Regulation of body temperature is a critical and complicated process for human health. Deep, highly connected regions of the brain play essential roles in maintaining body temperature within a narrow range around 98° F (37° C). While many chronic marijuana users may be aware of withdrawal symptoms such as irritability or sleep difficulty, you may be surprised to learn that sudden changes in body temperature – feeling hot or cold – are reported by many individuals who have stopped using marijuana after periods of heavy use.
A 2011 study in chronic marijuana users observed increases in body temperature within 48 hours after stopping. These symptoms were reduced after 96 hours (Gorelick et al., Journal of clinical psychopharmacology, 2011). Other research shows that body temperature changes typically start after 1-2 days, reach peak incidence within six days, and can last anywhere from a few days to several months (Babson et al., Current psychiatry reports, 2017).
While the mechanism behind marijuana withdrawal-related body temperature dysregulation is not completely understood, THC has been shown to bind to many regions of the brain responsible for body temperature regulation such as the hypothalamus and pituitary (Cservenka et al., Frontiers Psychiatry, 2018). It is believed that sudden absence of external THC and cannabinoids may disrupt this balance of pathways and hormones in the brain.
Changes in body temperature have also been reported in individuals suffering from cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS), a cyclical vomiting illness that presents in some heavy marijuana users. In one study, patients admitted for CHS were shown to exhibit changes in body temperature, in addition to changes in blood pressure, heart rate, skin flushing, and perspiration (Allen et al., Gut, 2004). Interestingly, many CHS patients have reported that hot showers can provide symptomatic relief. The effect appears temperature dependent – e.g. hotter showers provided more relief from CHS.
Suffering from withdrawal-related temperature dysregulation can be scary and may sometimes feel uncomfortable. However, it is important to keep in mind that marijuana withdrawal symptoms are rarely life-threatening. If you are concerned about your withdrawal-related symptoms, there are things you can do to help. First, see your doctor. They might be able to treat your symptoms with medication or identify other, non-withdrawal related causes of your symptoms. Additionally, staying hydrated, exercising, and practicing good sleep hygiene may help make you feel better. Check out our resource on weed withdrawal to learn more about withdrawal symptoms or a typical withdrawal timeline.
About Weedless.org
Weedless.org is a free, web-based resource and community created by a team of healthcare professionals and researchers. We distill the facts about marijuana use and its effects into practical guidance for interested persons or for those who are thinking about or struggling to quit weed. Finding reliable, easy to understand information about marijuana should never be a struggle—that is why our core mission is to provide the most up to date information about marijuana use, abuse, addiction, and withdrawal. While we seek to empower individuals to have control over their use, we are not “anti-weed” and we support efforts to legalize adult marijuana use and study.
Thank you for this awesome trove of info – I quit smoking 2 days ago after years of heavy use and have many of the withdrawal symptoms listed. I had no idea my poor sleeping and gastric upset and crankiness were related; thank god I found this site and now know that MJ withdrawal is a real thing and I am not losing it.
My friend and I decided we have an addiction problem and decided to stop for 2 weeks; well after 2 days of feeling funky and reading the withdrawal info I am going to stop for good!
The MJ being sold in stores (legal where I live) is so GD strong compared to the stuff I smoked back in the 70’s and 80’s – the hybrid stuff especially. I frequently light up during the day and immediately feel weird and antisocial then I wish I wouldn’t have . . . so stupid
just smoke strains that don’t have a lot of thc. there are a lot of (mid) strains that have 10-20% thc there way cheaper than the heavy strains you could also use cbd as it’s not nearly as strong as some of them exotic strains.
This couldn’t be more on point. Currently on my second day after 15 years of daily use. I hope you have overcome your addiction.kind regards Aaron
It’s true. Even after the first time I stopped weed, other times still surprised me as to how bad I feel.
I smoked like 1 joint a day mixed weed and tabaco. Mostly in the evening. Stopped, and I am now lying in bed with fever, body ache all over my body. Had the worst sleep ever. F*** weed really.
