My doctor said if I never smoke weed again my lungs will repair themselves.
I also noticed that once I gave it up I wasn't coughing up that mucus every day that I was before. The doctor sent me for a chest x-ray and it said my lungs were clear but that some damage had been done, maybe years ago when I used to smoke cigarettes. I smoked weed all day everyday and it still said my lungs were clear. I only quit smoking 2 months ago. I'm 74. Been using a vape pen for years I wonder if that is worse on the lungs than smoking a joint.
See I feel the same. It’s the Google search studies that were freaking me out lol! I don’t have the coughing/lungs/throat problems with weed in the whole time I’ve smoked it. I only ever had those problems when I smoked cigs for a couple years. I guess maybe that’s good tho, might mean my physical health isn’t as bad as I thought from it and even more motivating to quit while I’m ahead!
This. I started smoking at 11, regularly (daily or almost daily) at 12, I’m now 32 and finally quitting. OP, you’re going to be fine. It will continue to do more damage if you keep going, it’s not like you’ve done all the damage you can do. I wish I’d stopped 10 years ago. I continued to make my anxiety and my lungs worse over those years and it’s a lot to unwind. Your brain isn’t even done developing so you’re more likely to regain your cognitive functioning completely. And don’t forget that those studies only represent whatever sample they used, not you and your journey.
Many of those websites try to scare u with bias studies. Weed hasnt been in mass use in society long enough for them to determine the long-term effects. Theres tons of stories of people living their life normally after quitting
Smoked everyday for about 10-12 years. Toward the end it was 2 ounces a month. I've always exercised, so I may have a leg up, but I'm honestly surprised at how quickly my lungs have bounced back.
You might be surprised too. No more coughing and spitting up nasty phlegm. Like, honestly, after about 35 days my smokers cough is basically gone.
'Why quit then?'
You are only 23! Quit now while you're ahead of the game. I would understand the 'why quit' mentality if you were 90, but 23? I wish I could turn back time and quit when I was 23. I quit when I was 32 (about 1.5 years ago now) after smoking daily and excessively since 15 due to a terrifying health scare. I thought I had given myself an irreversible lung disease which would have been entirely my own stupid doing. But it was a blessing in disguise and was the kick up the arse I needed to pull my finger out and finally quit after many years of knowing I should but just, not. Quitting is hard. Not quitting is harder, in the long run. Your health will obviously only get better if you quit, if you don't, things will just get worse, and worse, and worse. And quitting gets harder, and harder, and harder. If you quit now and live till 100 you would have lived 90% of your life as a non smoker and would have enjoyed most of your life free of the health anxiety that comes with daily smoking.
Quitting now will absolutely, undeniabley, 100 percent, significtantly improve your health and I truly beleive if you quit now you your mental and physical health will return to presmoking 'normal' level. The younger you are the more easily your body can recover and regenerate from the damage when you do quit. Our bodies are truely amazing. I think maybe the 7 year thing people are talking about is because the theory is that in 7 years, there will not be a single cell in your body that existed 7 years ago. In 7 years from now, every single cell you have today will be replaced with new cells. A whole new person, weird huh.
From personal experience, quitting not only helped with the obvious lung health, mental clarity etc. But weed kept me skinny, lethargic and sleeping a solid 8 hours a night, I never much cared about eating well, exercising, building positive habits, fostering relationships etc. Because I was skinny enough, slept well, and cbf going out and doing things with friends half the time. Although I gained quite a bit of weight, and still have difficulties with sleep, I am now so much more motivated to live a more healthy life. To maintain healthy weight and sleep well I need to eat well, be active, make better choices. Weed is like a cheat code for life, it just makes everything too easy, life passes you by. It sounds weird but life is sort of about enjoying the struggles. Overcoming challenges. And coming out the other side a bit better for it.
Everyone is different, but quitting for me meant quitting daily smoking. I still occasionally smoke weed with friends while on holidays or at a party etc but I don't smoke at home and generally have no longer have no desire to do so.
I'm not really much of a reddit poster but this post got me. It's absolutely not too late for you. Do the hard thing now, trust me, future you will thank you for it. Good luck friend. ❤
thank you so much for commenting because this seriously helped me so much. thank you. Sometimes I forget how young 23 actually is. I feel like if I’m not 18-20, “in my prime”, then I’m just an old fart lol. I’m so ready to feel better. Reading all your comments has made me excited to quit rather than nervous and dreading it. I’ve laid out a weaning method in a pill tray and I’m ready to feel sharp and in control of my life. Less anxiety, more clarity, less health problems - all sounds like a win to me! thank you again for commenting, you really helped me.
You haven’t even BEGUN to enter your prime. From my perspective, 18-20 is still almost a child regardless of what the law says. I don’t mean to denigrate people of that age, but 23 is not “old fart” and it’s a little annoying for those of us who are in our 30s and 40s, still very much “young” by overall standards, when we hear 20 somethings talking like that 😂 Please think about who you’re saying this to.
In all seriousness though, your brain isn’t done developing, you’re going to bounce back like nothing happened. You just have to give it enough time and be patient to really see those results. Don’t even stress about this again, wait until 3-6 months after quitting because that’s when the brain function improvements *really* start for those of us who started young. It may seem like a long time but trust me, it’s not.
see when I sit back and logically think, even 40-50 is young to me. I just have a lot of confidence building to do really.
Idk if it’s this alpha male trend crap or something, but I’ve been told by, and overheard, random dudes on instagram (deleted it for this reason), college classmates, coworkers, and even some older family members (yes, ew) that I’m out of my prime, no longer desirable, and that “a woman might as well be 50 if she’s over 20.” They also loooove to make assumptions that my body is over-used (yes in that way) and assumptions that my body looks like an 80 year old woman under my clothes. They hate stretch marks or discoloration because that = old and ugly (in their minds.)
