Physical Symptoms (Stories)

@john5:6 I was diagnosed with Cannabis induced panic disorder after being in the hospital for 3 days with a heart that would not stop palpitating all day and all night. I quit on November 13th and on November 14th it started and has only stopped with anxiety medication and an anti depressant used for Panic disorder. The hospital ran every test you can run on a persons heart for those 3 days, and there was nothing wrong with my heart. As soon as I took the anxiety medicine it stopped the palpitations. I guess THC can trigger your sympathetic system and it will get stuck in flight mode, when it highjacks all those receptors. So, I am waiting for my heart to go back to normal so I can get off the meds.

Rockszee wrote:@john5:6 I was diagnosed with Cannabis induced panic disorder after being in the hospital for 3 days with a heart that would not stop palpitating all day and all night. I quit on November 13th and on November 14th it started and has only stopped with anxiety medication and an anti depressant used for Panic disorder. The hospital ran every test you can run on a persons heart for those 3 days, and there was nothing wrong with my heart. As soon as I took the anxiety medicine it stopped the palpitations. I guess THC can trigger your sympathetic system and it will get stuck in flight mode, when it highjacks all those receptors. So, I am waiting for my heart to go back to normal so I can get off the meds.

That sounds just like my case. I quit on Nov 19 2020 after having a massive panic attack. They gave me Ativan and a prescription for it, but I decided to take PAWS face on after reading that constant benzo use will get you addicted quickly. And I’ve heard the PAWS from benzos is a real ugly one. It’s kind of a paradox ain’t it? Using drugs to get off a drug addiction? I’m not gonna lie to you, I’ve used them a couple of times during these 9 months when the panics became unbearable, but only in short and small doses (never more than 3-5 days and no more than 1mg). I’m not sure what meds you may be taking, but just be careful not to induce a new drug problem, some doctors like to take their pen out without thinking too much about consequences.

Yes I am aware of benzo addiction and withdrawal. Unfortunately a person can’t function with their heart pounding out of their chest all day and being kept awake by it at night. So, I am doing what needs to be done for now. And I am already making a plan for when I don’t need them anymore. Which i hope is soon! Yes, it is a catch 22 when you have to use a drug to get off a drug. I did try all the other options first to no avail. ☹️

The pounding goes away with time, I was exactly like this for months and I still get them from time to time with restless nights. Hope you get better soon.

Thank you! I just realized we quit at almost the exact same time…lol
I am looking forward to not having palpitations. It’s my way of life now. I have no other symptoms of anxiety now, just that. So weird!

Rockszee wrote:Thank you! I just realized we quit at almost the exact same time…lol
I am looking forward to not having palpitations. It’s my way of life now. I have no other symptoms of anxiety now, just that. So weird!

That’s right, we are just days apart. When I got off the benzos during the first months, I got what they call “rebound anxiety”. It was hell. But as months passed the palps became less frequent. I still get them, mostly at night, but what can I expect after frying my nerves with high potency THC vapes? These days I’m still bothered by nerve pain and muscle twitching all around my body, mostly during the night. My sleep is still destroyed by these symptoms, but after struggling in bed for some hours, I’m able to sleep at least 6 hours. I hope it keeps getting better.

Rockszee wrote:@sparklefly12 Can I ask you how long you took Thc? 2.5 years is a terribly long time. I am praying I don’t have to be like this for years. I only used edibles and occasionally vaped for 1 and a half years. So I am hoping I don’t have these symptoms for a couple years. Although, no one really knows the effects long term of edibles since they are a newer form of using THC.

I smoked regularly for 6 years.

First couple years were only a couple hits at night of herb. When Id stop for a week or two If just have a mild headache and some insomnia for a couple weeks.

The next couple years were pretty much smoking herb every day; up to a gram or two a day. This is when I started to get regular headaches, tiredness, and other paws-like symptoms. I also couldn't sleep without weed any more, and would have to toke up at 4am to get back to sleep when I would inevitably wake up. When I would quit for a few weeks I would get insomnia, anxiety, moderate headache.

