can marijuana damage your cardiovascular system?

[the seeker]

anyone have any info on this? i ask because smoking weed would always make my heart "jumpy", that is if i was sitting down for a long period and then stood up when i was stoned my heart would always pound very very hard and sometimes beat slightly irregularly. it would also feel weaker than normal, like it needed to work harder just to pump blood around my body.

i thought this affect was only temporary but now i havent smoked weed in more than 9 months and i am still having this problem with my heart. my heart was completely healthy before i started smoking weed and this happened as a direct of weed so im pretty sure its not being caused by any other factors. ive been trying to exercise to get rid of the problem but its not helping and i am considering seeing a cardiologist. has anyone else experienced anything like this? thank you.

 

[psyman]

Cannabis is technically a stimulant. It actually increases your heart rate, so yes it does damage your cardivascular system like any other stimulant would.

Inhaling smoke clogs arteries, making it more difficult for your heart

I haven't experienced what you are experiencing, but i often find myself having heart palpiltations when i smoke.

You quitting smoking was a very good idea

It can't hurt to see a cardiologist, so why wait

Best Wishes

 

[swilow]

^^^ That prett untrue I 'd say. Yes, it does stimualte and increase heart rate, btu so does exercise or any adrenaline-inducing activities . . . the main problem with amphetamines and the heart is the a rapid and intense heart beat which is characheristic of both the intoxication and come-down of speed, occurrs over a prolonged period- the weed heart rfate increase usually ahppens in the first thirty minutes to an hour then goes back to normal.

The stimulant aspect of weed usually refers to the appetite enhacing side of it

 

[solistus]

I've read a lot of studies and such about potential health side-effects of cannabis, and I have yet to see one that claims long-term damage to the heart occurs due to cannabis use. Cigarettes damage the cardiovascular system, but IIRC that's an effect of nicotine, not smoke itself.

However, if you are concerned about your health, you should see a doctor. Better safe than sorry, especially with your heart!

 

[cainnabelspawn]

You might be growing. That sounds like what happened to me last time I hit a growth spurt. If you're under 20, I'd guess your body is probably growing faster than your heart is. If that's the case, it isn't a big deal. Just don't stand up really fast.

 

[the seeker]

You might be growing. That sounds like what happened to me last time I hit a growth spurt. If you're under 20, I'd guess your body is probably growing faster than your heart is. If that's the case, it isn't a big deal. Just don't stand up really fast.

no, i am not growing (im 22) and as i said in the original post, this happened as a direct affect of smoking weed everyday.

 

[the seeker]

I've read a lot of studies and such about potential health side-effects of cannabis, and I have yet to see one that claims long-term damage to the heart occurs due to cannabis use. Cigarettes damage the cardiovascular system, but IIRC that's an effect of nicotine, not smoke itself.

However, if you are concerned about your health, you should see a doctor. Better safe than sorry, especially with your heart!

well i did a search on pubmed and theres lots of evidence to show that cannabis may in rare cases cause heart attacks but very little info on the long term affects.

although i did find this one article dealing with cannabis and atrial tachyarrhythmias. does anyone know what atrial tachyarrhythmias are and what are the symptoms?

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/...st_uids=16113206&itool=iconabstr&query_hl=2&i

 

[solistus]

I don't give a fuck what pothead wants to believe about his/her precious herb, smoking anything will screw you over in the long run. Get a vaporizer.

Says who? No serious health risks have ever been linked to smoking in general, to my knowledge. The health complications associated with smoking cigarettes are linked to specific chemicals that are in tobacco smoke but not in cannabis smoke. I wouldn't go so far as to say that smoking is harmless, but it's absurd to claim that "smoking anything will screw you over in the long run" without citing some source. Good luck finding such a source.

well i did a search on pubmed and theres lots of evidence to show that cannabis may in rare cases cause heart attacks but very little info on the long term affects.

although i did find this one article dealing with cannabis and atrial tachyarrhythmias. does anyone know what atrial tachyarrhythmias are and what are the symptoms?

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/...st_uids=16113206&itool=iconabstr&query_hl=2&i

Yeah, heart attacks from cannabis are theoretically possible since it meddles with blood pressure; however, they are extremely rare, and I don't know that there's ever been a fatal one reported. At any rate, this would probably only be a problem for those with underlying heart defects, and certainly only while the primary effects were still active. This is not indicative of any mid- or long-term complications.

A bit of Googling leads me to the conclusion that atrial tachyarrythmias are irregular heartbeats. They are quite common after heart surgeries. The link to the full article requires a subscription to some other site to access, and the source is the US federal government, so I don't know what to make of this study. The abstract doesn't even definitely state that a statistically significant correlation was discovered, let alone what the impacts of this might be.


Basically, it seems pretty unlikely that cannabis is causing your condition. In addition, unless you are somehow unable to go about your normal affairs, I wouldn't be too worried - slight heartbeat irregularities are extremely common. If you're still worried I suggest seeing a doctor, but I would personally just ignore it.

 

[Blowmonkey]

my heart was completely healthy before i started smoking weed and this happened as a direct of weed so im pretty sure its not being caused by any other factors.

You don't know. Cannabis has never caused anyone to have heart problems, it doesn't damage the cardiovascular system, so you would be the first. Cannabis may pose problems to those who have underlying heart conditions, yes.

You're probably just suffering from anxiety attacks by the sound of it, cannabis doesn't cause heart palpitations; except if your heart is damaged goods, but the irregularities you're feeling are caused by anxiety/panick attacks.

 

[the seeker]

Did you read what I wrote? Or are you so determined that there's something wrong with you that you're gonna keep looking until something wrong does become of you?