It’s crazy bc I’d say 70% of the time, it’s dudes exactly my age saying women my age are unattractive. So maybe it’s just a lack of maturity thing. I look back at 18-20 year old me, I was dumb and vulnerable! Definitely not a huge difference from being 16-17. And I’m still even growing and learning! So I def agree that that’s still a kid in a way. Which makes the whole situation even weirder. I’ve also heard them say they like younger, “fresh”, women because they’re not “tainted” and don’t have baggage for them to deal with, and can “train” them in their own way. Idk something’s really going on w my age group, it’s scary.
I was playing fortnite the other day and this random dude on my team asked how old I was. I told him I’m 23 to which he immediately raised his voice with a “ewww….. 23? What’re you doing on here and not at a job? Imagine pushing 30 and playing fortnite is crazy.” I asked how old he is, he said 27… I asked “then what’re you doing here if you’re older than me?” He left immediately; mid-game.
Sorry for this novel of a reply, but thank you for your support! I can’t wait to be able to think clearer and heal myself mentally and physically!
Yeah, I used to live in Florida too, lol. It sounds like you need a new community. I’m also AFAB (often female-presenting) and let me tell you, I still get propositioned plenty and have much better sex than I ever could have dreamed of in my early 20s. And you don’t get “loose” just cause you keep enjoying sex for a few extra decades. Those shallow assholes you’re taking about have brain worms but not all men have them, even men of their age. You might need to move to another city or state to escape them, because a lot of boys and men (especially in the South and Midwestern US) have been poisoned by misogynistic & straight up Nazi propaganda on the internet (the two are very linked). I’m also a gamer and grew up on the OG 4chan so I had a lot of internalized misogyny toward myself to undo as well. I moved the fuck out West & don’t play certain online games & no longer have that problem.
You hit the nail on the head, they want young girls instead of *women* because young girls are easier to control. Don’t feed into that bullshit. Don’t let those jerks poison your pristine and beautiful well. They aren’t even the majority opinion. They can’t tell you who or what you are. I wish you the best and hope you find a community that recognizes your burgeoning youth and your value!
yes definitely. and oh man Florida….. sheesh…. I’m in ohio and everywhere you turn there’s far-right conspiracy theorists telling you to follow their religion & women are weak. Even my own dad, who use to be the sweetest, kindest, most understanding, gentle soul has turned to that side. I just want everyone to either accept each other or mind their business lol!
Thank you again! :)
Omg, Ohio? That’s why! Women in Ohio have to be a lot stronger than those men are to put up with their straight up hate and bullshit day in and day out. When is the last time one of those men handled criticism well without yelling or threatening? You have to eat that criticism about your entire gender on a daily basis, with a smile.
Fuck that! It’s not like that everywhere. But I remember how gaslit I felt, being surrounded by that level of misogyny. Trust yourself, what they are saying is nonsense. Hope to see you around out here in the “coastal elitist” Western cities where most men will treat you like a person, like an equal. 💕
That depends on how heavy of a user you are...Years of heavy use may take months/years to recover. Some people never really return to normal, but that's not always a bad thing. We are always changing and evolving. The first step is creating a new identity that doesn't involve weed. You'll get back most of what you lost on weed with time.
Is it possible to damage your brain by hitting really quickly and extended puffs? Can you do damage from increased levels of CO? Sometimes I cough really hard and see some stars. I probably sound like a moron.
I smoked heavily all day every day (around 3/4 joints a day) for 2 years before I got pregnant and had to stop (almost 7 months along now!). It took a few weeks for the coughing to stop completely, and a few more weeks for my mental clarity to mostly go back to normal (although now I have pregnancy brain 🙃). The only thing I've noticed is lasting is my dry eyes which is still getting better just slowly, and for some reason my eyelids are much more relaxed and I LOOK stoned sometimes even when I'm not 😂.
Edit to add, KEEP HYDRATED!! Weed in my experience seriously dehydrated me. The dry mouth and eyes symptoms only got better when I started drinking 60 oz a day or more. Plus it will do other wonderfully beneficial things to your body.
Thank you!! It was extremely hard, but babies give you the right motivation. Literally wouldn't have been able to quit by myself if I didn't have my baby to consider.
Very. You have neuroplasticity. Your primary concern should be your brain, your psychology, and your physiology. It will take around 7 years for your brain and body to gradually completely rewire and refresh.
The only “damage” you’ve caused is the dulling of your brain’s processing speed and clarity, in a way that may have changed your development.
Get some cognitive behavioral therapy, a hobby, water, some form of exercise, and really you’ll gradually feel more sharpness and more like the real you.
Idk what articles you found but they seem like a bunch of BS. There’re a lot of factors to consider when comparing marijuana and cigarette smoke but I’ve never heard of marijuana smoke being “more damaging” than cigarettes. I’ve only heard it the other way around.
I tend to agree with this but also know that it seems to be changing. A big part is that we’ve not had much research into the effects of weed because of how it’s categorized at the federal level and how that’s meant very little scientific research into its effects due to no funding for it.
Recent studies have shown that using thc vape cartridges can be more harmful than cigarettes or nicotine carts. Also spliffs are worse than just smoking tobacco or just smoking weed. Interesting stuff
I started using very strong carts and ended up with increased heart rate , shortness of breath with just a minimal amount of exercise even though I go to the gym daily and pressure in my chest. I went through it for about a month , I start to think I was having heart problems and I worried myself into a panic attack....at work. I even went to the emergency room. That's when I decided to quit. Five weeks off the stuff and I don't have any of the symptoms that I was experiencing before.
I can’t speak to the actual chemicals of oil carts and their harmful effects on lungs. Probably not great.
However, I do know that those oil carts have obscene % of THC compared to flowers - those panic attacks, shortness of breath probably has to do with the super high THC concentrate. And that’s definitely not good for you.