After a few days I will feel better but it takes months to get used to activities without weed again. Even after months you are still at prime state to meet some friend, and think to yourself: just once.
interesting read, I’m currently drenched in sweat, haven’t ingested thc in 48 hours after using concentrates and edibles heavily over the past few years. Every time I quit this happens especially at night I’ll wake up 3-4 times to shower.
I cannot believe how people sell this substance with a straight face and recommend other people to use it under the guise of recreation. It’s incredibly easy to get addicted when you have cheap access to legal cannabis, and the substance modifies your sense of self in ways you wouldn’t even wish on your enemy. I have suffered immensely from my addiction and trying to quit several times, only to fall back in from the horrendous withdrawal symptoms and the worst part is it makes you guilty, antisocial and paranoid so you avoid talking to others when you need them the most. I have an Engineering job that suffered as well, but I haven’t been defeated. I will keep fighting until I regain agency over my body and mind, absolutely disgusting how pot head losers encourage other people to join them in their slumber (because this drug helps you stay asleep and stop caring about the world and your dreams instead of facing challenges head on and reaching goals. It removes any willpower to even lift a finger beyond instant gratification activities). Stay away at all costs, you have been warned.
That’s a negative view. Cannibis is a great tool if used correctly with discipline however most don’t put in the hard work and get anxiety
It’s not a negative view, it is a personal opinion on how it has affected their life. While Cannibis ‘may’ be great for some people, people who have addiction issues and other mental health issues that aren’t fully understood may not have the positive experience you have. Not all people possess the discipline you may have (kudos to you).
I was sold on medicinal use in my state after years (12+) of hard work with therapists, psychiatry visits, countless failed attempts on SSRI’s, and many emergency room visits. I was told Cannibis wasn’t addictive, it was safe, and there were strains to help me accomplish just about anything, so after years of failed attempts to get my mental health right I tried medicinal THC.
In the beginning I felt like Superman, was this what life was like without anxiety, panic, PTSD? As the months went on I noticed that ‘good’ feeling started to fade even with regular usage. I was told I needed a higher percentage THC. Fast forward to 4 years later, and I am now at the lowest point in my life because of Cannibis. My mental health, panic attacks, and PTSD are so severe I can barely leave my house. THC made it okay for me to isolate and accept my mental health status as is instead of trying to heal and get better. I was okay with being bored, complacent, and where I was at in life so I quit school. I was less than a year away from my BA and all the sudden I didn’t want to be bothered by anything in today’s world, it was just myself and my Cannibis. I’m sorry but that’s not reality.
Luckily, I am 1.5 months free and I am gaining back the power over my mind and body little by little. I lost 21 pounds, my blood pressure is back to normal, I want to get back into the gym, I want to finish school, I want to socialize and make friends again, and I want to be happy.
No, Cannibis is not horrible for everyone, it may even work wonders for some people, but what I hear more often than anything is the love people develop for it and how quickly it becomes a top priority.
If you’re struggling don’t give up, it feels so good to be living again and working towards goals.
Welcome to the sad cycle of pretty much every drug in existence. Glorious honeymoon period, followed by increasing tolerance, followed by increasing dosages to match that tolerance, followed by dependence and withdrawals.
nah dude you don’t need a tolerance break with this new stuff. you need a therapist after though. Drugs like nicotine suck but weed is so good in terms of not having a real tolerance buildup (easier with variety). My use never went up but my self esteem and motivation surely plummeted. its not like other drugs so don’t compare them.
well billions of people disagree with you. I think it’s complete bullshit I have to stop smoking cold turkey for a week before a job interview so i can not get fired immediately for failing a stupid drug test. Only drank 6 times in my life. The 5th and 6th times resulted in me waking up in a hospital getting my stomach pumped full of fluids. Weed has never made me feel like shit ever in my 23 years of life. I have stopped smoking for a stupid job interview, and since then I have had so much difficulty sleeping and just performing. I am 100% comfortable in saying I’m addicted to weed. I love it, way more than anything else on this planet, way more than women. It makes me hungry, happy, fun and smart at all times. When I go a week without weed I’m just irritable and not interested in hanging out with ANYONE, because I myself am a very angry person on my own.
