Someone please help re: weed and brain blood flow questions

[TokinChick]

As you can see in my last post I have been concerned about a possible small unruptured brain aneurysm that showed up on an MRI. I went to a very experienced neurosurgeon for consultation and was basically told "it might be a normal formation of the vessel. If it is an aneurysm it is too small to operate on. It might be one, it might be normal, we don't know and it doesn't matter. Go home and resume normal life with no followup for five years."

Guy was a jerk. But he is the HEAD neurosurgery guy at the biggest hospital in my state and there is truly nowhere else to get a second opinion.

So that's where I'm left. I read on the Web that weed increases blood flow to the brain and can even keep it increased for over a month. I also read it can encourage rupture and stroke in some. At first I figured this increased blood flow thing must be bad, but then I looked up 'increase blood flow brain' on Google and it looks like lots of things increase brain blood flow and that this is good thing?

I am confused. I miss weed. It's been a month. I don't want to harm my brain or cause anything bad to happen, but I miss it so much! I smoked for 15 years with no issues. The reason I got the MRI was weird tingling which I have since attributed to repetitive stress injury from a year of improper laptop use.

I need advice...

Thanks!

[thcbongman]

It's a fact weed does increase blood pressure, in my case about 20 points on my systolic reading, and 10 points on my diastolic. I know this for me, but it differs with everyone.

I don't know what to say, because I don't want to be indirectly accountable if you decide to smoke weed. I'm just saying if increase in blood pressure is attributing to causing your aneurysm, I wouldn't do it.

[birdgirl73]

I'm assuming "iincrease blood flow" to the brain might mean that it causes vasodilation, which allows more blood in, rather than vasocontriction, when the vessels tighten, which raises blood pressure, and less blood flows in. The thing is that weed causes both, usually vasoconstriction first from the act of smoking itself and then dilation after the active chemicals kick in. Increased blood flow to the brain can be both a good thing and a bad thing, depending on people's health circumstances.

I have a similar response to THCBongman. What if we suggested something and that was inaccurate or didn't work well with your particular brain-vascular system? Weed can indeed increase your chances for rupture or stroke in some people, just as it raises the risk of heart attacks and arrhythmias (that's during the vasoconstriction period). No one with any sense wants to risk that with a delicate situation in your brain. And that's your brain. Seriously. That's where you live.

Unless you can talk again to the neurologist who refered you to the neurosurgeon or get the neurosurgeon to hazard a guess himself, I'd be very wary of it, too.The possibly good news is that you smoked without incident, even having had this aneurysm or normal variation in your neurovasculature, for 15 years. So that indicates that smoking probably didn't make it worse. And the fact that he doesn't want to follow up again for five years makes me think it's low risk, too. But I'm not dumb enough to try and hazard a guess when that's all it'd be--a guess.

I think you're going to have to do what feels most right for you, knowing there might be some potential risk involved. Did they give you any other precautions? Like not to do heavy lifting or straining? Not to do things that raise your blood pressure and put that little vessel under stress?

Sorry the neurosurgeon was a jerk. They are the top dogs in the entire medical hierarchy. They train the longest and do the highest risk work. I have had neurosurgery myself and am apparently facing some again very soon for a return of the problem that was supposedly fixed 15 years ago. I meet my new surgeon tomorrow. But I'm not going to risk smoking during any of this time (I wouldn't anyway). It just seems too risky.

[TokinChick]

No other precautions, basically just go home and resume your normal activities, although I wasn't able to ask about weed.

I have chronically low, below average blood pressure. I was not given any instructions whatsoever about things to avoid.

I am thinking that this neurosurgeon wouldn't have sent me home without precautions if he felt I was in any danger. He's seen basically everything and I doubt he'd want to risk tarnishing his rep or a malpractice suit by ignoring a dangerous condition in a patient. However, I am a hypochondriac with severe health anxiety, so I am super careful.

I am trying to get a second opinion from a different neurosurgeon, although to do so will take me many months, lots of financial paperwork and hours of driving. I guess until I am more certain about what is going on I will continue to abstain from smoking. Which sucks. But, as you said, it's not worth the risk...

[Lord Dangly Bits]

How do you people all write these novels... hahaha

I can not even come close to telling you what you should do. But I once went through a full year of hell, as treatment for something. My thinking of life is now. Screw it, I am enjoying my time while I have it. Plus, If I die today, it will just save me money.

Most all people have something like that in their brain somewhere. But a second opinion is always nice.

Just dont smoke the bud if you are worried about this. What a waste to be sucking on some good weed, while worrying if it will kill you.

Peace, and best wishes with your trouble, if it is trouble.

[TokinChick]

You know, Lord Dangly Bits (why does that name make me cringe) is sort of right because I was told that 1 in 40 people DO have an unruptured aneurysm and most never even know about it unless it is found during a scan for something else, or of course unless it ruptures. I am on the fence still about smoking and I guess I'll just wait until I get a more definitive second opinion from another doc.