About this topic
Marijuana is a plant and the leaves and flowers are used to make a drug. Some people smoke marijuana. Others mix it in food or brew it as a tea. Some people feel marijuana has health benefits. They may use it to help ease pain or signs of other health problems like cancer or multiple sclerosis. Some people use marijuana to relax and make them feel good. Others use it to help them feel calm or help with low mood. Marijuana use is illegal in many places. ‚
Marijuana can also have bad effects on your body. It can affect your: ‚
- Brain and thinking:
- Make it hard for you to think clearly
- Affect your memory
- Cause poor decision-making
- Actions:
- Slow your reactions
- Make you tired
- Affect balance and coordination
- Heart and lungs:
- Give you a fast heartbeat
- Make you breathe faster
- Raise your blood pressure
- Increase risk of a heart attack
- Increase lung problems
- Emotions and feelings:
- Make you anxious or fearful
- Make you hungry
- Cause addiction
- Cause low mood when the effects wear off
- Cause psychosis or mental problems
- Whole body:
- Cause sleep problems
- Lower sperm counts in men
- Cause abnormal periods in women
- Cause dry mouth and red eyes
What care is needed at home?
- Ask your doctor what you need to do when you go home. Make sure you ask questions if you do not understand what the doctor says. This way you will know what you need to do.
- Make family and friends aware of your condition and how to help. Try to reach out to other people. It is important to have someone who will support your recovery.
- Set a goal. Plan positive activities. Have something to look forward to. Do something new in your own life, career, health, or other things that are of great value to you.
- Learn to handle stress, anxiety, anger, and feeling alone in healthier ways. Your doctor, support group, and sponsor can help with this.
- Get involved in your town. Join social activities. Try church events or go to a social event. Be a volunteer.
- Try exercising regularly. Exercise makes natural chemicals in your body that make you feel better.
- Learn how to cope with stress without the use of drugs. Some people enjoy exercise and meditation. Others like to play with pets. Try listening to music or having a massage. Go for a walk or a drive. Find out what works best for you.
- Avoid places, people, or situations that would trigger your cravings. Do not hang out with old friends who are still abusing drugs. Instead, spend time with people who can support your recovery.
- Find ways to cope with cravings:
- Talk with family or friends. This often helps to ease and relieve the feeling of cravings. They may also help you do things to distract your attention.
- Distract yourself with some activities. Get yourself interested in something to make your urges go away. Read a book, watch a movie, ride a bike, or take a walk.
- Take time to relax. When you are relaxed you feel much better and are able to think positive things. It may also help you not go back to using drugs again.
- Challenge yourself to change the way you think. When cravings happen, you may remember the good feelings only and tend to forget the bad effects. Remind yourself that you will not really feel good if you return to drug use.
What follow-up care is needed?
Your doctor may ask you to make visits to the office to check on your progress. Be sure to keep these visits. ‚
What drugs may be needed?
The doctor may order drugs to: ‚
- Help ease signs of withdrawing
- Prevent returning to drug abuse
- Help block cravings for the drug you were using
Will physical activity be limited?
Physical activity may not be limited. Doing certain physical activities may greatly help you avoid returning to the drug abuse and addiction. ‚
What problems could happen?
- Drug withdrawal. These are the signs that happen when you quickly stop taking drugs that you have used for a long time. Get the help of your doctor and counselor to check you and help with drug withdrawal.
- Mood problems
- Anxiety
- Upset stomach and throwing up
- Sleep problems
- Trouble with school or work
- Pregnant women may have baby early, baby may be small or have other problems if she uses marijuana while pregnant
- Injury or death due to poor decision making
- Problems with daily life
When do I need to call the doctor?
- Signs of a very bad reaction. These include wheezing; chest tightness; fever; itching; bad cough; blue skin color; seizures; or swelling of face, lips, tongue, or throat. Go to the ER right away.
- You feel you might hurt yourself or someone else.
- You feel you are going to start using drugs again again.
- You have any concerns about your condition.
- You are not feeling better in 2 to 3 days or you are feeling worse.
Helpful tips
Consider joining a support group to get to know other people who have coped with the condition. You may find it comforting to be with others who share your same problems. You may also learn a lot from others who are going through the same thing as you. ‚
Where can I learn more?
Australian Government Department of Health ‚
http://www.drugs.health.gov.au/internet/drugs/publishing.nsf/Content/marijuana4 ‚
National Institute on Drug Abuse ‚
http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/marijuana ‚
Last Reviewed Date
2015-01-19 ‚
List_set bdysylist
- Central Nervous System
- Mental Health
- Miscellaneous
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care provider 's advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
Copyright
Copyright ‚ © 2016 Wolters Kluwer Clinical Drug Information, Inc. and its affiliates and/or licensors. All rights reserved. ‚