shaking after smoking marijuana

[thebunnie]

I have been smoking marijuana for about two years with no negative effects on my body.
The past three times that I have smoked I have had a "bad reaction" in which my entire body shakes uncontrollably (even my teeth), my heart feels like it's going to beat out of my chest, and I feel cold and disoriented.

What causes this?
What can I do to avoid it?
Is it safe to continue smoking? I haven't since the last time that it happened.

[Angelique1]

Same thing happened to me when I was 15.  I'm 42.  I smoked several times before that and several times after.  It has only happened that one time.  Weird!  

[nursegirl6572]

Well said oxy.

I've seen arguments from addicts getting clean that weed is "different".  Maybe to some extent it is, sure, but any mind altering substance that an addict chooses to use potentially places them at risk for relapse.  It lowers inhibitions and can act as a big trigger.

[OxyTired]

I read this with interest. I did alot of reading about marjuana bc I thought maybe this could be a drug I could enjoy. I cant do booze, benzos, or opiates, so maybe?
Yeah read all the technical stuff about cannibinoid receptors etc, but what I found most interesting is that people react very differently due to their own individual brain chemistry. Some people relax and enjoy, others like myself react with fear and paranoia.  I read dozens of reports by people who like very much the mind expanding component, but even after trying different strains of marijauna, still get a negative reaction.
I had some really good stuff that I was holding on for "maybe good for my back pain," or "maybe good for creativity?"
Then recently got clean from oxycodone and decided "maybe not good for me at all!"
So I got rid of it.
I am getting high on life now. Simpler. Safer. Saner. FOR ME. I cant tell what is good or bad for somebody else, especially with something like marijuana that is so good medically and psychologically for many.
Just not good for me. Oh well

[Igot5onit]

Guys honestly I've been smoking almost everyday day for the past two years And guess what? I've had my bad experiences as well and it is NORMAL its called a bad trip hello. Most of it is all in your head, you shake a little so ******* what just don't flip out about it while you're high and it goes away if not it only gets worse. Plus, many things accumulated with weed usage can cause or simply enhance the symptoms you're describing, I'm no expert, but have you slept or eaten enough lately? Did you have coffee or been drinking alcohol a lot recently?
The important thing to remember if indeed you are convinced that the marijuana is the trigger is that you much less likely to bad trip if you're surrounded by good music and people you feel at ease around , if you're uncomfortable or tense. If it does however continue and is of a bother i do advise you to quit or change supplier

[neveragainplease]

Good time to quit if you ask me.

Marijuana has limited good effects even in a medically controlled environment.

It has the ability to give you lung cancer, mess with your blood pressure, do brain damage, disrupt your thought processes, get you arrested, spend your money, make you smell bad....should I go on? lol

This IS an addiction recovery site. Pretty much everyone will tell you it's time to either quit cold turkey, or begin tapering off of your usage and then quit.

Please consider joining us in recovery. You'll get an amazing amount of support here.

[peachez95]

I agreed w/ various statements you made which I believe are some truthful professionally. I've tried various different drugs; my main addiction was (I am recovering for years now) opiates so I can relate. I used to smoke weed as a freshman in high school until about junior year when I escalated to more downer drugs of my liking. But also speaking to "the bunnie", which I hope you've read, it's a stimulant just like alcohol. When you smoke marijuiana it's going to increase your blood pressure automatically which in turn can give anxiety, shakiness, hot flashes, etc. Weed goes straight to your spinal cord and actually swells your cerrebellum in your brain, which promotes memory loss, etc. so both physical & mental side effects.
I stopped smoking also b/c after being so addicted to heroin, pain killers, etc. I could never go back. The last time I tried it when I was 19 yrs old again in a while, I panicked & then it just completely made me paranoid every time I smoked after that from worrying what was happening to me or if I was going to have a heartattack just b/c it increased my blood pressure so much that time & had a bad reaction. I never liked it from that point on. I quit. Long term effects besides in your brain, nevrvous system, etc. can lead to  heart problems. The anxiety and blood pressure go hand in hand in a vicious circle already so it could just continue to get worse. Drinking is a stimulant too automatically making it something that will increase your heart rate. Whether alcohol or weed, people have the false impression b/c it numbs and relaxes you that it doesn't increase your blood pressure, that it lowers it. And it doesn't especially after increased usage and time.

