2 1/2 days in now and looking for support

[2xquitter]

I hop ya'll don't mind, but I made 2 posts previously about my situation and I am going to post them here as "1 post". I didn't get any responses elsewhere and CannabisRehab.org has been an awesome read for me thus far!
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(my first full day)

I am a 42yr old male. I smoked the drug the 1st time when I was about 19 or so and smoked till I was about 30 or so. The weird thing is that I don't remember the withdrawal stage when I smoked back then, which was anywhere from 1-4 joints/bowls per day. I stopped due to family obligations and my work was suffering. Over the next 10 years I smoked every now and again but not really bad habitually.

I quit smoking nicotine cold turkey about 5 months ago and thank God the habit is now behind me. But unfortunately, I went to pot as a way to self medicate when I had bad withdrawals and to help sleeping. Of course my usage just got more and more until I was back in that same usual rut I know very well.

Threw everything I had out yesterday and flushed lots of the junk down the toilet. Nothing left here and I am convinced to quit, and to detox forever.

But like others I have read in here, it's not just as easy as finally making a great decision. I'm really having some crappy feelings and wanted to see if anyone had any input beyond what I'm already doing. My stomach is upset, dizzy spells, sweats, trouble sleeping and one headache today. I know I will suffer and deserve it, but there has to be SOMETHING that will speed up the process. Here is what I have been taking and/or bought so far to help replenish my body and get all of these horrible toxins out of my body:

Tons of water daily
Hit the gym each and every day
walk daily
talk to many people on phone for support
hot baths
Vitamins: Niacin, Vitamin B & C, and also Milk Thistle

Also every herbal tea known to man; green teas, jasmine, detox/cleanse (Chinese herbal), dandelion & a few more I can't recall.

My objective is to NEVER touch the stuff again, deal with the withdrawals no matter how bad - but also work hard to rid my body of the bad stuff and put things back in that are good.

My MAIN complaints are the mild upset stomach all day, mild to medium anxiety followed with sweats & of course trouble sleeping.

Any input would be great!

Also, I would like to thank all of those who have posted on this cannabis rehab site before. The reading before I joined has really helped. I really tried to plan this quitting properly and to be prepared, and this cannabis rehab site has facilitated some of that. So thanks for that too.

Jim
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(on to 2 1/2 days now)

Hey all, thanks for the feedback. I hate to feel this way, and hate that others do too, but it is a little comforting to share and read others stories to assure myself that I am not losing my mind. Last night was perhaps the worst night of my life.

I actually felt great AND exhausted around 9pm. I sat down to read a book and watch a little TV to hopefully tire me even more. By 10:30 I felt like I could sleep for a month. Wishful thinking.

About 5 minutes after I got in bed the tossing and turning started. Then the cold sweats started. One minute I was literally freezing and the next I was boiling. Somehow I managed to fall asleep or pass out. I woke up around 2am and had to pee very badly from all the teas and water I have been drinking. The first thing I noticed was that not only was I soaking wet, but so were my sheets, blanket, pillow and where my back laid down. Even worse was the massive headache I had. Took aspirin and went to another room to try and sleep with my head propped a little higher. No luck. Dealt with the headache and even fell asleep sitting up. Went on and of till around 7am. I finally got about a 1 1/2 hrs sleep after that. But I still woke up with this headache. Took 2 more aspirin and a cup of caffeinated tea - and my headache was gone shortly after.

Someone PLEASE tell me that this night I just experienced gets any better? I took all the things that experts recommend during the day, and what to take at night to help with insomnia - no luck as per last night.

Not giving up no matter how bad it gets though. But even with that attitude, I wish it would go quickly. I felt MUCH better from quitting smoking cigarettes after 4-5 days.

Thanks again, all, and best of luck to you too!
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My apologies for the copy/paste on this post, but my brain is a bit frazzled and this was easier. I've read MANY threads here before I quit and over the past 2 days. It's incredible how so many of us are in the same boat for doing something we "enjoyed" that potentially ended up ruining our lives or aspects of our lives.

