does pot cause panic attacks?
106728
Yes, it can.  I have panic disorder and pot causes panic attacks for me.  It increases my heart rate and decreases my blood pressure - yikes.  Really - drugs do affect different people differently.  \n\nBut, I must say that this wasn't the case when I was a young teenager (I started smoking pot at 12).  It wasn't until I was around 19 or so that it started changing the way it affected me.  At first, it just started putting me to sleep instead of being a high.  Then, by my mid or so 20's it started causing that major anxiety.  \n\nYour body chemistry changes through time and all drugs are chemicals that react within your body, so not only do drugs behave differently in different people, but they may behave differently in you throughout your life.  \n\nI am utterly unable to smoke pot anymore.  The plus side is that I never have to worry about passing a UA (pee test) or getting into legal trouble.\n\nBut, I know several people who still smoke pot and have for years.  For them, it's fine.  I also know some people like me who can't anymore because it's changed for them.  That's just the way it is.  It's probably better for us, anyway.
155648
No one really knows.  However, less than 30 years ago doctors did think it was "all in the head", and that asthma attacks were anxiety attacks. While anxiety can bring on a severe asthma attack, an asthma attack can be caused by many other factors, including allergies, smoke, smog, cold air and food allergies.\nRN
613597
Because my friend, marihuana (the ORIGINAL name of pot) causes you to lose your short term memory when taken in over-the-normal-dose... hence the reason why you were SUPER BAKED...\n\nI need my bowl back...:(
385015
The exact cause of panic disorder is not clear. It is thought that panic disorder may result from an imbalance of chemicals in the brain (neurotransmitters).\n\nPanic disorder also may be passed down through families (genetic). Children of parents who have panic disorder are up to 8 times more likely to develop panic disorder. 2 You are also at increased risk of developing panic disorder if you had a parent with either depression or bipolar disorder. 9, 8 Stressors (such as the sudden loss of a relationship) may trigger symptoms of panic disorder as well.\n\nYou may experience a panic attack without having panic disorder. Panic attacks may be triggered by:\n\nDrinking large amounts of alcohol or abruptly stopping the use of alcohol. \nDrinking large amounts caffeinated beverages. \nChain-smoking, which causes the amount of nicotine in the blood to be very high. \nTaking certain medications (such as those used to treat asthma and heart conditions) or abruptly stopping certain medications (such as those used to treat anxiety or sleep problems). \nUsing illegal drugs, such as cocaine or marijuana. \nHaving high levels of stress for a long time (chronic stress). \nHaving recently had a baby. \nHaving recently had surgery or been under general anesthesia. \nPanic attacks also can be caused by or associated with other medical conditions, including: 10 \n\nThyroid problems, such as an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism). \nHeart problems, such as mitral valve prolapse. \nSeizure disorders, such as epilepsy. \nAsthma. \nRespiratory problems, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). \nStopping the use of a prescription medication, such as a heart medication. \nDepression. \nAnxiety disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder or obsessive-compulsive disorder.Panic disorder can be controlled with medications (such as antidepressants) and professional counseling (such as cognitive-behavioral therapy). Successful treatment reduces the number and frequency of panic attacks, decreases the anxiety that accompanies the fear of future attacks, and improves the quality of your life.\n\nIf your panic attacks were caused by a specific trigger, such as a medication reaction, you may not need treatment once the trigger has been removed, which in this case would mean stopping the medication with the help of your health professional. However, sometimes panic attacks caused by outside factors can continue after the trigger has been removed and may develop into panic disorder.\n\nInitial treatment\nInitial treatment for panic disorder depends upon the severity of your panic attacks, the fear or anxiety you feel about having another attack, and whether you have agoraphobia (avoiding situations or places that might trigger an attack) along with panic disorder.\n\nGenerally, initial treatment includes:\n\nProfessional counseling. \nCognitive-behavioral therapy, which focuses on modifying certain thinking and behavior patterns, is the most effective type of therapy for panic disorder. \nExposure therapy is a type of cognitive-behavioral therapy focusing on confronting a feared object or situation. It can be especially helpful in treating agoraphobia or anxiety linked to a particular place or situation. \nMedications. \nThe most common medications used to treat panic disorder are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as fluoxetine (Prozac), sertraline (Zoloft), or paroxetine (Paxil). If these medications are not effective or do not work because of their side effects, other antidepressants may be tried. \nAntidepressants with mixed neurotransmitter effects, such as venlafaxine (Effexor) are sometimes used. 7 \nBenzodiazepines such as alprazolam (Xanax), diazepam (for example, Valium), lorazepam (Ativan), or clonazepam (Klonopin) sometimes are prescribed either alone or combined with an antidepressant. Benzodiazepines are most commonly used for rapid, short-term relief of symptoms and may also be used as a part of ongoing trea
