Hi,

I've stopped smoking marijuana for 57 days. The longest I went w/out it since I began smoking about 3.5 years ago. Basically everyday I smoked marijuana....I'm tallking about anywhere from 2 sessions a day to 5-6 sessions a day. It came to the point where I thought I wasn't ever going to stop my marijuana use. But then I decided I need to really really stop because the demand of my work in school and job.

I experienced much of the common withdrawal symptoms...but heres the twist. The first month to stop was EASIER then the 2nd month (currently right now is the 2nd month) --Is this normal? Some of the symptoms I experienced during the 1st were common ones such as sweating a lot, vivid and crashing dreams that wake you up during the nights, and appetite INCREASING.

The 2nd month however has been way harder. Instead of easily sleeping and dreaming, I'm experience INSOMIA!!!!!!!!! I get around 2-5 hours each night now, majority of the past nights probably been 2-3 hours. (previously I got around 6-8 hrs of sleep) The lack of sleep is really hurting me in school and social life because I'm basically a walking zombie during the day. My appetite is the same and the vivid dreams aren't really a problem anymore as it tappered away.

Some questions I have are:
Is this normal for me to experiencing this?
Can the INSOMIA be from something else? I'm not depressed, but it seems I have more anxiety therefore Its harder to sleep. --Is this part of a withdrawal symptom?
How long does the withdrawal process usually last for marijuana? I heard it can take up to 2 months (60 days or so--56 soo far!!)
Also what are the chances of my THC being totally rid from my body?? --I also heard it takes about 1-2 months for your THC to totally leave your body.

Any feedback and advice would be nice. Thanks a lot for taking your time to read my post!!

Thanks,
Lingo

Hi Lingo...
Marijuana is usually out of your system in about 35-40 days, for heavy users, if you drank a LOT of water. You should be fine on that front but as for the withdrawals, I quit smoking it years ago, was a daily user, and I don't remember having ANY withdrawals. Different people I guess.

Much luck to you, this board is a great place for advice!

Peace. :wave:

My 2 cents, don't forget why you were initialy determined to stop. Not only for your work in shcool and job, but also for everyone that truly cares about you and for your own present and future health and well being.
57 days, you ARE DOING GREAT!
Consider mentioning the insomnia to your health physician? Maybe he/she can help.
In my own experience, Yep, I experienced the same thing. I let go 4.5yrs ago, and picked up a "new hobby". A legal one at that, which makes me smile.

I was under the impression that there were NO physical w/d from weed...
Every time in my life i took a break from it, it was a cake-walk, just basically not being around anyone that smoked. Try some tylenol p.m. for the sleep issue. I guess everyone is different as far as the w/d thing goes.....

Marijuana's not suppose to cause physical w/d when quitting. If someone is having physical w/d from marijuana, than there must be some difference in their cannibinoid system right? Just interesting.

I use marijuana too. I have never expereinced phsycial w/d from it. Usually just craving, increased boredom, and decreased pleasure. I'm thinking about dropping it too. I've been smoking for about year now and I can definantly tell a difference in my acedemics, memory, etc. But I wouldn't actually say I'm addicted to marijuana, it's just that it's so easy to get. Now tramadol, I have a problem with.

Hey,

would withdrawal be the same as detoxing?

I found a link talking about marijuana detoxing after you quit. Some of the phsyical effects are what I experienced when stopping.

http://www.marijuana-anonymous.org/Pages/detox.html

Another physical symptom I forgot to add in my post was that one week after I stopped I noticed a tremendous amount of body sweat. When I went to bed, I would wake up with so much sweat! I had to take showers twice a day because the body sweats were too much and I was scared of the odor. The sweating pretty much stopped after 1.5 week.

Maybe my marijuana was stronger ? more chemicals? more potent? Or it could just be that everyone is different --which is most likely the scenario for this case.

You're right.

