Not sure where to place this thread, but this seems the best option.

Recently, following a VERY stressful time, I started to have palpitations. I mean persistent attacks that can last all day, or at least several hours, not the occasional ones that we all have. You know the feeling, skipping a heart beat - but for me it's skipping one every 1 - 2 minutes for several hours at a time!

Following blood tests and ECG all seems normal. But after some googling I find it's quite common. A condition called PVC (premature ventricular contractions).

Anyway, since it seems so common and more importantly that cannabis can apparently make it worse, I wondered if anyone else had experience of this condition, or can shed any light?

I have been smoking weed every day for the last 30 years or so now, and so I couldn't bare the thought of finding out what life is like with a clear head Anyway, hopefully it will settle down now the stress is over.

Any thoughts?

Don't worry - I think Stress is worse for your heart than Cannabis.

I get it loads, then feels like a banging in the chest afterwards, no pain though. Sometimes goes on for days!!

My lifestyle is rubbish so im not surprised.

eta i smoke bacy and weed, drink cider and dont eat well!

Learning to relax your whole body helps.

i get that too nomy can be a right pain in the ass but i find its directly related to stress.
had a stressful time myself not long ago and often thought my heart was gonna explode.
dont worry look on the bright side of things cos things are never bad as they seem
peace

Cheers guys, it feels better just knowing others have the same problem. I must admit, it does get worse for me after a spliff or two though. Is it the same for you?

You maybe smoking high THC levels?

Aye, maybe you're right there. Not sure of the stats, but AK47 aint low.

Hi m8, first time i felt it i checked my pulse and shite myself . Thought i was gonna have a heart attack.
Turns out everything was fine and i was just smoking too much. Too much carbon monoxide?
Cut down on the smoke m8 and it will probably go away, maybe get a vapouriser and use that as well as smoking?

How much caffeine are u drinking - if i have 2 or 3 strong coffees the palpitations go mad for a 15-30 mins then stop - pretty much the only time i get them so am careful now big after dinner not to over do them.

My Cardio Consultant is quite happy for me to toke. Even though I get angina quite regularly (but not too badly) and have had a MI. I think (memory aint so hot on this one) he said it relaxed the blood vessels, and helped the patient relax as a whole too. All of which is generally a good idea for anyone with ticker issues.
Mrs L gets Palps a lot (she has a weird heart condition, had a pacemake put in at 25), can't say as weed has much impact either way. But work and stress, that'll send her into palpitation land every time.
De-stress, that's your answer. De-stress.

Heya nomy , i had a bit of a flap a few years ago smoked my last joint then booked myself in , the cardio guy was a Portuguese toker he convinced myself that weed played no part and the usually signs to look out for was eating late at night and falling asleep in awkward positions . This combined with BLOKES , known attribute to panic more than Girls create the snowball effect .
Pro medical advice is youre fist call of course but with that diagnosis im good to go , for information , i related to my mother that of course i was dieing and even booked myself into a hospital etc turn out shes been having them since she was twelve years old she had a heart murmur when young so did i , check you're make-up to would be a good move , good luck mate .

Try yoga! worked better for me than beta blockers.

smoked for thirty years and your still letting them tell you its the weeds fault? did they ask if it was killer skunk u smoke ?

seriously if youve smoked anyware near that long you know it cant be that. not because of the weed but possibly because of the actual smoke... try vaporiser for cleaner smoke. and tell them to test you for everything possible before letting them tell you its the weed.

it could be anxiety or panic attacks.

i suffer from them, some strains help others make it worse

do you put tobacco in your spliffs
if you do try without and see

I

What strains do you find help. I've been suffering with panic /axity for just over a year and haven't really smoked since> Every thing i grow get's made into oil and baked as i can control the dosage more but i really do miss a good spliff.

i suffer from anxiety and the symptoms you describe sound just like it... i`m prescribed Propranolol by the Doc and self prescribe a nice indica which generally works.

i find if i smoke Sativa strains can set my head off racing which in turn bring on the anxiousness...

hope this helps..

hi all i stopped smoking a year ago too and miss it like mad i kept having panic atts what strains r good as i wonna tryb again

i,ve also suffered with this and went through all the tests ecg,etc and was also given the all clear,so i just try and stay relaxed and i,m much better

well just recently i grew a strain called russian roulette a friend gave me some seeds he got free from somewhere or other. i had no anxiety at all for the whole time that jar lasted. unfortunately i ojly got one good girl and no cuts rooted, I think if i remember rightly it was a cross of sweet tooth and white russian...
my main jar stash lately that keeps anxiety at bay is Black jack..

All these responses are great, I certainly don't feel alone thanks guys.

