smoked a few stems, is my throat fucked forever?

[jaytug]

I know it was stupid. Maybe I knew at the time, but I had no idea how drastic the consequences.

Here's the story: I've been smoking everyday for the last three or four years. Sometimes more than once a day, usually using a gravity bong because I'm a student and funds are really limited right now. No real health problems at all to date until a few weeks ago.

I was out of town for a few months, in my home state where the laws are old and stupid, and you can't get medicinal mj, or any good stuff legal or otherwise. Anyway, I could hardly get anything, so I started getting sloppy, not worrying about packing stems as well as bud. Did this for a few days until I started noticing irritation low in the throat (like, neck area) for the first time ever in my smoking experience. So I quit smoking altogether for two weeks (also, for the first time in years). The irritation, albeit somewhat mild, was, well irritating enough to get me worrying.

Anyway, over the course of the two weeks, the irritation very slowly, slowly diminished into nothing. So I started smoking again, no stems in like a 50-mile radius of the bowl (and I thoroughly, thoroughly cleaned the bowl out as well, it looked brand new), and immediately the irritation is back with a vengeance. I stop for a few days, and it goes away. I start again, not using the gravity bong but just a regular bowl, figuring that might be less aggravating to the throat, but still I'm still experiencing irritation, sometimes when I wake up, or random times throughout the day, not necessarily right before or after smoking, just "in general".

I figure the stems did me in, but, like, I've never heard of anything like this. Could I really have fucked up my throat so much that it would hurt weeks later? What, is my smoking career facing early retirement just cause of one foul up? Lol... don't I deserve a second chance? I'm only 23. I figured I might have to quit sooner or later, but I thought I could probably get ten, fifteen more years in, at least. Anyway, I was curious if anyone else has had similar experiences. Any insight, suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

I had a vaporizer, and I've experimented with making butter and oil, but it just doesn't seem as (cost-) effective. Especially with the vaporizer (I have a vapormatic, I don't know if that's considered any good or not) I feel that I grind up and vaporize a large amount of pot for an almost overly subtle effect, like, a single hit off a joint would pack more punch. I guess that's a side issue, but that's partly why I would love to be able to smoke like I used to!

-Jay

[Dream of the iris]

Dude, you'll be fine. Give it a break for a week tops and then try again. If it still does it, then try smoking kind bud only :thumbsup:

I just reread it. What did you use to clean out your bowl? That might be the cause of the continual irritation.

[the image reaper]

'throat fucked' ?? :wtf3: ... man, that's scary :S2:

[painretreat]

You ought go see a Dr. for your throat, could be something else!
Is your throat permanently fucked, probably not--the stem-absolutely Yes!! Good luck to you! You may have a small infection steming, could be a lot of different things. You will then be fine (I hope)! But, nothing will bring the poor little stem back!:( pr :rastasmoke:

[jaytug]

I used rubbing alcohol to get the gunk off, then I washed the bowl with soap and water, then just with water... no good?

Anyway, I just got a pretty good high off my vaporizer -- probably used about two to three times as much mj than had I smoked, but I'm feeling clearer headed and more energetic. I think I might be switching over, at least for a while, maybe for good...

Jay

[backwoodsindo]

I used to have a lot of throat irritation too. It was around this time last year actually.. I was 23. I became terribly afraid of smoking.. I felt like I was "burning" my throat. I later learned that I was actually just irritating it... I was smoking mid grade shit all the time and I finally said enough and bought a vaporizer... one of those box and rubber tube units... I also bought a couple ounces of some some nice weed, not top quality but better than what I had been smoking that was irritating my throat. So for about 4 months I only used this vaporizer and mainly smoked quality pot. It took me a little while to realize that if I didn't turn the heat up too high I would be relieved of all irritation. When I finally smoked again, in early '09, my throat felt like it was stronger or something. I never felt any pain and still haven't to this day, for the most part, and I have smoked a hell of a lot since then. One thing I will say is that I always try to smoke the best shit I can possibly get. Obviously when you have funky weed you don't need to smoke nearly as much to get really high. You said the vaporizer doesn't seem cost efficient. In my experience, the vaporizer is THE MOST cost efficient. And if you haven't alreay done this.. I want you to try something for me.... Save all of your "vaporized spent weed" When you get about an 8th or more of pure ground up weed that you have vaporized, even repeatedly, cook it all up into some vegetable oil. Let it simmer for a while on low heat, strain it out using cheese cloth, and get some tasty bread and just dip the bread into your oil and eat it. Every time I have ever done this, especially when I use finely ground vaporized potent weed, I have got really high.

[backwoodsindo]

and don't worry about the stems.. we've all smoked stems. and I don't know why "turn the heat up" in my last post was double underlined... strange.

[jaytug]

Thanks a lot for the advice... I haven't smoked at all in the last couple of days, with no intention to smoke at all until maybe... next year? And even then, I might never smoke like I used to, everyday. I really want to nip this thing in the bud (no pun intended, seriously now) -- persistent throat irritation is really, really lame. I'm try not even to touch my throat, just to keep it out of my mind, and to prevent fixation. Ironically, I'm less likely to fixate on things when I'm stoned. Sort of a catch-22.

I'm feeling definitely better, but still not 100% -- I've been vaporizing instead of smoking, and three times now I've burned my herb. I got a vapir vapormatic, which varies in temperature pretty wildly at times, and now my bags taste like smoke. Not to mention, the device was melting the plastic inhalation tube, so undoubtedly I was inhaling burnt plastic fumes, which might be even worse than burnt plant matter. Also I burnt out both of the herb cartridges... so, instead of spending, maybe, a hundred dollars on replacing these things, I've done what I should have done a year or so ago, bit the financial bullet and purchased a new Volcano. I can't wait. It's like... Christmas, or something. Maybe that will be motivation for me to get a real (better) job, which in and of itself would be reason to smoke less!

I'll try cooking the vaporized stuff - that's a good idea. When I look at it after vaporization, I usually still see some green and dark green patches, so I'll definitely give it a shot.

-Jay

[flyingimam]

'throat fucked' ?? :wtf3: ... man, that's scary :S2:

Do i see that we share a great common ground? ;) or am i just too self centered that am reading your line in a different color than it was intended for by u? lol

'Throat Fuck': its scary and also disgusting

back to OP's point: stems will never do any such harm u r describing to your throat, and not certainly a permanent effect. I have smoked stems, i know its stupid but i admit i have had my own times and i have done it a good number of times, plus i used to top my bowls of low grade with kief-like product from grinding stems. all i know is that I dont have any permanent problems from doing so, not so far! my throat got irritated a few times but those were very minor and short lived.

however there might be things more than your stems involved as others said above.