604024
When someone smokes marijuana, THC rapidly passes from the lungs into the bloodstream, which carries the chemical to organs throughout the body, including the brain.\n\nIn the brain, THC connects to specific sites called cannabinoid receptors on nerve cells and influences the activity of those cells. Some brain areas have many cannabinoid receptors; others have few or none. Many cannabinoid receptors are found in the parts of the brain that influence pleasure, memory, thought, concentration, sensory and time perception, and coordinated movement4.\n\nThe short-term effects of marijuana can include problems with memory and learning; distorted perception; difficulty in thinking and problem solving; loss of coordination; and increased heart rate. Research findings for long-term marijuana abuse indicate some changes in the brain similar to those seen after long-term abuse of other major drugs. For example, cannabinoid (THC or synthetic forms of THC) withdrawal in chronically exposed animals leads to an increase in the activation of the stress-response system5 and changes in the activity of nerve cells containing dopamine6. Dopamine neurons are involved in the regulation of motivation and reward, and are directly or indirectly affected by all drugs of abuse.\n\n\nEffects on the Heart\n\nOne study has indicated that a user's risk of heart attack more than quadruples in the first hour after smoking marijuana7. The researchers suggest that such an effect might occur from marijuana's effects on blood pressure and heart rate and reduced oxygen-carrying capacity of blood.\n\n\nEffects on the Lungs\n\nA study of 450 individuals found that people who smoke marijuana frequently but do not smoke tobacco have more health problems and miss more days of work than nonsmokers8. Many of the extra sick days among the marijuana smokers in the study were for respiratory illnesses.\n\nEven infrequent abuse can cause burning and stinging of the mouth and throat, often accompanied by a heavy cough. Someone who smokes marijuana regularly may have many of the same respiratory problems that tobacco smokers do, such as daily cough and phlegm production, more frequent acute chest illness, a heightened risk of lung infections, and a greater tendency to obstructed airways9. Smoking marijuana possibly increases the likelihood of developing cancer of the head or neck. A study comparing 173 cancer patients and 176 healthy individuals produced evidence that marijuana smoking doubled or tripled the risk of these cancers10.\n\nMarijuana abuse also has the potential to promote cancer of the lungs and other parts of the respiratory tract because it contains irritants and carcinogens9,11. In fact, marijuana smoke contains 50 to 70 percent more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than does tobacco smoke12. It also induces high levels of an enzyme that converts certain hydrocarbons into their carcinogenic form—levels that may accelerate the changes that ultimately produce malignant cells13. Marijuana users usually inhale more deeply and hold their breath longer than tobacco smokers do, which increases the lungs' exposure to carcinogenic smoke. These facts suggest that, puff for puff, smoking marijuana may be more harmful to the lungs than smoking tobacco.\n\n\nOther Health Effects\n\nSome of marijuana's adverse health effects may occur because THC impairs the immune system's ability to fight disease. In laboratory experiments that exposed animal and human cells to THC or other marijuana ingredients, the normal disease-preventing reactions of many of the key types of immune cells were inhibited14. In other studies, mice exposed to THC or related substances were more likely than unexposed mice to develop bacterial infections and tumors15,16.\n\n\nEffects of Heavy Marijuana Use on Learning and Social Behavior\n\nResearch clearly demonstrates that marijuana has the potential to cause problems in daily life or make a person's existing problems worse. Depression
190332
>Anxiety attacks or panic attacks:\nPanic disorder is real and potentially disabling, but it can be controlled with specific treatments. Because of the disturbing symptoms that accompany panic disorder, it may be mistaken for heart disease or some other life-threatening medical illness. This misconception often aggravates or triggers future attacks in the uninformed. People frequently go to hospital emergency rooms when they are having a panic attack, and extensive medical tests may be performed to rule out these other conditions.\n\nTreatment for panic disorder includes medications and a type of psychotherapy known as cognitive-behavioral therapy, which teaches people about the nature of panic attacks, the cycles of negative thoughts, and demonstrated ways to interrupt the panic process.