Billions what a stupid thing to say
You should definitely seek help
I agree with the comments below… I have stopped smoking and the withdrawals are bad but I need to be strong and keep on moving. Being high was good and fun but you come to a point when you realize that you need something more in your life than just MJ. I know that when you stop smoking it makes your life seem empty but that’s where you have to put your mind straight and think about what it is that you need in life. It’s a hard decision to make but you need to love your self first.
the billions of people that are users, I’ve quit after 30 years but the last month being particularly heavy.
4 days I’m and it’s agony.
the whole reason you had problems sleeping and performing is because your brain chemistry is messed up and is screaming for more drugs to make you feel ‘okay’
well that’s not okay is it.. your a slave to weed, you think you have control but clearly lost it a long time ago.
it doesn’t make you smart trust me, it makes you feel smart meanwhile anyone not high is like what is this dumb arse on about 😂
maybe one day you’ll be strong and brave enough to try quit rather then trying to trash anyone with the strength to overcome this brutal drug which for years has been made to seem ‘okay’
thank you for this comment, I’ve really been reassessing my use of cannabis as I got to use it pretty heavily during the pandemic and have had a hard time stopping afterwards. I’ve been sober from alcohol for 25 years and was happy to find something that I wasn’t addicted to. five years later, I ended up taking 500 mg or more of edibles a day costing me a lot of money and leaving me trapped in my house every night unable to leave. I do a lot of international travel so I have to stop for periods of time and the withdrawal symptoms are horrific , I truly do believe that it’s going to be time to stop… And I’m really grateful for this break to give me the chance to break free of the substance
Weed is only good if you smoke it once every 6 months I don’t recommend smoking it at all I’m on day 10 I was smoking for 4 years everyday and it’s time to kick the beloved herb to the curb so what your saying is not true you cannot smoke it and stay disciplined there will come a time where you will abuse it even if you tell yourself you won’t abuse it it is the biggest trap
I think this is a personal problem. I guess I am just a pothead loser who owns a 7 figure business because I don’t care about my dreams and I don’t face challenges head-on or reach my goals. When your willpower is at 2/10 anyway and you smoke, yeah maybe. But that is about YOU. YOUR willpower. And I have never relapsed because I am not weak. I mean, you act like you’re going through hard drug withdrawals. Oh wow, you feel like shit for a week or two because you made the choice to use a drug irresponsibly and became addicted at your own will. But on a real note, I hope you have found peace with it and worked something out that works for you. Just had to say something because you want to blame others for your weakness. and also, if your friend was like hey want to try some meth would you just blindly believe them and think it’s awesome? How about you think for yourself and make decisions based off research? But hey what am I just a pothead loser right? LOL
I respect this. It’s not about weed but the person smoking the weed. If you can be productive and smoke weed, awesome. But if you can’t be productive and smoke weed, and you CHOOSE to smoke weed over being productive, that’s on you, not the weed. Weed doesn’t roll itself up and spark itself up, it doesn’t force you to inhale or ingest. If you make the choice to put the WANT of smoking weed over the NEEDs that need doing, the failure is on you.
I say this as someone that’s currently on day 3 of quitting. I have to move states for a new job, and they drug test for weed there. Sure, the hot flashes and sweats are terrible, but I CHOOSE to get sober and to get a well paying job with benefits over smoking weed with a worse job and worse benefits. It’s all about choice. If you choose to do something, it’s always on you. I’ve had to quit 3 times before. Every time things got rough while I was sober, I would just remind myself that I and my success is more important that smoking weed.
