Panic attacks from smoking pot

every time I smoke pot I get theses really bad panic attacks.why is this and how can I stop it?

it's releiving to me to see that this has happened to other people but I feel bad for feeling that way. I used to smoke pretty much every weekend and some throughout the week, don't know if that makes you a stoner but that's just how often I did it before. I noticed my heart rate increased and I was a little paranoid but once I started getting used to it I enjoyed it so much and the way it made me feel. I slowed down to smoking maybe 5 times a month at the max. I haven't smoked for maybe two months and last night after drinking tequilla and whiskey I decided to smoke with my boyfriend and his brother who I feel extremely close to. I don't ever mix drinking smoking because I don't like the feeling it gave me and it usually made my boyfriend sick so I didn't think it would be a good thing. but I wanted to do it last night so I did. I was around them outside and ended up having to go in a room by myself because they started freaking me out. I noticed my heart was racing and there's a lot I don't remember that my boyfriend had to tell me. he came in and said I was talking gibberish and my eyes kept rolling in the back of my head. I remember seeing a bright light and other lights and crap but all I know is it was really freaky. I told my boyfriend and his brother that they were really scaring me and to leave me alone. my boyfriend said he tried turning music on becuase I love listneing to it when I'm stoned and I told him to turn it off that I can't listen to that. he said he turned the lights off and layed down beside me as still as he could be and I got to breathing more reguarly and seemed fine and then I had to go throw up. right after I threw up I felt fine and my boyfriend knew that I was okay. he just started crying because he said he honestly felt like I was going to die. that he couldn't get me to talk to him normally and my eyes kept rolling back. I woke up this morning and had the worst headache I could imagine. I am still freaked out by what happened and won't be mixing pot with anything or touching it for a long time. sorry for such the long post and I hope ya'll don't think I'm crazy lol.

I've been smoking for a year now well almost a year. im 17 years old. I started smoking the beginning of my junior year. I used to love it, I would laugh at everything have fun with my friends, the music would be awesome. a few times tho I've had it where I feel like im having a heart attack. I started to relize I got anxiety about a few months ago. im on medicine for depression and I also take xanax. I smoked a few days ago and had a really bad panic attack. I dont know if it was from the marijuana or what but I seriously wanted to go to the hospital. I mean I like smoking but if its going to f*** me up then maybe I should just stop since I already have anxiety. I also would get weird thoughts when I was high and I would get really nervous in public being high before I started taking my medication and I still do get paranoid. anyone got any advice or anything to say? let me know

Hey.
So about a month ago, after smoking a joint, I too got what I thought was a life or death heart attack . I smoked my first joint when I was 12, and have been a casual smoker since then. For the last 2 years I have smoked generally a small joint per day, which, yes, makes me a pot head, I guess. I have had many talks with my doctor about pot related health problems and he assured me that although it is a drug, it is far less concerning than tobacco or alcohol.

Back to the story, a month ago I had the strangest and scariest sensation. I smoked a joint, and then about an hour into the buzz I felt this RUSH to the head, then right away it felt very dizzy and light. At the time, I felt as though my right arm went numb and I JUMPed off of my seat at my computer, got my cell out of my pocket and had 911 on standby. My heart started RACING, pounding very heavily and I thought I was on the verge of heart attack, or stroke, or something very deadly. I calmed myself down by walking around and after about 10 minutes my heart started going to a more regular pace.

After that, my body felt very weird. I was so scared and anxious that something serious had gone wrong, which made every symptom seem that much more intense than it actually was. But while I walked back to my room, my legs trembled and so did my arms if I tried to write anything down. Kinda like a kid going to see the principal for the first time.

I had two more episodes since then, and they always happened sometime after smoking a joint. It is unfortunate, because I love marijuana and it is part of my life. I smoke generally a .2 when I go to bed and an ounce lasts me two months. But I fear that the only way to get rid of these attacks is to stop smoking weed altogether. Even though I now know, from reading medical websites and other sites, that panic attacks are not lethal, they are very very scary and they feel very real and dangerous when they happen. I guess in the end we just have to decide what is best for us and work it out.

Cheers all.

Hey.
So about a month ago, after smoking a joint, I too got what I thought was a life or death heart attack . I smoked my first joint when I was 12, and have been a casual smoker since then. For the last 2 years I have smoked generally a small joint per day, which, yes, makes me a pot head, I guess. I have had many talks with my doctor about pot related health problems and he assured me that although it is a drug, it is far less concerning than tobacco or alcohol.

