Fainting/seizures after smoking pot

[nodoubt_halla]

I'm not sure if this is the right forum but there are no epilepsy forums around. I am a 21 year old female with an epileptic sister. I have been smoking weed for 7 years, and on those years I have fainted/seizured four times. All times I was very stoned, probably had not eaten well (low blood sugar levels), with friends who told me afterwards that I had lost consciousness for a few seconds, my eyes had rolled back and I had somewhat convulsed.
My question is: Is there any way I can have epilepsy with these signs? My fainting only comes after smoking high quantities of weed and not eating properly. I am a healthy individual otherwise and have never experienced anything of this sort outside being stoned.

When the fainting comes my vision changes, the colours turn different, i loose coordination, and i feel very weak and light headed.
Please if anyone has information, I am a little scared of being diagnosed with epilepsy.

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

You have to think of it this way. The symptoms you described are what anyone smoking too much pot might experience, and most of those people do not have epilepsy.  If you have any tendency to epilepsy because of your sister, it would take so much to bring it  on ( heavy dose of pot) that it would probably not be clinicially significant.  On the other hand, you should not be afraid to find out if you have any unusual sensitivity to epilepsy. Why don;t you get an eeg, and if there is any signs, it will forewarn about excessive behavior, and may prevent what you really don't want to happen.

[m1man]

I am in the midst of a crisis right now (for about 3 weeks) and have similar symtoms you describe. I have had 4 major panic attacks in last 2 weeks and two happened right after smoking some good pot. Both times I ended up in the ER and was told I had a panic attack.
Brief history:
43 year old male. Daily pot smoker for 20 years.I have been on a self-induced low carb diet for about 6 months and have lost about 10 lbs. I have been under a great deal of stress - lost job, need to file bankruptcy, about to default on student loans (60,000+) to name a few. I have terrible insomnia (that's why I am writing this at 4:30am), have been on strong narcotics for 12 years due to daily headaches I was having (headaches have subsided and about to see about withdrawing from the Oxy I'm on).

I pretty much avoid all sugar as well as any breads, potatoes
and pasta. I quit smoking pot 2 weeks ago today cold turkey (ouch).
At the same time I started feeling very depressed - crying at almost anything, feeling incredibly agitated and irritable and admitted myself to a local MHMR center to protect myself and others. I hadn't slept in FOUR days (this was the main reason I smoked pot), I wrote a 4 page suicide letter. I then discharged myself as they forgot to order sleep meds for me (seroquel) and got so worked up I knew I had better leave. I went home and got high with a neighbor hoping it would induce sleep. 10 minutes later I felt the most awful sensations - feeling faint, heart was racing badly, cold/hot flashes, vision was very shaky and distorted, hyperventilating - just knew I was having a majot heart attack - just absolutely terrifiying to say the least. Called 911 and ambulance came and took me to the ER. I got home and 2 days later I had another one again calling 911 and this time I refused going to hospital as symtoms had let up quite a bit. This past Friday I had been up for 3 or 4 days and again smoked some weed and again had another attack and tried to avoid calling 911 but it lasted for about 45 minutes and then called them. When they got here I just had them monitor me- my heart rate was 185 and then dropped to around 100 after a few minutes. Yesterday my heart felt like it was beating out of my chest - heart rate was quite high - I got hungry and ate 2 cookies my neighbor had given me and in 10-15 minutes I felt "almost normal". It was a really drastic change in just a few minutes. I'm going to to my pain doctor today and am going to tell him about this as he also practices stress management. I sure hope he doesn't think I'm crazy and hoping he will prescribe xanax or something to allow me to get out of this crisis I'm in.

Sorry for being so long winded but I think all this has to do with the low carb diet I have been on as my heart hasn't raced since I ate the cookies. I also am going to have my blood sugar levels checked as diabetes runs in my family but I can't discuss this with any family members as they will surely think I'm nutzo. I'm not sure what the deal is with the weed but I can assure you I will never smoke again.

I wish the best for you and all of us who SUFFER from anxiety/panic attacks. Your life is just getting started and I hope you find answers soon and I'm sure you will. I don't know enough about epilepsy but I'd look at your diet first. I'll repost later today after I see my doctor and hopefully my information will lead you in the right direction.

If anyone else has any comments, please share them!

[sezza_tezza]

im 15 years old n i am a heavy pot smoker.
sometimes abit to heavy. last year in 2007 i fainted/passed out 5 times from getting to stoned. im wondering is this a disorder? or is it nothing much to worry about?
me & my friends are worried...

[joebrush]

to anyone foolish enough to find relief, relaxtion, or whatever through the use of " pot " ought to have their heads examined ti begin with. Through either an EEG, CAT ( with or without contrast dye ) or MRI or even a PET scan. Why don't you just " pull your heads out of your ***'s " and deal with life as it is. Not through the enjoyment of substance abuse of any kind. Get with Reality !

[blink1147]

I used to smoke weed, havent for about two years. i started having severe panic attacks when I would smoke, and I didn't know why. I later found out it was OCD and, m1man, the same thing happens to me when I panic. I've been to the hospital over my heart and an ekg (i think thats what it was called) showed I was fine. of course diabetes also runs in my family, and my mom and brother have low blood sugar, so maybe theres a connection. and joebrush, thank you (sarcasm) were all so glad you could make it to this site and 'help' all of us on here

[jimmydreads]

im 16 and i regularly smoke weed, just last night i had a hit from a bong, blacked out and had a seizure...during the course of the night this happened 3 times...i hadnt eaten preoperly in the last 2 days and i hadnt got a lot of sleep the last 2 days either...can anyone help or give me advice because this is worrying me considerably