[ejcowan91]

You ever drink so much you puke? Yeah? probably, right? Did it stop you from drinking entirely? Probably not, right? Having a bad reaction to a substance doesn't necessarily mean you want to stop using said substance or that said decision to not stop using the substance is a red flag for addiction.

[HelpMe305]

I know this is an old thread, but I couldn't help but posting. I went through a faze a couple years ago, where I was smoking weed a few times a week. Once I smoked on my lunch break at school, when I went back to class I sat down and all of a sudden my heart starting racing, I had cold sweats and everything around me started moving. I quickly realized something was wrong and I jumped out of my seat. As I was walking down the hall, I was very disoriented and ended up blacking out. I remember falling into the wall and feeling like I was unconscious and shaking. I don't really know how long I was out for but as I opened my eyes I was still shaking and realized I was on the ground. Quickly jumped to my feet for fear of someone seeing. I went straight for the bathroom and laid down on the cold floor. By this time, I was covered in sweat and my heart was going crazy. I laid there for a good 20 minutes before I calmed down. It was a very scary experience and thank god, I didn't really like smoking anyways, I never smoked again.

[jadesm3456]

i get the exact same thing. all symptoms you get. I was thinking heart failure. My mom works at a hospital and she said a 27 year old girl was on drugs. she felt cold all day and her heart was beating out of her chest then she died. I would get a heart stress test. That is what I am going to do. Other than that just avoid drugs and stay healthy. Its worth it.

[yany27]

just because you like to smoke pot does not mean that you are an addict. chocolate is more addicting than pot, and its proven.

[jacquiejigsaw]

Okay
so today i was at my boy friends house, he smokes weed everyday, he is most defiantly an addict. He say's he is not but he cant make it through a full day without toking up. Well today we were chilling in his room and he decided to take a few buckets, he took one he was fine then after he took his second one, he blew it out then he just dropped to the floor and started shaking uncontrollably, he also hit his head on the way down.

I've never seen anything like this, it scared the living **** out of me, when he finally stopped shaking i begged him to promise me he would never smoke weed again, and he refused! How could that happen to you then you would still want to smoke weed?  

Do any of you think that this is a serious problem that could get worse ?

[thebunnie]

addiction isn't my problem-
i haven't smoked it since it happened (it's been about ten days)
i was just looking for a cause.
you're not being helpful- you're preaching.

[avisg]

Its not the drugs that are bad its when we start to abuse them that there are issues .Drugs have there place .

[leeisgettingclean]

k i will look for it, and yes i do 100% agree with the fact that I was a little caught up in writing that reply when i said all drugs are bad, because as we all know thats not true, there are drugs that help us with w/ds, drugs that put us to sleep to make operations possible, drugs that regulate our hearts to keep us alive, so I do think my statement there was a little to broad : ) I just want this lady to see that in this situation HER use of this drug is not good

[122 Tactical Fighter Group]

You have a decent opinion and you are entirely correct to have that opinion........my comment was entirely directed at what felt like you getting off base just a little with the all drugs are bad statement.   I feel that her situation meets the panic attack profile best...................but I have been wrong before.     I agree fully that as a cause / effect thing she shouldnt continue to smoke and then deal with the same recurring problems from smoking..............      eagle - - - - -    keep up the good advice.............there was someone having trouble getting stomped by day three that I wanted to have you speak to ....... its on the last 3 pages I know.......

