Is It Okay to Smoke Pot After a Brain Injury?

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Please remember, we are not able to give medical or legal advice. If you have medical concerns, please consult your doctor. All posted comments are the views and opinions of the poster only.

I was in an induced coma for 2.5 weeks a bit over 2 years ago after falling off a railing while blackout drunk. The neuro surgeon performed a craniotomy and after a few months of being in hospital and learning how to walk again, I was all good. My sense of smell isn't that great anymore but it's not gone :)

I didn't smoke, drink or do drugs as my neurosurgeon said that I absolutely must not do that. However, at the beginning of this year I asked him again and he said: "I don't recommend it". I obviously took it as: "I'm a surgeon so I can't say yes cause if anything happens I will be in trouble". So I started smoking cigarettes and weed again (never drinking again). Some days I do get Horrible headaches but I do believe that it could be normal from smoking too much tobacco and drinking too little water that day. For the weed, I just started smoking that again (+- a few weeks ago) and so far it has been really enjoyable and fun.

I went on this website because the top back part of my skull had a sudden small concentrated vibrating pain that lasted a very short amount of time (This was the first time) so it scared me a little. If that happens 2 more times in a short amount of time I will quit everything because it's honestly not worth risking my health like that.

when smoking weed, I also enjoy starting with a tiny bit first just so that I can read what my body is telling me and if there are any minor indications of my brain area being affected. Then I smoke more.

Try edible marijuana. You can buy All sorts of treats that have marijuana in it and therefore you’re not smoking which I understand is extremely risky. My friend has an AVM and is now eating edible marijuana and it helps him tremendously.

OMG you didn’t learn your lesson at all. How stupid do you sound that you took it that way the Dr. meant you could smoke? Please get real. So you dont value a second chance? So you put that crap in you because you do have a brain injury for the rest of your life. Obviously your brain doesn’t make good choices. My Neuro, said to me and my Aneurysm group “We ever smoke again-we are signing our death certificate “ So either Stop or count your time, because each cig is 10 min off your life.

If each cigarette is 10 mins; i should have died long time ago….i had operation last year begining of summer. Had A brain hemorrhage. Stayed in coma for 3 weeks/discharged after 10 days without any damage. another operation i had in february for an aneursym i had… kust stayed 2 days in hospital. I do smoke and vape. Drink time to time. No weed tho

I read all the comments here.
it seems I'm not alone in
the weed brain business.

So I'm a teenager gonna be 18 this 18th Feb,
I had an accident almost 2 years ago
I fell from a running car on a hill somewhere while I was high
I had hit my left side of the head
so I needed brain surgery cause my head was getting filled with blood
after that accident, I got out of hospital within a week
ik who gets off so soon, But I'm a kid so I heal fast that's what the doc said,
I started smoking after 1 week at home.. so I held smoking for 2 weeks after surgery.
After that, I left home within a year and started living alone. I started smoking 1 pack a day and needed a joint each day must.
now I'm still high.
it's my birthday month so I'm getting high every day of the month.
but inside I'm scared that will I ever heal fully?
how long it will take? I need to take meds every fucking day for the past years.
Life's already a mess ... how can I feel better?
Sometimes when I work out too much or get high too much my left side of my brain vibrates from the inside.. like it's a heartbeat of the brain. I feel bad every time I think about how I put myself in this position every f@$%ing day.

face the facts. You have a brain injury. You can not smoke! Either you clean up your act or pick out you casket. Stop your pity party. Stop getting high and get normal. You are living in la la land. You probably should be lifting more than 10 lbs if you had bleeding on the brain. Go to the dr and get help to stop smoking. Get a job. Keep busy and new friends. You need to change your life around. Move away and go to a trade school and become human or you sill waste your life. Good luck

I had a severe diffuse Axonal traumatic brain injury in 1998. I was 8 years old. I just started smoking and it helps with all of my pain from my head injury.

I suffer from a Traumatic brain injury, was diagnosed back in 2013 and have a really difficult time thinking about it without crying. I was instantly put into a coma and and lied on a coma for 2 weeks. My current neurologist said I would not survive and told my Mom to prepare for me to die. The woman was driving 45 mph and hit me with no helmet. I have suffered from seizures since 2015. (I believe I have done permanent damage due to the stupid things I had done back then).
But when I smoke marijuanna I have seizures. Example: My last seizure was in August oddly at night, and it was almost directly after smoking. Was curious if there is any correlation, or if it mainly due to eating habits?

