In case there’s any confusion, physical withdrawals are very real coming off pot, but not everybody is susceptible for many factors. I would think that anyone that gets high on a weekly basis would have some noticeable symptoms
. And certainly daily smokers can expect problems.
I’ve been smoking weed for 30 years and I started when I was 19. I smoked anywhere between 1-6 hits everyday and this is the first time I decided to stop smoking, I decided that the pot has ruined my social life and now that I’m almost 50, I’m starting to worry about my lungs and future mental powers. (I also read that pot smokers are more prone to metal disorders later in life.) I’m a successful computer designer, but I always needed the pot to help relieve my anxiety at the end of the day.
6 weeks before stopping, I made sure that I only took only one hit per day. (Good stuff) Then I slowed down to one hit every other day for about 3 weeks. Then 10 days ago I stopped completely, and it has been rough. I think because I slowed down gradually, my appetite has not been affected at all as compared to everybody else’s experience, but here is what I immediately noticed.
Insomnia – I got about 5 hours a night, some bad dreams, some good ones, but the problem is they are so long and so vivid. I must not be getting my REM slept I suppose.
Sore all over – hands, calves, neck, back. Just about everywhere, must be the stress as it started all of a sudden. Weird electric like surges going through my body. I’ve been having tingling in my fingertips, but that might be related to my hunched over posture and back as I’ve been weak and tired from poor slept.
Extreme irritability – such as cursing very loud in the car because red lights are too long. (And I never curse.) But, the good news, within seconds I tell myself ‘no big deal’. This had NO effect on any of my relationships with people, but I was not a heavy smoker so its probably not a good time for serious discussions. Also, no heavy discussions before going to bed.
Talking too quickly – I found myself interrupting and talking over people before they finished their sentence. This causing more anxiety in me that I could feel growing the more I talked. Consider making conversions short with people.
Heart rate – I think my heart rate is about 15 beats per minute higher as I think my general level of stress is higher. I had only one panic attack about 10 years ago, and over the past 10 days, I started to have a few minor ones.
Also, I thought I’d mention that I have been reading an incredible amount each day since I stopped smoking. 8 hours a day as compared to 3 hours a day when I was high. This is common as reports indicate that people that stop smoking weed, they often take on more challenging reading and studying tasks.
RECOMMENTATIONS TO CONSIDER FOR TRYING TO STOP SMOKING WEED:
#1 Don’t stop cold turkey! Reduce your consumption in a couple of stages over 6-8 weeks. I had no problem doing this once I made the commitment to myself. Measure and ration it out. If you are a heavy smoker and you stop suddenly, you are making it much harder on yourself and it will dramatically affect your life and job, and could easily lead to a panic attack, a doctor’s visit, and other problems.
#2 Exercise – the common standard walking amount is 10,000 steps per day. Do it 3-4 times a week while you’re feeling bad and I’ll guarantee it will help. However, consider a walking buddy as you might be feeling paranoid.
#3 Only drink one small cup of coffee in the morning of a weak mix. This will dramatically cut down on panic attacks, shortness of breath, jitters, and heat palpitations. Start reducing your coffee consumption about 3 weeks before you stop smoking weed. No expresses or lattés!
#4 Drink lots of complex carbohydrates, such as juices. Cranberry juice supposedly strips out the internal lining of the bladder. I would think a variety would be best. But, watch out, some juices are far from 100% pure. I think I also read something about milk being good because of the vitamin D.
#4 Eat lots and lots of salads as your stomach will be churning and gassed up. If you ever thought about eating real healthy, this is time in your life to start.
#5 Consider moving over to brownies to taper off your addiction. If you don’t want all the oil and fat from brownies, you can eat weed directly, but first cut it up and heat it in the oven for 20 minutes at 160 degrees. (Decarboxylation) It takes about 200-250% more to get the same effect as smoking it.
#6 Have everything organized before hand, a plan. Have your house clean, your bills paid off, and don’t think your going to get a lot done during your detox time. You’re going to feel crazy at time, heart racing, achy, and just feeling sour in general. I found myself getting compulsive about thing, like writing this helper for you guys!
#7 Have lots of entertainment ready such as DVD’s, games, and other distractions. You’re not going to feel too inspired at this period. I ended up watching youtube for hours along with TV and movies.
#8 If you think you will have severe reactions, consider getting a short term (30 day) prescription of Alprazolam/Xanax (similar to Valium but much cleaner and much shorter half life) as this will greatly help mellow you out, prevent panic attacks, and it should help your stomach because it relieves stress. I would highly consider this if you’re already prone to high anxiety like me. I have a well respected doctor and he knows about my weed issues.
#9 Try to stay around people and situations where you can’t get high. Don’t be alone after a hard day of work with a bag sitting in the drawer. Also, it’s probably better to stop smoking during the summer months. You also might find that you will spend less time with your toking buddies and you might come to the conclusion that there is not as much in common with them anymore as a lot of your past activities revolved around getting high and acting silly and wasting time. You also might notice that you listen to less music.
#10 According to the research that I found, the symptoms last from 10 to 26 days and the worse is around the forth day. Consider your next vacation to line up?