Yeah, I've smoked for 30 years (33 actually!), and I'm not saying I'm blaming the weed, just that when reading up on PVC (premature ventricular contractions), they list it as something that can make it worse. I would say it would be the Sativa strains that are worse in this case. And there's the problem, I mainly smoke that

Here's the deal though....we relocated from one side of the country to another in January. No friends/family etc. Stressful enough in itself. All manner of shit happened with the landlords of the house we moved into (bailiffs knocking on the door asking for the owners etc). So then 5 months after we moved, we were forced to moved again! On top of that we had 2 sets of family visiting before and after the move, so that jacked up the stress. We had to chase moneys owed etc. So I suppose I should not be surprised that this condition started exactly at that same time. I'm too long in the tooth to find moving an adventure anymore fek that!

I've been having them for the last 4 weeks now, but it may be easing a little...slowly. I can go a few days without, but then it will come back again. I guess what muddles my little brain is ... ok, the stressful times have gone, so how come I'm still getting the palps? Maybe it's a time thing and I just have to be patient.

Thanks again though, it's both reassuring and comforting

Probably thinking about the possibility you may be stressed, is stressing you out. As has been suggested already maybe some additional anti-stress stuff like yoga might do the trick, I always find surrounding myself with a comforting scent e.g. Nag Champa joss sticks can help as well, unfortunately not many offices will allow those.

not posted here for a while but a guy up the road got busted a few weeks ago and yada yada , nomy I get the same thing now and then been for the test's nowt wrong and as fit as feck doctor measured my resting heartbeat at 42 bpm yes 42 , I ride a mountain bike go to the gym on average 5 times a week now and am always active back pain permiting , my downfall is I get stresed out and boy over the last 5 years I have had reason to be , and yes the thing that makes it worse is thinking about it , plenty of good advice given already so wont patronise you by repeating any of it except to say learn to relax and if you can remove the source of stress , there is one who I insulted here because I was stressed out at the time and full of myself so if its not to late olderb I umbly apolaguise and include anyone else I might have been short with .

Don't worry about your palpitations! I get breathing probs/angina, its like I suddenly have no air in my lungs and cannot get any in for a few moments. It can be alarming, but I've learned to live with it. Funny thing is, stress causes it, so does being quiet. It even wakes me up in the night!

Just don't let them palps get to you, otherwise you'll think of nowt else and that'll set off a whole new batch
At least they show your ticker is ticking! Be worried when it all suddenly stops and you get the invisible bear-hug.

I'm surprised they think Cannabis makes it worse. And a little sceptical.

....when you say palpitations do you mean that just your heart is racing....? Any adrenaline rush or associated 'feelings' or maybe thoughts that shouldn't be there....? It's probably nothing mate...and from your length of smoking you know it's not the weed. I can only echo the indica advice that's already been given...perhaps 'cos it's advice I've been given when sniffing around for a strain to grow. I find that, in general, it helps to remember that no-one is as good at being you than you are.

I had to stop smoking years ago because of exactly that. Everytime I got nice and wasted it would be almost like i'd go into shock. Heart palpitations, cold sweats, light headedness. I had to stop smoking. I found as soon as I did it went away and never returned. Ive had a few smokes since then (almost 15years ago) and always the same thing, no matter how little -or much - i have.
It felt like i was allergic to pot. It was reenforced by just sitting around friends and theyre passive smoke would get me more wasted than them! Even just a toke on a bunger of leaf laid me out. It was hard for awhile there when i was younger as all my friends were smokers and over the years ive found I relate to stoners better than 'normal' people.
Since starting growing for amusment Ive discovered that I can tolerate I good, real fast/uppity sativa in small doses but anything with even a pinch of indica in it and Im fucked again. Which almost seems the opposite of what youve found. Its also bizzarre seeing as I have the inclination to smoke a bit of opium now and then and it doesnt bother me at all. Personally, Its gotta be something not isolated in indicas i believe. However you sound like you need to chill out,

I find that I get a fast powerful heartbeat accompanied by anxiety/paranoia when I eat weed in fairly large doses. One way I've found to combat this is to go for a run, something strange happens, my heart seems to stay exactly as it was but my body (breathing, activity level etc) seems to step up a gear to match it. After a while the pleasure chemicals kick in as well and I become dissociated and feel like I'm "flying on land". The result is an intense experience of spiritual bliss ( or a fucking amazing buzz if you're an atheist )with all paranoia dissolved.
It becomes difficult to stop running, but when you do, your heart seems to slow down in the same way it would after exercise straight.

This is only personal experience, it may not even be safe, but it's fucking good

I also get the same symtoms its scary but you have to learn to deal with it. I have just ignored mine may not be to the extreme of yours though.

