# heart palpitations - should I stop smoking????



## TaraRose (Nov 30, 2008)

I didn't know where the appropriate place to post this was so mods please feel free to move if this is not the right forum.  

Hi all..I have posted here a few times a long long time ago. I am a 23 y/o female, I have been a smoker for about 5 years. I first started smoking because other people were (hehe..yay peer pressure!) but figured out very quickly that marijuana is absolutely the best migraine medication on the market. Over the years my smoking has progressed to daily use just cuz it makes life so much more damn tolerable lol. Last year I was smoking up to 4 bowls a day or more if I could. I have backed off over the last few months because I have started having heart palpitations. I have them when I am not stoned too and a month or so ago I saw a doctor who said he didn't think they are anything to be concerned about. They are not painful just funny feeling and I have about 1-4 a day on average but lately I have been noticing that when I am stoned they are more frequent, up to 3 in a 1 hour period. I did not mention the fact that I used marijuana to the doc, I am wondering if this happens to anyone else?? Does anyone know if marijuana is bad for your heart?? I stopped smoking for a few days over the thanksgiving holiday as I was out of town with family and got ripped tonight (first day home) and almost immediately started noticing palpitations. I am seriously considering putting down the pipe as it were, which would be hugely, hugely sad. Any advice ???


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## cadlakmike1 (Nov 30, 2008)

I am not a doctor and would not dare to give you medical advice. What i will say though, is don't be afraid of your family doctor. you need to have an open and honest relationship with him/her. Tell them all of the influencing factors that have lead to your medical condition and listen to what they say. Now a days, most doctors are able to accept that some, or even most, people smoke marijuana recreationaly, Give him/her all the factors and then ask if you need to quit. This is just my opinion though.


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## Lastritez (Nov 30, 2008)

Have you tried a vaporizer? smoking isn't good for you of course, I am lookign to give up, but still need a way to take my MJ, and I not really one for cooking it. The vaporiser gives you the chance to carry on without the need to smoke, I shall be investing in one as soon as the money is available so I can stop smoking. Will be testing out a volcano as soon as my mate remembers to bring it over with him next time, not sure if I will get that one, I like the look of the extreme v-tower, although not found a seller for that one in the UK yet, and the volcano is damned expensive, but it does get alot of good reviews. You should also find you MJ lasts longer using a vaporizer, and the hit is awesome if I am to believe everything I am told.

Not saying a vaporizer will solve your problems, but it may help, could be worth a shot.


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## yimmy capone (Dec 1, 2008)

I am no doctor in any way, but from what i read this can be triggered by such things as caffine and anemia. MJ does increase your heart rate, but what I noticed myself when I smoke alot sometimes I'll start noticing my heart beats. So when your high your probally noticing it more. I would recommend that you tell your doctor, he knows your medical history and it will be confidental. I would worry about the blacking out that can occur. And please do what feels best for your body, you know your body better than anyone. Be safe and take care.


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## THCPezDispenser (Dec 1, 2008)

TaraRose said:
			
		

> I didn't know where the appropriate place to post this was so mods please feel free to move if this is not the right forum.


 
You shouldn't be getting your medical advice from internet chat forums, your health is just too precious.  Would you really go by the advice of some stranger here rather than talk to your doctor?  Don't worry about telling your doctor about your MJ use, there is doctor-patient confidentiality.  If you are reluctant just because you don't want to hear him say you need to stop...well you know what you need to do. 

Take care.


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## Kupunakane (Dec 1, 2008)

OK, 
      I can have no medical argument here, simply put your health is of the utmost importance. I would advise seeing a good cardiologist, before I would settle for what the OL'Family physician had to say. This isn't saying that he isn't any good, but when it comes to the heart I don't play games.
  I throw PVC's which feels like a net full of butterflies just got loose in my chest, I just pitter patter all over, but let me throw more than two or three in a row and it kicks in the Angina, and after that it can hurt a lot and be sorta spooky.
 Some folks just smoke a tad and suddenly seem to become very aware of themselves physically, maybe turning inward a tad too much. As with all of life, use your brains,  indulge in moderation, and learn to give and share.
Good Luck and Good Health.

smoke in peace
KingKahuuna


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## SmokinMom (Dec 1, 2008)

I was having heart palps several years ago.  The dr said it was anxiety and put me on antidepressants.  They went away and I continued to smoke.

I quit the meds a year ago, and felt it trying to sneak back in.  I find that if I am exercising on a regular basis I feel better physically and emotionally and I have zero problems with any heart palps these days.


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## Muddy Paws (Dec 1, 2008)

Try a different strain, if nothing else.