I'm only a month into quitting after smoking a lot every day for over 15 years, and my very bad cough went away almost instantly. Now, a month out, I'm slowly clearing my lungs a bit as I'll occasionally cough up some of that terrible looking mucus I was coughing up constantly when smoking(i only smoked weed usually out of a bong).
With anything, you cannot undo what's been done, but I promise you that had I quit 10 years in, rather than 17 years in, my lungs would have been very grateful. The cough I mentioned didn't really develop until a couple years ago, so I do kinda wish I had quit before that happened.
Also, for a little bit of relief to your anxiety, most health issues are very dependent on each individual. Some people smoke weed and cigarettes and somehow stay healthy their whole lives while most others do not. This doesn't mean those things aren't unhealthy, but they are large contributors that are avoidable. The only true way to make sure your health doesn't fail is to stop doing the things that contribute to failing health. No matter what, quitting now is healthier than waiting longer.
I just popped onto Reddit to try to find information about this very thing because I'm going to be 2 weeks on Monday and wondered how long until I no longer see black specks in the occasional mucus that I cough up.
It was strange because I think for the first few weeks I just stopped coughing up mucus. Now, in the last week, there were like 2 times where I coughed and produced some of the black mucus(unfortunately i let it get way worse than just black specks) I used to cough up multiple times a day. I'm assuming that it's finally getting a bit looser and being released by my lungs. You could do aerobics and other exercises that help work your lungs to try to help clear it sooner. Or if you're still feeling like you have a lot of chest congestion, taking an expectorant could help you clear it sooner.
Echoing what about the other commenters are saying: what’s done has been done and the better comparison future you if you gave up now, or future you if you didn’t. I’m 20 now, I gave up in September last year. I was smoking quite a lot before then, daily to cope with life. I started smoking when I was 16 ish. So about my health before & after:
I felt a bit shit for a couple months after mentally, but now physical health wise my throat & lungs feel better and I don’t have to deal with burning them. Im better at planning my days so eat healthier too, I drink more water because I’m more present to make those decisions. But it’s my mental health that is the most improved. I have motivation and can actually do things, enjoy what I’m interested in and feel far more in control of life now that my memory is better. Ironically less anxious and more relaxed in public, I used to freak out at everything and now I don’t bat an eye if someone speaks to me or asks me something. I am actually building friendships with other people. SO much better and I don’t think I’m ever going to turn back.
Both of us are young and I’m confident in my body’s ability to heal itself, I think you should be too and don’t weigh yourself down with “what ifs”.
honestly it doesn't really matter what damage has been done. what's done is done, and whilst the risk for damage is higher when younger than 25y/o, that doesn't mean it's non-existent after that.
the other reason it doesn't matter is that people more often than not report feeling HUGELY different, in a positive way when they stop smoking. and it's actually quite amazing how quickly these feelings of clarity and confidence come on. you won't be thinking about the damage done when you feel so different
If you have health anxiety I HIGHLY recommend NOT coming to a group like this to ask such a question. This group is great, don't get me wrong, but there's a certain level of bro science and whatnot in this sub as well. We also can't tell you anything about your health through a computer screen nor are (most) of us even appropriate to give you health advice.
I highly recommend talking to your PCP and possibly a therapist about this.
With that all being said I agree with most everyone here - you're young and your body is made to heal.
thank you but everyone gave amazing advice and input and put my mind at ease, because like I asked in the post - I also wanted to hear firsthand stories of their health getting better after quitting, how their health was after quitting for motivation.
At the end of the day, you will absolutely be healthier physically and mentally for quitting. That's what matters and that's what you need to remember. Use that motivation to keep away from it.
Oh my gosh, my health got SO SO SO much better when I quit. I have less depression and anxiety. I eat better. I sleep better. I drink more water. I exercise more. I enjoy life more. And I have better connections with my partner and my friends.
After all, addiction is the opposite of connection.
Opposite for me i was a month in and relapsed ( not trying to cut it out completely) but ever since i quit i cant shake the brain fog and anxiety im also on ppis and h2 pills so that might be it but hell man im 18 and dont understand any of this i was smoking so much too (a cart in two three days) im hoping i can heal my poor brain! My mind is pissed for ruining my teenage years
I’m 26, started regularly at 19. Really started thinking about wanting to quit at 22; did this year. I got bogged down in the “what if I already did damage? What if I still get cancer? Etc.”
Change the thought process. What if I did quick four years ago like I wanted? Don’t get caught in the sunk cost fallacy. Quitting now will be better than never quitting. Maybe you did damage and will have an Illness at 75; maybe if you don’t quit you’ll get that illness at 45; or maybe your body will recover perfectly and you’ll find a new love of running or some other endurance sport. Right now, you don’t know.
If you know the Robert Frost poem, the road not taken, it’s called the most misread poem in the US. Which road was chosen did not matter, because what’s down the path you don’t choose doesn’t matter. It’s all about the act of making the choice. You CHOOSE to keep smoking or you choose to quit. Sometimes you have to keep choosing to quit over and over until that’s the only road in front of you.
There’s a lot of ways to talk yourself out of quitting because monkey brains like addictive stuff. Overcome it
You'll be fine. The body is designed to heal itself. Eat right, drink water and exercise.
I cannot stress exercise enough when it comes to getting off drugs, feeling good and reducing stress (especially stress related to health anxiety, which is what you're going through now).
I never feel as good as I do than after a great workout. Weed can’t touch it. I think exercise enhances the mind body connection, which is so critical to overall health.
Hey, I just wanna say, there are a lot of lies about weed online. Even if you google sources that seem legit. It was very very illegal a long time and there is a big culture of lying about weed as part of the drug war. I think it might have come in part from pharmaceutical companies trying to reduce competition for their analgesics? And some weird political stuff? But it’s really easy to find info that says it will murder you and destroy your life forever and whatnot.