As a healthcare professional, I have NEVER heard of WD from pot. You seem to have a lot of WD symptoms but I don't know why. It is odd. I smoked pot and just quit-no problem. Sometimes when we are "setting ouselves up" we find all sorts of issues that are really just normal feelings, that we intensify. I know that in my own recovery, I was able to get off Dilaudid and Morphine but had WD's really bad ywet I still wanted to just take a half and see if that helped the WD's???? Crazy...it is just addiction at its finest. Stay off the pot.....if you don't, you will just have to go through all this again. I am not saing that you do not have an issue, I am saying that it isn't because of pot........Kahlia

Lingo- It seems that we are on a similar journey here. I quit smoking 3 monts ago. I had been an off and on user for 15 years. Duirng that time I would smoke a couple of months, then not smoke for about 6 months to up to a year. It was periodic, I enjoyed the hell out it, got a lot done and was very creative during that time.

I quit for health reasons. The more I was reading about it the more I was discovering that pot wasn't quite as benign as we had been led to believe. Plus, I was getting the really good stuff. Here in Hollywood they have people that deliver it and they have lots of exotics to choose from and it ain't cheap. But damn is it potent!

After a really strong batch of "Kush" in December I said "That's it." Normally I might feel a little weird for a few weeks. This time I have had insomnia for 3 months. It is the most bizarre thing as I've nver really had insomnia before.

I had my heart checked, thyroid, etc. everything is working great except my body just won't "shut down." Now I realize that pot can be used to stuff down anxiety and stress but I am a bodyworker and harp player and my life is a really not very stressful. But I live in Crazytown and now I have nothing to block out the energy flowing around me. Maybe that's a problem for you too.

I have been studying marijuana withdrawl and I am finding that the evidence shows it is tougher to do due to the very potent strains available and I believe it. There is literature out there backing this up. A simple "******" search will get you there. You are not alone.

I say we hang in there. The body should balance out over time. At least I am hoping so. Don't get hooked on the Ambien's, Ativan's, Xanax's and the lot. Just another bad scene in my book. Exercise, eat well and get a good massage. That seems to help.

I have used mj for more than half my life, I'm 51. I can take it or leave it, right now I'm taking it because it helps take my mind off of those dang hydros. It seems the stuff around these days is much more potent than "back in the day" I toke when I come home from work does the trick. And thats not every night. I think the stuff should be legal, maybe they could tax it and everybody could get free health care here in the USA...mmmmmm not a bad idea if I do say so.

I agree it should be legal. People should be free to do what they want with their bodies. But it sure would help to know exactly what kind of effects it can have so you can make am more informed decision and ahve better tools if it gets out of hand.

thanks for the reply everyone. 61 days so far and i'm still having insomia. Last night was actually good --I went to bed at 1:30 am and woke up at 11:30 am --10 WHOPPING HOURS!!

Buuutt...now here I am still awake at 4:55 am--no sleep at all...got to get up to goto school at 8:15am. I'm figuring I won't goto sleep --maybe try to squeeze in two hours or so, but then I'll be scared I can't wake up for school.

Maybe its not from marijuana? Could it just be extreme anxiety? When I was on marijuana, I would always smoke up and then goto bed afterwards--which really screwed my sleeping habbit.

Macalla did you really have insomia out of no where after you quit too? Its good to know someone is like me--like you I also smoked "very good" potent weed. Its very strange how someone whose a healthcare professional never heard of marijuana withdrawl symptoms--that scares me. I guess we all are different.

Hey Lingo- Yeah I still have the insomnia. I'm getting used to it. I get these sensations in my arms and legs that emanate from my heart area. My mind is racing and my adrenalin is flowing. I slept two nights ago (took an Ambien) but tonight, nada, zip.

I have gone through periods before where I would quit and have a weeks worth of insomnia but it always went away. I am wondering if the new high potency stuff does some sort of damage to the central nervous system. I just can't figure this out.

I know it helps to exercise and get your cardio up during the daytime. But when you are up all night who feels like working out?

I'll check back and see how you're doing. Hang in there.

