Best way to wean off...

[justcametomind]

Please allow this segue:
Are headaches common when daily cannabis use is abruptly stopped? Thank you

When I stop cannabis, the first few days I experience some sort of "head aches". My head hurts for just a few seconds, a few times a day. That's not something that impairing and I never gave it too much of a thought. BUT, to a degree, cannabis acts as a pain relief, so in the first few weeks without, you come to experience all the pain that normally would have been numbed out by cannabis.

 

[SquirrelMaster]

I can't say I get more headaches when I'm on a break as I get so many to begin with depending on the season, temperature, stress, diet, sleep etc. When summer hits it's usually 4-5 per week with a couple of those being migraines. Some tips that might help for relief during a cannabinoid break would be meditation with deep breathing, cold showers, and ice packs on your neck/or head which I've heard to combine with filling a sink full of cold water and placing your feet inside but at that point I prefer a cold shower. Any of those in combination with a good diet and exercise if your head can handle it.

I try to ween myself off before a trip but if I feel myself coming down with something I quit cold turkey to help my lungs prepare for the impending battle. I stopped for 3~ months earlier this year because of the fear of COVID and keeping my lungs in the best health they could be and chest pain I was getting that was caused by me pushing myself to hard when exercising. Stress probably played into it as well.

For myself, 20-25mgs of edibles would be way too much but they hit me way harder than vaping. I'm sure if I gave myself time with repeated use I'd be able to handle more but I haven't had the need personally. I know a few people that'll take 25mgs as a minimum, usually 50-100+mgs and these are not all medical users. That would not be comfortable for me.

That's the thing, we're all different and part of the journey with our health is finding what works for you and what doesn't. For some caffeine helps with headaches and for others it exacerbates them. If you're getting into migraine territory there is a whole nother list of factors to consider such as light, sound, smells, etc.

It sounds like the stress caused by not using may at least be a contributing factor (combined with the lack of cannabinoids) and let's face it 2020 is kinda fucked so that probably doesn't help. This is where meditation can really help and there's actual scientific evidence proving the benefits. Do other things that calm your mind whether that's reading a good book, going for a walk in nature, expressing your artistic side, talking with friends etc.

I hope there was something useful in there, it's late and my brain is turning off .

 

[ltv]

I appreciate all the salient points you’ve made.
I need to meditate and have been procrastinating starting for many years.
After seeing Youtube videos and Googling signs of cannabis withdrawal headaches are common. I went to a neurologist and was prescribed an NSAID for three weeks to “break the cycle” of continual headaches. I didn’t mention cannabis b/c I do not want that on my record. The NSAID is helping.
I am thankful for the people on this forum.