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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 25 of 28. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Jimmyboy on December 10, 2005, at 15:30:12
Hope to quit smoking weed on a regular basis soon, I have been getting more and more paranoid when I smoke and it is just not fun anymore.
But more than likely sometime in the future I will be somewhere and maybe have a toke or two ..
I take Klonopin for anxiety and it works great for me..
Would taking a little extra Klonoipin before I smoke help lessen the paranoia I get when I smoke?
Not real important, just curious if anyone has any thoughts..
Jim
Posted by lakesguy78 on December 10, 2005, at 15:30:12
In reply to Pot and paranoia.. will benzo's help?, posted by Jimmyboy on December 9, 2005, at 17:00:01
POT AND ANY PRESCRIPTION MEDICATION IS NOT GOOD INITIALLY. YOU SHOULD KNOW THIS. GO SEEK HELP FROM A PROFESSIONAL.
> Hope to quit smoking weed on a regular basis soon, I have been getting more and more paranoid when I smoke and it is just not fun anymore.
>
> But more than likely sometime in the future I will be somewhere and maybe have a toke or two ..
>
> I take Klonopin for anxiety and it works great for me..
>
> Would taking a little extra Klonoipin before I smoke help lessen the paranoia I get when I smoke?
>
> Not real important, just curious if anyone has any thoughts..
>
> Jim
Posted by linkadge on December 10, 2005, at 15:30:13
In reply to Pot and paranoia.. will benzo's help?, posted by Jimmyboy on December 9, 2005, at 17:00:01
It would probably reduce the paranoia.
High dose vitamin C can help in this regard too.
Linkadge
Posted by linkadge on December 10, 2005, at 15:30:13
In reply to Re: Pot and paranoia.. will benzo's help?, posted by linkadge on December 9, 2005, at 19:04:45
But, pot and wellbutrin is asking for paranoia!
Linkadge
Posted by Jimmyboy on December 10, 2005, at 15:30:13
In reply to Re: Pot and paranoia.. will benzo's help?, posted by linkadge on December 9, 2005, at 19:07:03
Thanks for the info Linkadge ... I am in the process of quitting anyway and if Wellbutrin will make me more paranoid, that is even more motivation to quit.. cool..
As for " lakesguy" ... yeah , we all know this " that you shouldn't mix prescriptions w/ pot" , but this is the real world and sometimes it just happens.. but thanks for the concern anyhow.Jim
Posted by Jimmyboy on December 10, 2005, at 15:30:13
In reply to Re: Pot and paranoia.. will benzo's help?, posted by lakesguy78 on December 9, 2005, at 17:22:51
The more that I looked at your post , the more it pissed me off buddy..
I am on this board to try to get some advice and help and not be preached at and judged by some a-hole like yourself.
You have no clue about anything about me and I really don't think you are in a position to order me to "seek professional help immediately".
Fortunately 99% of the people on this site are not like you!
Posted by med_empowered on December 10, 2005, at 15:30:13
In reply to Re: Pot and paranoia.. will benzo's help? » lakesguy78, posted by Jimmyboy on December 9, 2005, at 20:39:46
hey! benzos are usually pretty good for drug induced paranoia and agitation, so yeah..taking an extra bit of klonopin before you expect a problem could help (you might want to take it *before* you smoke b/c klonopin takes a good while to kick in). You might not need to cut out smoking entirely; I dont smoke anymore, but some of my friends have found that just smoking every now and then helps them feel more "evened out"...this is more with people with depression and bipolar disorders; with straight up anxiety and/or panic attacks, avoiding pot for now may be wise.
Posted by Phillipa on December 10, 2005, at 15:30:13
In reply to Re: Pot and paranoia.. will benzo's help? » lakesguy78, posted by Jimmyboy on December 9, 2005, at 20:39:46
I know you're new and only trying to help you. Try and be civil with all respondents. They have your interests are heart. Don't want you to get a please be civil when you are so new. Fondly, Phillipa
Posted by Jimmyboy on December 10, 2005, at 15:30:13
In reply to Re: Pot and paranoia.. will benzo's help? » Jimmyboy, posted by Phillipa on December 9, 2005, at 22:24:15
I hear what you are saying Phillipa.. I just thought that guy's post was out of line and wanted to let him know that ...
I'm certainly not trying to cause problems here..
Jim
Posted by Emily Elizabeth on December 10, 2005, at 15:30:13
In reply to Pot and paranoia.. will benzo's help?, posted by Jimmyboy on December 9, 2005, at 17:00:01
I was just thinking abt your anxiety in general...I was wondering if you considered taking an SSRI (like Lexapro or Paxil) to help decrease anxiety, rather than the Klon? I ask b/c I am wondering if you need a more constant, steady source of anxiety relief. I also was wondering if steady anxiety relief might help you in your attempt to quit pot. Many folks smoke it in order to deal w/ their anxiety.