I am 40 years old and have quit many addictions. Marijuana was harder for me to quit than cigarrettes, cocaine, or chocolate malts. I like to be mellow and pot gets me there. I had to really hate the thing I was addicted to, to quit it. I wish for my health that I could quit smoking. :eek:

kerlevin- You are so right. it is very hard to quit. Thanks for sharing your experience.

Lingo- The past three nights I have felt like myself again. No insomnia, no insane jitters, just calm. It took me three months to get here. I got rid of all my paraphenalia last month and will NEVER toke again.

It's not harmless folks. Maybe in small doses, but the new stuff is very addictive and very powerful.

Proceed with care.

Lingo, hang in there and let me know how you're doing.

thats because you're probably not smoking 100% marijuana...a lot of stuff isnt even weed anymore. you gotta know what you're smoking. i've also NEVER heard of withdrawls from smoking weed...that's crazy. ive smoked and still smoke (i havent for the past 3-4 days) i can stop anytime i want, it's not a problem for me...but the Oxy's are. i guess, it's just a mental thing for me... im bored, wanna smoke, wanna feel the "high" i dont know. hope you can get some sleep, cause i dont get enough either... i'm also in school, college, and it's hard without sleep or with w/d's and drugs interfering with classes and work to be done. very hard, sometimes we f things up so bad, we cant fix them til another semester.

take care of yourself man, hope youre doing better and hope you can get over this... mary jane should be legal, in my eyes... but also, i can see how it affects people differently. some will take 1-2 hits and be off their a$$, others will smoke 2 blunts to their head and just be high, i dunno anymore... i can also see that its a "gateway" drug. i never thought it was... ive smoked about 6 years straight, taking 2- months off in the summer every now and then. i just hope i can get off these DAMN Oxy's, i hate em.

I quit smoking it about 6 weeks ago, mainly because I'm going to be taking a physical for a potential job (in the health care field :nono: ) Anyways, it hasn't been hard for me, and in fact I feel better than ever. I smoked regularly for 10 years. I'm not sure why you had such intense w/d symptoms. Maybe you have some anxiety about it?? I had and still have vivid dreams (not so bad actually) but this could be related to the meds I'm taking to try and quit cigs (a worse habit to break I think)

I had insomnia too, but it has actually improved now. I think your body just needs to adjust. Not that taking more drugs is the answer, but at first I used OTCs to help me get to sleep at a decent time. I only used them occasionally and early enough so that I could get 7-8 hrs of sleep (for no hangover effect). It did help to get me back on track.

Also, I now have enough energy and motivation to exercise (wow!) which I think has also help regulate my sleep cycle.

Although I can't say I am done forever (it's fun now and then) I think there IS such a thing as "too much of a good thing"!!!

Hope this helps a little...

everytime i try to get off the pot i get either nightmares or complete insomnia. but after a few months it settled itself out. now i'm just trying to quit again (and i had a nightmare last night)

coming up on 2 weeks for me and this is the first time in my life completely substance free and its insane. Ive quit it all cigs, weed, booze, sugar, caffiene EVERYTHING after 10 years of HARDCORE use. Im going through hell right now. I have severe panic and I feel like I might go crazy and die at any moment drugs are stupid and I will NEVER do another drug again.

Like anything else that your body gets used to functioning with.....it will just take some time for it to get used to not having it again and then that will become normal. good luck. try a hot bath or hot shower when you can't sleep. it will relax you and hopefully help you fall asleep. it will just take time and you will eventualy be fine

Wow, I love the diversity of human experience! I'm in my forties and I have smoked for 27 years good stuff, bad stuff, laced stuff. Probably only missed 200 days total. Recently I have quit for a year just to clear my head it's been 4 months: No big deal, because I told myself it will be no big deal. The insomnia I had but only for a couple days. What a shame to know people are being misled by puplications comparing withdrawal of Marijuana to Heroine! Which actually alters your physiology. Most of the non-biased, research about Marijuana has been done in Europe so I shouldn't be surprised. Addiction to Marijuana is psychological. It is amazing how much our minds can create physical manifestations. Any physical effects stem from anxiety over dealing with whatever was being repressed during smoking and/or a fear of facing this rather evil world without some kind of buffer. Marijuana effects you but not enough to lock people in jail for or scare them to death over.