I had a brain injury and after I healed I noticed that after I smoked, my head got inflamed and I was ill for like a week. I miss smoking my weed, but have no choice but to stop. It is so messed up. I do get a lot more done and don't procrastinate as much. Alotta good has come from it. Some of us just can't smoke it. I can't do edibles either. No TCH. I can however do some cannabis for the joints.

I had bleeding in the brain possible skull fracture thirteen stiches on my right forehead a gash. I think I feel forward and fell face-first on road. I keep feeling like I need nicotine but about a month later after brain injury, the doctors called it a sub- injury. It's along story. I'm so mad at who hit me head but when I have nicotine I'm easy going don't think of him. Could you tell me what you think

I got hit in the head in 2006 they said I had the second serious hemorrhage. About one to two months later I started smoking cigarettes for the first time. I got hit from behind with a blunt object and the person was never caught. I saw he was a black male. Anyway I quit smoking cigs on April 7, 2020, then started nicotine lozenges in around May. Now I quit lozenges Thursday. And been using a nicotine patch for the last two weeks. I pulled patch off at 3 am this morning and then woke up about 830@m. Been all day without nicotine is it possible because of my head injury when I quit nicotine I get so irritated with everything aggravated but when I have nicotinevim easygoing. I feel I need nicotine for a good relaxed mood. Ask any questions if you need to. I feel like I'm mad at people but nicotine cures my feelings. I wanna be easygoing without nicotine but I can hardly focus on my cable TV. Not much patience please help!! Thank you

Dude the "Black Male" comment is totally out of place...geeze c'mon..

Marijuana has made dealing w multiple this bearable

Hi,
10 weeks ago I had motorbike accident that resulted in subdural heamatoma and diagnosed with mild traumatic brain injury. There is still some blood clot that doctors keep monitoring by regular scan.

I dont believe any of the statements of this doctor cause there is enough evidence and research on TBI and medicinal cannabinoids.

My question is has anyone smoked pot after 2 months of their injury and what was it like?
I would like to smoke but I'm a little bit nervous and would like to hear others' experiences..

Be very careful to either check with your doctor or do some research because my friend has AVM in his brain Which is abnormal Blood vessels Connecting the arteries and veins in his brain and he was told by the doctor to absolutely not smoke any more cigarettes or marijuana due to the seriousness of his issue in the brain. He also becomes very irritable not being able to smoke and when he does he feels relaxed so his doctor suggested that it was OK for him to eat edibles of marijuana which he does and it helped him tremendously. Just a suggestion. As far as the cigarettes go if nicotine helps you then as the other person said using the patch or gum etc. of nicotine may do something to help you. Check with your doctor and see what he says about edibles and give it a shot it really helped my friend. I wish you the best of luck and I’m really sorry to hear about your accident and I hope things get better for you.

You will know if you can or can't...cause your head will swell and you will feel like shit. I can't smoke anymore. Sucks but it is what it is..

Yes, I have the same exact injury as yours. I started THC after 5 years of having the injury. It seems to have no ill affects. I would recommend fish oil, 1000mg up to 4 per day. The injury is manageable but have you felt any repercussions with your mathematical abilities?

I did smoke weed some months after my very very bad concussion. I lost my ability to speak and the marijuana bringss it back, although I need to be high to be able to speak

Had a TBI experience the night of March 1, 2020, not sure why I fainted, but felt sick just before and when I fainted, fell free-fall, hitting the floor and the back of my head had a nice size goose-egg that I treated with ice-packs and sleep. Did not go to emergency as I felt OK, but dizzy. Well, it's been 7 months, and it has affected me with first the dizziness the first couple months, and now it's vertigo just about all day, when I get up from sitting, get out of bed, wearing and taking off my Rx glasses, walking, jogging - I experience some vertigo - some days are worse than others. I've noticed nutrition is key. I have been smoking Indica cannabis at night for the past 12 years for help with my basic ailments - PMDD, Fibromyalsia, and insomnia - it's the only thing that helped me get through the days. I do not smoke it any other time of day, just Indica at night - sometimes to help with appetite than for getting me to sleep right away. Since the TBI, I had to moderate the cannabis from smoking about .75g to .30-.50g and than as the days passed, increased it to almost where I was before, .75g. It's still too much and when that happens, I get the worse feeling in my head - it's like an overactive thing happening in my head where it almost feels as if I'm shaking inside my head. I am also going through peri-menopause, so all these symptoms are wrapped up into one right now making it difficult to decipher what is actually happening to me. Because nothing helps it go away, I just have to go straight to bed and I'm usually over it my morning and feel fine. So, I just have to be careful with how much cannabis I'm smoking at one time. If you have a TBI, I do know nutrition is key, so if you have not eaten well or not at all before smoking, you will find out how bad that can feel. However, if I eat nutritious food and than smoke a little, it usually does as it should and I get to have a restful sleep. Also, following the TBI, getting high is no longer enjoyable, as I cannot listen to headphones with music, watch TV or look at screens too long before I start feeling that awful and weird head experience, i.e. shaking inside my head that comes and goes. Be safe and do cannabis in moderation by testing how much will work for you. Now that I've read many of the TBI experiences here, I see this can last for months to years, so I'm hopeful I will heal soon, even if I use a little cannabis before bed.