The last couple years, I smoked herb and concentrates; wax; dab pens, etc. Those messed me up. Really bad. I smoked every day and was high at least 8 hrs a day, often more. When I would stop even for a couple days, I got really bad acute withdrawal - shaking, nausea, dizzyness, the whole works. But that only lasted a few days. Starting day 3 or 4 after quitting, paws kicked in; the symptoms I described before.

I started smoking again a couple times, after 1 month and again after 3 months; smoked 6-12 days those two times. The acute withdrawal symptoms didn't come back but the paws symptoms reset to day 1. So It's been 3 years since I've been dealing with paws; but only 2.5 since that last week of smoking

Hi guys, first post. I have been reading up on PAWS and never knew it existed until the last week or so. I smoked most of my life since i was 16/17 to now 32. I've quit for just over 4 weeks. I've gotten past the night sweats, insomnia, no appetite, all your standard withdrawls. But the last 2 weeks or so ive had really sore legs and knees. Unsure if its the muscles or the joints or what. Occasionally some twitching in them too. Could this be PAWS? I'm going to be seeing a padiotrist soon but the more i read about PAWS and anxiety (i have bad anxiety, health anxiety ect, real bad) the more i feel they could be the cause. What are the chances do you think?

Cheers.
Michael.

Hey man. Congrats on quitting. I smoked from like 18-32 really heavy. Daily use. I suffered from Every imaginable side affect that you can imagine. I actually still get weird sore legs sometimes. Like they just feel weak as if I could collapse. But I never do. Sometimes it lasts a couple days and other times it's only an hour length. So wierd. Good luck man. Hope all turns out. Also I had horrible health anxiety to the point that any unusually pain meant death for me. I have since overcome the problems but still suffer the anxiety. I am at 7 months. It's a journey but one you can get through. Each month is an improvement.

Thanks for the reply man. Welldone on quitting, 7 months is awesome. Yeah i was a heavy daily smoker as well, most of the years i was smoking as soon i was awake to last thing at night. Ended up ruining my relationship with my kids mother because i was just a mess, lazy, never had interest in anything, moody as hell when i had none, dont blame her. Got in a bad way. I just have a really dull ache in my knees to my ankles, unsure if its muscle pain or joint pain, cant quite put my finger on it, literally lol. Someone else says 4 weeks is a little too soon for PAWS, so maybe this is just more withdrawal symptoms? I have read that people experience muscle and joint pain, and tbh i did think i got out of the woods a little too easy for my withdrawals. Especially for how much and how long i was smoking for.

The crazy thing to me is that you cannot pinpoint a timeline that seems universal or average. Majority of the time everyone has individual experiences. I have been feeling a lot better since 6 months. The first 6 we're literally torture. I couldn't so anything. My main issue was headaches and dizziness. Felt like I was dying. Come to realize it is pretty common. I am just moving forward but understand it's not over. Roll with the punches and know you are going to come out of this a better person.

Anyone get sweating. But not normal sweating. Really smelly sweating. Its like its some potent chemical like ammonia or something that gives off acrid fumes.

Blinkers wrote:Anyone get sweating. But not normal sweating. Really smelly sweating. Its like its some potent chemical like ammonia or something that gives off acrid fumes.

Yes.

@ Longduckdong I had sore muscles (arms, legs, fingers....any muscle you used at all).

SparkleFly12 wrote:

Blinkers wrote:Anyone get sweating. But not normal sweating. Really smelly sweating. Its like its some potent chemical like ammonia or something that gives off acrid fumes.

Yes.

@ Longduckdong I had sore muscles (arms, legs, fingers....any muscle you used at all).

Thanks sparkie. Good to know this might be normal. Its really odd how after 4 month pot/tobacco can give off such a weird smell to your sweat. It feels like toxic build up from something else because they say cannabis leaves your system after a month and this feels like it would feel if I was having chemo. But maybe the dopamine reduction somehow causes this weird acrid smell.
All the symptoms of PAWS are crazy. I will add this one to that list.

It might leave your system after a month but it can take A LOT longer than a month for your receptors to return to normal, if ever! I am at 11 months off edibles and this has been a really bad month, again!