Any physical effects stem from anxiety over dealing with whatever was being repressed during smoking and/or a fear of facing this rather evil world without some kind of buffer. Marijuana effects you but not enough to lock people in jail for or scare them to death over.


What do you mean by phsyical effects deriving from this?

Its been 103 days now for me and I thougth I would like to update the insomia problem I've been having.

I've been able to goto sleep now...sometimes I would wake up with vivid dreams once in a while but that is probably not from my withdrawal from thc.

School is out for me and summer time is here. I really hope I can keep my streak going. For those who replied that mentioned that they are in a stage of quitting, I wish you the best of luck.

I'm not sure I understand the question but...
Physical effects as in: jitters, excessive sweating, sensations in arms and legs generating from the heart (as previously mentioned) can derive from fear.
When whatever a person represses comes to the surface these type of physical manifestations and many more can arise.

I myself have been a "stoner" for 24 years! :eek: Yikes! Started when I was 16 years old and cigarettes too. Quit smoking cigarettes while I was pregnant and never went back! :bouncing: That was much easier because I was just so sick from just being pregnant. Obviously, I quit smoking pot while I was pregnant and breast feeding. I intended to continue my sober living but my ex-husband at that time was a real big stoner and convinced me to suck on a doobie. Man, do I regret doing that! :rolleyes: I resumed my pot smoking, thankfully I only do it at night to veg and then before I sleep. I have really bad insomnia and have permanent nerve damage in my hands due to carpal tunnel. I wake up every 3 hours because of my stinking hands! I even smoke in the during the night so I can go back to sleep! :nono:

My daughter is only 6 but she is getting older and I do want to quit! but it seems like the most safest street drug to use. I use to be a big hydro abuser but quit that. Definitely do not want to get into sleeping meds. No way. I will have to prepare myself big time if I quit knowing that there are withdrawls now with quitting pot. I always heard that there weren't any either. In the past when my ex tried to quit, he'd say he use to get the jitters and insomnia. I never believed him but I after reading all of the postings, I should have believed him. :confused:

Stay strong . :cool:

You do not withdrawl from weed. Maybe you're crabby a bit since you are not out in la la land and the world is no longer a happy place. I smoke week everyday, but when I'm out, I'm out. I get frustrated a little easier, but I've gone through detox for oxy, and that is when you go through true withdrawls.

I've been a pothead for the past 10 years. I know what pulled me into smoking it and I know that in the past years since my life has gone into a vortex, I used it to cool down and not to get too agressive with the people around me.

Now, I am quitting it, and sure, there are no phisycal w/d symptoms, but I sure feel vulnerable. The same insomnia problem as others report, but I've managed to start excercising more so I can get more tired and therefore sleep better.

Right now I feel depressed, anxious and agressive, but well I am a man, and as such I'll face this situation till the end.

I guess my mind is so attached to THC that it believes it needs it to continue. Anyway, I am still looking for a new hobby that will keep my mind off weed, no luck yet cause everything seems so boring and gray.

I know this is an old thread, but well I need to get it out in every way I can think of.

Meanwhile have a nice day, and don't give up.

Yeah I am sorry.. Dont get the whole weed w/d thing. I have been smoking since I was 14 and Im 30 now. Have quit it several times, once for a year even.. There is no physical w/d with MJ, I dont know where you heard this, but it is inaccurate..

ANd this is coming from someone who just went through Oxy w/d cold turkey a month ago.. Weed is not physically addicting, therefore there can be no w/d. Your body has to be dependent on a physically addictive substance for w/d to occur..

I think you are probably just experiencing how you are reacting to quitting weed..