Racing Heart on Weed

I do get a racing heart as well. I have found several ways to cope with this, though.

Firstly, I do get that whole 'left arm going numb' thing that could be indicative of a heart attack. That's usually when I begin to panic, but having read about so many other smokers on BL having the exact same reaction, I agree with another poster here that it is probably blood pressure fluctuation, and is really a common side effect.

It's also possible that the fact that your heart is racing causes you to anticipate a numb left arm, and thus you feel numbness. Never underestimate the power of your mind.

You could try deep, controlled breaths (Inhale slowly through your nose, exhale slowly out of your mouth), or use other drugs to cope with the stimulating effects of cannabis, such as:

Benzodiazepines (Xanax, Klonopin, Valium, Ativan, and the like)
Beta-Blockers (Atenolol)

Both of the above have certainly helped me to a large extent.
Best of luck.

you know, i used to smoke *a lot* in high school and my first few years of college and never once noticed this. i quit, and i go back to it many years later and now every time my heart races until i have found the experience unenjoyable. what the hell is up with this?

i never heard of anyone having this problem until recently. what's the deal?

-j.

jonah_222 said:

you know, i used to smoke *a lot* in high school and my first few years of college and never once noticed this. i quit, and i go back to it many years later and now every time my heart races until i have found the experience unenjoyable. what the hell is up with this?

i never heard of anyone having this problem until recently. what's the deal?

-j.

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Actually, it's quite common for someone who has devoted a lot of time to smoking herb to begin to feel negative vibes from the high as opposed to those originally felt and sought after. I myself have experienced this, and medicate it with xanax (although I take xanax as prescribed, I am usually on it when I smoke), which helps a ton. If you don't want to chemically treat the racing heart, then I'd suggest simply quitting, no matter how large a part of your life it has become.

I myself have done this. Going from an *every day, multiple sessions, 7+grams a week consumption rate* to cold turkey, and after the initial week of mediocre cravings you begin to realize what a "trip" reality is. You realize that being high on life is a distinct and enjoyable possibility.
Admittedly my break only lasted a mere six months, but going from everyday to nothing for ~180 days was a big deal for me, and I certainly felt accomplished.

Anyway, in your case I'd recommend an extended break of AT LEAST 2 months. I know you just started up again, though, and if that isn't applicable, you should simply smoke less! I find often that two to three solid hits of high quality cannabis is much more enjoyable and cardiovascularly managable than smoking a bunch of bowls, or heading for the majestic 3 foot bong

Anyway, sorry for the coked out post, It's just that, well, I can relate. And shit.

Peace,
Much luck


[edit]by the way, just thought i'd mention that using meditation prior to smoking pot helps me center my mind, and focuses on the 'now', the present state, of the cannabis high instead of what is going on physiologically in my body. There's major truth in the cliche "Ignorance is bliss."
Peace. [/edit]

are u kidding? whats the point of smoking if you have to take xanax or a benzo to cope with it.... just dont smoke ... or can you not see that maybe some ppl are just not meant to smoke weed. (temporary or forever)..

sometimes it is all in your mind. i actually measured my heart rate with a machine and it turned out normal...my heart rate was about 67 beats per minute

cire113 said:

are u kidding? whats the point of smoking if you have to take xanax or a benzo to cope with it.... just dont smoke ... or can you not see that maybe some ppl are just not meant to smoke weed. (temporary or forever)..

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As I said... I'm prescribed Xanax daily so it isn't that I take the bnezo FOR THE PURPOSE OF coping with cannabis-induced anxiety, it merely helps it.

Becoming dependant on benzodiazepines just to smoke weed is not a very good idea, although many people do it.

To sum it up.... no, I'm not kidding.

But then why do you continue to smoke if it gives you anxiety?

Because I'm on xanax and therefore I dont get anxiety, I just get high.

dex_king said:

Going for a walk might help....movies and video games dont however

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Walking outside does help. Even going out to the backyard and getting some fresh air may do the trick if you breath nice and easy.

As a daily smoker, I like the feeling of having my heart race. Only if I concentrate on it, it freaks me out. I just have to breathe and focus on something other than my bodily functions.

Just relax, ride the high. Don't let it take you for a ride.

ninjaupthere said:

^A racing heart after smoking weed is completely normal.

