Almost 9 months of PAWS hell

**Posts:** 88 · by **john5:6** » Fri Aug 13, 2021 1:02 am

The last post I made was when I was at 7 months in. Now I'm officially almost 9 months weed free, 8-3/4 months to be exact.

It has been hell is all I can say. I felt so much better for around 3 weeks until about 4 days ago. A huge wave has come over me again, but the intensity of the symptoms have been short lived compared to previous months. Everything starts around 7pm to 9pm like before. I started having chest pain/cramps and stabs again, mostly in my sternum and left side. My left arm is tingling, my hand feels weird. I've been having the stabbing pains/zaps in the back of my head again. Head pressure and headaches too. The anxiety of having these symptoms again has been creeping up on me badly. The bradycardia went away this month, thank God. But the tachycardia has come again... I'm feeling dizzy and weak again. Yesterday I felt like fainting from getting up from my desk to the kitchen, my heart starts racing and I feel like p***ing out. But yeah, I had this too before in previous months and visited the ER and many doctors with nothing showing up. Just a healthy heart and clean bill of health. The sleep disturbances are real bad. I can't sleep again. I wake up multiple times in the middle of the night, feeling so sick and fatigued, heart racing, dizzy, weak, just plain sick.

On the good side of things, like I mentioned, I had sinus bradycardia for around 4-5 months, and finally the bradycardia is lifting, my heart is beating within a normal range again! My memory is so much better! I still get some intermittent brain fog, but man, is it better than ever. I used to forget even where I was during those first months. I remember going out for a ride in my motorbike and forgetting how to get back home... But everything is so much better on the mental part. I had a lot of dp/dr, that has been mostly gone too. The depression has been lifting up as well. I'm starting to feel motivated again. I'm retaking the hobbies that I left behind. Life is better these days.

All in all, I'd say I'm around 60% now. I hope this following months bring more improvements, specially on the sleep part.

**Posts:** 47 · by **Longduckdong** » Mon Oct 11, 2021 6:23 pm

Hey man, I noticed no one responded and wanted to have a chat. I have been having a hellish time with PAWS also. I get to the point I feel like something must be off. I have massive brain fog, feel like I am high a lot, tension headaches, weak legs, and nausea. I had so many more issues in the beginning but am finally feeling a bit better. I got hit with a wave a week ago and am still trying to ride it out. I have also seen a doctor gotten blood work done and my heart checked and everything seems fine besides some blood markers that can be fixed with weight loss and healthier diet. I just wat you to know you are not alone. This is one hell of a ride and I know we will overcome it. I constantly hear that 6 months is a turning point but only a small one. The real test is a year to 2 years. It seems so far away but we are getting closer and closer. I smoked for 15 years so I know overcoming what I did to my brain is not going to be an easy task. Good luck brother.

**Posts:** 88 · by **john5:6** » Tue Oct 12, 2021 4:13 am

Thanks for the reply! This post was around 2 months ago, now I’m close to 11 months. I wish I could say I’m better this time around, but I’m still deep in the battle. My most persistent symptoms are chest pain, heart palpitations with random tachycardia, nausea, fatigue, and flu-like symptoms. Its been horrible, like a never ending nightmare, but I’m better than I was during those first 6 months. Some symptoms have gone away, but only to be replaced by new ones that still make me miserable. Its like my body keeps finding new ways to torture me. I just live one day at a time =)

**Posts:** 19 · by **just_PAWS_** » Tue Oct 12, 2021 9:06 am

I am now at 9th month with my severe insomnia from weed paws. Some times I dont sleep like 3-4 days in a row. After that I usually am ready to die cuz the headache is so bad. Ive noticed that this is the turning point where I can get some sleep again. I sleep badly about one week and usually after that I accidently set myself into some stressful situation ..and because of it lose sleep complitely and the loop starts over again. It's been hellish.

I would like to know if some one has had this kind of sympton or has it become easier to sleep. I've been stressing out if this chronic sleep disturbance never gets better or is it just weed withdrawal.

I don't even have all the other symptoms which other ppl have but this is alone bad enough. Good thing is my memory is a bit better and I don't forget stuff that much + I am more resilient to this sh**. Stay strong m8s!

**Posts:** 75 · by **Brokethehabit** » Tue Oct 12, 2021 10:27 am

Keep up the good work buddy, you'll get better soon!

