Hi,
I’ve seen quite a few people asking whether taking a benzo to counter cannabis-induced anxiety would allow them to smoke without getting stressed.
I completely understand why many people say it’s a very bad idea: even if a benzo can actually reduce anxiety in the short term, benzodiazepines are highly addictive and can cause serious problems in the long term. Using a potentially more dangerous substance just to tolerate another substance better clearly isn’t a good strategy.
On that point, I agree: if someone consistently gets panic attacks or severe anxiety whenever they smoke, it would probably be better to reduce their consumption, use less THC / more CBD, or simply stop.
But my situation is a little different, and that’s exactly why I’m asking.
My experience with cannabis
Before all this, I actually tolerated cannabis pretty well. I might be a little more sensitive to anxiety than some people, but I could smoke with my friends, enjoy the effects and have a good time without constantly being paranoid or anxious.
The problem comes from one specific experience: one day, I consumed a very large amount and had an absolutely horrible bad trip with a massive wave of anxiety / panic.
Since then, I’ve developed some anxiety which has been gradually getting better, but it feels like my brain has associated the feeling of THC kicking in with the fear of that experience happening again.
After taking a long break, I started smoking again. And now the main problem is anticipatory anxiety.
As soon as I take the first few hits, I can start thinking:
“Fuck, did I smoke too much? What if it suddenly hits me really hard like last time?”
And I end up monitoring the effects and waiting to see whether things are going to go wrong.
Most of the time, once the come-up is over, I’m completely fine and enjoy myself. Even when I’ve smoked a little too much and I’m really high, I can usually calm myself down if I stop fighting the effects.
So I’m not in a situation where cannabis consistently makes me anxious. It’s more that I’m afraid the previous experience could happen again, and that fear still ruins part of the experience.
Why I’m considering Valium
This is where I started wondering whether diazepam (Valium) could potentially act as a kind of “safety net.”
The idea isn’t to take a benzo every time I smoke, nor to allow myself to consume much more THC because I have one available.
What I’d really like is to have the certainty that if a severe wave of anxiety comes back despite everything, I have something that could potentially bring it back down and prevent the situation from getting worse.
I obviously know that nothing can guarantee 100% that a cannabis experience will go well. But psychologically, knowing that I have a backup option would make me feel much safer.
If I knew that, in the event of another really horrible bad trip, taking a tablet under my tongue would reliably calm me down within 15 minutes, then I would feel much more reassured.
I’ve never taken Valium before, though, which is exactly why I have these questions.
My main questions
1. If severe anxiety appears after smoking, is Valium actually likely to make it disappear, or at least reduce it significantly?
I know that there are rare paradoxical reactions where benzodiazepines can actually cause increased agitation or anxiety in some people.
2. How can I find out whether I react well to Valium before potentially being in an anxiety-provoking situation?
Is there a relatively safe way to find out how I personally react to diazepam without taking unnecessary risks?
3. And most importantly: how can I know whether I tolerate it well with cannabis?
If Valium works well for me on its own, does that at least mean that it will probably be able to calm a potential panic reaction caused by THC, or are the effects of the combination too unpredictable to draw that conclusion?
Could adding a benzo actually make my panic worse, even if I find out that benzodiazepines themselves calm me down when I take them on their own?
4. Is there any way to test this without risking triggering another panic attack myself?
This is probably my biggest question.
I simply want to know whether it’s possible to have a reliable way out / safety net in case an uncontrollable wave of anxiety comes back.
To sum it up
I’m emphasizing all of this because I know a lot of replies will probably be:
“If cannabis makes you anxious, just stop.”
I understand the reasoning, but that’s not really my situation.
I had one extremely bad experience, after consuming a very large amount, which left me with some fear and anticipatory anxiety. Apart from that, I can still enjoy cannabis and, once the come-up is over, I generally handle the effects very well.
My goal isn’t to take Valium systematically, nor to be able to smoke without limits.
I simply want to know:
-Is diazepam actually likely to calm severe anxiety caused by THC?
-How can I find out whether I tolerate it properly before I might need it?
-And how can I know whether I can rely on it in case of severe anxiety after smoking, without taking the risk that it could actually make the situation worse?
Thanks to anyone who can give a serious answer, especially people who know a lot about the effects of diazepam and cannabis and who have been through a similar situation.