I must say I completely agree with these comments in particular. They really hit home for me. I to have the exact same stuff goin on. I've had all the test, ECG, MRI, Exercise ECG, 24H Tape's etc. And while I was undergoing all this my dad died from SADS (sudden adult death syndrome) so Then I was really shitting my self!

I Also used to have to go out side and preferably run when I got "the fear" as I called it, (Anxiety but also major palps of different kinds). I liked being near nature as mad as that sounds, tree's particularly. They seam to chill me out.

One strange thing is that i used to get loads of what I refer to as "wind pipe" when I get the bad palps. It's like little chucks of semi solid stuff that looks almost like a pea nut type pieces. It seams to come from small openings in the back of the throat or wind pipe and if you squash it it stinks to high heaven! . Really strange that one. Always thought it was the body's way of ejecting some nasty toxins etc and the palps were somehow tied into that. My mate's all said it was in my head but it isn't. It's like I'm allergic now and the slightest contact sends me whapy.

Maxi ;-)

Eek, nasty

I'd just like to say thanks for all the sensible advice guys. It seems that as my initial googling showed, it is a common complaint, and I should also be reassured that it seems common in athletic and healthy types. Although that description does not carry over to me

Ok, time to chill then....

Ive been smoking for 32 years......... does this mean next year I get my palpitations ? oh whoopee fuckin doopee

Ive been suffering anxiety/panic attacks brought on by stress of work,it pissed my right off the other day as i hadden`t been out to the pub or a friends for the last six months and my birthday was last week so a good friend held a low key barbecue for me,it was really nice,but after 4 hours i had to leave,was only 8 o`clock,i even had to take one of the tablets the doc gave me which means it`s pretty bad as i don`t like them because they don`t cure it just hold it off. I hate anxiety it`s the only thing i`m really scared of.

Am very stoned and a bit drunk! And listening to Miles Davis/Kind of Blue,works a treat at cooling panic attacks.

Dunno where I heard it but it seems appropriate .. The only thing in life worthy of fear is fear itself.

i have sufferd from realy bad anxiety /panic attacks for the last few years, the attacks would just randomly come at any time,
this realy used to piss me off , i was so fed up with them, docs and phys where crap no help at all,
the only way to get beter is to help urself, it's hard but with time you should get better ratdog

peace uberdruck
oh yeh and i stoped using the herb for about 3 years whilst i was sufering from theese, but no i am using again and finds this helps me alot, do u find the herb helps u ratdog?

Most definately,it can lift my mood slighty when depressed,also being in my grow room fondling my ladies before bed helps me sleep.

i especially agree with the above reply. Yep, I get palpitations too- like my heart 'skips a beat', feels like it's beating 'out of time' for a beat. It can be quite startling. It will come in waves of a week to a month, occasional palps throughout the day. Then they go away for a few months. I went to the doctor, he said nothing was wrong with me. I find not thinking about it helps a lot! I reckon most people get this happening to them, perhaps if you're a stoner you're more likely to concentrate on them making them more noticeable.

people always blame outside experiences on stress, "stress from work" "stressfull situation" etc.
stress, like all other emotions, is created within, usually as a subconcious reaction to something that is out of your control. someone on this thread said it, "deal with the stress, de-stress".
if you look to blame outside goings on you will never beat it,.......or something......ramble...... this probably doesnt help at all .

Look at what you are eating on a regular basis. The presence of certain additives, Mono-sodium glutamate in particular (I speak from experience).
My wife and I have both been harmed by the assoles known as "the food industry" Mono-sodium glutamate or MSG is in just about everything. Put there to bring flavour to otherwise unpalitable substances.. There is loads of MSG in items like Yeast extract (marmite etc.) It comes in 1001 various disguises as do all the other additives. MSG did this (palpitations) to my heart it can also cause a whole variety of doctor baffling symptoms. I recommend investigating and studying the infomation available on the net and look closely at what you are eating.
I now cook all my own food (organic) and trust no food manufactures. I am now fit and well at 60 and on no medication at all. If you just buy food and eat it without too much thought you will probably end up in hospital....or worse. There is a direct causal link between what we eat and our health.
I would aso advise no alchohol or tobaco just good quality Bud or hash Good luck J. T.

Hi Jay Time,
I agree about diet. We are indeed what we eat. I don't go the full organic route, preferring to try and get everything "local" and in season. I don't trust the "Oganic" tag I see on so many foods. You cannot call a product "organic" when it has thousands of miles of transport behind it IMHO. Organic = minimal footprint, not just freedom from chem pesticides etc
Oops, sorry, you got me on a bit of a soap box there!