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## omnigr33n (Dec 1, 2008)

*You have to be honest with your doctor first and foremost.*  How can he help you if you keep things from him?  It's your health and any good doctor will want you to be healthy. I'll tell you right now what he'll probably say...stop smoking lol.  However, how many of us are willing to give up marijuana completely?  I have doctors in the family and they tell me that the best way to keep yourself healthy is good diet, sleep and exercise...straight up.

I am not a doctor (yet), but if your having heart palpitations more so when you smoke than not then I would stop.  At least take an extended break and change your routine since you do have them when you aren't smoking.  Do this and see what happens after lets say 6 months.  If the doctor is telling you not too worry then take comfort in that, but be wary of course.  I don't think you're going to suffer from a heart attack if that's what you're worried about.

I've never heard of anyone dying from having a heart attack from smoking too much weed.  Our biggest worry should be possibly developing some sort of chronic pulmonary disease as the years go by.  Don't worry, you're not gonna die lol.


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## TaraRose (Dec 1, 2008)

Hi all..thanks for the replies. I never have more than one 'flutter' in a row and never any pain or lightheadedness; my palps feel like my heart jumps into my throat and skips a beat, then resumes beating normally.

One of the reasons I am posting on here is that I do not have any insurance at the moment. I actually went to the urgent care the last time because it was happening at work and causing panick attacks, the urgent care doc sent me to the ER and of course I did not have a single palp while I was there on the monitor. They did chest xrays and a blood test to make sure I did not have any sort of clot and they were all normal. The ER doc told me a lot of people have palps but most don't feel them. I do plan on seeing another doc as soon as my insurance is straightened out and getting a monitor just to make sure they are not dangerous palps as recommended by the ER doc. 

Thanks again for all the helpful responses


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## allmashedup (Dec 1, 2008)

*hi tara, i think i can help you out on this one. i started having palpatations 2 years ago, ..mine felt like my heart had completly missed a beat, then i felt it start beating again with a kind of thud. very scary indeed.  i had to wear a portable heart moniter for 48hrs, the results took about a week to come back, and its called an eptopic heart beat! i might have spelt that wrong! *
*but to put in simpler terms. is that it feels like the heart has skipped a beat, but infact, it has a slight soft beat that we dont feel. so it goes...beat...beat....*soft beat*.....miss......THUMP!.....back to normal.*
*does that sound a bit like it, if so. you have nothing to worry about. it does us no harm what soever, but like the others say. keep an eye out for other symptoms. like numbness, or tingling in arms or chest. or tightness of breath. go straight to a&e if you are worried.*
*smoking your mj with tobbaco will increase your heartbeat, this is normal. try not to let it stress you too much as anxiety will make your symptoms worse. i hope this has been of some help.*
*feel free to private message me, if you have any more questions. *


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## tcbud (Dec 1, 2008)

What you discribed is a PVB or PCB, cant remembre the name, PostVascularBeat or PostCardio Beat, heart feels like it is in the throat.
*Get your doc to recomend a Cardiologist and go see them.* 
Take it from someone who has Echo Cardiograms every year and has been living a full life with parts of my heart replaced.
*See a Cardiologist*


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## TaraRose (Dec 1, 2008)

allmashedup that sounds EXACTLY like what I am feeling, complete to the hard thud at the end. Does smoking make your palps worse? I never considered the fact maybe I am just noticing them more when I am stoned rather than actually having them more. Recently I've developed a good bit of anxiety about this complete with nasty panic attacks I have never had before. It is sooooo silly but anytime I get a bit of indigestion or soreness in my back I panic that I may be having a heart attack.


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## allmashedup (Dec 1, 2008)

*well tara, smoking definatly makes your heart beat feel weird. i took it easy on the smoking when it was happening to me, cause i found smoking made it happen more. it still happens, but not as frequently .specially when im sitting not doin much. cause when im at work or doin something that takes my mind off it, it dont seem too happen as much. im ashmatic too. and the inhalers that i use makes my heart do that miss a beat thud thing. well all i can say is that it isnt life threatning. and the more you just think to yourself "ill be ok it wont kill me"...youll start too relax a bit.... sometimes it takes  my breath away too and makes me feel sick. *
*but like i said before, if your at all worried, or it gets worst, take a trip to the a&e. thats what the nhs are for. if your in the uk of coarse *


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## The Effen Gee (Dec 1, 2008)

If you think you might, plus if it seems to increase your heart rate then you bet your butt it would be a good idea to either:

A, Stop smoking sativa of ANY kind. Smoke indica only (if you must)

or..

B, Stop smoking period because your body want's you too.

As you may or may not know, the more Thc in your weed the more chances you have for rapid heart rate. Plus if you are already taking medications of any kind, I recommend you look around the NORML website or contact a medical marijuana doctor via email.