I feel that everyone should feel that way, but again, if you CHOOSE to put smoking weed over yourself and your success, that’s on YOU.
well heres the thing, with heavy users your brain can stop properly producing dopamine and other chemicals that your brain would naturally produce to keep you motivated. so it kinda is the weed but I do agree it’s also a mentality thing
No just a dick
hey, I wanted to make sure I wasn’t discounting your comment either, even at 500 mg a day I was getting trapped in my home at night but I run a multi million dollar company I started 30 years ago. I am not in any way a pothead loser. but I do have to rethink my use of it, as it’s been very easy for me to isolate at home every night and just watch TV… I don’t wanna get trapped in my home for the rest of my life
Thats literally how everyone starts smoking meth you dork
Okay, but we don’t have to be hateful 🙂
Nice name, troll
I get withdrawal symptoms everytime i quit. I hate it. But i love getting high. Ive always wanted to be a smoker. Everytime i need to quit, i man up and quit. Am i addicted? Yes. do i smoke every 2 hours? Yes. Do i still show up for work everyday and work hard? Yes i do. Am i antisocial? Hell yeah i am but so what? 99% of people are douche bags anyways. I support a family of 4 on one income and and still manage to deal with my weed habit. I got more money saved now than ive ever had. Gotta man up. Anyone that cant handle weed withdrawal is a fucking pussy. Life is full of choices and we all can choose anything we want. Including being a productive smoker 👍
Your comment was real funny and true and motivating. I am on day 2 and yes I feel like a pussy! I feel like i’m scared of my real life mind it’s stupid. My beautiful mind with and without weed is what matters and the withdrawal symptoms aren’t as bad. Every 2 hours was the way to go for me as well as I’m 22 NO KIDS and a straight up “victim”. Smoking weed was like an emotional trigger many times and so I’m finding myself crying a lot bc there’s no numbing. It’s time to feel more alive than dead and be grateful for the body we were born in.
So true
Hi i just quit smoking weed 2 days ago and have been suffering with huge stomache aches and hot and cold flashes, Im now struggling with sleeping in some moments i feel like im no longer going to live but then it passes after i get up and sit on the toilet for a little while.. Ive been smoking weed regularly for 13+ years with sometimes 4 – 5 blunts a day and i quit cold turkey 2 days ago it has been very rough i have been dehydrated and stuggling eating.. Weed is not good for you i wouldnt wish this feeling on my worst enemy. Praying i get through this…
you can do it!!! sending you virtual hugs
I never thought I’d say f*** weed but I’m currently getting over horrendous withdrawal symptoms as w speak. I’m never touching this stuff ever again. Withdrawal happened a few times over the last year of trying to quit…and while unpleasant it was tolerable BUT this time I got the cyclical vomiting thing and I’m at a loss for words at how fkn stupid it would be to use weed again. I agree with everything you said. What a blessing really to have gotten-this- bad. I’ve been praying for help to snuff my weed addiction so I’m truly grateful, as messed up as it sounds.
Yell help me jesus anytime you feel that vomiting trigger or smoking trigger. Wow, the vomiting thing is my worst nightmare and WOULD NEVER wish it upon my worst enemy. It def isn’t a drug for the weak, so you’re sooo strong. I’m praying for you to get better. I’m on day 2 and wow it’s not as bad as you but I do feel like i could vom bomb any minute now.
I have had just about every symptom but the abdominal pain is the worst. I’m 3 days clean, hot flashes are beginning. When I first started using MJ I was in control, I could stop easily didn’t use it every day and was able to just enjoy it recreationally. Then I begin to have an addictive behavior towards it. I never really had a great appetite and MJ definitely helped me to eat and gain weight. Then I started to smoke on the wake up and that’s where the smoking turned into an all day event.
I truly believe it is very easily to become addicted to anything once you just focus on that one thing all the time. If you know how to dose yourself and actually control yourself then your good (like my fiancé, he can quit instantly with no problems). Outside of that if you know you have addictive behaviors then just stay away from anything that’s going to bring you strife.