Could you provide me with some evidence, please fella? Only there is no mention of MSG on the Marmite label, and I'm like a hawk checking this out because Mrs L is allergic to MSG. Just had a look and No, as far as I can tell, Marmite is a well good product, MSG Free. As is Vegemite by the look of the label. Unless you can show me otherwise? I really need to know as I cook with it and don't want to be poisoning the very delicious Mrs L

Sorry for the minor Thread-detour folks.

Hello Arnold
Start by googling MSG Marmite, when sufficiently annoyed follow this link :http://www.truthinlabeling.org/ which you may have to type as I am unfamiliar with this setup. then have a shufty at the wiki page for marmite (it is NOT a health food) Sorry for not getting back to you quickly but I'm usually kind of busy and only come here now and then. I will be back from time to time so if I can help any more just ask. For other readers of these pages MSG can give rise to many other symptoms from anxiety to psychosis and many problems with "glands" and the digestive system, it also is a main player in obesity. I found out this stuff by painful experience but all the infomation is available online and you just need to ask the right questions. And then bin the yeast extact..whatever make it is its just industrial waste!!!
When cooking with organic produce no flavourings are needed. I grow my own organic veg and am very careful when buying as food producers are second only to political types when it comes to lying. Cannabis gets much of the blame that by rights should go to MSG. Interestingly the medical 'profession' seem to be in ignorance of everything you are about to read, like the food producers they make a lot of money from a sick population.... Good Luck j.t.
PS imho MSG affects everybody in time, not just a few. chuck it out.

Me again
this adress should not be missed

http://www.truthinlabeling.org/Jack_hiddensources.htm

j.t.

Well I forgot to mention that MSG is also being sprayed on crops in a way that we are all familiar with -as a bud and fruit growth stimulant- it goes by the name of AuxiGrow

http://www.msgfacts.net/

j.t.

i have had a heart attack which, according to the heart speicalist , was trigered by my heavy weed smoking . . . . . . im 37 , and yes there were alot of other factors involved .
basicly what they are saying to me is that thc speeds up the heart rate which caused plack to disslodge and block an artuary .
im still in recovary . . . . dont want to give up my choice of using herb but they are adamant that i must .
i'm hoping that a higher cbd strain indica will be ok and not cause the heart to race . . . . . any thoughts ?????

as already mentioned exercise can help as this burns excess adrenalin from your body which helps remove the fight or flight feeling, and also releases feels good endorfines..

Struggling with the racing heart and palpitations or ectopic heartbeat between Easter and Summer '08. Did my head in , seriously thought I was on me way out. Took myself to A&E twice. I tried everything; cutting down on smoking, giving up tobacco, exercise . Took me three or four months, with no help form the crappy NHS to suss it was caffiene. I had become very sensitive to it after drinking 7-10 cups of tea and mainly fresh brewed coffee a day. Gave up the evil caffeine over a year ago and have been palp free ever since. Also a lot less anxious or jittery, my heartbeat doesn't race and it's easier to sleep. Took about 3 weeks for the palps to fully go, but I was having them all the bleeding time (not painful just very disturbing and stressful) I drink Redbush for tea and Illy decaf coffee (as good as the real thing). Seriously try giving it up if you've not got it nailed yet. Good luck.

I've done that and better than that, I've gone and spoken to someone who are allergic to MSG. Interesting. They react to synthetic MSG, but the "natural" MSG found in Marmite et al seems not to have any negative impact on them.
One hint of refined man-made MSG and her face explode in ugly and painful rashes. But she can eat Marmite, Vegemite and other such like to the cows come home with no ill effect.
I am concluding that the "natural" format of MSG is fine enough, but the refined "white powder" kind is deffinately not.

Coffee! I know that's what lies behind my continuing angina probs. But can I give it up? Can I fekk! I'll try Caff-free again, but I know it wont work for me. Hell, its absurd - I've given up Nicotine and hard drugs for me health's sake, but cannot get shot of Coffee! Warra wimp, huh?!

But I'm sure it would help prevent palps too, giving up coffee.

I got palpitations once while riding my bicycle through the Royal Botanical Gardens Kew back in 2001 (so I was 18 at the time) while I was doing a 4 month internship there. One minute I was cycling along looking at all the flowers in their cottage garden section and the next I'd fallen off my bike onto the path and was writhing around in agony clutching my chest. I seriously thought I was having a heart attack, it was one of the most dreadful and frightful experiences I've ever had. At the time it felt like it went on for ages, but in hindsight it most likely only endured for a minute or two. My heart felt like it was going to burst out of my chest like in the 'Alien' movies! Touch wood I've never had a problem like it since. To this day I'm not 100% sure if it was only palpitations or a genuine heart attack.