Back to the story, a month ago I had the strangest and scariest sensation. I smoked a joint, and then about an hour into the buzz I felt this RUSH to the head, then right away it felt very dizzy and light. At the time, I felt as though my right arm went numb and I JUMPed off of my seat at my computer, got my cell out of my pocket and had 911 on standby. My heart started RACING, pounding very heavily and I thought I was on the verge of heart attack, or stroke, or something very deadly. I calmed myself down by walking around and after about 10 minutes my heart started going to a more regular pace.

After that, my body felt very weird. I was so scared and anxious that something serious had gone wrong, which made every symptom seem that much more intense than it actually was. But while I walked back to my room, my legs trembled and so did my arms if I tried to write anything down. Kinda like a kid going to see the principal for the first time.

I had two more episodes since then, and they always happened sometime after smoking a joint. It is unfortunate, because I love marijuana and it is part of my life. I smoke generally a .2 when I go to bed and an ounce lasts me two months. But I fear that the only way to get rid of these attacks is to stop smoking weed altogether. Even though I now know, from reading medical websites and other sites, that panic attacks are not lethal, they are very very scary and they feel very real and dangerous when they happen. I guess in the end we just have to decide what is best for us and work it out.

Cheers all.

I'm a 40 yr old man who's been using marijuana fairly regularly for at least 12 years now. Over the past 5 or so, I've occasionally had pretty severe panic attacks which seemed to be triggered by marijuana. The other factors that I believe contribute to the panic attacks that I've had are

-having had a few drinks or cups of coffee recently
-not having eaten in a long while -- low blood sugar
-being tired (my panic attacks are worse when I'm tired, but being tired alone hasn't been enough to bring on an attack.

Of course everyone is different and reacts to stresses on the system differently.

I believe being hungry is what really makes the difference.

Now, I basically make sure I've had plenty to eat BEFORE I partake and have no problem.

just my 2 cents

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last night I tried smoking again to see if I had a panic attack. its stupid to see if it would happend again but I have xanax to make me calm down if it happens and it happend last night and I smoked at 1130 at night and I ate at 12 at noon and I also was running on low sleep I think your right alexdoug

Wow, this is really interesting. It seems a lot of people suffer from this! I was really freaked out when it happened to me, cause all my friends thought I was going schizophrenic. This made it worse for me, as I believed I was going to end up being mad and delusional.

I'm from the UK. Its quite normal for a 16~20 year old to at least try smoking weed over here, so when I was 15 I believe - may have been 16 I tried smoking with a close friend called Max. Me, Max and Luke bought an eighth of skunk from the local dealer. I loved the build up to smoking - just running around trying to pick up, and the anticipation of getting stoned was growing, I was really exited about trying it!

So Luke rolled a joint at our local playing field. We sparked up and smoked it between the 3 of us. I threw caution to the wind and smoked as much as I could. Then I stood up and felt really weird. I felt a cold sweat all over my body and went sheet white. Everything seemed really bright. I didn't really panic cause I'd read about whitey's on the net the night before. Luke and Max were laughing at me, and I even laughed back myself cause I could imagine how funny I must have looked to them. I just focussed on eating my 'Maoam' sugary sweets to up my blood sugar and eventually I was fine.

From then on I threw myself into the world of marijuana. I was smoking loads everyday - the high came to me after a few tries and once I learned to appreciate it... Music was amazing, color's came to life, food tasted way better and I just genuinely felt 100% chilled out!

Then I just did this for 2 years! My School work became a joke - I lost 80% of my concentration, I lost good friends who didn't like smoking and I felt pretty mashed all the time. I even grew 2 Super Skunk plants in my back garden, and loved every minute of the process! I made new friends and met a girl called Heather who I liked sooo much! We got together, she lived at mine for 7 months and we just smoked and chilled if ya know what I mean! Life was good - no worries...

Then me and Heather split up and I ended up just smoking with Max or Luke in his garage. Then loads of people started coming round and the sessions would be like 15 people! You just can't chill with 15 people all around!