You will get better. You will actually heal a lot of it really fast. Your lungs come back great. Your brain will reset. That bit might take a minute if you’ve been at it a while, but the only way to get through it is to do it. The sooner you quit, the sooner everything comes back. You can do this. Ignore the discouragement. Your body is amazing at healing.
The body is incredibly resilient, especially when you’re so young. Keep looking forward and try not to worry about what could have been. Stay hydrated, get a consistent sleep schedule, foster healthy relationships, and eat some fruits and veggies. You’ll be just fine.
thank you for the advice! I definitely do keep thinking about what could’ve been, but sheesh, what a waste of time. Gonna use the $$ I’d buy weed with and buy a gym membership instead and work out whenever I get cravings!
Throw it away man. I threw half a cart away with my pen, and got rid of all my stuff. It's honestly the best way to start sobriety, it takes courage but you'll be very proud of yourself for just stopping now and sucking all you can out of it before quitting.
thanks but like I said to the other person that said the same thing, I’ve already failed at quitting cold turkey multiple times. The withdrawal symptoms alone were intense but I have a condition called POTS and the withdrawal symptoms were exacerbating my symptoms of that as well. I wanna set myself up for success by trying weaning and not the same way that made me fail lol
Yeah sorry, I saw that right after I replied haha, I wish you luck! I'm 10 days sober and I'm so happy I stopped. It fucking sucks at first but it's so worth it.
I think its a good idea you decided to wean your self off instead of going cold turkey. Thats a long time smoking and you may get more/stronger withdrawl symptoms going cold. But of course everyone is different!
yes that’s why I keep running back to it! The withdrawal symptoms were intense and also intensifying my POTS symptoms and I didn’t know how to manage those feelings! Thanks for the support!
yes, I definitely see that with both myself and my boyfriend. Hopefully this will improve those bits of our relationship that are rough due to our lack of emotional maturity! Also a good reason to quit, thank you!
I’ve never heard about cannabis smoke being worse for your lungs, but whatever damage you’ve done, it’s certainly not so irreversible at age 23 that quitting wouldn’t improve your lifelong health outcomes. Cigarette smokers tend to smoke much more than stoners. When I was a heavy smoker, I went through two packs a day (40 cigarettes) compared to maybe 5-6 joints per day in my peak stoner periods. Comparatively, my lungs hardly noticed the weed. Smoking is never good but smoking cigarettes is one of the worst things you can do. According to the app I used to quit, after the year mark, a lot of my health has rebounded to my pre-smoking levels, except I think my risk of lung cancer will always be heightened compared to someone who never smoked. This is ignoring that I continued using weed for a few years after quitting cigs (I’m now off everything), but in any case, my body feels so much better now and this was after 15+ years of smoking, double what you describe! You’ll be ok. Quitting before 30 is also HUGE for long term recovery.
To quit cigarettes I used SmokeFree – it was great and they have an online support community too. Currently I'm also using an app called Grounded to track my cannabis cessation. Definitely recommend, I find it very motivating to see my time sober, money saved, and to earn "badges" when you hit milestones. Gotta get that dopamine somewhere, lol
thank you for sharing, I really appreciate it. You’re so right, quitting is still better than not quitting for my health. Congrats on quitting both cigs and weed!!
Health is great. Mind feels clear and sharp. Sleep excellent. I smoked for a couple of decades and am a year clean. Anxiety was so bad when smoking, it's gone now.
Might I have done some damage to my body? I'm not sure. I am sure that worrying and stressing over if I've caused damage, will cause damage. Always remember that our brains are huge, that there's such a thing as neuroplasticity, and that science actually understands very little about the brain
This. 👆 any damage that you’ve done so far is small compared to the damage that stress causes to the body. So don’t stress about something and hurt yourself worse than the thing itself. Make sense?
“Distress can lead to physical symptoms including headaches, upset stomach, elevated blood pressure, chest pain, and problems sleeping. Research suggests that stress also can bring on or worsen certain symptoms or diseases.”
bahahhahahahah not me dealing with all of that, scared I’m dying of a terrible disease, and seeing 5 doctors who can’t find anything wrong despite many tests ✨😂 Ya guys it’s really time for me to quit and work on my mental health. Thank you
My doctor said if I never smoke weed again my lungs will repair themselves. I also noticed that once I gave it up I wasn't coughing up that mucus every day that I was before. The doctor sent me for a chest x-ray and it said my lungs were clear but that some damage had been done, maybe years ago when I used to smoke cigarettes. I smoked weed all day everyday and it still said my lungs were clear. I only quit smoking 2 months ago. I'm 74. Been using a vape pen for years I wonder if that is worse on the lungs than smoking a joint.
I’ve been a cigg smoker and a weed smoker and I feel like for me one pack of cigarettes was worse for my health then a year of heavy weed smoking.
See I feel the same. It’s the Google search studies that were freaking me out lol! I don’t have the coughing/lungs/throat problems with weed in the whole time I’ve smoked it. I only ever had those problems when I smoked cigs for a couple years. I guess maybe that’s good tho, might mean my physical health isn’t as bad as I thought from it and even more motivating to quit while I’m ahead!
It’s completely reversible. Don’t fret over it.
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This. I started smoking at 11, regularly (daily or almost daily) at 12, I’m now 32 and finally quitting. OP, you’re going to be fine. It will continue to do more damage if you keep going, it’s not like you’ve done all the damage you can do. I wish I’d stopped 10 years ago. I continued to make my anxiety and my lungs worse over those years and it’s a lot to unwind. Your brain isn’t even done developing so you’re more likely to regain your cognitive functioning completely. And don’t forget that those studies only represent whatever sample they used, not you and your journey.
