Intense Exercise + Marijuana = Anxiety / panic disorder

[I_HATE_ANXIETY]

I was a normal healthy male about 4 months ago,. up until i made a stupid choice.
After a 4 month hiatus, I decided to lift heavy weights. I did this for about 20 minutes, then i stopped with my heart racing and breathing fast as it naturally would be after a hard work out. I then did something completely idiotic,.. I took 3 hits of a marijuana joint. Within 2 minutes, my heart rate (which was already fast) SKYROCKETED and went SO fast and then after 2 minutes of that, I was left gasping for air. This went on for 16 hours!

I havent been the same since, I have daily bouts of anxiety , stress and panic attacks. DAILY.
my symptoms include:

racing heart
chest pains
throbbing in neck (pulse)
plugged ears
shortness of breath / hyperventalation
sweaty palms
diarreah
muscle tension in back neck chest stomach
headaches

I believe I messed up my body chemistry from working and then immediately smoking the marijuana without giving my body time to rest and get back to a normal state.

I believe my body is producing TOO much adrenaline/norepinephrine. The slightest bit of excitement, physical exertion (mowing lawn, running up stairs), natural anxiety (speeding thru a yellow light), nervousness or stress sends me into a downwards spiral into a panic or anxiety attack which usually ends me up in the Emergency room.

I have been there about 14 times, psychiatrist wants me to go on celexa and has given me some clonazepam.
I am doubtful this is the cure to my issue, he is a bad psychiatrist, didnt bother hearing me out  just wrote the script passed it to me and told me to find another doc if i dont want to take the pills.

i beg of the medhelp community, to please, assist me with some advice, help, or support. I am sadly fed up with this daily BS and am actually contemplating bad things at this point.

please anyone ,...help me.

[Sharelove80]

Hey there!

I have been a personal trainer, yoga teacher and healer for over a decade.  I also use pot sometimes and have mixed it with exercise.  The problem with combining the two is the reduced blood pressure.  Also from an eastern holistic prospective, as we exercise we are stirring and releasing emotional energy in the Chakras (energy centers in the abdominal and chest areas).  I have experienced similar feelings of anxiety mixing the two.  The truth is that weed will emphasize what is already going on inside us, that's why we have different experiences with each use.  

Now I have also experienced near death a couple weeks ago from an alergic reaction.  My energy was knocked out of my body and left me feeling a greater fear and anxiety of death, it has taken me weeks to get back into my body and am still experiencing flashes of terror.  However as I practice my yoga, breathing and meditation it engages my attention back into my body making me feel relaxed and as ease, also loosening up the tension I feel in my throat and chest, again these are emotional blockages something doctors here in the west seem so think pills will help you! so funny how we believe these doctors who from my experience are the most off balance people I have ever met!!!lol

My suggestion is to really limit your puffing and start a yoga practice.  I promise you will feel big relief in a short time!  Like I said I am also a healer as well and have worked with clients having major anxiety issues dozens of times.  The issue you have can be solved holistically. Thousands of years of successful happy yogi's will agree.

Hope you get this, I already know it will help you, balls in your court my fellow human friend... For more info I have tones of articles regarding similar subjects...  

[AdrianXXX777]

Stay away from Klonapin & the other chemicals the Dr.s try to give you - they merely create anxiety & paranoia & are highly addictive.remember they are in business of selling drugs to hook patients for life.  I have been where you are now. You need to control your internal dialogue & body. It will be hard to do - but handy for the rest of your life to know. Lay flat. Imagine your body is filled with a raging army. Imagine that army moving out of your right foot - up your leg - out your navel. Then calf. Then Knee. Then next leg etc. Save head & neck/face for last. As you do this repeat this: LET GO. Soon you will be awash with calm. Remain there and keep ALL thoughts out. In time all you need to say is Let Go & you will be transformed into a ralaxed state - anywhere! Keep the internal tape turned off in your head - zero thoughts. Suddenly all fear is gone. You openned a pathway with the pot - like your shields against the world are down - you are absorbing all the negative thoughts around you - where they used to bounce off your shields before. You natural shield is vibrating too slowly. It will repair itself - but adding chems will keep your own chemistry from stablizing. Drink water - clense - pure food - & LET GO. You will be restored :)  - Tom

[VinnieBangs]

I have it to i got of work oneday rolled a niceone and than may hart starts pumping fast i got in the shower in cold water it did not help.I called 911 been back 4 times for anxiety but now when i walk i fell dezzy i take pills sometimes but i think mind over weed.When i fell like i cant breath i tell myself can you breath OK!! but my hart still going fast  just chill it works but i still have the dezzyness.I think the thc did something to my head.