This is from wikipedia, under physiological affects of cannabis: In other words, what you are experiencing is completely normal. Quit being a paranoid pothead.

Well....quit being paranoid.

i know its perfectly normal WHEN YOURE STONED. thats why it didnt worry me while i was smoking. the thing is, when i stopped smoking it kept happening. i am aware of a distinct change in the way my heart operates, namely it now operates in a way similar to when i am stoned even when ive been sober for many months. this is not normal.

 

[the seeker]

You don't know. Cannabis has never caused anyone to have heart problems, it doesn't damage the cardiovascular system, so you would be the first. Cannabis may pose problems to those who have underlying heart conditions, yes.

you don't know. i posted a study which found evidence that cannabis might damage the cardiovascular system. if you do a search on pubmed youll find quite a few more. the problem is you need a subsription to read them which i dont have. that is why i asked if anyone here had information. you claiming that cannabis has never caused anyone to have heart problems doesn't help anything, not to mention the fact that you have no idea whether or not cannabis has caused anyone to have heart problems.

"Cannabis abuse is responsible for a wide range of pathologies, including.... a rise in atrial and ventricular arrhythmias, and an increase in the risk of ischemic cardiovascular events"

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/...tool=iconabstr&query_hl=2&itool=pubmed_docsum

You're probably just suffering from anxiety attacks by the sound of it, cannabis doesn't cause heart palpitations; except if your heart is damaged goods, but the irregularities you're feeling are caused by anxiety/panick attacks.

can anyone give me a real answer? i know its not anxiety causing this because 1) ive experienced acute anxiety before, without having these affects on my heart and 2) these same affects occur whether i am anxious or completely calm.

im not interested in discussing whether cannabis caused these symtoms because i know that it did. what im interested in is if anyone has any good information about the cardiac affects of marijuana and whether or not this is something to worry about. as of now, i am able to go about my life, exercise, play tennis, etc without any problems although i did experience some mild chest pain after several hours of exertion one day.

 

[the seeker]

"
Says who? No serious health risks have ever been linked to smoking in general, to my knowledge. The health complications associated with smoking cigarettes are linked to specific chemicals that are in tobacco smoke but not in cannabis smoke. I wouldn't go so far as to say that smoking is harmless, but it's absurd to claim that "smoking anything will screw you over in the long run" without citing some source. Good luck finding such a source."

thats not true. i dont want this thread to degrade into a debate about the pulmonary affects of marijuana, so if you want to continue this discussion further feel free to PM me or make another theasd. however i just want to say thart no one is exactly sure what about tobacco causes cancer (it could be chemicals in tobacco) but cancer is only one of the risks of smoking. other life threatening problems like emphysema, which result from damage the small air sacs in the lung have been found in marijuana smokers.

here are your sources:

"Regular marijuana smokers are presenting with emphysema 25 years earlier on average than tobacco smokers, according to a new study."

http://www.alfred.org.au/articles/news/20060426143502_481.html

"This report calls attention to the accelerated pathological changes in the lungs from marijuana smoking as compared to tobacco smoking leading to pulmonary scarring, emphysema, and eventual chronic obstructive pulmonary disease."

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/...tool=iconabstr&query_hl=2&itool=pubmed_docsum

case reports:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/...tool=iconabstr&query_hl=2&itool=pubmed_docsum

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/...Retrieve&dopt=abstractplus&list_uids=10722775

 

[Don Luigi]

The two facors contributing to this would be GRAVITY and BLOOD PRESSURE. This happens when I stand up too, when I stand up too fast I actually get pretty light headed. QUOTE]

Whenever I'm toking, alot of the time when I stand up fast I get light headed and alot of the time I get tunnel vision and sometimes can't see at all but it lasts only for a number of seconds.

 

[the seeker]

Yea, you're describing exactly what happens to me, but it's only really gotten that bad once or twice. Sometimes I forget to breathe fully after inhaling smoke and this makes it worse, next time it happens try that deep breath crap(scroll up a bit) and see if it's less noticeable.

but the thing is with me, it still happens to me when im sober. it used to only happen when i was high but after years of daily smoking, it now happens to me all the time. is that how it is for you or is it only when youre actually high?

 

[cainnabelspawn]

^Thats how it is with me. I'm pretty sure its blood not going to your head quick enough, man. Try standing up slower.

 

[Don Luigi]

but the thing is with me, it still happens to me when im sober. it used to only happen when i was high but after years of daily smoking, it now happens to me all the time. is that how it is for you or is it only when youre actually high?

It happens to me when I'm sober also but not as often as when I'm smoking cannabis. Whenever It happened my mum used to say 'It's because you smoke dope and hold your smoke too deep-you do the same with cigarettes'
8)

 

[supasteve]

has definitely hurt mine, i used to be an excellent runner ... now i get puffed out very easily

 

[Don Luigi]

I would suspect that weed has caused my inability to run without getting exhausted quickly but I can't put it down to that because of cigarettes also...

 

[Blowmonkey]

you claiming that cannabis has never caused anyone to have heart problems doesn't help anything, not to mention the fact that you have no idea whether or not cannabis has caused anyone to have heart problems.

Actually, I speak from years of researching similar articles. I've been searching pubmed and other journals now because of your statements, but really can't find any definitive evidence that cannabis causes cardiovascular problems, only some suggestive evidence. There's only a couple of articles like the one you cited, but I'm really not convinced about cannabis causing cardiovascular problems. You can't say with certainty that your arrhythmia has been caused by cannabis, you are convinced that it has, but you really shouldn't be. Here's my take on the subject, presented in a pubmed article as well:

CONCLUSIONS: Cannabis abuse can induce atrial fibrillation in predisposed patients

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/...uids=15719811&query_hl=20&itool=pubmed_docsum