I wish all of you a healthy and quick recovery, look forward to support and feedback, and I will also be more than happy to share my "assistance" as time goes on and I get to feeling better.

-Jim

[Cannabis Rehab Admin]

Hi Jim

Thanks for sharing your story so far, it’s interesting how you were able to stop without any withdrawal symptoms when you were younger but are finding it much more of a problem now, perhaps you have since then gone past the point of not been addicted to been addicted, this in its self can be a very interesting thing in regards to the neurology of the brain and possibly something that can take a different amount of time for it to be triggered in those who do experience it, in some cases perhaps many many years, but if and when it does happen, it’s something that is then a neurological problem which does take some time to recover from the withdrawal of.

Anyway as interesting as it is I am very sorry to hear you are now experiencing the symptoms you are experiencing, but as I always try to point out try not to worry too much as the kind of things you are experiencing can be quite common and experienced by many others, but they will pass, it sounds like you are looking after yourself anyway, keep up your regime of supplements if you are finding they help, the other one you might want to try by the way is L theanine, many people here have reported that they have found it has helped them a lot when quitting marijuana.

So stay strong and keep up the good work my friend, we are all with you.

Take care, thanks for posting and please keep us posted.

All the best and good luck!

[2xquitter]

Hi, BFB, and thanks for your response!

I'm on 4 days now and a 'little' better. The last 2 nights of sleep were MUCH better than the last post. Got 6-8hrs both nights, but unsure how solid. Woke up several times both nights sweating, but certainly not "soaked" and with a terrible headache like the other night.

I'm just gonna keep pushing myself for now to release natural endorphins, wear my body out, sweat out the toxins, eat/drink supplements to help detoxify and replenish what my body needs.

Off to gym now but will post more when I return.

Thanks again!

[abiogenesis]

Hi 2xquitter,

It is great that you have a plan/recipe to ease your symptoms, and speed up your recovery. Many people have the intention to quit, but they just don't put any effort on it except being mentally motivated. This is a battle of your body and brain to the disease of addiction, recovery is also a psyhological journey, you will get experienced about your case with each day you are sober, you will see that withdrawals will not last forever, and it's the creation of a clean life that matters.

Please keep us posted on how it goes,

All the best

[SilverMaze]

hey jim, i will be surprised if with all the workout you are still having these chills, i think they should be over by now? anyway, don't worry it will go away, you will probably start having vivid dreams and nightmares, that has been my number one complaint from quitting, they last for some time. as for your medications, relaxing teas are good but not caffeinated ones, green tea has caffeine like 1/2 of that of coffee. try to get some valerian plant extract in pills since the tea has unbearable taste, if you take 1000mg add to it some magnesium supplement before bed, i'm sure it will help you in a good sleep. keep us posted

[2xquitter]

Hi everyone, embarrassingly I am back. I quite cigarettes nearing 2 years now and have never touched another one. It was a rough go, but I've never been happier than to be free of nicotine.

I was free of this evil drug till about December or so according to these posts. I can't even remember why I was so dumb to start using again after being weed free for like 9-10 months, but I'm an addict. Now as a result of my stupid decision, and continued use, I get to relive the nightmares that had long passed. I was eating/drinking right and going to the gym non-stop. I guess I was stupid enough to think I could handle a little here and there. No more though. Once again, everything got flushed. I told my wife about my relapse and came clean. I truly promised her no more, I can't keep doing this. I have a 12yr old son I hide my smoking from. I hate myself.

So here I am on my first full day of no smoking weed again and so far so good, but I know the nighttime awaits. For the past year, I would take a hit or 2 in the early afternoon, the same after dinner sometime, and then 2-3 hits before I called it a night to help with sleeping. And I get nasty withdrawals. Another reason to kill this habit.

I know what I did to get through it last time at least, so I suppose it's now a matter of repeating the process and hard work. Gym every day, steam room, cranberry juice, all kinds of teas and such...

You would think this would be a dumb question coming from someone who's been there. But does anyone have any tips for the withdrawals I expect?

I hope others suffering are getting well. At least after all these years I admit I am an addict and always will be, I just need to learn to be an addict now who simply doesn't use.

-Jim