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Panic Attacks from MDMA and Cannabis

SLEEPYxDAN

SLEEPYxDAN

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Joined
Sep 30, 2011
Messages
11
Location
USA
In early 2008, I came upon some supposed ecstasy pills. I orally took 2 of them and was ready to get it on. It turns out the pills where heavily based with something other then MDMA. Certain people who had taken the same pills as I said they were meth bombs. I did not enjoy myself in the least during the experience. I remember sitting on my couch and just wishing it would stop, while peaking and valleying and peaking and valleying like no tomorrow. The next day I had a horrible hangover. It was a state of conscious that couldn't have prepared for or even fathomed. I seemed like everything was different. All of my comfortable surroundings were now strange and obscure. I felt hollow. "Is this what it's like to be dead?", I thought.

A couple of days going through those strange feelings I decided to smoke some cannabis to take the edge off (I had previously smoked cannabis for a couple times a day for two years up until this point, so I had a tolerance) I took three moderately sized drags of this commercial grade cannabis and utterly freaked out. My heart was racing, It felt like I was being choked. Like death was around the corner and I had to run away from it. Just the worst terror I could ever imagine was dwelling in my thoughts. I had never felt like this before.

The panic attack lasted for roughly two days. Ever since then I suffered from more panic attacks and anxiety. I got really bummed out because cannabis was one of my passions and it freaked me out every time I smoked it since then.

Now I find myself, two years later, not being able to enjoy a high from anything except alcohol. I'll smoke a little bit of cannabis, I freak out. I'll take some oxycodone and freak out. I can't even imagine eating any mushrooms again, that would be horrible.

I guess what I'm trying to ask is, what happened to me? Why am I like this? I try to block out the negative energy, but it doesn't help. I want to be able to fix this.
 
If you try cannabis again, use a lot less. It can be quite potent.

I would avoid MDMA as it does have a tendency to produce anxiety in some people.

For now - I'd take a break from all drugs, and just try to focus on waiting out the negative side effects. It'll pass in no time. :)
 
That's the thing, I've been sober for the last one and a half years. I just recently started dabbling with opiates again, and sometimes a small to moderate dose will make me feel a little anxious. It's mildly depressing.
 
Anxiety is a shitty thing in that it feeds on itself. Once you are even slightly anxious you're even more sensitive to more anxiety, and in this way it's a positive feedback loop that can be very hard to break out of.

Anxiety doesn't tend to go away on its own, but luckily, there are many ways you can reduce it. A lot of people don't know that adrenaline (which is one neurochemical basis for anxiety) takes 10 days to be eliminated from your system. If a panic attack is ten out of ten on the anxiety scale, if it only drops down to a 9 the next day all it'll take is a tiny bit more anxiety to put you right back in panic attack territory the next day.

The most significant way to burn off adrenaline, and thus reduce your anxiety and panic attacks, is to do cardio exercise. Adrenaline is a fuel that your body can burn off - in fact, that's the very reason it's released in a 'flight or fight' situation - to give our bodies energy to save our lives. Unfortunately, in the modern world, anxiety is often triggered by non life treatening situations, but the body responds the same way. The difference is, when we're not fighting or running for our lives this anxiety doesn't get burnt off, but instead hangs around for over a week making you feel generally like shit.

Trying to block negative energy when you're on the high end of the scale anxiety wise isn't going to do you much good. It's not about positive thinking, but rather, realistic thinking. When you're anxious, accept you're feeling that way, don't try and block it. Anxiety by it's very nature makes you think it is absolutely crucial to focus on it, but once you recognise anxiety as an instinctual (but very real) feeling that can't cause you any harm, it loses some of its power. Of course, thoughts are important, but you'll find it much easier to think more realistically once your adrenaline levels are down to a manageable level.

I also suffered severe anxiety after mdma/meth abuse, and was diagnosed with panic disorder, and I got it under control with exercise and meditation. I can relate to you feeling anxious on all drugs now. For myself, I identified this feeling as being a fear of losing control - once the drugs starting kicking in and I felt by consciousness changing, I would immediately become extremely anxious, relate it to my bad trip, and fight against the effect of the drugs mentally as much as I could. It did take time for me, but I did manage to beat this problem, and you can too.
 
SLEEPYxDAN said:
That's the thing, I've been sober for the last one and a half years. I just recently started dabbling with opiates again, and sometimes a small to moderate dose will make me feel a little anxious. It's mildly depressing.
Click to expand...

Probably the best thing to do would be to stop taking drugs. What's the reason for going back to using drugs?

Also, what is "commercial-grade marijauna?"
 