Also, do you have any sort of professional to talk to abt your attempt to quit pot? A counselor, group support, etc.? Even though you sound like a determined person, there are so many obstacles in the way of becoming clean. If you are at a university, I can almost guarantee that there are free/low cost services available to you. Think about it, okay? I would hate to see it ruin your career ambitions.
Best,
EE
Posted by mike99 on December 10, 2005, at 15:30:13
In reply to Re: Pot and paranoia.. will benzo's help?, posted by Emily Elizabeth on December 10, 2005, at 10:09:25
One of my favorite things about this board is that you can usually ask a straight-forward question and receive a straight-forward answer without condensation or judgement.
Posted by naughtypuppy on December 10, 2005, at 15:30:13
In reply to Pot and paranoia.. will benzo's help?, posted by Jimmyboy on December 9, 2005, at 17:00:01
Good plan quitting entirely. I smoked dope for 15 years most of my waking hours and all it did for me is make my social phobia and paranoid unbearable. Its really hard to tell what it's really doing to you when you're stoned all the time. It will also help your thought processes and concentration. When I straightened out I found that I accompished more in a mentally challenging project I was doing, in a month straight than in a year when I was stoned.
Good luck!!!
Posted by Jimmyboy on December 10, 2005, at 15:30:14
In reply to Re: Pot and paranoia.. will benzo's help?, posted by naughtypuppy on December 10, 2005, at 13:32:10
Thanks for the encouragement naughtypuppy, that of course helps. I know it will be somewhat hard to quit.
But basically none of "my " friends smoke pot... the girl I dated/lived with for 3 yrs was a regular smoker as were all of her friends... since we broke up a few weeks ago I have not hung out w/ her or her friends that smoke.. so at least I have that going for me. I know one of the hardest reasons for most people to quit is b/c their whole social crew does... and if they quit.... basically they lose their "friends"..any way what I was really going to ask..
After quitting smoking .. how long did it take you to get your short term memory back to normal and become able to concentrate easier, like you said?
Jim
Posted by gardenergirl on December 10, 2005, at 15:37:42
In reply to Re: Pot and paranoia.. will benzo's help? » Jimmyboy, posted by Phillipa on December 9, 2005, at 22:24:15
Posted by Phillipa on December 10, 2005, at 17:44:55
In reply to How long to recover normal short term memory? » naughtypuppy, posted by Jimmyboy on December 10, 2005, at 14:34:06
GG you're welcome. You have a lot to do .Just trying to make your job easier. Fondly, Phillipa
Posted by TexasChic on December 10, 2005, at 19:26:57
In reply to Re: Pot and paranoia.. will benzo's help? » lakesguy78, posted by Jimmyboy on December 9, 2005, at 20:39:46
I hope you didn't get discouraged by that post. He probably had good intentions, but could have maybe phrased it differently. The all caps didn't help matters - it makes you feel like you're being yelled at. Its very easy to misinterpret emails since you can't hear tone or see facial expressions. Maybe he had a really bad experience with the mix, or knows someone who did. You never know.
If you do feel someone is being intentionally rude, its best just to ignore it and let the moderators take care of it, or report it on Administration. They're pretty good about that sort of thing here. Plus, I guess everyone is intitled to their own opinion. I try to just take the responses that I feel apply to me, and disregard the rest.
-T
Posted by Phillipa on December 10, 2005, at 22:07:21
In reply to Re: Pot and paranoia.. will benzo's help?, posted by lakesguy78 on December 9, 2005, at 17:22:51
I'm sure he did but some boards are prone to please be civil more than other ones are. Fondly, Phillipa
Posted by naughtypuppy on December 11, 2005, at 10:07:58
In reply to How long to recover normal short term memory? » naughtypuppy, posted by Jimmyboy on December 10, 2005, at 14:34:06
It was probably a few months before I noticed my mind was clearing up, although it’s hard to tell as it sort of sneaks up on you, just like the mental impairment does when you are smoking. You may also notice that you start feeling better after you quit. Funny how that works, you smoke something to make you feel better, but eventually it has just the opposite effect and it’s so subtle that you don’t even notice. As far as my concentration goes, it was pretty bad since I was a child from the anxiety disorder, but it did improve after I quit. I also recommend quitting cold turkey. It’s too easy to backslide when you’re still smoking. Keep yourself busy. Go for long walks or something to keep your mind off it.
Don’t worry about loosing all these “friends”. You will find out after you quit that all you had in common with them is smoking dope. I occasionally run into these people who are in their 40’s and 50’s who still smoke everyday and they are still doing the same things that we were doing in our teens. They also haven’t matured at all, either emotionally or intellectually. They are essentially just kids with gray hair and beer bellies. It’s unfortunate that some of them are parents and some poor child had to endure their upbringing.
