Cannabis-Induced ADHD-PI (Inattentive Type)

[ErgicMergic]

Can Cannabis cause ADD?

I've been smoking daily (3-5 times) for almost five years now, with top-grade medical cannabis. As time goes on and my studies become more rigorous, I've noticed that I've become quite inattentive. I'm more prone to daydream, I'm constantly losing important things, I cannot focus on reading textbooks (I read the same paragraph over and over), I procrastinate heavily, zone out in conversations I'm not interested in, etc.

My friend is telling me that I exhibit symptoms of ADHD-PI, previously known as ADD (this is the non-hyperactive type). At first, I denied it, and shook it off, but I realize now that I've been like this my whole life, and felt a bit sick as I read the DSM-IV criteria and noticed that my symptoms fit the bill "to a T" for all the listed criterion. If I am not very interested in the subject matter, I simply cannot focus. I've noticed that my ADHD (hyperactive) friends experience significant relief from THC/CBD; it calms them down enough to focus on one thing at a time instead of constantly interrupting people, cycling focus between different subjects, etc.

My friend also has ADD, and has quit smoking weed for 3 weeks now. He says he feels a lot better mentally, that a lot of the "mental fog" has dissipated, and that he can focus more on his studies now. My other mellow friends also suffer cognitively with THC/CBD, and like myself (I am a very mellow, laid-back guy), it causes ADHD-PI even when I haven't smoked since last night. I never study/read when high, just in the "afterglow" from smoking high potency cannabis the day before.

I've read that everyone experiences symptoms of ADHD when tired or stressed, and I was sleep-deprived the week before midterms week, so I caught up on my sleep, which helped somewhat. I also am seeking therapy to deal with my anxiety issues stemming from financial, legal (on felony probation currently, 3 year prison sentence hanging over my head), and family problems I currently am dealing with. So, I am trying to rule out extranneous causes of ADHD-PI. I am also taking choline, B-vitamins, Zinc, Magnesium, Fish Oil, Potassium, Multi-Vitamins, Vit C, Vit D3, and eating very healthily, cutting out all sugar, alcohol, and benzos, and eating plenty of protein with complex carbs and good fats. I am also trying to exercise daily, although it is hard due to a crush injury I sustained in my ankle a couple years ago which is still causing me chronic pain. I take Kratom once daily to clear the mental fog that accompanies chronic pain.

All this still hasn't helped much, so when I see a therapist for the first time, I will get myself tested for ADHD-PI to see if I actually have it or not. I tried amphetamine (D-amp) for the first time last week, 5mg and 7.5mg on two different days, and it helped a lot, but it is not the miracle drug people make it out to be. So, along with a script, I am hoping to receive CBT or biofeedback to learn coping mechanisms for ADHD-PI, as I know amphetamine only exarcebates ADHD in the long run.

I've also stopped smoking weed/eating edibles completely for 7 days now, and other than some minor anhedonia, depression, irritability, and anxious-insomnia, which are very minor w/d symptoms, I feel great. I feel alive again, cannabis really dissociated me and made me a bit stupid and a bit socially awkward. I think more clearly now, and zone out less. I must admit, I love smoking weed and being high, and I want to smoke so badly, but I want to be clear-headed even more. I plan on taking a break for at least 3 weeks, and seeing if my symptoms were innate, or just caused by anxiety and cannabis.

My question is: Can Cannabis cause ADD? Have any smokers with ADHD-PI experienced the same? Has anyone gotten past ADHD with out the use of amphetamine, by just making certain life changes? If so, please let us know how you did it. Every one of your posts and ideas will be appreciated, thanks :D

 

[B1tO'RoughJack]

From my experience I find it hard to focus on sativa-dom/pure sativa strains - they make me scatty and all over the place, like I'm on small amounts of amphet.

To be honest, unless you're a medicinal smoker - you're smoking too much - that's (bordering on) addiction.

Sativas provide more of a buzz, and a high, and indicas I find good for concentrating, as they mellow me out and everything around what I'm concentrating on dissipates almost to nothingness.

Smoking high grade weed all the time is a bad bad idea - use it properly and it will bless you.

 

[nekointheclouds]

All this still hasn't helped much, so when I see a therapist for the first time, I will get myself tested for ADHD-PI to see if I actually have it or not. I tried amphetamine (D-amp) for the first time last week, 5mg and 7.5mg on two different days, and it helped a lot, but it is not the miracle drug people make it out to be. So, along with a script, I am hoping to receive CBT or biofeedback to learn coping mechanisms for ADHD-PI, as I know amphetamine only exarcebates ADHD in the long run.