So one night I came home, all alone, completely drunk on Sambuca and went to bed. I woke up at 2-am and decided to roll a joint so I could get back to sleep. I had no tobacco so it was a pure skunk 1 skin. I caned it in about 5 minutes cause it was cold. I got back into bed and just felt weird. My mind was accelerating and I couldn't think straight. My thoughts were uncontrollable and I thought I was going insane. Then my heart started beating really fast - like scarily fast! I started really worrying. I was shaking uncontrollably and sweating, even though I felt cold! I remember closing my eyes to try and get to sleep but I saw my own face when I closed them! That freaked me out soo much. I called Max and asked if I could just come to his to try and chill, he said no its too late. So I stayed in bed. Hearing his voice chilled me for a bit but then the fear came back. I felt like the room was shrinking around me and everyone was out to get me...

This lasted a good 3 hours before I could get to sleep. The next day I felt disconnected from reality, so I booked a doctors appointment. He said from my description he would refer me to a psychologist - but because I was on drugs I must quit and see if these episodes kept happening...

I stopped smoking all together for 2 or 3 months and never had another attack - however I felt generally nervous and anxious about going out, going to school, talking to new people etc.. I stopped going out on friday and saturday nights. This really affected me and I was scared.

Now I'm just trying to ease myself back into smoking because I miss the feeling so much and get jealous when I see my mates stoned and having a laugh.

Problem is though whenever I smoke I get the racing heart and feel anxious about it. Never have a proper attack, because I'm aware of what's happening to me - but I usually have to get outside for some fresh air and calm down. It doesn't feel the same anymore - I wish I could get stoned again!

Any advice? It seems to be quite common?

Thanks, Joe.

Wow, this is really interesting. It seems a lot of people suffer from this! I was really freaked out when it happened to me, cause all my friends thought I was going schizophrenic. This made it worse for me, as I believed I was going to end up being mad and delusional.

I'm from the UK. Its quite normal for a 16~20 year old to at least try smoking weed over here, so when I was 15 I believe - may have been 16 I tried smoking with a close friend called Max. Me, Max and Luke bought an eighth of skunk from the local dealer. I loved the build up to smoking - just running around trying to pick up, and the anticipation of getting stoned was growing, I was really exited about trying it!

So Luke rolled a joint at our local playing field. We sparked up and smoked it between the 3 of us. I threw caution to the wind and smoked as much as I could. Then I stood up and felt really weird. I felt a cold sweat all over my body and went sheet white. Everything seemed really bright. I didn't really panic cause I'd read about whitey's on the net the night before. Luke and Max were laughing at me, and I even laughed back myself cause I could imagine how funny I must have looked to them. I just focussed on eating my 'Maoam' sugary sweets to up my blood sugar and eventually I was fine.

From then on I threw myself into the world of marijuana. I was smoking loads everyday - the high came to me after a few tries and once I learned to appreciate it... Music was amazing, color's came to life, food tasted way better and I just genuinely felt 100% chilled out!

Then I just did this for 2 years! My School work became a joke - I lost 80% of my concentration, I lost good friends who didn't like smoking and I felt pretty mashed all the time. I even grew 2 Super Skunk plants in my back garden, and loved every minute of the process! I made new friends and met a girl called Heather who I liked sooo much! We got together, she lived at mine for 7 months and we just smoked and chilled if ya know what I mean! Life was good - no worries...

Then me and Heather split up and I ended up just smoking with Max or Luke in his garage. Then loads of people started coming round and the sessions would be like 15 people! You just can't chill with 15 people all around!

So one night I came home, all alone, completely drunk on Sambuca and went to bed. I woke up at 2-am and decided to roll a joint so I could get back to sleep. I had no tobacco so it was a pure skunk 1 skin. I caned it in about 5 minutes cause it was cold. I got back into bed and just felt weird. My mind was accelerating and I couldn't think straight. My thoughts were uncontrollable and I thought I was going insane. Then my heart started beating really fast - like scarily fast! I started really worrying. I was shaking uncontrollably and sweating, even though I felt cold! I remember closing my eyes to try and get to sleep but I saw my own face when I closed them! That freaked me out soo much. I called Max and asked if I could just come to his to try and chill, he said no its too late. So I stayed in bed. Hearing his voice chilled me for a bit but then the fear came back. I felt like the room was shrinking around me and everyone was out to get me...

This lasted a good 3 hours before I could get to sleep. The next day I felt disconnected from reality, so I booked a doctors appointment. He said from my description he would refer me to a psychologist - but because I was on drugs I must quit and see if these episodes kept happening...