SLEEPYxDAN said:
In early 2008, I came upon some supposed ecstasy pills. I orally took 2 of them and was ready to get it on. It turns out the pills where heavily based with something other then MDMA. Certain people who had taken the same pills as I said they were meth bombs. I did not enjoy myself in the least during the experience. I remember sitting on my couch and just wishing it would stop, while peaking and valleying and peaking and valleying like no tomorrow. The next day I had a horrible hangover. It was a state of conscious that couldn't have prepared for or even fathomed. I seemed like everything was different. All of my comfortable surroundings were now strange and obscure. I felt hollow. "Is this what it's like to be dead?", I thought.

A couple of days going through those strange feelings I decided to smoke some cannabis to take the edge off (I had previously smoked cannabis for a couple times a day for two years up until this point, so I had a tolerance) I took three moderately sized drags of this commercial grade cannabis and utterly freaked out. My heart was racing, It felt like I was being choked. Like death was around the corner and I had to run away from it. Just the worst terror I could ever imagine was dwelling in my thoughts. I had never felt like this before.

The panic attack lasted for roughly two days. Ever since then I suffered from more panic attacks and anxiety. I got really bummed out because cannabis was one of my passions and it freaked me out every time I smoked it since then.

Now I find myself, two years later, not being able to enjoy a high from anything except alcohol. I'll smoke a little bit of cannabis, I freak out. I'll take some oxycodone and freak out. I can't even imagine eating any mushrooms again, that would be horrible.

I guess what I'm trying to ask is, what happened to me? Why am I like this? I try to block out the negative energy, but it doesn't help. I want to be able to fix this.
Click to expand...


happened to me. You have done damage to the serotonin producing neurons and connections in your brain. As a result drugs now effect you differently since serotonin modulates most drug responses. I had the EXACT same thing happen to me. PM me so we can share experiences. Im curious how your experience parallels mine as its so similar. I still feel OFF 4 years later all from using mdma that time. It has to be serotonin toxicity, nothing else explains the permanent effects and how it alters other drugs. Also ive talked to others like us that used mdma and ended up this way, its no coincidence. Hit me back bro.
 
Missykins said:
Probably the best thing to do would be to stop taking drugs. What's the reason for going back to using drugs?

Also, what is "commercial-grade marijauna?"
Click to expand...

I started using again because I miss the way they used to make me feel. A lot of people I hang around influence me to want to. I don't really know, It's an odd situation. The anxiety is not fun at all, but if i am around specific people, I don't even notice it. If I am alone, though, it can get pretty bad.

Commercial weed is just compressed, low quality cannabis. It usually contains seeds and is distributed in large quantities for a low price.
 
Do you have any tactics you use to reduce your anxiety? Apart from exercise there are things you can do as soon as you feel anxious that help. Most importantly is focusing on your breathing - count 3 seconds breathing in, then 3 seconds breathing out. Also try and breathe from your tummy - make sure it's your tummy going in and out when you breath rather than your chest or shoulders. These simple tactics are surprisingly effective for reducing anxiety in an acute situation.
 
footscrazy said:
Do you have any tactics you use to reduce your anxiety? Apart from exercise there are things you can do as soon as you feel anxious that help. Most importantly is focusing on your breathing - count 3 seconds breathing in, then 3 seconds breathing out. Also try and breathe from your tummy - make sure it's your tummy going in and out when you breath rather than your chest or shoulders. These simple tactics are surprisingly effective for reducing anxiety in an acute situation.
Click to expand...
I do practice deep breathing when I get anxious. Sometimes I just try to keep myself busy so I don't think about it. The actual panic attacks have stopped as of recently. The last time I had one is when i insufflated some morphine and it was giving me strange dreams that I kept waking up from. I get the anxious feeling, like I might have a panic attack, somewhat often, though. Even when I'm sober.
 
I'm pretty much the same way, Sleepy. It started with Cannabis and a massive panic attack after having smoked it with no problems for a year prior. Then it happened on ecstasy. If you are prone to panic like myself, I believe once your mind goes down the panic path, it will gravitate more and more towards that path again in the future. My saving grace is having plenty of klonopin and xanax on hand. The stuff has literally saved my life more times than I can count. I use klonopin for panic that I can feel coming on in the distance, but have xanax for times when my breathing is messed up and I start to hyper-ventilate. I never party without either on hand. Now, I stay far away from cannabis, but still indulge in ecstasy now and again, but when I do, I always have my benzos close by. Best of luck!
 
ive had anxiety after doing md. i always find after doing md when i next smoke, i almost have a whitey or panic attack, its so wierd man
 
After using a large amount of MDMA, and then tapering off Effexor, I had a psychotic episode that required hospitalization. After said hospitalization, I never enjoyed weed the same way. All it did for me was cause anxiety and paranoia, after half a decade of using it on a regular basis, especially up to the end of my use before I had the psychotic break.

