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Original poster

Cannabis Withdrawal

13 replies

withdrawal · 03/01/2008 19:19

I was just wondering if anybody had any experience of helping somebody through this?

DP has been smoking cannabis heavily since he was 13, before the DC he and I would smoke all day if we were at home but since the DC he only smokes if they are in bed and then only outside. I gave up years ago.

Anyway he has wanted to give up for a while and is now on his second day of withdrawal. Physically he is a mess, shaking, sweating, insomnia, no appetite and emotionally he is very low and depressed.

Does anybody have any experience with helping somebody through this? He will not go the GP and wants to do it alone and I would really like to see him get through this.

Thanks for reading, oh and if anybody says that cannabis is not addictive DONT believe them

OP posts:

SpawnChorus · 03/01/2008 19:27

Has he given up smoking tobacco too? If so, this would certainly account for his symptoms. I gave up smoking cannabis about five years ago, and I didn't have any physical withdrawal symptoms at all. It was harder for me emotionally as having a spliff was my way of winding down in the evening (I don't really like alcohol). Maybe his symptoms have a psychological root.

Could he use some of the usual tips for dealing with the psychological aspect of giving up regular smoking?

Good luck to him!

ArmadilloDaMan · 03/01/2008 19:30

does he use baccy in his joints? and if so does he smoke ciggarettes still?

If not it might be something like nicotine replacement patches might help.

To get withdrawal that strong from cannabis (you can get addicted but it is mostly psychological) is very unusual. I've never known even the heaviest smokers get it that bad, as long as they aren't getting nicotine withdrawal at same time.

TBH if the nicotine withdrawal isn't a factor and he is still this bad in a couple of days I would get him to gp to see what is wrong.

Cannabis alone shouldn't be causing this kind of reaction ime.

themildmanneredjanitor · 03/01/2008 19:33

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster

withdrawal · 03/01/2008 19:35

No he is still smoking tobacco.

He has given up once before and he had the same reaction to it. I know the insomnia is due to him not being able to go to sleep for the last ten years without having a huge spliff and then going straight to bed, I just asked him if he is alright and he said he just feels really sick.

He really does smoke an awful lot of weedand has done constantly for 10/11 years.

OP posts:

themildmanneredjanitor · 03/01/2008 19:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

constancereader · 03/01/2008 19:37

I do think cannabis is addictive by itself, but giving up tobacco at the same time is a double whammy iyswim. I would do the dope first, then the tobacco. Nicotine was by far the worst to give up for me, I would NEVER have managed to do both at once.

Good luck.

constancereader · 03/01/2008 19:38

sorry, slow typing.

Wisteria · 03/01/2008 19:38

Can he involve the GP and get some calmers just to get him over it? Amitriptylin in a very small does would help him to sleep.

Original poster

withdrawal · 03/01/2008 19:40

Wisteria, thank you just what I was looking for, he has refused outright to talk to the GP, he has some melatonin but it didn't work and last night he was swigging out of the medised bottle but that didn't work either .

OP posts:

Wisteria · 03/01/2008 19:44

That's a shame as it would help. The only other thing I can suggest would be to go and see a homeopath/ chinese herbalist and explain.

Has he come off cold turkey so to speak? If so, why don't you make him a couple of hash cocoas at night before going to bed - he would then be able to wean himself off the addiction gradually.

Wisteria · 03/01/2008 19:50

I have to say I don't believe cannabis is addictive in itself but you can be addicted to the habitual/ routine use & think you need it.

He needs to find other ways to relax and chill, a walk before bed may help break the monotony of evenings without for him OR he may have been using the cannabis as an anti depressant/ sleeping tablet for years and now needs to combat his insomnia/ depression in other ways iyswim.

lemonstarchristmastree · 07/01/2008 20:24

Cannabis, especially skunk , is both physically and psychologically addictive. My husband stopped smoking in September this year after 25 years of heavy cannabis use. The symptoms you describe are what he went through, it started to improve after about a week ( I think) and settled completely (physically )in about 3 weeks

It IS very hard to do this alone

shango · 11/01/2008 20:10

My son stopped using hash on sunday after years of heavy use. He is having awful withdrawel. It makes me mad that people think its not addictive. Even he kept telling me it is not a physical addiction. Now hes going thro hell and I cant do anything to help. I feel so useless. Why didint he listen to me?

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