I had the exact same experience as you, beginning as a fun thing to do on the weekends and turning into something much more serious. I would wake up and immediately grab my dab pen to avoid the morning stomach aches I would get without it. I would smoke all day because I work from home and my wife would complain about my smell and strange behaviors. She told me that I wasn’t even the same person that she married. Anyway, I am a week clean now and going through some of the worst stomach discomfort and extreme body sweats I have ever experienced. Using the restroom is terrible and I have to wake up multiple times a night to sit on the toilet. I wake up in pools of sweat and have to shower four or five times a day. Never thought something as trivial as a little weed could become such a problem.
I have been an after work user for almost 10 years, weekends I use more especially when the kids aren’t home. I have not had any adverse consequences from it. I still wake up, go to work everyday, pay my bills on time, take care of all my afult responsibilities, invluding the kids. I have vaselated between pre-rolls, edibles and vape over the years. I am just tired of waking up every morning wishing I would stop using it so much. I recently got sick Monday and since I could not smoke for 3 days due to the illness, I decided nows a good time to stop. absolutely could not smoke for 3 days at least. Iits only been a week, but my only symptoms have been difficulty dalling asleep, and possible low body temp, and I don’t even know if that is from the lack of weed or my illness. all I know is, so far it’s been easier for me to not use than any other time I have quit in the past. maybe being basically unconsious for the first 3 days helped, and if thats the case, I suggest if stopping is difficult, maybe try a time when you are very sick. It’s only been a week, I know, but so far its been the easiest time I have tried to quite, but I also dont have an addictive personality, so mybe I have just finally decided this is it, I am done letting the weed win. I already feel much more clear headed, and motivated to do things and that started after just 3 days.
Yeah I’m on days 3 I’m sweating a little bit more than normal but I naturally presperate a lot especially under my arms pits. Once a years I stop for 7 days I notice my appetite isn’t as strong. But what really helps is me working out I try to stay pretty active. But it’s not bad tho. When I start back smoking I like to do but ima turn it down a knotch to like 4days out of a week cause I do enjoy it but I don’t want it to consume me
Day 5 of quitting smoking weed after doing it for almost 2 years everyday twice a day none stop. I thought weed withdrawal wasn’t possible or if so just mild nothing crazy but this is very very uncomfortable. The sweating,chills,nausea fever, loss of appetite it’s all very much true especially with the new weed today I’m only 20 so the weed I’ve been smoking isn’t like what any of you old heads use to smoke so just imagine. I quit cold turkey so if you’re a heavy user I suggest not quitting cold turkey and if you do then i recommend you stop at the store for some pepto, ibuprofen and lots of water because you basically have the flu.