I've also stopped smoking weed/eating edibles completely for 7 days now, and other than some minor anhedonia, depression, irritability, and anxious-insomnia, which are very minor w/d symptoms, I feel great. I feel alive again, cannabis really dissociated me and made me a bit stupid and a bit socially awkward. I think more clearly now, and zone out less. I must admit, I love smoking weed and being high, and I want to smoke so badly, but I want to be clear-headed even more. I plan on taking a break for at least 3 weeks, and seeing if my symptoms were innate, or just caused by anxiety and cannabis.

My question is: Can Cannabis cause ADD? Have any smokers with ADHD-PI experienced the same? Has anyone gotten past ADHD with out the use of amphetamine, by just making certain life changes? If so, please let us know how you did it. Every one of your posts and ideas will be appreciated, thanks :D

Okay, there are some big issues with your Hypothesis, namely you admit that cutting back on your smoking makes your "AD/HD" symptoms go away. Well my friend that is because you dont actually HAVE AD/HD, your experiencing the symptoms of it because they are the same symptoms that come along with being High.

All those problems you described are things everyone who has smoked too much weed for awhile have experienced, and it just means you need to cut back some, it happens to everyone. You dont need amphetamines if you can thin just fine while not stoned.

I have suffered from actual ADD all of my life, since my earliest memories i have been very spacey, unorganized and have had a lot of trouble focusing my thoughts. I struggled in school will the inability to keep up with other students because i couldn't copy notes as fast because i was born with a short working memory. In stead of finishing ymy homework, i drew in my notebooks.

I started smoking weed around 13...by college I was a heavy smoker, and I never Personally noticed any connection between my personal smoking habits and my grades. Even in times of soberness in my twenties, I require amphetamine in therapeutic doses to make my brain feel like its actually running right.

So please understand, if you find that cutting back on smoking pot also eliminates your symptoms of AD/HD than you dont actually have it in the first place.

 

[Chainer]

I have never seen any solid evidence to show that cannabis causes ADD. Many of my friends have mild to severe ADD or ADHD and are scripted both stimulants and bipolar medication - the answers from them are mixed... In general, it seems to be a 50/50 split on opinions from them - some say weed helps them concentrate while others say it absolutely throws them for a loop... YMMV

I too started smoking at 13 and am entering graduate school... so... take that as you will.

I'd check out this thread:
http://www.bluelight.ru/vb/threads/582071-Does-weed-get-you-less-motivated

 

[ErgicMergic]

B1tO-RoughJack, I fully agree. Sativas, which are THC dominant, vs. CBD dominant indicas, are the worst when it comes to attention spans, since THC heavily impairs short term memory development. CBD causes no memory impairment, but all indicas have some amount of THC in them. I smoke for chronic pain, and it's a great anti-inflammatory, but it comes no where near the pain-killing abilities of opioids. I am realizing now how powerful those anti-inflammatory effects are, though, as my neck pain has been intense during this break.


nekointheclouds, I haven't smoked for 12 days now, and although my anxiety and mood have improved, my ADD-like symptoms have not. I admit I am a bit less mentally clouded, but I still can't function on a sharp enough level to handle my relatively easy gen ed college courses right now. I still zone out in conversations, can't focus on reading textbooks, am very impulsive, especially when driving, etc. Dexedrine (5-7.5mg) gives me relaxed energy, and almost makes me sleepy. I am less impulsive, I can focus much easier than before on subjects that don't really interest me, I don't speed and weave through traffic at all, fidget and pace back and forth less, etc. I think almost two weeks is a good enough point to rule out cannabis as the major cause of ADD, but I'll wait a full month before fully ruling it out.

Chainer, I seem to be one of those people that it throws in for a loop, but I seem to be stuck in that loop regardless without the cannabis. The weed just makes that attention deficit that much worse. I saw a psychologist, and he agrees with the ADD, especially since my mom and brother also have these same symptoms, but they've never seen a psychiatrist or anything. I am hoping to be formally tested for it either by him or by a psychiatrist. That's a great thread, btw, I'll definitely read it when I get a chance.

Thanks for responding, guys Any other comments or experiences will be greatly appreciated! :D