Hi, i suffered a TBI last year, go to these websites. Project CBD and BrainCenter. You wil find a ton of info. on cannabis and Omega3 for TBI.
There are some Drs. that specialise in treating our sysmtoms after TBI. It's been my experiance that most don't know anything about it! There is alot of positive research on this subject ,the above dr. has no idea what he's talking about in my opinion.

Lucky you. Because some people go into SEVERE psychosis with delusions after smoking too much weed. Look up “cannabis induced psychosis.” My son has had this happen severely three times now being hospitalized each time. And it’s a horrible hell for us to go through…

My kid does the same exact thing and it’s scary. It’s not ok to see her go through a manic state just to get high. So is there a correlation with TBI/concussions and thc snd manic/psychosis?

Simple question...
Can I smoke hydro if I'm post brain surgery 20 years ago and take dilantin to avoid grand mal seizures ??

I smoke weed almost everyday even though the bleeding on my brain wasn’t as bad. I was in a car crash and put in a coma about a month ago. Ever since I got out I been smoking weed and I’ve had no effect to it.

Just wanted to share with you that I got hit by a truck 7 years ago I have traumatic brain injury I been in the coma for 2 weeks, connected to life support back then right after my accident, when I got out of the hospital I did drink a lot, I did smoke Marijuana a lot and back then it didn't feel like had any affect on me... now a days damn rights it has you will find that out later on in life it will come out... I am seeing extra help. And still smoke and drink sometimes its hard to find balance and say no.

I had a car accident and I didn’t have a seatbelt on. I had to put into an induced coma for almost a month. Literally almost died. Also I do have a traumatic brain injury as well. 2 in a half years later I smoked weed with my family I feel completely fine. No headaches nor eye strains. My brain is actually restoring. I feel clearer. I can only smoke Mon. Wed. and Friday’s; no weekends. There is no risk of an increased seizure and there is no risk having another TBI. The brain is complex I’m sure of it but I’m feeling absolutely amazing. Weed is good for the brain. That’s just my opinion.

Same!!!! It brings back my speech abilities and I stopped using a cane!!

POT MADE MY BRAIN INJURY ISSUES WORSE:

I'm a life-long pot user -- indeed, mariiuana helped me manage terrible colitis and bowel issues due to Crohn's disease.

However, I incurred mild brain damage due to West Nile encephalitis in 2011. During my recovery, every time I smoked, it would set me back several weeks. Over time, I recovered and nothing seemed different about smoking pot.

Two years later I noticed I was developing a tremor. I was also diagnosed with negative myoclonus, which is a "twitch" caused by a micro-siezure.

Several more years went by and the tremors and "twitches" continued to get worse. They would get so bad I could barely play the guitar. I was also having worsening memory issues -- I couldn't perform my songs without having the lyrics right in front of me. I had to concentrate whilst performing or I would forget which verses I had already sung. It was very stressful and embarrassing when I would screw up.

Then I developed a bad allergy to marijuana. It made my asthma go so crazy that I just had to give it up. I did NOT want to do this but I had no choice.

Gradually, in the months that followed, the tremor and seizures became unnoticeable. There are times if I overuse my hands that I'll feel it a bit, but it's NOTHING like it was before. I've returned to my usual level of (lame) guitar playing and I can keep track of where I am in songs I am singing.

It's just amazing how much better I am doing since I gave it up.

When I do occasionally use marijuana -- for acute Crohn's disease flareups (it's the only thing that helps) -- the tremor and twitch return.

So marijuana does NOT help all people that have brain damage! I wish it did, but I'm so much better off without it.

I think your comments made the most sense out of those I've read. After a number of concussions (sports, auto accident, etc.), I've noticed that when I use THC products, my moods can change minute by minute. To those that find relief, I am glad. For some reason, THC doesn't seem to work for me.

Ever since I had a sTBI 5 1/2 years ago, I get really paranoid and I hate when people tell me I have to find the right strain. I got a med card before the car accident so it was active for a few years after I tried different edibles, different strains, low THC, everything had the same negative effect of paranoia and my facet fracture pain would flare up which doesn't make sense but my brain was all sorts of messed up and I know it got completely rewired

Since I was 8 I’ve had a Cranial Fracture that thankfully I don’t have any symptoms for, that is until I smoked pot for the 1st time. I don’t know what pot does to the brain exactly, but my theory is that it may have an inflating/swelling effect on the brain. So...