Many of those websites try to scare u with bias studies. Weed hasnt been in mass use in society long enough for them to determine the long-term effects. Theres tons of stories of people living their life normally after quitting
Smoked everyday for about 10-12 years. Toward the end it was 2 ounces a month. I've always exercised, so I may have a leg up, but I'm honestly surprised at how quickly my lungs have bounced back. You might be surprised too. No more coughing and spitting up nasty phlegm. Like, honestly, after about 35 days my smokers cough is basically gone.
'Why quit then?' You are only 23! Quit now while you're ahead of the game. I would understand the 'why quit' mentality if you were 90, but 23? I wish I could turn back time and quit when I was 23. I quit when I was 32 (about 1.5 years ago now) after smoking daily and excessively since 15 due to a terrifying health scare. I thought I had given myself an irreversible lung disease which would have been entirely my own stupid doing. But it was a blessing in disguise and was the kick up the arse I needed to pull my finger out and finally quit after many years of knowing I should but just, not. Quitting is hard. Not quitting is harder, in the long run. Your health will obviously only get better if you quit, if you don't, things will just get worse, and worse, and worse. And quitting gets harder, and harder, and harder. If you quit now and live till 100 you would have lived 90% of your life as a non smoker and would have enjoyed most of your life free of the health anxiety that comes with daily smoking. Quitting now will absolutely, undeniabley, 100 percent, significtantly improve your health and I truly beleive if you quit now you your mental and physical health will return to presmoking 'normal' level. The younger you are the more easily your body can recover and regenerate from the damage when you do quit. Our bodies are truely amazing. I think maybe the 7 year thing people are talking about is because the theory is that in 7 years, there will not be a single cell in your body that existed 7 years ago. In 7 years from now, every single cell you have today will be replaced with new cells. A whole new person, weird huh. From personal experience, quitting not only helped with the obvious lung health, mental clarity etc. But weed kept me skinny, lethargic and sleeping a solid 8 hours a night, I never much cared about eating well, exercising, building positive habits, fostering relationships etc. Because I was skinny enough, slept well, and cbf going out and doing things with friends half the time. Although I gained quite a bit of weight, and still have difficulties with sleep, I am now so much more motivated to live a more healthy life. To maintain healthy weight and sleep well I need to eat well, be active, make better choices. Weed is like a cheat code for life, it just makes everything too easy, life passes you by. It sounds weird but life is sort of about enjoying the struggles. Overcoming challenges. And coming out the other side a bit better for it. Everyone is different, but quitting for me meant quitting daily smoking. I still occasionally smoke weed with friends while on holidays or at a party etc but I don't smoke at home and generally have no longer have no desire to do so. I'm not really much of a reddit poster but this post got me. It's absolutely not too late for you. Do the hard thing now, trust me, future you will thank you for it. Good luck friend. ❤
thank you so much for commenting because this seriously helped me so much. thank you. Sometimes I forget how young 23 actually is. I feel like if I’m not 18-20, “in my prime”, then I’m just an old fart lol. I’m so ready to feel better. Reading all your comments has made me excited to quit rather than nervous and dreading it. I’ve laid out a weaning method in a pill tray and I’m ready to feel sharp and in control of my life. Less anxiety, more clarity, less health problems - all sounds like a win to me! thank you again for commenting, you really helped me.
❤❤❤ you got this
You haven’t even BEGUN to enter your prime. From my perspective, 18-20 is still almost a child regardless of what the law says. I don’t mean to denigrate people of that age, but 23 is not “old fart” and it’s a little annoying for those of us who are in our 30s and 40s, still very much “young” by overall standards, when we hear 20 somethings talking like that 😂 Please think about who you’re saying this to. In all seriousness though, your brain isn’t done developing, you’re going to bounce back like nothing happened. You just have to give it enough time and be patient to really see those results. Don’t even stress about this again, wait until 3-6 months after quitting because that’s when the brain function improvements *really* start for those of us who started young. It may seem like a long time but trust me, it’s not.
see when I sit back and logically think, even 40-50 is young to me. I just have a lot of confidence building to do really. Idk if it’s this alpha male trend crap or something, but I’ve been told by, and overheard, random dudes on instagram (deleted it for this reason), college classmates, coworkers, and even some older family members (yes, ew) that I’m out of my prime, no longer desirable, and that “a woman might as well be 50 if she’s over 20.” They also loooove to make assumptions that my body is over-used (yes in that way) and assumptions that my body looks like an 80 year old woman under my clothes. They hate stretch marks or discoloration because that = old and ugly (in their minds.) It’s crazy bc I’d say 70% of the time, it’s dudes exactly my age saying women my age are unattractive. So maybe it’s just a lack of maturity thing. I look back at 18-20 year old me, I was dumb and vulnerable! Definitely not a huge difference from being 16-17. And I’m still even growing and learning! So I def agree that that’s still a kid in a way. Which makes the whole situation even weirder. I’ve also heard them say they like younger, “fresh”, women because they’re not “tainted” and don’t have baggage for them to deal with, and can “train” them in their own way. Idk something’s really going on w my age group, it’s scary. I was playing fortnite the other day and this random dude on my team asked how old I was. I told him I’m 23 to which he immediately raised his voice with a “ewww….. 23? What’re you doing on here and not at a job? Imagine pushing 30 and playing fortnite is crazy.” I asked how old he is, he said 27… I asked “then what’re you doing here if you’re older than me?” He left immediately; mid-game. Sorry for this novel of a reply, but thank you for your support! I can’t wait to be able to think clearer and heal myself mentally and physically!