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yes this is completely normal its one of the effects i miss when it was stronger (i call it the subwoofer effect)

considering weed has never killed anyone a racing heart is nothing to worry about if u are though just dont mix with stimulants

youre hyperventillating, get a brown lunch bag and breathe with it a few times

like others have said, its normal.

refer to my thread i just posted, it sounds EXACTLY like what i went through with my panic attacks while high. They are basically anxiety/panic attacks the weed is making you mind react in a way you cannot control but you are perfectly normal just remember that. If anything my doctor told me to go in a room with no people,preferrebly a dark room.

kk.i was smoking weed last night and when i was done i sat down on my couch and noticed that my heart was RACING LIKE 100 MPH.i could feel my fuckin heart beat in my head it was so fast.it just got faster and faster.then my body was like twitching.like every 2 or 3 fuckin seconds!i was so pissed.cuz ive been high like 5 times before and it was fun and i have a feeling its gunna be like this for a while.so my heart was racing and i was twitching like crazy.i decided to walk downstairs and drink some cold water and slowly walk back and forth.after like 30 minutes it finaly went away and i got to enjoy my high.but it was totaly hell!i was so scared cuz i knew that it couldnt have been good for you.i thought i was gunna have a heart attack or something.but i calmed down and tryed to keep my mind off of my heart beat even though it was kinda hard.like i said after drinking a cold glass of water and walking back and forth for 30 minutes it went away but does anyone know what this is?and what can i do to stop it?thx.

Whenever I get really high this can happen, first I'll try to ride it out and listen to music which works most of the time, just relax and chill. But sometimes it is necessary just to lay down, usually when this happens I will be high for a very long time.

Heart Racing on weed

Well, I don't know how to help. For me, I used to smoke KB directly with no problems. Then once my friends aunt came over and she let us take 3 drags off her blunt. Out of nowhere, all I saw was an extremely bright flash, all sounds went to a beep, I thought an atomic bomb went off. This wasn't like marijuana which makes you less respondent to light and sounds. This made everything so bright (it was sunset time and I wasn't even facing the sun) that I couldn't even see, and the colors left huge blur streaks accross my face and every little tiny sound was amplified and kept repeating in my ear. Then my heart started racing extremely fast, I tried not to concentrate but it was burning my chest, I felt it was about to explode. I asked my friends aunt what was in it, but she just said cush. Then my body began drying extremely quickly, my thoughts were RACING like I could not stop thinking, I saw colors and everything was speedings up. I was on his bad feeling on the verge of death. I felt like I could see sound, and see what I felt deep inside my body. My heart I almost feel like it was struggling and glowing red, and wherever I could feel my blood pumping in my body was burning. Usually marijuana is suppose to slow things down but even still my heart was faster than it ever was in my entire life, and it was burning me, I wanted to die. Then, it started slowing down, I thought, psheeew, good... but then, it slowed down EXTREMELY slow, and I felt my heart though pumping slowly, taking HUGE pumps, like trying to pump rocks. Then, my aorta (biggest blood vessel above the heart) started hurting, and tightning... then, all the bright colors started to blur mix, and fade, and all the sounds started going extremely deep and fading and all I saw was black. And I woke up 4 hours later on my friends bed. Good thing I was trying to sleep because of the fear of a heart-attack and I passed out, or else it would have been worse. Also, the same-thing happened ( just less sever) when I smoke mid-grade. It's suppose to be weaker than KB isn't it? Then why does it make everything move in frames, go slow/fast (hard 2 explain) make my heart race, and make me numb, and make everything brighter... it's fuckin pissin me off... Is it just my friends aunt's weed? She says theres nothing but weed but it's weird, ever since my heart attack my blood pressure is horrible, and my heart speeds fast unexpectadly. Also why ever since that day everytime I think of something bad (such as havin' sex, smokin weed, cigarettes, or getting in a fight) my heart starts taking those huge slow pumps and my stomache gets cold then very hot and my heart picks up. Was it the cush/??? that made me like this?

Two different physical side-effects there.

The heart-rate thing is very common. Not much you can do about it. Some seem to get it worse than others and it seems to become less bad the longer you smoke. Best advice is to ignore it as much as possible and remember that it probably *feels* like it's beating much faster than it actually *is*.

The twitching isn't so common but I know exactly what you mean. You have to smoke less if it really bothers you that much; only answer I've found. It's gotten pretty severe in me to the point that I'm lying there and I'm twitching and look like a total freak (or maybe just feel like I do 'cause I'm stoned), particularly in the elbows and behind the kneecaps but really everywhere. I forget the exact mechanism but IIRC it has something to do with the Cannabinoid system's role in muscle function (modulatory, like most of its roles).

All classic signs of anxiety. All you can do is smoke a smaller amount at a time, and always start small and build up to bigger amounts when having a session. Indica-dominant strains tend to produce less anxiety too.

A few times I can get anxiety from weed if I haven't smoked in a while and have a lot at once to begin with. However I just tell myself its weed and its scientifically impossible to be in any sort of danger, and it normally passes quickly. Then after this I can smoke loads and its fine, just that first bit can be a little uneasy sometimes. This has only happened since I started smoking occasionally after a 7 month break having previously been a heavy pothead for 3+ years solid, strange.