Posted by TexasChic on December 11, 2005, at 20:02:01
In reply to Re: How long to recover normal short term memory? » Jimmyboy, posted by naughtypuppy on December 11, 2005, at 10:07:58
> Don’t worry about loosing all these “friends”. You will find out after you quit that all you had in common with them is smoking dope.
I still smoke occasionally, but I had to throw in my two cents on this one. A 'real' friend wouldn't care whether or not you smoke pot. If I had a friend who decided to quit, I would give them as much support as I could, and congratulate them on doing something to better themselves. You don't see people telling their alcoholic friends, "Come on, have a beer with me". Most (intelligent) people understand that what is nothing for them, may be an addiction for others. I would respect their wishes and do my best not to put them in a tempting situation. That's just part of being a friend...
... and an adult.-T
Posted by naughtypuppy on December 12, 2005, at 11:19:47
In reply to Re: How long to recover normal short term memory?, posted by TexasChic on December 11, 2005, at 20:02:01
I agree with you 100%. I don't have a problem with people who use pot recreationally, what I was getting at is that there is a subculture of which I was one, whose lives revolve around smoking and scoring dope. These are the 'friends' that I was talking about. I get the impression that Jimmyboys' ex and her friends are of that group. It's the people who smoke every day that have the problem. These are the people who the only thing you have in common is getting high.
Posted by blueberry on December 12, 2005, at 17:07:25
In reply to Pot and paranoia.. will benzo's help?, posted by Jimmyboy on December 9, 2005, at 17:00:01
I used to smoke. The reasons you mentioned...increased paranoia...not fun anymore...were the things that finally made me quit. It just got progressively worse over time, slow and subtle. Benzos would probably help I think. What I did was wait 2 hours after taking my zyprexa dose and then smoke, because the zyprexa completely blocked the paranoia part.
Pot is complicated...it messes with many brain chemistries and the changes in the brain can be long lasting.
One way to quit is to wean down the same way you would wean off a med. If you smoke joints, count how many puffs you take. Say for example you take 8 puffs. Next week, smoke the same amount of joints, but only take 7 puffs. Next week, 6. And so on. You'll be able to cut down on how many joints you smoke per week. Just keep counting downward. It makes the final quit so much easier. And by counting, it adds some goal oriented process to it all.
Posted by TexasChic on December 12, 2005, at 18:22:18
In reply to Re: How long to recover normal short term memory? » TexasChic, posted by naughtypuppy on December 12, 2005, at 11:19:47
I think we're both pretty much saying the same thing. I was trying to say that friends that you have nothing in common with but pot, aren't really your friends. So no big loss if they bail. I have no idea if that made sense. And no I'm not stoned. :-)
-T
Posted by Wildman on December 13, 2005, at 9:48:58
In reply to Re: » naughtypuppy, posted by TexasChic on December 12, 2005, at 18:22:18
I've been a daily smoker for the last 20-odd years. It is the only thing that helps me concentrate and do tedious work effortlessly.
I know for most folks, weed has the opposite effect - makes them even more distractable.
I was only able to get my BS in Electrical Engineering because of pot. Otherwise, I could not have sat still long enough (10+ hours a day of studying) to really do all the work that was required.
Now that I'm out of school, married, and have a demanding job in IT consulting I still find that smoking helps me focus.
My pdoc and I have discussed this and we are now working on my ADD symptoms with prescribed meds, namely Strattera. I'm on day 5 of Strattera (80mg/day) and it's not really doing anything for me yet other than giving me a strange energy buzz.
Hopefully, I can try Adderall next, but since pdoc is fully aware of my substance abuse issues, I think he'll be hesitant to prescribe it, even if the Strattera does not work for me.
Anyway, back to my original point - pot can be helpful for ADD symptoms for some people.
If you are getting paranoid while smoking it, it's probably the weed's fault more so than your head. Try a different type of weed and see if that helps any. Alternatively, you may just be smoking too much in which case give it a rest for a while.
Wildman
Posted by naughtypuppy on December 13, 2005, at 19:11:27
In reply to Re: » naughtypuppy, posted by TexasChic on December 12, 2005, at 18:22:18
> I think we're both pretty much saying the same thing. I was trying to say that friends that you have nothing in common with but pot, aren't really your friends. So no big loss if they bail. I have no idea if that made sense. And no I'm not stoned. :-)
>
> -T
You make perfect sense! By the way, I just restarted Parnate on Saturday and I think I AM stoned!!! LOLThe Naughty Puppy
Posted by LegWarmers on December 19, 2005, at 20:09:51
In reply to Pot helps my ADD symptoms like nothing else does.., posted by Wildman on December 13, 2005, at 9:48:58
> I've been a daily smoker for the last 20-odd years. It is the only thing that helps me concentrate and do tedious work effortlessly.
>Can you plesae tell me this is highly supported with empirical evidence; )?
Thanks
But really it helps you... Im going to test this theory out : )
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