\n\nMedications can be used to break the psychological connection between a specific phobia and panic attacks, reducing future panic attacks. Medications can include antidepressants (SSRI's, MAOI's, etc.) taken every day, or anti-anxiety drugs (benzodiazepines, e.g. -- Valium, Ativan, Xanax, etc.) during or in anticipation of panic attacks. Exposure to the phobia trigger multiple times without a resulting panic attack (due to medication) can often break the phobia-panic pattern, allowing people to function around their phobia without the help of medications. However, for minor phobias that develop as a result of the panic attack, with early detection these can be eliminated without medication through monitored cognitive-behavioral therapy or simply by reinserting oneself into the phobic activity. The decision to participate in this therapy personally or through a registered practitioner should always be left to a medical professional.\n\nOften, a combination of psychotherapy and medications produces good results. Some improvement may be noticed in a fairly short period of time--about 6 to 8 weeks. Thus appropriate treatment by an experienced professional can prevent panic attacks or at least substantially reduce their severity and frequency--bringing significant relief to 70 to 90 percent of people with panic disorder. [2] Relapses may occur, but they can often be effectively treated just like the initial episode.\n\nIn addition, people with panic disorder may need treatment for other emotional problems. Clinical depression has often been associated with panic disorder, as have alcoholism and drug addiction. About 30% of people with panic disorder use alcohol and 17% use drugs such as cocaine or marijuana to alleviate the anguish and distress caused by their condition. Research has also suggested that suicide attempts are more frequent in people with panic disorder, although this research remains controversial.\n\nAs with many disorders, having a support structure of family and friends who understand the condition can help increase the rate of recovery. During an attack, it is not uncommon for the sufferer to develop irrational, immediate fear, which can often be dispelled by a supporter who is familiar with the condition. For more serious or active treatment, there are support groups for anxiety sufferers which can help people understand and deal with the disorder.\n\nOther forms of treatment include journalling, in which a patient records their day-to-day activities and emotions in a log to find and deal with their personal stresses, and breathing exercises, such as diaphragmatic breathing. Stress-relieving activities such as tai-chi, yoga, and physical exercise can also help ameliorate the causes of panic disorder. Many physicians will recommend stress-management, time-management, and emotion-balancing classes and seminars to help patients avoid anxiety in the future.
457969
Dope can bring on panic attacks which make you feel like your having a heart attack trust me your not, though I doubt you were smelling it at the time ;) and of course the more times it happens the more your mind brings on the attacks knowing what happened when you "smelt it" the first time. Dont get me wrong I am not saying these do not feel real or unpleasent. Suggestion; keep away from the stuff, drugs of any kind do damage to the body in whatever format either subtle or otherwise. \nYou know if you had said "everytime I put my hand in a vice and turn it,it hurts"  everyone would easily tell you the answer ... Dont do it !!!!
799834
Are you sure you aren't doing any illegal substances like marijuana? It has been known to cause people to hallucinate and have phobias for no reason.
432022
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, panic disorder is an anxiety disorder characterized by unexpected and recurring panic attacks, also called anxiety attacks. Panic attacks are episodes of intense terror or fear which strike suddenly and without warning. It is important to note that if you have experienced a panic attack, this does not necessarily mean that you have or will develop panic disorder. Many people have experienced singular attacks without recurrence, and do not have panic disorder.\n\nref: http://www.helpguide.org/mental/panic_disorder_anxiety_attack_symptom_treatment.htm
451432
Being alone.  I try to surround myself with people that I love at all times. I'm on the phone, on the computer....all the time. I have panic attacks when my children get sick for fear of living my life without them. Don't know why really. I think it was brought on in the last couple years when my mother got caught up in methamphetamines. I haven't had a mother ever since. Some questions are better left unanswered.
204019
It can mess with your head(well duh) but I mean more than just at the moment.  It can cause or make depression worse, it doesn't cause mental disorders but can make them worse.  It kills motivation, causes cancer, causes impotence.  Its emotionally addicting, which can be just as bad as a physical addiction.  What you really have to think about is why do it in the first place, there aren't many reasons to smoke pot other than at the moment it feels good, but there are a lot of reasons not to.  I have smoked pot for years, and honestly I wish I had never started.  I wonder where my life would be if I hadn't.
