you how many people I've heard try synthetic because they were scared of the real thing and ended up in a bad way. Sad.