Mental Health Anyone have negative experiences with cannabis while on Lithium?

[Jerry Atrick]

I've been on a two pill cocktail of Abilify and some anti-depressant for about 12 years now. Was a daily smoker of cannabis for most of that time and with no weird reactions. This past May my living situation changed and I have not been a daily smoker since then. Although I'm not smoking daily anymore, I still smoke when I'm at friends' houses. I noticed that as time passed, my cannabis tolerance plummeted to where all I needed was one good hit and I'd be set.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago when I suddenly began tapering off my anti-depressant and it was replaced with 900mg Lithium. I'm not here to complain about Lithium as a mood stabilizer, because it seems to be working where maybe my most recent anti-depressant was lacking. However, I have now found that when I smoke cannabis, it hits me even harder than previously. Last week, I took one accidentally large hit from a little 6 inch tall bong that made me cough. You know how they say.... If you don't cough, you don't get off? Well I got off a little too much. I took a deep breath, tuned my instrument, and started playing guitar. I fought through a song or two but then my hands started to shake and twitch slightly and it was not controllable. I had to stop playing and put my instrument away. It was kind of embarrassing. Even though my friend knows I take psych meds, I had to explain that I thought the cannabis was reacting with the Lithium and that was why my hands couldn't stay still. Eventually it wore off and I got my shit together well enough to drive, but it was annoying and kind of scary at the same time.

Anyone else have a weird reaction with cannabis while on Lithium?

 

[Mice]

Recently I was prescribed 450 Lithium & went off it 3 months ago. I'm a regular Cannabis smoker & didn't notice any issues or counter effects while I was taking it.

 

[Jerry Atrick]

Recently I was prescribed 450 Lithium & went off it 3 months ago. I'm a regular Cannabis smoker & didn't notice any issues or counter effects while I was taking it.

Thanks for chiming in!

I might have to chalk this down as more of a factor of my tolerance being low than my dose of Lithium. I went from smoking daily for a decade to only smoking one day a week since May. Still, the involuntary muscular twitching makes me want to believe the Lithium may have a small part in it. I guess I need to decrease my cannabis dosing and see how it works. Maybe use a small pipe instead of a bong.

 

[Mice]

Thanks for chiming in!

I might have to chalk this down as more of a factor of my tolerance being low than my dose of Lithium. I went from smoking daily for a decade to only smoking one day a week since May. Still, the involuntary muscular twitching makes me want to believe the Lithium may have a small part in it. I guess I need to decrease my cannabis dosing and see how it works. Maybe use a small pipe instead of a bong.

Yeah it seems like it caused a sensitively to Cannabis for you, which I wouldn't complain about & taking lower doses seems like a wise idea.

Try using the least amount possible to see how it's going to work out your new tolerance levels, you can always take more but once consumed you can't take less.

I used to be an injecting drug user so always followed that rule of "less is more" for personal safety while using alone. I do the same with all of my drug use now

 

[Mysterie]

weed is a psychedelic, if i get obliterated high all i can do is sit down or lie down and notice the sensations in my body happening,

theres a kind of potential there where you can run away from the feeling or go into it and embrace it.

i find vaping a bit easier to control for dosage if you have a low tolerance

 

[Skorpio]

Oh you probably know this, but absolutely don't combine psychadelics like acid or mushrooms with lithium. People have bad reactions and seizures.

 

[Jerry Atrick]

Yeah it seems like it caused a sensitively to Cannabis for you, which I wouldn't complain about & taking lower doses seems like a wise idea.

Try using the least amount possible to see how it's going to work out your new tolerance levels, you can always take more but once consumed you can't take less.

I used to be an injecting drug user so always followed that rule of "less is more" for personal safety while using alone. I do the same with all of my drug use now

Yep, I think this is the case. I smoked again at the end of last week but I used my helix chillum instead of the bong and that made all the difference. I was able to handle the buzz, play guitar, and my hands did not twitch.

 

[Jerry Atrick]

weed is a psychedelic, if i get obliterated high all i can do is sit down or lie down and notice the sensations in my body happening,

theres a kind of potential there where you can run away from the feeling or go into it and embrace it.

i find vaping a bit easier to control for dosage if you have a low tolerance

You are correct. When I smoke too much, I tend to go into it and embrace it. The exception was when my hands started to twitch a couple weeks ago. I was not alone so I had to explain to my friend that I felt fine but could not control the muscles in my hands temporarily and that the only difference I could think of that would cause this was the addition of Lithium to my medication regimen.

I have been researching investing in a vaping rig. Do you vape flower, oil, or wax? Or all three or some combination?

 

[Jerry Atrick]

Oh you probably know this, but absolutely don't combine psychadelics like acid or mushrooms with lithium. People have bad reactions and seizures.

I haven't been to BL in a while and one of the first things I looked up when I returned was the psychedelic vs psych med page. Yes, I noticed it said no Classic Psychedelics with Lithium. Although I don't remember if it was clear whether DMT is a "classic" psychedelic. I've never tried DMT but I imagine with the meds I'm on, it probably wouldn't be a good idea. Anyways, thanks for the heads up! I did not know mixing with Lithium could cause seizures.

 

[Skorpio]

I haven't been to BL in a while and one of the first things I looked up when I returned was the psychedelic vs psych med page. Yes, I noticed it said no Classic Psychedelics with Lithium. Although I don't remember if it was clear whether DMT is a "classic" psychedelic. I've never tried DMT but I imagine with the meds I'm on, it probably wouldn't be a good idea. Anyways, thanks for the heads up! I did not know mixing with Lithium could cause seizures.

Dmt is a classical psychadelic. That phrase (and psychadelic in general) refers to drugs that exert their effects through partial agonism of serotonin 2a (and 2c) receptors.

Totally weird interaction, I'm not actually sure of why (mechanistically it's bad). Maybe I'll read into it.