392186
Short-term effects of using marijuana include:\n\n• Sleepiness \n• Difficulty keeping track of time, impaired or reduced short-term memory \n• Reduced ability to perform tasks requiring concentration and coordination, such as driving a car \n• Increased heart rate \n• Potential cardiac dangers for those with preexisting heart disease \n• Bloodshot eyes \n• Dry mouth and throat \n• Decreased social inhibitions \n• Paranoia, hallucinations \n• Impaired or reduced short-term memory \n• Impaired or reduced comprehension \n• Altered motivation and cognition, making the acquisition of new information difficult \n• Paranoia \n• Psychological dependence \n• Impairments in learning, memory, perception, and judgment - difficulty speaking, listening effectively, thinking, retaining knowledge, problem solving, and forming concepts \n• Intense anxiety or panic attacks\n\n Long-term effects of using marijuana include:\n• Enhanced cancer risk \n• Decrease in testosterone levels and lower sperm counts for men \n• Increase in testosterone levels for women and increased risk of infertility \n• Diminished or extinguished sexual pleasure \n• Psychological dependence requiring more of the drug to get the same effect
617021
First off, I know exactly what you mean!  This happens to me as well.  I actually, take a tranq to reduce the anxious feelings.  For you and these will sound goofy.  After smoking and u feel those feelings, go sit on the toilet to attempt taking a crap.  The muscles used help relax you.  A doctor recommended this, not something I made up for laughs.  Also, breathing in deeply through the nose like ur smelling a rose and out through your mouth will help.  Do it until you stop your heart from racing...which it is not.  You are just hyperventilating.  Try taking the weed a diferent way besides smoking it ciggy style...sometimes if they are rolled too tight it foces you to take in a deeper breath and works towards hyperventilating.  Try a bong or brownies.
943597
Probably some anxiety and maybe some obsessive complusive disorder (OCD). Here's some info on anxiety disorders and OCD. \n\nAnxiety disorders are the most prevalent group of psychiatric disorders in the United States. Approximately 27 million Americans--nearly 15 percent of the population--will suffer from an anxiety disorder at some point in their lives.\n\nAnxiety disorders are most often characterized as having an element of fearfulness involved. According to Dr. Steve Dager, University of Washington associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Harborview Medical Center, these disorders come about as a kind of impairment or over-reactivity of the normal "flight or fight" response.\n\nAlthough these disorders are amenable to treatment, the majority of sufferers don't receive appropriate care. Most often, people with anxiety disorders will seek relief from the physical symptoms, such as rapid heart rate, respiratory distress or nausea, and may not be aware or may not want to admit that there are emotional causes for the symptoms.\n\n"People worry about being labeled 'crackpots' if they admit to overwhelming anxiety or fear," says Dager. "But there is evidence that these symptoms are the result of healthy coping mechanisms gone awry. And worrying about them tends to exaggerate their effects."\n\nThere are several different types of anxiety disorders. The most common are:\n\nGeneralized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), exaggerated tension without apparent cause, can be debilitating but doesn't usually cause people to avoid certain situations. People with GAD often seem unable to relax or fall asleep and may experience lightheadedness, shortness of breath, nausea, trembling, muscle tension, headaches, irritability, or sweating. \n\nPanic Disorder (PD) causes people to feel terror suddenly and unpredictably. PD can become disabling when people avoid situations they fear may bring on an attack. Panic attack symptoms include rapid pulse, chest pains, shortness of breath, dizziness, nausea, numbness, trembling, and a fear of going crazy or dying. Depression or alcoholism often accompanies PD. Panic disorder is probably the best studied and understood of the anxiety disorders. \n\nAgoraphobia, the most disabling anxiety disorder, is diagnosed when panic attacks cause people to increasingly refrain from normal activities. As such people avoid situations where they fear an attack may occur -- in crowds and stores and on bridges and public transportation -- they become so restricted, they may not leave their homes. \n\nSocial Phobia (SP), an intense fear of humiliation in social settings, may cause sufferers to avoid parties, public speaking, eating out, or even signing a check in public. Unlike shyness, those with SP can feel at ease around others, yet particular situations, like walking down an aisle, cause intense anxiety. SP disrupts relationships and careers as sufferers avoid certain situations. \n\nObsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is characterized by rituals, such as washing hands or checking things repeatedly (compulsions), or persistent, unwelcome thoughts, such as fears of committing violent acts, of performing sexual acts repugnant to the person, or of thoughts contrary to the person's religious beliefs (obsessions). Compulsive activities consume an hour or more each day and interfere with daily life. \n\nPost-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can result after a terrifying event, causing sufferers frightening thoughts and memories. Anniversaries of the incident can be difficult and ordinary events can trigger flashbacks or intrusive images. Sufferers may become easily irritated or have violent outbursts. Depression, substance abuse, or anxiety may accompany PTSD. \nIf\n you feel that your life is being ruled by anxiety and fear, and that your symptoms are having an impact on your relationships and daily life, you can find help. There's no need to live in fear