Pot Caused me to “trip”. Super hard. My vision was impaired, my brain would black out every 3 sec. my brain would wake up to process my thoughts and then black out again. And the depressed area on my head “was on fire”(that’s what it felt like). I couldn’t speak right, and i mean i had major speech impediment. And I couldn’t retain any information.

These effects lasted about 3-5 days, with subtle long term symptoms of the same kind that lasted about a year.

I don’t recommend smoking pot w a brain injury. Regardless It’s not all that great anyways.

Does anyone know how to fix my skull though?

What is a facet fracture?

I’ve just recently suffered a TBI fractured skull and cheekbone. I had minor bleeding on my brain. Luckily I didn’t need surgery. Before my injury I was a daily user but I noticed after I smoked a few times I felt very strange and weed just makes me feel different haven’t been able to smoke which is probably for the best.

I had internal bleeding i cracked my skull from the inside from falling off a car . I had hit the concrete road . This was october 31 2019 right on Halloween day n till this day ive been trying to smoke pot but it makes me feel weird like its not my normal high like it use to be . Like i feel lost and i cant really concentrate im always serious . I was wondering what yall feel??

Same bro I got jumped 10 months ago I was 14 and hit in the head with a hammer leaving me with a broken cranium I was In coma for 2 days nearly died but i started smoking till this day I do but whenever I do I get really paranoid and I fell wired my heart starts to race and i get like wired twitches in my leg and body and I don’t feel like myself

I just get more high

I like to be outside hunting and fishing

A few months ago I suffered a hit to the head which resulted in my skull cracking inwards and cutting my brain. I had surgery and only now have I started to smoke bud again. I’ve found now if I’m smoking it outside of the house or if I’m with people I’m not close with then my paranoia is so out of control and I just stay in that fight or flight mode until I’ve had time to calm down away. The only way I can smoke it and have a good high again is if I’m alone or with very close friends.

How this was reviewed in 2018 and not removed is beyond me , completely the wrong message , especially given the large amount of evidence there is to debunk the main assertion of the article

I tried smoking pot after my TBI and it made all my symptoms much worse. HOWEVER, I used a homemade CBD tincture (no THC) and it was literally the only thing that would reduce the pain and symptoms I was feeling. Now that I'm 4 years away from my accidents, I smoke pot, but not too much, just a puff or two is all it takes, AND I still use my homemade CBD occasionally.

I was wondering when I could again. I had a tbi around 1 year ago and the doctors said no drinking for 2 years, so I assume smoking too. I’m afraid if I smoke right now my symptoms could get worse also

I have a TBI, I have seizures, and I feel "doped up" on all this medicine, I was 18 when I got hit by a drunk driver while I was in my car, when I smoke weed I just feel "sober", I dont get high, I get freedom from a brain injury, I take 2,200 milligrams of brain injury med a day, marijuana helps so much! Help please! I need freedom from this seizure disorder, and everything else.....make this legal for at least these reasons, please let me know if it's going to be legal in Georgia??? Help now, please, Skeet

I am not all too sure about this article and the proofs of this exact article. I think moderation is key to anything you do no matter what it is. I had a diffuse axonal brain injury grade 3 I fell from a bridge 25 feet. I was in a coma and had to relearn how to walk. I am 11 months almost since the fall. and I have broken the official 1-year rule however only 11 months and I use cannabis and I personally think it is helpful. Moderation is key.

I got a TBI like 8 months ago now I was snowboarding and hit a tree going 40mph without a helmet spent 2 weeks in a coma and 3 months in the hospital when I woke up shit sucked man and I can see why smoking everyday could mess with your recovery but honestly I’ve just been taking one hit off a joint if it’s goin around and I get really high then I take about a month break until I smoke again and I’ve been doin just fine

Did u suffer from light sensitivity? I am 11months into my tbi and im still light sensitive.

It has been over 23 years since my severe TBI and I still have some issues with photosensitivity. The brain is a VERY complex organ. Every person is different pre-injury, every injury is different, affecting different areas of the brain and life in general, thus every survivor is exponentially different.

I suffer light sensitivity too. It’s getting better. But now I find that I just Cary multiple shades of sunglasses and it helps a lot! I had a TBI six months ago. I hope it eases for you. It’s super frustrating.

Can you vape after tbi really need to know cause I'm tryna quit smoking

My question is can you smoke cigarettes after brain injury

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