Question: I am at day 52 of no cannabis. I was a 17 year daily smoker so 52 days is cause for celebration. Unfortunately, the last thing I feel like doing is celebrating. Actually I feel down in the dumps, pretty much how I have felt ever since I decided to quit. I did a lot of reading before I got started so I was expecting withdrawal symptoms and I know my brain needs time to heal but honestly this is getting ridiculous. I am thinking about smokimng again just to feel something good again but I really don’t want to do that if I am just around the corner from feeling better again and I would undo all of my hard work so far. I feel stuck and not sure what to do. Is a 50 day + depression after such a long cannabis habit within the realm of normal? Should I keep waiting or what?

Dr. Arthur Trotzky Says...:

Waiting is not the answer to feeling better. You need to do something about what you are feeling and thinking now that you are without the chemical making you feel good. The problem with cannabis is that it makes one feel pretty good so that person will continue to use to continue to feel good. Unfortunately, with most chemical users and especially those who have addictive disease, the amounts, substances and/or behaviors will increase and the desire to stop will begin to be felt. Just as in your situation, when you stop, something is missing so one returns to the quick fix. I would suggest you find a good therapist so you can find out what is making you unhappy and in what direction you may want to go to make your life meaningful and happy. Toking on a blunt is no longer the goal of life. There are many other options.

Question: Are electronic cigarettes effective as a way to quit smoking for good? Or are you just as addicted to the e cigs, but they are just not as harmful..but more expensive? Is there good long time research that shows that e cigs are safe over the long terms, such as if you used them for 40 years or a lifetime, like people do with cigarettes.

Dr. Arthur Trotzky Says...:

I do not know the long term effects of electronic cigarettes and personally, do not recommend their use. Part of the cigarette addiction is the behavior surrounding the smoking and not just the nicotine. It is possible to withdraw from nicotine but one still has to deal with triggers such as; alcohol, coffee, excitement, social situations, social pressure, etc. Part of my approach to getting off of cigarettes is to motivate to quit and find alternatives to wanting to pick up a cigarette when exposed to triggers. The first 72 hours are the toughest and then there is oftentimes depression for the first a month of being clean. The real problem is avoiding the first puff and findng ways to deal with cravings which are automatically triggered.

Question: I am old enough that I should have known better. I am a many decades pot smoker. I don’t drink, smoke cigarettes or use any other drug. I know pot pretty well and it agrees with me. My niece came to stay with me this weekend and last night she asked if I wanted to smoke. She knows I smoke. She did not tell me it was not normal pot when she pulled out a joint. I smoked and by the 4th or 5th pass my heart started pounding and I had to excuse myself to go to the bathroom because I thought I was going to throw up. Once in there things got really scary and I thought I was dying and having a heart attack. It was terrifying and it was combined with the most horrible empty depression feeling I have ever experienced in my life. I could kill her for not telling me. Since then I have had 2 similar panic attacks but not as strong. Is there anything I can do know to get this out of my body faster and make the panic go away?

Dr. Arthur Trotzky Says...:

I suggest you see a doctor to address the panic and other symptoms you are experience if they continue. I would prefer a psychiatrist who is also an addiction specialist since he/she would best understand the determinants and appropriate meds if necessary. You might want to see if the situation abates in a few more days since you mention that it is subsiding.

As for you niece, I would see what was in the pot, if anything. It is a serious matter when someone introduces a chemical into another without telling him/her. It is extremely dangerous as you experienced, if this was the case. I certainly would talk to her in very strong terms. If you had a heart problem, it could be fatal and she should be made aware of the many dangers.

Question: This is crazy but my dad is using cocaine again. He is 67 and a grandfather. He has had addiction issues in the past so this is not just out of the blue or anything. I cannot find much information on cocaines affects on the brains of senior citizens (I guess my dad is kind of unique). Is cocaine going to be worse for my dad than it would be for a younger person because of his age? I am worried that because of his age his starting to use drugs again is going to push him into early senility.

Dr. Arthur Trotzky Says...:

First of all, if your dad had addiction issues and is using cocaine again he is most likely at high risk for his addiction to take off again and I would suggest an intervention as soon as possible. I would be more concerned about the affects of cocaine, being a stimulant, on his heart and less concerned about senility. His casual use of cocaine is very concerning in light of the history you present and senility is way down on the list of dangers his return to using presents at this point. You are absolutely correct in thinking cocaine is more dangerous for an older person that for a younger one and I hope your concern translates into action to prevent serious consequences ahead.

Question: Is marijuana bad for high blood pressure? I am 150 over 98 at my latest check up and my doctor has ordered me to stop drinking. I am having more trouble with this than I thought I would. I used to smoke marijuana years ago but gave it up when I got married and kind of grew out of it. Now I am thinking about searching to find some as a substitute for the alcohol. Marijuana is medicine, true? So is it OK for high blood pressure? I guess it’s ok as long as it doesn’t make it worse when I combine it with a lot of other changes I am supposed to make, like dietary and exercise changes. I don’t want to take medicine so my doctor said to try making lifestyle changes and we’d revisit in 3 months to see what happened.

Dr. Arthur Trotzky Says...:

The problem is not blood pressure and marijuana. Your doctor suggested exercise and diet which is always good for overall health, emotionally and physically. Marijuana initially increases heartbeat and. apparently. does lower blood pressure but I hear you saying that you are having trouble stopping the alcohol and are looking for another mood altering substance. I don't know how much alcohol you have been using so it is hard to know how much of a problem exists.

You say you don't want to use medicines and yet also ask if Marijuana is a medicine. You need to ask yourself what you really want: to control your blood pressure or to feel the effects of mood altering chemicals like booze and weed. For the blood pressure, don't "try to make the changes" the doctor suggested. Make the changes" for your health.

As for the chemical search, you might want to talk to a counselor and understand that better and make effective changes to improve your feelings and lifestyle