I stopped smoking all together for 2 or 3 months and never had another attack - however I felt generally nervous and anxious about going out, going to school, talking to new people etc.. I stopped going out on friday and saturday nights. This really affected me and I was scared.

Now I'm just trying to ease myself back into smoking because I miss the feeling so much and get jealous when I see my mates stoned and having a laugh.

Problem is though whenever I smoke I get the racing heart and feel anxious about it. Never have a proper attack, because I'm aware of what's happening to me - but I usually have to get outside for some fresh air and calm down. It doesn't feel the same anymore - I wish I could get stoned again!

Any advice? It seems to be quite common?

Thanks, Joe.

hahahahaha whoopsies doesn't know her facts. You have panic attacks when high because it kills brain cells? Please! Its the paranoia.

Actually...I haven't smoked pot in 20 some years...Why? Because I started getting paranoid...I've talked to a lot of old hippies who had the same experience...Toked a lot in the old days, and evetually quit for the same reason...

It ain't fun any more!!

phrannie

I smoked weed for like 10 years (im 25 now) and then I started doing really hard drugs about a year ago and decided pot was boring and quit doing it. Now I'm off the hard drugs but just trying to get back to smoking weed and drinking or being normal like I used to be and every time I smoke weed I start freaking out and thinking about all this stuff that doesn't worry me when I'm sober. So yes, I think it does make your mind play tricks on you, if your not worried about cops or getting busted you will find something else to be worried about. Some people just shouldn't do it. The only way I don't freak out is if I do it in the middle of the day when the sun is shining and I actually go out and do something while I'm high. I can no longer sit in a dark room and watch movies or listen to music like I used to. I am just not that person anymore.

the older I became, the more paranoid I became.

reefer madness lol.
filetofspam, that brought back memories.

Well I guess I am glad I am not the only one that this have happend to. Ofcourse last night I went to friends house for a 420 BBQ, I guess I was still kinda recooping from the night before, UFC 83, had too many drinks and didnt sleep much, and I just broke up with my girlfriend of 3 years with bunch of other stressors going on at the same time. I had 2 big hitts and that was enough to make me feel I was going to die, racing thoughts, heart palpatations, paranoia, I felt that nothing was real, that I was starting to fade, slipping from the reality, couldnt calm my self down, in the other hand at first didnt want to tell my frinds what was happening to me but then I thouhgt maybe I need to go to a hospital. Just it was a bad trip all together...what help me to come back to reality was drinking lots of milk and water I guess the L-Tryptophan in the milk that helped calming me down...until the effect of the stuff wore off..
I think I am gona lay off these stuff for a while until I have less stressors in my life...Good luck everyone

I had another panic attack last night. I smoked a blunt with some friends infront of this hookah bar in the town we hang out at. I took like 8 good hits of some really good stuff it had purple in it. well all of the sudden out of no where my vision got really blurry and I thought I was going to pass out and broke out sweating and I got really cold and hot it was messed up. my heart was racing and it was scary as hell. I had my xanax on me right away I got some water and took 2 0.5mgs. about 20 min later I felt fine. I dont know what could of happend im thinking maybe that it happend because I just started taking zoloft too now but not liking it its been giving me bad mood swings. it sucks having anxiety

The pot is stronger these days. Its not grown in the woods anymore its sprayed with all sorts of stuff so god knows what you are smoking. I am 37 years old professional family man who does not like to drink but would rather smoke a bowl. I have been smoking for almost 20 years and in the past year have been getting panic attacts that yes feel like my heart is going to explode. Grow your own. Know what your smoking. Or do what I have done and quit. It is NOT PARANOIA it is the chemicals they are spraying on the weed to make it grow quicker!

The same thing happens to me, but when it happens I try not to worry bout it... you know.. just try to distract your self when it happens. I had it once when I was laying on my bed and all of a sudden it was hard for me to breathe... but just remember it will ALL wear off in couple of hours.. your best bet is to try to go to sleep. or maybe have a beer with it to help calm you down... or maybe its the weed your buying.