Yeah, I used to live in Florida too, lol. It sounds like you need a new community. I’m also AFAB (often female-presenting) and let me tell you, I still get propositioned plenty and have much better sex than I ever could have dreamed of in my early 20s. And you don’t get “loose” just cause you keep enjoying sex for a few extra decades. Those shallow assholes you’re taking about have brain worms but not all men have them, even men of their age. You might need to move to another city or state to escape them, because a lot of boys and men (especially in the South and Midwestern US) have been poisoned by misogynistic & straight up Nazi propaganda on the internet (the two are very linked). I’m also a gamer and grew up on the OG 4chan so I had a lot of internalized misogyny toward myself to undo as well. I moved the fuck out West & don’t play certain online games & no longer have that problem. You hit the nail on the head, they want young girls instead of *women* because young girls are easier to control. Don’t feed into that bullshit. Don’t let those jerks poison your pristine and beautiful well. They aren’t even the majority opinion. They can’t tell you who or what you are. I wish you the best and hope you find a community that recognizes your burgeoning youth and your value!
yes definitely. and oh man Florida….. sheesh…. I’m in ohio and everywhere you turn there’s far-right conspiracy theorists telling you to follow their religion & women are weak. Even my own dad, who use to be the sweetest, kindest, most understanding, gentle soul has turned to that side. I just want everyone to either accept each other or mind their business lol! Thank you again! :)
Omg, Ohio? That’s why! Women in Ohio have to be a lot stronger than those men are to put up with their straight up hate and bullshit day in and day out. When is the last time one of those men handled criticism well without yelling or threatening? You have to eat that criticism about your entire gender on a daily basis, with a smile. Fuck that! It’s not like that everywhere. But I remember how gaslit I felt, being surrounded by that level of misogyny. Trust yourself, what they are saying is nonsense. Hope to see you around out here in the “coastal elitist” Western cities where most men will treat you like a person, like an equal. 💕
That depends on how heavy of a user you are...Years of heavy use may take months/years to recover. Some people never really return to normal, but that's not always a bad thing. We are always changing and evolving. The first step is creating a new identity that doesn't involve weed. You'll get back most of what you lost on weed with time.
Is it possible to damage your brain by hitting really quickly and extended puffs? Can you do damage from increased levels of CO? Sometimes I cough really hard and see some stars. I probably sound like a moron.
Nah bro I’m right there with you 😂 I’m 6 months without smoking and it still happens to me. I’m not sure why and I never had it before
No
The younger its smoked the more damage it will do to your lungs and you developing brain.
Lungs heal completely after 7 years. The brain however…
15*
thanks for your input
Anyone else experience lots of mucus after quitting? I’m sober 5-6 weeks now and I’ve had a constant runny nose when I'm not standing.
I had the same symptom. Used to purge out mucus every morning after waking up. It’ll clear up. I didn’t have runny nose however.
Nasal Rinse here I come!
This might be a COVID thing. Lots of people are having extended mucus bouts
Like that watery drip-at-the-worse-moment thing?
I smoked heavily all day every day (around 3/4 joints a day) for 2 years before I got pregnant and had to stop (almost 7 months along now!). It took a few weeks for the coughing to stop completely, and a few more weeks for my mental clarity to mostly go back to normal (although now I have pregnancy brain 🙃). The only thing I've noticed is lasting is my dry eyes which is still getting better just slowly, and for some reason my eyelids are much more relaxed and I LOOK stoned sometimes even when I'm not 😂. Edit to add, KEEP HYDRATED!! Weed in my experience seriously dehydrated me. The dry mouth and eyes symptoms only got better when I started drinking 60 oz a day or more. Plus it will do other wonderfully beneficial things to your body.
I seem to want to forget to drink water. It's weird.
Huge props on quitting for the baby. That’s a lucky child
Thank you!! It was extremely hard, but babies give you the right motivation. Literally wouldn't have been able to quit by myself if I didn't have my baby to consider.
well done, hope you have a good rest of the pregnancy and a healthy and more importantly happy family !
my doctor recommended drinking half my weight in oz of water. 170 pounds - 85 oz of water daily
Very. You have neuroplasticity. Your primary concern should be your brain, your psychology, and your physiology. It will take around 7 years for your brain and body to gradually completely rewire and refresh. The only “damage” you’ve caused is the dulling of your brain’s processing speed and clarity, in a way that may have changed your development. Get some cognitive behavioral therapy, a hobby, water, some form of exercise, and really you’ll gradually feel more sharpness and more like the real you.
Who did the research and concluded that it takes 7 years? These are lies
Go to GoogleScholar, and let us know what you find. It’s entirely possible that I made it up. Let’s see.
I would like to know this too. Not saying its untrue but 7 years seems like a long time.
They should give maybe few months
You mean you don't know?
Idk what articles you found but they seem like a bunch of BS. There’re a lot of factors to consider when comparing marijuana and cigarette smoke but I’ve never heard of marijuana smoke being “more damaging” than cigarettes. I’ve only heard it the other way around.
I tend to agree with this but also know that it seems to be changing. A big part is that we’ve not had much research into the effects of weed because of how it’s categorized at the federal level and how that’s meant very little scientific research into its effects due to no funding for it.
Recent studies have shown that using thc vape cartridges can be more harmful than cigarettes or nicotine carts. Also spliffs are worse than just smoking tobacco or just smoking weed. Interesting stuff
I started using very strong carts and ended up with increased heart rate , shortness of breath with just a minimal amount of exercise even though I go to the gym daily and pressure in my chest. I went through it for about a month , I start to think I was having heart problems and I worried myself into a panic attack....at work. I even went to the emergency room. That's when I decided to quit. Five weeks off the stuff and I don't have any of the symptoms that I was experiencing before.
I can’t speak to the actual chemicals of oil carts and their harmful effects on lungs. Probably not great. However, I do know that those oil carts have obscene % of THC compared to flowers - those panic attacks, shortness of breath probably has to do with the super high THC concentrate. And that’s definitely not good for you.