[marymagdeline]

I just reread your post, and I can tell you are very scared and truly suffering.  Don't give up hope.  You will find the answer to your problem.  The way I found the psychopharmacologist I mentioned in my post above, was I went to the Cleveland Clinic and saw a psychiatirist there.  He was a jerk and of no help at all.  And I too had a very complicated problem.  Anyway, he said to me, "What are you doing here when you have the best doctor in the world right by you in Farmington Hill, Mi"  So, I went to see that doctor.  He put me a Paxil and also Depakote to slow down my nervous system.  Because both these together made me feel sick, he put me on a tiny bit of Zyprexa as a "buffer."  He said it would keep me from getting sick on the other two meds and it did.  By the way, Zyprexa is an anti psychotic.  Do you live anywhere near MI?  Like Chicago, or Ohio, ???  I'd love for you to see him.  By the way, he puts a lot of his patients on Depakote.  If you can't see him in person, you might talk to your next phyciatirst about putting you on this.  I will be praying for you my friend.  You have my word.

[marymagdeline]

I'm so sorry that you are going through all that you are.  Truly I am.  20 years ago, when I was a model, all the people in the fashion industry smoked pot.  I couldn't do it without getting paranoid.  Years later I began having anxiety.  I went to see a psychopharmacologist in Farmington, MI. (This guy is brilliant and if you live in MI I recommend you go see him)  I said, "How come I can't smoke pot without getting paranoid and my twin brother feels 'normal' ONLY when he's high?"  He said that pot increases the dopamine (sp?) in your brain (that's a brain chemical we normally have).  He said that if a person has enough, then they will get paranoid when they smoke pot because the pot will cause them to have too much and dopamine makes you paranoid.  He said my brother, on the other hand didn't have enough (he was always angry, and had other issues, except when high), that's why when he smoked pot, the pot balanced him out.  It raised his dopamin level to the point where he needed it.  Eventually, my bother got off the pot and onto an antidepressant.  Exercising also increases your brain chemicals (ever heard of endorphins?).  I'm wondering if you got too much in your brain by exercing and then smoking.  I'm wondering if you got a surge of chemicals and they never balanced out ( ? ).  If I were you, I would take an antidepessant that helps balance you out and makes you feel 'normal" once again.  And I wouldn't worry about coming off it and how hard it might be until you have to.  Good luck!  

[MRKEYS]

Wow. it's been so long since I've had all those feelings. I was lurking these forums deciding whether or not I wanted to take a trip down mary jane lane again. The fact is I finally learned to live with my anxiety...which makes me less anxious about it. If I think I have some major medical problem...I do what everyone else does and don't worry about it until I see a doctor. In all these episodes of i think i might pass out or die or have a heart attack or whatever...has it ever happened? The only way to control it...is to accept it and that it doesn't go away...just breath through the episodes. I have mild episodes sometimes, but since I know what they are...it just kind of goes away. It's been 7+ years since I've smoked, and I often wonder if I can "handle it now". Some people have a predisposition to anxiety and panic. I think weed just helps it along. lol...I mean really fast heart beat, light head, feeling surreal. exact same symptoms of being high and a panic attack. One is just enjoyable the other is living hell. I also believe that thc effects you even when you're not smoking it. Just like alcohol does when its out of your system. You get a hangover and then the spin off effects of that laziness ect. Anyway, my 2 cents is thc still makes you feel anxious somehow when your not actually smoking. So if your prone to attacks...its just not helping. The best thing I ever learned about anxiety is to stop TESTING if you will have an episode. i.e. coffee makes me freak out ---take a sip to see, then proceed to freak out or fail the test and think you're still "broke". PRACTICE dealing with symptoms and if it fails, its ok. Ride it out...its not like you haven't before.

