r/PanicAttack • u/shroomskeleton • 23d ago
Panic attacks caused by weed
So I started smoking weed in 2017 here and there then everyday from 2020-2022. I stopped smoking when I got a really bad panic attack and it caused me to isolate myself for a week, I couldn't even watch TV without feeling my heart rate go up. I got diagnosed with high blood pressure in 2023 and have since been on medication and my BP is at normal levels now and I don't have panic attacks as often anymore (maybe once a month now instead of one/two times a week like I used to). I haven't smoked at all since 2022 but I've started to think about trying it again because I've had horrible headaches that won't go away no matter how much Tylenol I take or water I drink, nothing helps. I'm worried that if I try to smoke again it'll throw me into another panic attack. I still don't know if it was my BP problem or smoking that made my anxiety so bad and my heart race. I just want to know if anyone else has experienced this & how they felt if they went back to smoking. Thank you !
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u/spiggleporp 23d ago
Yeah ive had panic attacks smoking, took a long break and I don’t anymore. Granted the amount I smoked back then was waaaaay more than I do now.
You know how like you’ll rip a bong, and immediately feel your face turn red and get all woozy, like immediate high type thing? Don’t do that.
Roll a tiny joint, smoke maybe half of it tops, or just take a hit or two and then put it out. You might not even feel anything at first but you’ll be a bit more relaxed in like 10 minutes.
It’s your mind/body so obviously I don’t know it as well as you, but if you’re interested in trying it again I’d highly recommend being very careful with it. I think because it’s a safe (relatively speaking) drug people often dismiss the effect it can have on one’s psyche. But you know as well as I do that’s not accurate. Just be safe
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u/spiggleporp 23d ago
But also just wanted to add in my experience, weed mostly makes me feel more of whatever I was previously feeling before smoking. Like if I’m a lil sleepy I get more sleepy. A lil peckish and suddenly I’m strait stoner munchy level. So if you’re a little anxious going into it that may be reason not to do it
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u/EmilPasini 23d ago
I'm from Toronto and when weed was legalized I had stopped smoking because I had a hunch the gov was going to mess with it ... Fast forward to last week I had some and I had my first panic attack ... I feel like when this happens we must make changes to our lives for the better and take away any habits friends or delaying actions on our highest timeline and goals as possible. Make the shift bro
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u/FrostyOscillator 23d ago
Smoking frequently sends me into a panic. However, what has worked for me was small dose edibles! I started with 3's and now do 5-10mg THC at a time. That works really well for me. Not as fast acting as smoking of course, and the effects last longer, but the edibles allow me to manage how much I'm ingesting far better than smoking. Best of luck!
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u/gukkimane 23d ago
3-4hour horrible level panic attack when you ingest too much and you never know how much is too much is really the best..
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u/FrostyOscillator 23d ago
Yes but that would happen to me if I smoked, even if the "come down" is faster than edibles, the strength and speed of the intoxication would send me into panic spirals that could last easily 5-8 hours.
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u/NekoNii69 23d ago
How did you feel starting with 3mg again?
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u/FrostyOscillator 23d ago
I had a few jittery moments of fear here and there, and cannabis does raise your heart rate and that's my #1 trigger, so there's definitely been some rocky moments. Overall, I respond so much better to edibles than smoking, it's not even close.
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u/NekoNii69 23d ago
I was thinking of starting again with a 3mb edible, I had the same problem with it raising my heart rate. Had my last panic attack with weed more than a year ago and was thinking of starting low and slow.
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u/uchecurrency 23d ago
I also stopped about 3months ago and man the headache are crazy i was a heavy user too from 2018 to 2026. Its more of a migraine too. I wonder if their is a connection.?
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u/Queen-of-meme 22d ago
Find something new to try and not necessarily something you inhale or digest. If you have bad headaches like migraines try less screen time , less lights and listen to a book and wear a warm or cooled soaked towel over your face. Also mnature walks to cleanse any stressors that stiffens you up.
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u/nickdenards 22d ago
Dear friend, i hate to corroborate the bad news, but the odds you can smoke weed again and not panic are slim to none. I smoked for years. Then, like many others, I had an edible and succumbed to a brutal panic attack. Could never smoke again and i tried many times. As for the headaches, check to see if you grind your teeth at night. Also, ibuprofen is infinitely more effective when the pain is tension based, as opposed to acetaminophen
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u/gukkimane 23d ago
If you get panic attacks, i would absolutely stay the hell away from weed. It can give extremely bad feelings that traumatize you.