[leeisgettingclean]

*whos smoking weed

[leeisgettingclean]

true that there are helpfull drugs when used right and for intended purpose however unless this lady has a scrip for her pot, it IS bad IMO. I am in school to be a nurse and almost finished and nowhere in my schooling did i learn that pot was okay to smoke also if this lady keeps smoking after a bad reaction, one that was bad enough to bring her here and question it, i would say she is addicted and as we all know when an addict is active in there drug use there is not a good outcome unless they quit soon enough. What you say is true, her symtoms do sound like a panic/anxiety attack, which could have occured for one of many reasons, and parhaps smoking weed was the cause of it. Like you said there are helpfull  drugs when prescribed and used right, but just as i would not recommened someone struggleing with and having attacks from an unknown source however oddly enough while smoking crack to continue smoking crack, I would not recommened this lady hows having the same problem while smoking weed to continue to  do do, sorry but its just IMO

[122 Tactical Fighter Group]

Forget about it being laced ......  unless you are totally unfamiliar with weed and have purchased a pound of oregano with something that enhances its affects.  Decent pot costs way too much to ruin it with some idiotic cut!     You mention in another post that you had an anxiety reaction during that earlier time of smoking it.  You also indicate that your last experiences do hold most of the properties of a panic / anxiety attack - - - - -  Body shakes (lower body temperature),  heart beating out of chest - - -  cold (circulation...) ...and disoriented (confusion...) ---------------------------------     Not to mention that a real symptom of smoking pot is a lower blood sugar level.....leading to lower body temperature, confusion, cold, and disorientation. - - - - and an anxiety/panic attack.      You might want to ask "Bluelight"  about what to do - - you wont get any suggestions on this forum.......

Lee - - - You are going to be a Nurse. I certainly hope that you arent serious about "all drugs are bad..." - - - -   Surely you are familiar with The Medica Materia which outlines all sorts of drugs, extracts, and herbals that cure people of their afflictions................and even the American Indians that obtained salycic acids from willow bark that was the Indians aspirin and a way to cure headaches.    Lets not get too blind and tunnel visioned about what out purpose is here.........................

[avisg]

Stop somking it

[leeisgettingclean]

i wonder if its not about addiction why you would find it "approraite to post here? not that it matters i just hope you are not refusing to admit your addiction because thats clearly what it is....doing drugs after they cause harm or potential harm to your body=addiction by all means

[thebunnie]

my question isn't about addiction, this was really the only place that it seemed appropriate.

[leeisgettingclean]

i respectfully disagree with Sandy, addiction is not about the specific drug you do, in meeting they say how, what , and how, are not important, whats important is knowing when you have a problem, and by wanting to continue to smoke after knowingly having a bad  reaction is a big red flag. Drugs are drugs and all drugs are bad, they enslave u, you clearly have a problem, if you ate shrimp and it caused the same reaction you would not eat shrip again because clearly it does not agree with your body, same here

[SandySlope]

I smoked herb for MANY years, and just suddenly, one day in my 30s, I had a bad reaction to it. I personally think MJ is a great drug for pain if the patient can tolerate it. Compare it to pills and it has VERY little adverse effects, IF the patient doesnt get the paranoid and anxiety from it. These are common side effects in some people using MJ, but not everyone. Feeling cold and disoriented from MJ = NORMAL.
It is safe IMO to continue smoking, just make sure that what you get is not laced with growing chemicals, or is moldy. (I wont get into politics) Maybe change up your variety if possible. Different strains produce different effects sometimes.
Then again, maybe its just time to stop.
PLEASE, whatever you do, DO NOT get into opiates and pills!! you will be WISHING you were only dealing with MJ. Although I think MJ is one of the more safer drugs, I do also believe it is a gateway drug. SO, just be mindful and in check. Read thiese boards to scare you away from ever touching pills.......I am now jealous of the casual pot addict and wish I could still tolerate that medicine because it did wonders for back pain without bad withdrawal while quitting and without horrible side effects.

[TrayCee]

you asked "What can I do to avoid it?"
  ummm...maybe dont smoke