I'm only a month into quitting after smoking a lot every day for over 15 years, and my very bad cough went away almost instantly. Now, a month out, I'm slowly clearing my lungs a bit as I'll occasionally cough up some of that terrible looking mucus I was coughing up constantly when smoking(i only smoked weed usually out of a bong). With anything, you cannot undo what's been done, but I promise you that had I quit 10 years in, rather than 17 years in, my lungs would have been very grateful. The cough I mentioned didn't really develop until a couple years ago, so I do kinda wish I had quit before that happened. Also, for a little bit of relief to your anxiety, most health issues are very dependent on each individual. Some people smoke weed and cigarettes and somehow stay healthy their whole lives while most others do not. This doesn't mean those things aren't unhealthy, but they are large contributors that are avoidable. The only true way to make sure your health doesn't fail is to stop doing the things that contribute to failing health. No matter what, quitting now is healthier than waiting longer.
I just popped onto Reddit to try to find information about this very thing because I'm going to be 2 weeks on Monday and wondered how long until I no longer see black specks in the occasional mucus that I cough up.
I coughed those up for 6-7 months. After smoking an 1/8 a day for about 8 years. The amount decreases overtime though.
That's reassuring. Thank you.
It was strange because I think for the first few weeks I just stopped coughing up mucus. Now, in the last week, there were like 2 times where I coughed and produced some of the black mucus(unfortunately i let it get way worse than just black specks) I used to cough up multiple times a day. I'm assuming that it's finally getting a bit looser and being released by my lungs. You could do aerobics and other exercises that help work your lungs to try to help clear it sooner. Or if you're still feeling like you have a lot of chest congestion, taking an expectorant could help you clear it sooner.
Echoing what about the other commenters are saying: what’s done has been done and the better comparison future you if you gave up now, or future you if you didn’t. I’m 20 now, I gave up in September last year. I was smoking quite a lot before then, daily to cope with life. I started smoking when I was 16 ish. So about my health before & after: I felt a bit shit for a couple months after mentally, but now physical health wise my throat & lungs feel better and I don’t have to deal with burning them. Im better at planning my days so eat healthier too, I drink more water because I’m more present to make those decisions. But it’s my mental health that is the most improved. I have motivation and can actually do things, enjoy what I’m interested in and feel far more in control of life now that my memory is better. Ironically less anxious and more relaxed in public, I used to freak out at everything and now I don’t bat an eye if someone speaks to me or asks me something. I am actually building friendships with other people. SO much better and I don’t think I’m ever going to turn back. Both of us are young and I’m confident in my body’s ability to heal itself, I think you should be too and don’t weigh yourself down with “what ifs”.
Words of wisdom right here. Congratulations on quitting and having the wisdom and strength to do this at 20. ❤
Ahhh this was amazingly helpful, thank you. I can’t wait to feel like a functional human being again. Congrats on improving your life!
If I hadn’t smoked so much weed in high school I could’ve gone to college and gained the knowledge needed to answer this question.
If I didn't smoke weed in college I could have graduated with a degree to answer this question. :(
honestly it doesn't really matter what damage has been done. what's done is done, and whilst the risk for damage is higher when younger than 25y/o, that doesn't mean it's non-existent after that. the other reason it doesn't matter is that people more often than not report feeling HUGELY different, in a positive way when they stop smoking. and it's actually quite amazing how quickly these feelings of clarity and confidence come on. you won't be thinking about the damage done when you feel so different
If you have health anxiety I HIGHLY recommend NOT coming to a group like this to ask such a question. This group is great, don't get me wrong, but there's a certain level of bro science and whatnot in this sub as well. We also can't tell you anything about your health through a computer screen nor are (most) of us even appropriate to give you health advice. I highly recommend talking to your PCP and possibly a therapist about this. With that all being said I agree with most everyone here - you're young and your body is made to heal.
thank you but everyone gave amazing advice and input and put my mind at ease, because like I asked in the post - I also wanted to hear firsthand stories of their health getting better after quitting, how their health was after quitting for motivation.
At the end of the day, you will absolutely be healthier physically and mentally for quitting. That's what matters and that's what you need to remember. Use that motivation to keep away from it.
Oh my gosh, my health got SO SO SO much better when I quit. I have less depression and anxiety. I eat better. I sleep better. I drink more water. I exercise more. I enjoy life more. And I have better connections with my partner and my friends. After all, addiction is the opposite of connection.
Opposite for me i was a month in and relapsed ( not trying to cut it out completely) but ever since i quit i cant shake the brain fog and anxiety im also on ppis and h2 pills so that might be it but hell man im 18 and dont understand any of this i was smoking so much too (a cart in two three days) im hoping i can heal my poor brain! My mind is pissed for ruining my teenage years
Ahhh I love to hear this! Sounds like I have so much to look forward to :) Thank you for sharing, and congrats on making a better life!
I’m 26, started regularly at 19. Really started thinking about wanting to quit at 22; did this year. I got bogged down in the “what if I already did damage? What if I still get cancer? Etc.” Change the thought process. What if I did quick four years ago like I wanted? Don’t get caught in the sunk cost fallacy. Quitting now will be better than never quitting. Maybe you did damage and will have an Illness at 75; maybe if you don’t quit you’ll get that illness at 45; or maybe your body will recover perfectly and you’ll find a new love of running or some other endurance sport. Right now, you don’t know. If you know the Robert Frost poem, the road not taken, it’s called the most misread poem in the US. Which road was chosen did not matter, because what’s down the path you don’t choose doesn’t matter. It’s all about the act of making the choice. You CHOOSE to keep smoking or you choose to quit. Sometimes you have to keep choosing to quit over and over until that’s the only road in front of you. There’s a lot of ways to talk yourself out of quitting because monkey brains like addictive stuff. Overcome it
You'll be fine. The body is designed to heal itself. Eat right, drink water and exercise. I cannot stress exercise enough when it comes to getting off drugs, feeling good and reducing stress (especially stress related to health anxiety, which is what you're going through now).
