smoking causing heart problems?

[raiden41]

About a week ago after smoking a bowl i laid down for about 30 minutes and my heart started beating fast so i got up went to a different room and sat down for a minute and when i stood up i got really light headed. My brother inlaw is a nurse and he said i should lay down so i did then began to have cold shakes and after laying down for a while my heart seemed to be beating normal. Now last night i smoked another bowl wasnt very high so i gave up and went inside when i stood up my heart started beating fast again and it seemed to slow and speed up again all night until i went to sleep. That night i woke up at about 2 in the morning and felt really out of it and like i was going to pass out again and today i havent really felt right at all. Since then i havent smoked any weed and went cold turkey on ciggarettes anyone know what is happening to me any info would be a great help!

raiden41 Reviewed by raiden41 on 11-08-2006. smoking causing heart problems? About a week ago after smoking a bowl i laid down for about 30 minutes and my heart started beating fast so i got up went to a different room and sat down for a minute and when i stood up i got really light headed. My brother inlaw is a nurse and he said i should lay down so i did then began to have cold shakes and after laying down for a while my heart seemed to be beating normal. Now last night i smoked another bowl wasnt very high so i gave up and went inside when i stood up my heart started Rating: 5

[birdgirl73]

That's a common response to smoking weed. And it may be partially a response to smoking itself and not so much to weed. But basically, you had a sort of "adrenergic" response (as if you'd had a burst of adrenalin) and felt your heart respond to that. Before the THC and CBD and other cannabinoids kick in, you get some vaso-constriction right after smoking. After a time, that constriction lessens and the veins and arteries in your body relax and dilate. But during that first vaso-constriction phase, you feel your heart race. This is when folks have panic attacks and jitters. It's when they feel an energetic high. And this response is especially likely when you're smoking more Sativa-heavy strains of weed, which have a stimulant-like effect.

One of the lesser known facts about weed smoking is that within that first hour or two of smoking, your risk of heart attack increases by about five times what it normally is. You're also at greater risk of arrhythmias during this time. Although lots of people enjoy touting the fact that no one has ever died from smoking weed, the medical community knows that plenty of people have likely died from weed-smoking-initiated heart attacks. Only the official cause, of course, is a heart attack. But weed smoking does present some risks to the heart.

Go easy next time you smoke. Maybe try switching to a new strain. And make sure you're in good cardiovascular shape if you're going to be a smoker because if you're not, you may be at risk. (I'm guessing you're quite young and fairly healthy, but if you've been a cigarette smoker, that's already put you at some risk of cardiovascular troubles.) If all else fails, get a vaporizer and take your cannabis in that way. Good luck!

[raiden41]

Thanks alot for that information I smoked today and got pretty stoned my heart just beat a little faster than normal but i didnt feel at all bad like I did the other few times. Yes I am 16 and have smoked weed and ciggarettes for a couple years now but I no longer smoke cigarretes after what has happened the last few nights

[raiden41]

One of the lesser known facts about weed smoking is that within that first hour or two of smoking, your risk of heart attack increases by about five times what it normally is. You're also at greater risk of arrhythmias during this time. Although lots of people enjoy touting the fact that no one has ever died from smoking weed, the medical community knows that plenty of people have likely died from weed-smoking-initiated heart attacks. Only the official cause, of course, is a heart attack. But weed smoking does present some risks to the heart.

This part here is what scares me if I get high and may have a heart attack I would rather not get high. My friend had this happen to him also a few months back and he actually went to the emergency room he almost died that night his heart rate was so high and the doctors told him he almost had a stroke so he dostent smoke anymore

[birdgirl73]

Well, Raiden, the real chances that you would have a sudden-death heart attack or such overwhelming tachycardia (racing heartbeat) that you might die are still quite low. Sounds like your friend might have had something else working against him besides weed, like perhaps anxiety, too, and possibly also other substances in his system? People's hearts can lose their ability to pace themselves, but in young folks--and I'm assuming you and your friend are both somewhere in the 16 - 20 range--that doesn't happen terribly often. That's why I wondered if he might also have panicked, too, or perhaps had other meds in his system. Panic attacks are common occurrences after smoking.

You'll have to decide whether, for you, the benefits of smoking weed outweigh the risks. If you're really worried about it, don't smoke. And if you're worried enough that you want to check out your potential cardiac risk, go to your doctor and get referred to a cardiologist so you can have an echocardiogram, which'll tell you once and for all whether you have anything at all heart-related to worry about. Better safe than sorry!

[birdgirl73]

Raiden, you'll see that I've sent you a quick PM about your last post, which I'm going to delete. No problem to keep discussing heart-related matters. You simply need to keep any talk of substances limited to cannabis. Thanks!

[orangeman]

I was planning on making a thread similar to this lol. I was wondering if smoking weed made it better or worse on your heart. Because it's like, so fragile when you think about it. If your heart stops, you stop. Such a scary thought, almost leaves you paranoid wondering if your heart is going to stop on you . So that is why I want to do what ever I can to keep my heart in good shape. So if marijuana can actually help initiate something that can damage my heart I wanna know.

[JunkYard]

I get the tachycardia, but was told it was common. I've been to the hospital a couple times for heart related problems due to things other than MJ. I still get the racing heart beat from time to time, and like birdgirl said, the sativa strains make it worse, which is why I smoke indica nowdays.

Most of my problem is due to panic, and anxiety, as they have found nothing wrong with my heart yet. It's scary when it happens, but for me, it only lasts between 30 mins to an hour.

I just try to stay calm, and relaxed and that seems to help, too.

[raiden41]

Going to make my self seem tarded but how can I respond to a PM? and about that whole sativa/idica thing i just found out what the difference was but yea Idica ive got a sack or two that sat me on the couch all day but and love that high sadly i dont know anyone that grows thier own stuff so I just pay 25$ for the half Oz and hope for the best

[raiden41]

I just try to stay calm, and relaxed and that seems to help, too.

I smoked half a joint yesterday and was higher than a hippie in a helicopter dont know how that happened. My heart beat just a little faster than normal tried not to think about dying and was fine even when I sobered up I didnt feel out of it like times i started freaking out when i was high and came down.