It never hurts to ask. Just remember the information safety act of '79 is there to protect you.


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## Dong (Sep 5, 2009)

Hey sorry to ressurect this post, i'm a bit worried too because i've recently been havingh palpatations. Mine are in the form of getting stoned and my heart racing the whole time. When I start to sober up my heart rate slows down. I love smaoking weed, but this has made it completely unenjoyable and even when im sober i'm very worried. Sometimes after tobacco I get them too and now im completely aware of my breathing ever since my ordeals which is annoying the hell outta me. The doctor checked my beat, said it was fine, said I had 100% oxygen. But even sitting here atm my chest feels weird. IDK if I should worry or not.


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## purplephazes (Sep 5, 2009)

Dong said:
			
		

> Hey sorry to ressurect this post, i'm a bit worried too because i've recently been havingh palpatations. Mine are in the form of getting stoned and my heart racing the whole time. When I start to sober up my heart rate slows down. I love smaoking weed, but this has made it completely unenjoyable and even when im sober i'm very worried. Sometimes after tobacco I get them too and now im completely aware of my breathing ever since my ordeals which is annoying the hell outta me. The doctor checked my beat, said it was fine, said I had 100% oxygen. But even sitting here atm my chest feels weird. IDK if I should worry or not.


 Panic attacks my freind tightning of the chest heart racing anxiety attacks ! I went to hospital a couple of times i gave up drinking changed my dealer and ate an orange to snap it out when it happened i don't recommend spotting ! This increases the heart rate ! IMO ! Take care ! I also think it comes from bud that has'nt been flushed properly !


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## dman1234 (Sep 5, 2009)

you people need to see a different doctor, you need to be fitted with na monitor for 24-48 hours this will record your heart rate, you then return the monitor to the doctor and theyn read it and take appropriate action,


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## kasgrow (Sep 5, 2009)

I feel the same palpations from time to time. Usually after taking a hit. I found that it does it more with sativas than indicas also. I relax and don't worry about it. I figure it is the waves of reaction from my brain like when you have a good cough and float for a minute. I'm no doctor, though I have played one many times as a kid.


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## Six (Sep 5, 2009)

kasgrow said:
			
		

> I'm no doctor, though I have played one many times as a kid.



Lol, ya...i think thats the first time i noticed rapid heart beat and slight hyperventilating....:spit:


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## spartan17 (Sep 17, 2009)

I have been smoking for about 10 years within the last year or so, whenever I smoked I started feeling my heart racing and it would last for about 20 minutes.  The racing was actually a result of my pulse taking off.   This last sunday I smoked around 10PM and my pulse was racing until the next day.  I went to my family doctor he did an EKG and my heart valves were not squeezing all the way, they were fluttering and he called it atrial fibrillation and if it lasts for more then 48 hours It would lead to a stroke.  My pulse was also over 115 (normal is between 60-90) He gave me a prescription for Toprol XL that slows my heart beat down and it took until the next day for my heart to finally slow down.  He also said to see a cardiologist.

I saw the cardiologist on Thursday (4 days later) and everything is now normal (I have also stopped smoking).   It seems all the speeding of the pulse finally lead to the atrial fibrillation.  He suggested I stop smoking and have to take an aspirin every day until they do a sonogram of my heart to make sure everything is ok.


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## skyewabbit (Feb 24, 2016)

Hi! I've seen 2 cardiologists and many doctors and all of them have said there is absolutely nothing wrong with my heart and that I'm in great health. But I get palpitations and I quit smoking for that same reason. I was told it was probably ectopic heartbeats I was feeling because you are very aware of them if you have it. When I would smoke it would happen within 10 minutes and I was always afraid I'd have a heart attack. Of course that causes panic and just makes it worse lol. I've stopped drinking coffee as well because it really affects the palpitations then. I've noticed if I'm stressed or anything they happen more often than not. A couple weeks ago my husband's parents were coming to visit and the day before I felt them every few minutes and it even prevented me from going to sleep that night. I didnt think I was anxious or nervous but my body was obviously telling me otherwise. I have smoked a couple tokes here and there since and it hasn't been so bad but because I already have anxiety issues I have not started smoking again. And I used to smoke A LOT. I'm sad that I don't anymore and miss it everyday!!


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## skyewabbit (Feb 24, 2016)

Wow a few years late on this post haha. Didn't even realize!!


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## WeedHopper (Feb 24, 2016)

Anxiety can cause palpitations.  I have them sometimes if i smoke weed that is a strong Sativa. I smoke mostly Hybrids and Indicas now and very seldom have them. Besides lots of things can cause them ,,,Chocolate and even Bananas.


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