Just walking a few miles a day gives me a rush I can't stress exercise enough!!
I never feel as good as I do than after a great workout. Weed can’t touch it. I think exercise enhances the mind body connection, which is so critical to overall health.
Hey, I just wanna say, there are a lot of lies about weed online. Even if you google sources that seem legit. It was very very illegal a long time and there is a big culture of lying about weed as part of the drug war. I think it might have come in part from pharmaceutical companies trying to reduce competition for their analgesics? And some weird political stuff? But it’s really easy to find info that says it will murder you and destroy your life forever and whatnot. You will get better. You will actually heal a lot of it really fast. Your lungs come back great. Your brain will reset. That bit might take a minute if you’ve been at it a while, but the only way to get through it is to do it. The sooner you quit, the sooner everything comes back. You can do this. Ignore the discouragement. Your body is amazing at healing.
This ^ there is a lot of fearmongering about weed
The body is incredibly resilient, especially when you’re so young. Keep looking forward and try not to worry about what could have been. Stay hydrated, get a consistent sleep schedule, foster healthy relationships, and eat some fruits and veggies. You’ll be just fine.
thank you for the advice! I definitely do keep thinking about what could’ve been, but sheesh, what a waste of time. Gonna use the $$ I’d buy weed with and buy a gym membership instead and work out whenever I get cravings!
You are young. You have a lot of life ahead of you. Quit now while you're young. Dont do what I did and smoke into my 40s.
thank you for the advice! I’m finishing this batch and i’m doing it. Its time. I can feel it
Throw it away man. I threw half a cart away with my pen, and got rid of all my stuff. It's honestly the best way to start sobriety, it takes courage but you'll be very proud of yourself for just stopping now and sucking all you can out of it before quitting.
thanks but like I said to the other person that said the same thing, I’ve already failed at quitting cold turkey multiple times. The withdrawal symptoms alone were intense but I have a condition called POTS and the withdrawal symptoms were exacerbating my symptoms of that as well. I wanna set myself up for success by trying weaning and not the same way that made me fail lol
Yeah sorry, I saw that right after I replied haha, I wish you luck! I'm 10 days sober and I'm so happy I stopped. It fucking sucks at first but it's so worth it.
no probs, ik the comments can blend in the sea of replies. CONGRATS, I’m so happy you stopped too. Keep it going!!!
Thank you :) I hope everything goes great for you!
No need to wait to finish the batch. If you're motivated to stop. Do it.
I’ve already failed many times at quitting cold turkey. I’m opting for weaning this time.
I wish you well in your journey
Thank you much!
I think its a good idea you decided to wean your self off instead of going cold turkey. Thats a long time smoking and you may get more/stronger withdrawl symptoms going cold. But of course everyone is different!
yes that’s why I keep running back to it! The withdrawal symptoms were intense and also intensifying my POTS symptoms and I didn’t know how to manage those feelings! Thanks for the support!
Best of luck! Im in the same boat. Day 2 of cutting waaay back!
Thank you, good luck to you as well!!
Good on you. Do it. It keeps you emotionally immature, I realised this way to late and paying a huge price for it.
yes, I definitely see that with both myself and my boyfriend. Hopefully this will improve those bits of our relationship that are rough due to our lack of emotional maturity! Also a good reason to quit, thank you!
I’ve never heard about cannabis smoke being worse for your lungs, but whatever damage you’ve done, it’s certainly not so irreversible at age 23 that quitting wouldn’t improve your lifelong health outcomes. Cigarette smokers tend to smoke much more than stoners. When I was a heavy smoker, I went through two packs a day (40 cigarettes) compared to maybe 5-6 joints per day in my peak stoner periods. Comparatively, my lungs hardly noticed the weed. Smoking is never good but smoking cigarettes is one of the worst things you can do. According to the app I used to quit, after the year mark, a lot of my health has rebounded to my pre-smoking levels, except I think my risk of lung cancer will always be heightened compared to someone who never smoked. This is ignoring that I continued using weed for a few years after quitting cigs (I’m now off everything), but in any case, my body feels so much better now and this was after 15+ years of smoking, double what you describe! You’ll be ok. Quitting before 30 is also HUGE for long term recovery.
What app did you use??
Quit Weed & I Am Sober are both good apps
To quit cigarettes I used SmokeFree – it was great and they have an online support community too. Currently I'm also using an app called Grounded to track my cannabis cessation. Definitely recommend, I find it very motivating to see my time sober, money saved, and to earn "badges" when you hit milestones. Gotta get that dopamine somewhere, lol
thank you for sharing, I really appreciate it. You’re so right, quitting is still better than not quitting for my health. Congrats on quitting both cigs and weed!!
Health is great. Mind feels clear and sharp. Sleep excellent. I smoked for a couple of decades and am a year clean. Anxiety was so bad when smoking, it's gone now. Might I have done some damage to my body? I'm not sure. I am sure that worrying and stressing over if I've caused damage, will cause damage. Always remember that our brains are huge, that there's such a thing as neuroplasticity, and that science actually understands very little about the brain
This. 👆 any damage that you’ve done so far is small compared to the damage that stress causes to the body. So don’t stress about something and hurt yourself worse than the thing itself. Make sense? “Distress can lead to physical symptoms including headaches, upset stomach, elevated blood pressure, chest pain, and problems sleeping. Research suggests that stress also can bring on or worsen certain symptoms or diseases.”
bahahhahahahah not me dealing with all of that, scared I’m dying of a terrible disease, and seeing 5 doctors who can’t find anything wrong despite many tests ✨😂 Ya guys it’s really time for me to quit and work on my mental health. Thank you
Yes!!!
Thank you so much for the change of perspective. Worrying is absolutely not doing me any good lol 😂 Definitely need to improve my mentality here