[I_HATE_ANXIETY]

"Clonazepam actually works very well in low doses to completely rid you of panic attacks, without the side effects of an anti-depressant."

that couldnt be further from the truth!
do you know how bad clonazepam and all the other benzos are? they are horrible and they are incredibly difficult to get off of and they cause dozens and dozens of withdrawal and side effects which I am going through now. chest pains, rebound anxiety, sinus infections, depression, headaches, depersonalization, shortness of breath, and so many more. Please inform yourself of benzo pills before telling others that they are without side effects. They have 10x worse side effects than anti depressants if used for more than 2-4 weeks.

im fighting hard right now to get off these damn clonazepam pills and im going through hell.

[heartfluttersflyawayplz]

just remember you was once normal you can be again , yes you will have anxiety from time to time but you can get back to self take the meds and try and relax

[RebaG]

Clonazepam actually works very well in low doses to completely rid you of panic attacks, without the side effects of an anti-depressant. If you are not depressed and want to be able to get back to working out and lifting, you might try it. Your psych was not a bad doc - you just need to fully educate yourself about your options if the attacks don't go away now that you've stopped the weed.

[K_me]

I am truly sorry to here about your bouts with anxiety.  And unfortunately I know what you are going through.  I was diagnosed with panic disorder upon my first emergency issue in 1998.  At times I can control it but other times I lose it.  I have been off and on meds for years.  They are meant to be a crutch, not a cure.  Unfortunately I do not think the medical world knows enough about anxiety to find a fit cure for each individual.  So we are stuck in a situation where we have to avoid certain triggers and change mental thinking.  When I smoke weed I get an anxiety attack too.  So I do not do it.  The same with heavy exercise too.  I keep it light for longer durations.  I just wonder if we push ourselves too hard.  But in reference to your mixture of the two, do you think it is possible that your panic attack is the trigger of the feeling of loss of control from mixing the two?  I wonder this because you just sent the chemicals in your brain through a confusing loop.  You were pumped up from adrenaline and then the sedation from the marijuana gave you a feeling of loss of control.  However, these are only triggers and I do not feel that we should live our lives worrying about what to do avoid to prevent anxiety.  We have to conduct research for ourselves along with our doctors to find an actual cause; because you are your best advocate.  And I know all the happy thoughts in the world does not prevent the ill effects of drinking too much caffeine (another trigger of mine).  So in the mean time, do your best by taking medicine until you can find your own way of coping and cure.  And please remember to keep an open mind because sometimes the simplest suggestions are the best ones.  Best wishes and don't give up.

[I_HATE_ANXIETY]

I quit pot and cigs and booze after the first panic attack (4 months ago)
but before that, i was a pot and cig smoker for more than 10 years and NEVER had a panic attack or episode like what happened to me after I worked out and then smoked. NEVER.

[Prizma]

Pot is known to cause panic and anxiety in some people. You could be really sensitive to pot.

I'd stick to the exercise as your high. Why put that **** into your system? Pot was mild in the 60's compared to what it is today. Most strains of pot have unreal levels of THC in them now. I wouldn't risk it.

[tweety083]

I used to have anxiety attacks when I would lift weights at the gym, especially the heavy machines. I think its because you tend to hold your breath at points w/out realizing it and you breathing gets all messed up.

I think after the first panic attack you ever experience, you are so frightened that it may happen again... this can actually cause you to have more attacks, because it is just constantly on your mind.

You need to go on something like celexa, lexapro, zoloft or SOMETHING to take everyday to help subdue your over all anxiety. Then for the really bad days have zanax  or ativan to get you through the attack. A lot of Doctors won't prescribe Zanax b/c it is so strong and many people abuse it, but it sounds like you would be a great candidate. This drug will sedate you and most likely get rid of all your symptoms within a half hour of taking it.

Good luck with everything. The best advice I can give you for now is to avoid situations that will give you attacks (like driving too fast or lifting weights) until you get your medication straighted out by ANOTHER doctor.

[Pum]

Well none of that sounds like much fun. Please consider taking the meds if you are serious about "contemplating bad things" and please see your GP and tell them all the thoughts you are having.

What have you tried in terms of trying to help yourself without meds?

[Zepora]

Wow, it sounds like quite the experience you've gone through! Is it possible that you may have suffered a small stroke or done some damage to your heart? I know the "high" that you can get from running hard, and I also know the "high" from marijuana, and I do think that there could have been some sort of bad inter-reaction.
I really hope that you are able to find a better doctor that will try to get to the root of your problem instead of just giving you meds.
Good Luck to you,
Hugs & Prayers