I’ve seen quite a few people asking whether taking a benzo to counter cannabis-induced anxiety would allow them to smoke without getting stressed.
I completely understand why many people say it’s a very bad idea: even if a benzo can actually reduce anxiety in the short term, benzodiazepines are highly addictive and can cause serious problems in the long term. Using a potentially more dangerous substance just to tolerate another substance better clearly isn’t a good strategy.
On that point, I agree: if someone consistently gets panic attacks or severe anxiety whenever they smoke, it would probably be better to reduce their consumption, use less THC / more CBD, or simply stop.
But my situation is a little different, and that’s exactly why I’m asking.
My experience with cannabis
Before all this, I actually tolerated cannabis pretty well. I might be a little more sensitive to anxiety than some people, but I could smoke with my friends, enjoy the effects and have a good time without constantly being paranoid or anxious.
The problem comes from one specific experience: one day, I consumed a very large amount and had an absolutely horrible bad trip with a massive wave of anxiety / panic.
Since then, I’ve developed some anxiety which has been gradually getting better, but it feels like my brain has associated the feeling of THC kicking in with the fear of that experience happening again.
After taking a long break, I started smoking again. And now the main problem is anticipatory anxiety.
As soon as I take the first few hits, I can start thinking:
“Fuck, did I smoke too much? What if it suddenly hits me really hard like last time?”
And I end up monitoring the effects and waiting to see whether things are going to go wrong.
Most of the time, once the come-up is over, I’m completely fine and enjoy myself. Even when I’ve smoked a little too much and I’m really high, I can usually calm myself down if I stop fighting the effects.
So I’m not in a situation where cannabis consistently makes me anxious. It’s more that I’m afraid the previous experience could happen again, and that fear still ruins part of the experience.
Why I’m considering Valium
This is where I started wondering whether diazepam (Valium) could potentially act as a kind of “safety net.”
The idea isn’t to take a benzo every time I smoke, nor to allow myself to consume much more THC because I have one available.
What I’d really like is to have the certainty that if a severe wave of anxiety comes back despite everything, I have something that could potentially bring it back down and prevent the situation from getting worse.
I obviously know that nothing can guarantee 100% that a cannabis experience will go well. But psychologically, knowing that I have a backup option would make me feel much safer.
If I knew that, in the event of another really horrible bad trip, taking a tablet under my tongue would reliably calm me down within 15 minutes, then I would feel much more reassured.
I’ve never taken Valium before, though, which is exactly why I have these questions.
My main questions
1. If severe anxiety appears after smoking, is Valium actually likely to make it disappear, or at least reduce it significantly?
I know that there are rare paradoxical reactions where benzodiazepines can actually cause increased agitation or anxiety in some people.
2. How can I find out whether I react well to Valium before potentially being in an anxiety-provoking situation?
Is there a relatively safe way to find out how I personally react to diazepam without taking unnecessary risks?
3. And most importantly: how can I know whether I tolerate it well with cannabis?
If Valium works well for me on its own, does that at least mean that it will probably be able to calm a potential panic reaction caused by THC, or are the effects of the combination too unpredictable to draw that conclusion?
Could adding a benzo actually make my panic worse, even if I find out that benzodiazepines themselves calm me down when I take them on their own?
4. Is there any way to test this without risking triggering another panic attack myself?
This is probably my biggest question.
I simply want to know whether it’s possible to have a reliable way out / safety net in case an uncontrollable wave of anxiety comes back.
To sum it up
I’m emphasizing all of this because I know a lot of replies will probably be:
“If cannabis makes you anxious, just stop.”
I understand the reasoning, but that’s not really my situation.
I had one extremely bad experience, after consuming a very large amount, which left me with some fear and anticipatory anxiety. Apart from that, I can still enjoy cannabis and, once the come-up is over, I generally handle the effects very well.
My goal isn’t to take Valium systematically, nor to be able to smoke without limits.
I simply want to know:
-Is diazepam actually likely to calm severe anxiety caused by THC?
-How can I find out whether I tolerate it properly before I might need it?
-And how can I know whether I can rely on it in case of severe anxiety after smoking, without taking the risk that it could actually make the situation worse?
Thanks to anyone who can give a serious answer, especially people who know a lot about the effects of diazepam and cannabis and who have been through a similar situation.
