80 days clean of weed

[AnnaK]

I’m at 90 days clean. I still have visual issues and a dizzy drunk feeling sometimes. Dreams are tapering off. Headaches are daily but not as intense. I took a home thc test just for myself and I’m dirty. That made me feel better because I know things will get better when the thc is totally gone.

[SparkleFly12]

I’m at 90 days clean. I still have visual issues and a dizzy drunk feeling sometimes. Dreams are tapering off. Headaches are daily but not as intense. I took a home thc test just for myself and I’m dirty. That made me feel better because I know things will get better when the thc is totally gone.

99 days for me. My headache is finally tapering down as well, but it still comes and goes. I had my first couple days where I could just barely feel it, it then it came back pretty bad the next day and I've had it 3 days now. Paws is like a shitty roller coaster

interesting that you still test + for thc... I haven't taken a test this time around but I did last time around day 60 and I was clean. You sure it wasnt just a faint line? that still means negative.

Because PAWS isnt caused by THC still being in your body, it's your brain chemistry readjusting. And urine tests dont test for thc, they test for what thc breaks down into and that molecule is essentially harmless.

I think I have a test left over at home, I'll try it again and let you know the results.

Feel better @AnnaK, good to hear the headache is getting better.

[AnnaK]

Thanks well I won’t worry about it then. I just need more time. Yes, it’s positive for thc. I’m chubby so I’ve seen others test positive for a long time. I am feeling better but there are moments when PAWS comes back for an hour or two. I am enjoying sobriety. I smoked a lot of high grade cannabis and was always stoned. I regret it. Hope you are getting better ...it seems like we both are.

[SparkleFly12]

Been feeling pretty shitty for the past 5 days again. PAWS subsided (almost completely) for 3 days at day 91; minimal headache, no body ache, libido was up. But then it came back at day 94 and Ive felt pretty bad since. Headaches, tiredness, and low libido. Just waiting for them to subside again so I can feel what life is supposed to feel like again.

Really thought the worst was over (well the very worst is) but damn. This is demoralizing. I had hoped after 90 days of constant headaches and finally feeling a couple days of reliec that I would have symptoms only every couple days. But it looks like the symptoms are here to stay for longer than a week this round. Feeling pretty down.

[AnnaK]

It’s a roller coaster. I get angry at the people who say weed doesn’t cause any problems. I read a little now that my iq isn’t stunted by being stupidly stoned and the brain changed over time. Now it has to find homeostasis without weed. That will also take time. I was thinking about taking fish oil and some vitamin D to help neurotransmitter levels. I hope you feel better soon. My dog is named Sparkle, she’s been through my suffering and I keep promising her I’ll get well. I’ve been playing ball with her to get my blood pumping and damn is it hot here in Florida right now. Maybe some brain food in my diet wouldn’t be a bad idea. I’m dealing with PAWS and the “pause” I get hot flashes at night. This too shall pass. I’m trying not to be a whiner. My former self would just go smoke pot. I hate that person. I’m religious so I pray for everyone fighting addiction even if you aren’t into God.

[BullFrog]

AnnaK,

I would avoid fish oil (it might have metal contaminants which is definitely bad for the brain). Better to take omega's from organic flax oil (or just sprinkle milled flax seed on your cereal/oatmeal/spaghetti sauce or whatever). Also glad to see another religious person, I am too (Eastern Orthodox Christian). I will include you in my prayers as well.

@SparkleFly12,
Arguably, the waves of PAWS is the most demoralizing aspect of the whole process. You start to feel better and, for some, even outright rid of ALL symptoms and then BAM...it's back. It's the nature of PAWS and 95% of everyone who has posted about PAWS has described this reality. So I would respond in two ways: 1) take heart, it's extremely common and 2) take the good with the bad - meaning, at least you got to experience good days! After all, would you like to have ALL bad days for the 6 months to 3 years of paws? Or would you like to have days, weeks, or even a month of two of relief alongside the waves of bad symptoms coming back? I know I would choose the latter as opposed to the former.

@Ashwarrior has catalogued the nature of "waves" of PAWS a lot and rightly observed that you should expect this throughout your recovery. Embrace the good days and stay strong when the bad ones come back. But also take notice that over the months, there USUALLY is a little less of another symptom when a new wave hits you. I have been dealing with waves for almost a year of an odd "buzzy/slight dizzy/head fog" but in the last few months I rarely feel head pressure (which was one of the two last symptoms of PAWS I had). So while I kept focusing on the terrible waves of the buzziness in my head, I didn't realize that the pressure symptom was virtually gone!

The first 80 days was the worst for me. Then 90% of the symptoms were gone by month 4. But I didn't realize how much was gone because I was focused on the 2-3 symptoms that were there from the beginning. I didn't realize I had my appetite back, my brain didn't randomly forget what I was saying in mid sentence anymore, I could stay up later, anxiety was reduced by 90% and so forth. Best to catalogue ALL symptoms that you have experienced because of PAWS (and be detailed!), and then revisit that list every 30-60 days. Then scratch off ones that are gone and, for those that are left, write the percentage of intensity you are feeling those symptoms as compared to 30-60 days ago. Overtime you will see progress (and yes, some you will have to say are back or the intensity is back since this process of healing is not a perfect linear line, but rather a wavy messy line that slightly points downwards).

