Throat problem, if you can help you're f*in amazing!

Hmm, where to begin..

I'm an ex-pothead, smoking nearly every day for nearly 5 years. One day I woke up and started having throat problems that no doctor or poison-control-centre can explain to me. I'll later get on to why I've contacted poison-control. The feeling in my throat (when smoking) is centred around my adam's apple, a feeling as though it is shifting about or out of place or simply swollen... it hurts to swallow, and it causes me to have panic attacks. I've been to the hospital a few times because of this. I've asked my doctor about what's happening, and the "help" he gave me was simply laughing and telling me to quit smoking. I explained it to him that I've quit smoking reefer as of Jan 12, but he still couldn't help me out with my situation.

Now, to explain why I decided to try contacting poison control today (just got off the phone with them actually, no help there either): a while back one of my noob-stoner friends took some advice a little bit too literally.. they were trying to mask the scent of marijuana with a bounty sheet, and as opposed to wrapping the BAG with a sheet, they wrapped the actual BUD. I smoked it, complained about a foul taste, hacked my lungs up, etc. I was able to smoke marijuana just fine for I'd say a few months after this incident (I have a horrible memory, don't ask when this occured or for how long after I was able to smoke), and then my throat started to act up. Now, recently I decided to give smoking another shot (after my above quoted quit-date of Jan 12), and I was doing alright for a few days. On about my third day of smoking weed (you have no idea how quickly you'll lose your tolerance by the way, I got baked eeaaassiillyy) I smoked a bong at a friend's place and noted that it "tasted like laundry". Thinking nothing of it, I came back to my apartment with my friends with a fresh ounce of ganja, when we decided to take my friend's van to a park and hotbox it. Same thing happened, I complained that my hits were tasting like laundry, my throat started to act up, I started having some anxiety, and I had to step out of the vehicle.

Just last weekend I went to a friend's college, got really fuckin hammered, smoked some pot and felt fine at the time, but the next day on the ride home my throat felt awkward and it's all I could really focus on.

If anyone's experienced or heard-of any of these symptoms please let me know. I live in an apartment with a lot of potheads, and a lot of potheads that come to visit and toke up. The temptation is always there, and stoned memories of good times are always running through my head. I love marijuana, much like most of the members of this site probably do. It's driving me nuts not being able to smoke.

Well... there is other ways to get high besides smoking... you can make some firecrackers... or weed sandwiches (almost the same as firecrackers... but using bread instead crackers and cheese instead nutella/PB)... or green dragon... so you can enjoy the weed even while your throat is not fine. :thumbsup::rastasmoke:

Yeah thats what I would say. Give your throat a rest for a while. I'm just getting over the flu so I've been eating brownies instead of smoking.

Edibles or a vaporizer are a good idea to at least not exacerbate the problem while you attempt to find the cause.
How many times would you say you smoked dryer sheets? Did you explain this in detail to poison control?
What is your fluid intake like in a given day? Do you get enough water in your diet, and not too much caffeine or alcohol?
Have you had a doctor take a look at your throat since it started acting up? That would be my very first step if I suspected having smoked a foreign substance. Dryer sheets are made of a plastic-type substance, that does not burn like, say, cotton cloth, and could release very potentially dangerous fumes- not to mention the fragrances.
Please go slap your friend with a rolled up newspaper for suggesting such a foolish thing.

Drink uncomfortable amounts of water every day. That should make you more comfortable. Smoking doesn't just add particulate matter to your lungs and throat, it also heats you up and dehydrates you. Get yourself a non-disposable water bottle (I use a Sobe because it's strong and easily turned into a bong) and drink it down every time you smoke...then just drink it more.

Helps me fantastically!:hippy::jointsmile::hippy:

I have experienced the same dryer sheet dilemma. After smoking some of the stench (and god knows what else) infested bud, i had an extremely itchy uncomfortable throat, feeling like there was pressure on either one of my lymph nodes.

It sounds like you had throat issues before the bounce sheet incidents though, so i cant tell.

On a somewhat related note, be careful where you store dryer sheets, they seem to impart their smell to EVERYTHING they come in contact with. I ate some ravioli that had been sitting on top of them and it tasted/smelled like a fresh load from the dryer.

I suggest getting a second opinion sir.

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Originally Posted by thousandwattwizard

I suggest getting a second opinion sir.

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And I second that! :D

Your health is nothing to fuck around with as you can already tell. As well as all the above suggestions, I'd definitely go to multiple doctors if you have the insurance (God Bless America). Get a referral to a specialist if you can as well.

Another helpful drink is simply, tea. Get some really good tea and absolutely drop some honey in it as well. That should really help a sore throat. Good luck man.

By the way, why was he trying to mask the smell using dryer sheets? I've had to use dryer sheets when smoking to cover up the smell in college but other than that, you shouldn't have to go to anywhee near that extent to mask the smell. If your reefer is really stinky, just keep it in a ziploc bag and if THAT fails use a mason jar.

I'm experiencing the same throat problem right now. I found your post while searching for some answers. It's a coincidence that we posted around the same time. All I can say is that your not alone.

Deffenitely give your throat a break form the smoke. I had a problem at my work where I enhaled some chemical dusts and it gave me a bad reaction. So i had to stop smoking for a few months and I just stuck with Eating some firecrackers on the weekend. Even quit for a few months totally. Good luck and be safe, I would suggest getting a REferral to goto an ENT (Ear nose and Throat Doctor)