I agree with the other posters above that stopping drugs would be the best thing to do at this point, especially the weed as it seems to increase your anxiety which you are already prone to. I stayed clean apart from alcohol for a good half year until opiates took my interest again and my anxiety increased as well as my tendency to have panic attacks. Now I'm on a hefty dose of clonazepam.

DON'T begin using benzos to treat your anxiety. Learning to breathe properly, as stated above, and cognitive behavioral therapy can do wonders for anxiety without the burden of needing medication to alleviate your problem.
 
The thing is, I haven't smoke cannabis since the first panic attack, and that was about 2½ years ago. I still get anxious sometimes. Will it ever completely go away?
 
I still get anxious despite my clonazepam use, a lot of it is probably rebound anxiety I realize. I like to think that someday I can wean myself off of this drug and function anxiety-free, but at this point in time my main priority is to obtain a job since losing my last one.

I'm not sure anyone can tell you for sure if it will go away completely, everyone is different, but perhaps over time you can obtain better ways to cope with it and it will become less of an issue for you.
 
SLEEPYxDAN said:
The thing is, I haven't smoke cannabis since the first panic attack, and that was about 2½ years ago. I still get anxious sometimes. Will it ever completely go away?
Click to expand...

There is some excellent advice in this thread :)

Whatever the cause, Sleepy Dan, it definitely is possible to overcome your anxiety. Don't lose hope! :)

It's really good that the panic attacks seem to be settling down, and I'm glad you are practicing breathing exercises. The more you practice them, the easier and more effective they are I find. Have you considered CBT? It cured someone I know with anxiety so bad he couldn't leave the house, but he got to the stage where he could happily go out on his own to meet a friend in a bar without a glimmer of anxiousness. The residual anxiety still emerged at times, but he was able to control it really effectively with the techniques he learnt. It sounds like you have definitely moved forwards with dealing with your anxiety, even if you feel frustrated that it is still there - so definitely give yourself some credit for that :) <3

There are a couple of websites out there if you fancy taking a look - MoodGym and Living Life to the Full are both written by psychiatrists and are excellent.

(Apologies if you've already tried this route..)

It sounds like drugs are a big trigger for your anxiety now - I suspect it is because they are so interlinked with your panic attacks and anxious state in your mind, that taking them brings it all back... you may be able to start enjoying them again with time (especially with the aid of some CBT) but it sounds like you might have to stay away from them for now, as they trigger your anxiety so much..

Good luck and don't lose hope <3
 
There is no way - no way - I will ever smoke weed again. It brings back all in which you do not want to know, there are agents that disallow the use of such a substance. Could it be, my mind is... above it? A free line of "Gas" has no effect on me whilst others in the room are high as kites - abnormal. Apparent "MDMA" crystals most likely MDA crystals turn out to be heavily psychedelic (even though MDA is not that trippy, so what could it have been???) and scattered my perception of my best friend... he is the ultimate matter of all thought and the "shared"? MY FRIEND SEPARATED INTO INFINITE LEVELS OF PEOPLE - what!? I kept recalling memories with him, telling them to him, for him to reply "yes that is me..." ohhh that was horrific. I was there, sitting in the park with him but it was someone else, but it was him! Why do I recall this nightmare?!

THERE IS NO WAY I will ever smoke marijuana EVER. However, once combined with a very weak LSD blotter tab was a fantastic thrill but the tabs were designed this way so it seemed. Never again - Mary Jane. Erghhh the horror...
 
The same exact thing has happened to me- I used to LOVE smoking weed and then developed panic attacks. No idea why it happened, came out of the blue. I never touch weed anymore, that's just how it is. Same thing with opiates, especially percocet: if I take too much I have a panic attack. While I sometimes wish I could enjoy drugs like I used to- I see it as a mixed blessing. You should take this opportunity to just move on.
 
Well, Cannabis is known to cause anxiety and tachycardia, more so in people predisposed to these "conditions". Combine that with the stimulant (neutral or negative depending on the person) effects (Increased heart rate, blood pressure, general anxiety, among others) of MDMA, and you can see that it's not to uncommon to have this type of reaction with this combination.
 
These days, who knows what the hell is in most weed bought of the street. The days where you could get some clean Thai stick from your
neighborhood hippie are long gone. Marijuana cultivation is an industry run by some not-so-nice fellows. The response you had could be from
anything that it might have been grown and processed with. All kinds of nasty chemicals are added--herbicides, pesticides, fungicides, compounds used to
alter its odor (in an attempt to avoid detection at the border), etc. MDMA can only be worse. Once there's a lot of money to be made, quality goes
down.
 
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