**Posts:** 88 · by **john5:6** » Tue Oct 12, 2021 1:24 pm

just_PAWS_ wrote:I am now at 9th month with my severe insomnia from weed paws. Some times I dont sleep like 3-4 days in a row. After that I usually am ready to die cuz the headache is so bad. Ive noticed that this is the turning point where I can get some sleep again. I sleep badly about one week and usually after that I accidently set myself into some stressful situation ..and because of it lose sleep complitely and the loop starts over again. It's been hellish.

I would like to know if some one has had this kind of sympton or has it become easier to sleep. I've been stressing out if this chronic sleep disturbance never gets better or is it just weed withdrawal.

I don't even have all the other symptoms which other ppl have but this is alone bad enough. Good thing is my memory is a bit better and I don't forget stuff that much + I am more resilient to this sh**. Stay strong m8s!

I still sleep like crap. I get sleepy during the night, but as soon as I lie down to sleep I start getting heart palpitations. I manage to fall asleep after a couple of horrible hours, but just to be waken up early in the morning because my heart decides to start beating fast for no reason. Sleep disturbances are the worse.

**Posts:** 47 · by **Longduckdong** » Fri Oct 22, 2021 4:17 pm

just_PAWS_ wrote:I am now at 9th month with my severe insomnia from weed paws. Some times I dont sleep like 3-4 days in a row. After that I usually am ready to die cuz the headache is so bad. Ive noticed that this is the turning point where I can get some sleep again. I sleep badly about one week and usually after that I accidently set myself into some stressful situation ..and because of it lose sleep complitely and the loop starts over again. It's been hellish.

I would like to know if some one has had this kind of sympton or has it become easier to sleep. I've been stressing out if this chronic sleep disturbance never gets better or is it just weed withdrawal.

I don't even have all the other symptoms which other ppl have but this is alone bad enough. Good thing is my memory is a bit better and I don't forget stuff that much + I am more resilient to this sh**. Stay strong m8s!

Hey man, I notice when I have horrible nights of sleep my head feels terrible the next day. Then I sleep ok for another day and I am partial the next day. Sleep has been a challenge. I slept last night for only 3 hours at a time and was having insanely vivid dreams. What was crazy is I would wake up and remember the dream and keep going back into it. Super shitty.

**Posts:** 4 · by **ZumM** » Tue Nov 16, 2021 6:53 am

Hey dude. Thanx for sharing your journey. Im on my 6th month of cold turkey. Been heavy smoker since 13, im 32 years now. Last 8 years been smoking daily 4-7 joints plus other party drugs, cocaine, mdma, amphetamyne, meth, lsd, shrooms. Im a Dj so those drugs were making me temporarily "happy" and plus never enjoyed alcohol so i was abusing drugs so much, heavy ones occassionally. Last joint i smoked made me very anxious, i thought i had heart attack, it felt like skipping a beat, felt hungry for air, wanted to yawn but could't finish it. I was so scared, went next day to the doctor, did cardio, blood, urine, lung tests. Unexpectedly great results. I still decided to quit. Doc gave me Xanax, which i took for 2 weeks half pill a day, helped a bit. First 2 weeks were terrible, extreme anxiety, shorness of breath, angry af, vivid dreams, depersonalization, woking up sweaty and shaky, insomnia, my appetite was somehow fine. Symptoms start fading out after a month for 4-5 days i thought i was getting better, but nope, same things were happening but more mild version, some days i was feeling better, other days felt restless, dizzy, anxious again. After i celebrate my 2 month sobriety again i thought it was done cuz 7-8 days i felt great, very light panic attacks, no brain fog, but its back again. I started having concerns about my physical health, i almost fainted couple times at work, so got scared. Went to the doctor again nothings wrong. Its more mental rather than physical, but its connected. Once i finished 4th month start getting abdominal pain, it comes and goes but i feel it at least once a day. Trying to meditate, do yoga and some home workouts 4-5 times a week. My anxiety has reduced, just having deep sighs during day. What scares me the most is skipped beats, i get them mostly at evenings and lasts untill i fall asleep, sometimes lasts for whole day. Still got long way to go but at least i know that im not going back for sure. I've done so many gigs complitely sober during this recovery, watching people getting high was a big temptation, but it made me feel proud of myself. Finally realized, that we don't need drugs to make us feel good, its not worth it. This forum helped me a lot, read so many PAWS stories.They don't really have any scientific research on weed withdrawal. Wish you long and healthy life

Almost 9 months of PAWS hell

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

#6

#7

Main Menu

Addictions and Habits Resources

Recent posts

Active topics

Contact Us