Fight on!

[SparkleFly12]

Thanks @BullFrog, yes I know this is a long process. I do take notes about all the symptoms I have and they are much better overall compared to month 1 and 2, But it is demoralizing to go to sleep every night knowing that I will feel shitty again the next day.

Anyways, here I am almost 14 weeks in, and still have a headache and cloudy brain every day; low libido; and cant get more than 7 hrs of sleep even if I exercise a LOT. I guess all of these were worse a month ago: the headache was worse, libido was nonexistant, and I was getting 5-6hrs of sleep. There are some symptoms which have subsided (for now) but they were the ones that I could deal with as they were not too intense: Depression, stress, muscle ache.

I guess the biggest change Ive made recently is that I started exercising a lot. I was in month 1, but stopped around month 2-3 because PAWS was so demoralizing. Furthermore, I started eating a lot of junk to make myself feel better. Just weighed myself last week and Ive gained 15 pound and am the heaviest Ive been in a loong time. I have finally started to remedy that though, with exercise and eating healthy..

[AnnaK]

I did the eating thing too! I couldn’t eat for six weeks so when I finally could swallow and wasn’t nauseous I ate everything in sight to console myself for being miserable. I saw some weed yesterday at a friends house and I was cursing at it calling it filthy names ... lol.

[SparkleFly12]

Another miserable day today to top off a miserable week. Headaches every day, but today anxiety and depression hit pretty hard. I had a few drinks yesterday yesterday too which probably didnt help; I usually get mild depression as a hangover symptom so it could just be part of that. But the anxiety is definitely PAWS.

Just about 15 weeks in and PAWS is still kicking my donkey. Ive only had 2 close-to-symptom-free days, the other 100 past days have been filled with headache and other symptoms. It does feel like Ive sort of hit another wall and my symptoms are just not getting better. I felt the same way at 2 months; where I felt the same for 3 weeks straight and then it got a little better but Ive been at that same level since.

Sorry to just keep posting sad posts here but this is basically the only place I can even complain since no one else in my life knows Im going through this.

[AnnaK]

I understand and I’m alone too. No one believes that weed causes problems because it’s the sacred natural herbal remedy that cures everything. I felt like sh** today too. I have good things happening in my life so it’s not situational depression. I have horrible intense anxiety that’s physical and not stress induced. I keep hyperventilating and can’t stop yawning or sighing. It’s getting on my nerves. I would go to the er if I didn’t know what it was... it’s just stupid anxiety. We aren’t at the six month point yet. I hope you feel better soon.

[SparkleFly12]

I too have no reason in my life to be depressed or as stressed as I am, and so I know its paws.

Please give your dog an extra belly rub for me. I really wish I had a dog because I love playing with them, but I wont be able to for at least another year because of my work travel and living situation right now. At least I can live vicarious through you. Hope you feel better soon too. We'll make it through this.

[SparkleFly12]

Its been a rough past 5 days. Facial pressure/headaches, pain around the eyes, muscle fatigue, ear pains and tinitus, and worst of all loss of libido (ED). It came back partially for a couple days, but left again as quickly as it came.

Im getting the feeling that Im going to be dealing with PAWS for at least a year or so...my physical symptoms havent even gone away yet

[AnnaK]

Awe.. I hate that evil plant. I feel the same. I’ve had the ears ringing and the head pressure and headaches and depression and anxiety still. I gave my dog belly rubs for you:) I just want to be happy and sober. It’s just such a slow process.

[SparkleFly12]

So just about at 4mo now, 120 days. Things have certainly toned down a notch, which is awesome. Things had gotten better slowly for the first 3mo, but then things stayed the same for a good 3 weeks and that was very frustrating. But the past week has turned a bit better.

My symptoms are still both physical and mental. Headaches, "zapped" tired brain seemingly stemming from a weird swelling in my lymph nodes, muscle fatigue and joint pain. Ive read whatever is available online about PAWS and it doesnt seem that these are PAWS symptoms but acute withdrawal; however their intensity increases and decreases every couple days just like PAWS so I dont know.

I do also have PAWS symptoms but they are much less bothersome to me than the physical symptoms. The PAWS (mental) symptoms have gotten milder over the past month as well, but are still bad and Im sure Ill hate them a lot more once my physical symptoms are better.

As far as PAWS symptoms I Still have mild depression, and a moderate-severe lack of a sex drive. But they are better than last month.

Id say the worst part of PAWS for me is the lack of interest in sex...weed messed with my sex drive itself and I had moderate ED when smoking regularly, and now with PAWS I have it very regularly. But I can feel that it is slightly better now than it was a few weeks ago; hopefully it will be back to what it was before I started smoking in a few months time. Unfortunately for me, it will be hard to judge because Its been so long...

Cheers all. Its gotten a bit better for me and I hope things get better for you all too.

[SparkleFly12]

Oh and I still have PAWS symptom moderate anxiety...but Ive learned to try and ignore that which isnt easy - I can only do that if I have the time to think about all other aspects of my life and come to the conclusion that the anxiety is 100% not caused by my life.