759019
When I have an anxiety attack, I feel like my heart is going to pulse right out of my chest, I feel like I can't get enough air, I start to sweat, I can't focus on anything (like total meltdown), and I feel like I'm being closed in.  I feel like I'm going to puke, and I feel like my stomach is on fire.  That's what I feel.\n\nThe clinical definition of a panic attack is:\n\nA panic attack is a severe attack of anxiety and fear which occurs suddenly, often without warning, and for no apparent reason. Various other symptoms then occur during a panic attack. These include one or more of the following:\n\nPalpitations or a thumping heart. \nSweating and trembling. \nHot flushes or chills. \nFeeling short of breath, sometimes with choking sensations. \nChest pains. \nFeeling sick. \nFeeling dizzy, or faint. \nFear of dying or going crazy. \nNumbness, or pins and needles. \nFeelings of unreality, or being detached from yourself.\nThe physical symptoms that occur with panic attacks do not mean there is a physical problem with the heart, chest, etc. The symptoms mainly occur because of an 'overdrive' of nervous impulses from the brain to various parts of the body during a panic attack.\n\nDuring a panic attack you tend to over-breathe (hyperventilate). If you over-breathe you 'blow out' too much carbon dioxide which changes the acidity in the blood. This can then cause more symptoms such as confusion and cramps, and make palpitations, dizziness, and pins and needles worse. This can make the attack seem even more frightening, and make you over-breathe even more, and so on.\n\nA panic attack usually lasts 5-10 minutes, but sometimes they come in 'waves' for up to two hours.\n\nWho gets panic attacks? \nAt least 1 in 10 people have occasional panic attacks. The tend to occur most in young adults. Twice as many women than men have panic attacks. Anyone can have a panic attack, but they also tend to run in some families.\n\nWhat causes panic attacks? \nPanic attacks usually occur for no apparent reason. The cause is not clear. Stressful life events such as a bereavement may sometimes trigger a panic attack.\n\nDealing with a panic attack\n\nTo ease a panic attack, or to prevent one from getting worse:\n\nbreathe as slowly and as deeply as you can. Concentrate on breathing. \nbreathe into a paper bag. By doing this you re-breathe your own carbon dioxide. This helps to correct the blood acid level that had been upset by over-breathing which makes symptoms worse (described above).\nWhat is the treatment for a panic attack?\n\nNo regular treatment is needed if you have just an occasional panic attack. You may find it helpful to:\n\nunderstand about panic attacks, and the cause of the symptoms. \nknow that any physical symptoms which occur do not mean that you have a serious disease. For example, some people find it helpful to know that the palpitations or chest pains they had during a panic attack were not due to a heart or chest problem. \nknow how to deal with a panic attack (see above).\nIf you have frequent or recurring panic attacks, this is called panic disorder. Treatment to prevent panic attacks is an option if you develop panic disorder. See a separate leaflet called 'Panic Disorder'.
796804
Yeah i have gotten panic attacks before they are just weird because out of no where you get them. She should go see a therapist even though she dont want to but that will help a lot trust me. Maybe there is something in her that she needs to let out or something there has to be something causing those attacks.
719949
Don't listen to that guy, you are not going crazy.\n\nI have panic attacks it varies from person to person but usually the symptoms are sweating, heart racing, shallow breathing, feeling unable to breath, caulstrphobic, wanting to get away in a hurry, feeling like your going crazy, or feeling very anxoius and nervous all of a sudden.\n\nThere are lots of website that are great for panic attacks and the more you read about them the less frightning they are just type panic attacks into a search.\n\nJust remeber that it may feel uncomfortable but it will end, it usually cos up and up and up (anxiety), but eventually it will go down and go away.\n\nPractice breathing in for 5 sec through your nose, holding it for five seconds, then breathing out either nose or mouth for five seconds, this should make the panic attack shorter or do when you feel anxious, or distact yourself whenever it happens, read something start up a converstaion or sing a song (if your alone or driving) cos this too makes you breath as above!