It would be to strong of weed... take osokool advice.. grow your own! thats your best bet so you actually know what your smoking.. stuff that they sell on the blocks these days is laced with all types of stuff.. so becareful who you buy it from but just try not to worry on the panic attacks.. no one has ever died from that.. and your high! your minds playing tricks on you making you think that youll die.
HOPE THIS HELPS

Im 15 years old and I tried weed first when I was 13. The first time I tried it I completelt freaked out. I was straight up terrified. I though I was slipping away into insanity and the world came to me in waves. I was by a school with some friends(some of which I didnt trust). Everyone else was cool but I thought I was going to die. I never felt that scared before. Then a year later, something like 5 months ago I decided to try it again. It was late, like 1 in the morning, and I was with my 2 friends, my cousin and some chick in my basement. Me and my friend went outside. I took 2 good hits and he took 3. I went inside and started to freak AGAIN. Luckily I told my friends about before and they calmed me down by telling me its ok im just high. We sat down and played halo 3 for a while. Then I started to feel REEEAAALY GOOD. So god I went upstairs and just listened to music. Ugh the sensation. I was hooked. I did it again 3 months ago and freaked/was paranoid. Not as bad but still pretty bad. Its was because I was outside and it was cold and my friend has an asthma attack. I really want to feel like I did the second time. SOMEONE HELP ME PLEASE!!! P.S. Im not going to get into specific details but I thought I was drugges on weed and had the same flashed of anxiety that I thought was me being high when I really wasnt. That proved to me that the bad feeling is all in your head! sorry for the long post.

Im 15 years old and I tried weed first when I was 13. The first time I tried it I completelt freaked out. I was straight up terrified. I though I was slipping away into insanity and the world came to me in waves. I was by a school with some friends(some of which I didnt trust). Everyone else was cool but I thought I was going to die. I never felt that scared before. Then a year later, something like 5 months ago I decided to try it again. It was late, like 1 in the morning, and I was with my 2 friends, my cousin and some chick in my basement. Me and my friend went outside. I took 2 good hits and he took 3. I went inside and started to freak AGAIN. Luckily I told my friends about before and they calmed me down by telling me its ok im just high. We sat down and played halo 3 for a while. Then I started to feel REEEAAALY GOOD. So god I went upstairs and just listened to music. Ugh the sensation. I was hooked. I did it again 3 months ago and freaked/was paranoid. Not as bad but still pretty bad. Its was because I was outside and it was cold and my friend has an asthma attack. I really want to feel like I did the second time. SOMEONE HELP ME PLEASE!!! P.S. Im not going to get into specific details but I thought I was drugges on weed and had the same flashed of anxiety that I thought was me being high when I really wasnt. That proved to me that the bad feeling is all in your head! sorry for the long post.

Pot

damn, I feel awesome right now knowing that everyone that has posted feels exactly like me. Im pretty stoned right now haa.. I mean I took a bad acid trip about 3 weeks ago and got really stone bc it was 420, well I thought it was a bad acid trip but I think it had just triggered my first panic attack. So I forgot about it even though it was pretty much the most horrible experiece I've ever had and said fck acid. about 2 weeks later I had a horrble day with my girlfriend and some other sh.t happened that really got to me and I decided to get really stoned bc I jknew it would make me feel better. I started freaking out and crying on the phoine with my girlfriend and was freaked out thinking that I was having acid flashbacks and the feeling came again the next day. so I immediattly went to the doc crying about the acid flashback which was really just a panic attack and he gave me xanex to calm me down. so I decided to stop smoking after smoking just about everyday for a year in a half and tonight was the first night I smoked prior to that (abo0ut a week in a half break) I got real stoned but started to feel the anxiety attack again and left my friends to take a xanex( which I feel good now) I immediatly got on the internet and read these stories. I just think maybe the long term pot use and the acid caught up to me and gave me a panic disorder. It just f.cking pisses me off that I need to stop because I used to love and still do love pot but I cant smoke it if this is going to happen everytime cause its f.cking scary. I think im just growing up and having enoug problems in my life to where pot is going to make me freak but it sucks. Just whatever you do , if you have any type of anxiety in your lifke dont touch acid/lsd because it will take your bad thoughts to the extreme and its not a good experience.(and it will trigger more anxiety and cause you have more of a problem, but lsd is amazing if you do it right) But in a way I am also kind of glad im not smoking pot anymore, I am much more productive and healthy, my sex drive is ridiculous and I f.ck my girlfriend all the time again. But it is a little sad I cant get stoned all the time anymore, hopefuly my anxiety will resurface and I can enjoy it again but in the meantime I need to quit and keep making my parents and my girlfridn satisfied ... also sorry for the long post after I took me xanex I feel real f.cked