I have recently quit cold turkey. I started smoking at the age of 14. Continued use all through gradeschool. I failed to see any issues with it because my grades were great. I swam competitively throughout high-school and consistently made qualifying meets and states. I laughed at the people who said it destroys your life. I’m 30 today. Over half my life has been with cannabis. I’m a connoisseur of quality not quantity. So the last 10 years have been exotic strains and hybrids of greater than 25%THC. Professionally grown and tested for medical use. I used thc over the years to relax. To calm my body and mind. To not let the stimulating stresses of everyday life overstimulate me. I was able to tolerate them or genuinely not care about them while I was “stoned”. It took years and years for everything to stack up. Then, some of those things were nearly impossible to confront or deal with because I had ignored them for so long. In some ways I was enabling those issues to continue. In other ways, I never gave myself the chance to develop the skills to go about those issues when they were on a small scale. Now they were bigger. Cannabis has its purpose and its purpose can be simply beautiful. Moderation and Discipline are two major aspects that need to be expressed and understood entirely. I ignored those. Some mornings were a wake n bake to get the day started. 2 to 3 .5g rips through a tube would set the day off. But that day turned into more consistent smoking sessions. The days that I pushed off smoking as much as I could seemed to be the most productive. The individuals in my immediate day to day life were not ready for me to be “not so chill” haha people get really defensive when they are being held accountable for things that they are not ready to be accountable for. I can’t hold my tongue when I’m “sober”. I’m not vulgar, mean, loud nor attacking in my words. I greatly chose them wisely. I’ll call out the facts of reality that I see. it causes me uncomfort to not do that. Especially to people I wholeheartedly care about. Therefore, even though I truly wanted to quit and better my life. The individuals around me were uncomfortable with the change. Not my problem lol what my problem is, is these sweats and moments of tremors while trying to achieve acute motor functions. I soak multiple pillows a night. My sheets get replaced daily. Showers have become almost like clockwork. Multiple ones a day. The back and sides of my head can throb intensly for periods of time. My body feels anxiety but my mental isn’t stressing over anything at all. I’m not existentially stimulated in a negative way. I eat pretty darn healthy and organic. No sodas. No nicotine. No large amounts of candies or sweets. I drink tea, water, juice. Fruits and vegetables are my bestfriends. So I now all of this I’m experiencing is because of my continued unregulated use over the years. With the correct discipline, cannabis has its importance and carries its weight. But just like any other substance, i.e. opiods, benzos, sugars, caffeine, nicotine and many more, they all can destroy you if they are in control and not you. Our modern way of society is so far gone from embracing the human body for what it actually is. I highly suggest every human devote extensive time and energy into researching and learning what their body is capable of and what it really needs to thrive! Not just survive. Cancer feeds of sugars. Embrace high fat diets. Why is sugar in almost every single food in mainstream grocery stores. Thats not a question. The answer is for control. If you’re body is messed up and out of wack…You’ll pay anything and everything you can to feel okay and normal. Dont be dependent on anyone else but yourself. Embrace the COLD! Ice baths are magical for the body. Dont lean on comfort. Take control of yourself. We all got this!
been smoking 35 years everyday and went prison for 2 years never stopped even in lockup gave up 2 days ago and feel horrible
I am on day two of quitting after excessive daily, smoking for a few years, and I wanna rip my skin off, I’m so hot. It doesn’t help that it’s 90° out and my electricity went out for 4 hours today, but I’m also very moody and have a very short fuse. I don’t normally sweat, but I am drenched and woke up soaked in sweat last night. I even have fans going (yeah, the powers back) and I can’t even feel it’s breeze on my skin even though it’s directed at me. I feel like I’m in an oven or wearing 50 sweaters.
Yall over think all of this.. I smoke all day everyday and got curious on if withdrawals are legit in cannabis. As 48 hours of this personal test I’m going through I of course do have on and off chills.. (My girlfriend wakes up at night getting sick cause she is doing this “cleanse” also.. But who knows what thats about lol) and of course a severe case of insomnia but I never sleep anyways lol. Quiting can make you more enthusiastic about your goals.. But if you was lazy with weed.. You’ll be lazy without it at some point also. Basically if you read most of these peoples comments.. Don’t trip on what they are saying.. Ain’t nothing wrong with or without weed, period. But most of these comments just seem unlikely and ignorant lol. (Ps. YES YOU WILL BE IRRITATED EASILY lol) but if you wanna quit the usage of marijuana.. Just take a breath and don’t light up.. You’ll be just fine either way.
I’ve been smoking Mary Jane for the past 16 years. Only stopped when I was pregnant, and started again right after. I stay smoking all day everyday, and I’ve come to hate it. It’s become more of a habit than anything else, but I can’t stop. I’m on day two of not smoking, I have heat flashes, and feel cold AF as well, headache, nausea, angry, my brain feels foggy…I want to know the me that doesn’t depend on smoking. I’m ready for the new me.
right there with you. this sucks, but we will prevail
What an interesting thread and interesting takes. Lol. I’m on day two of no herb after smoking an 1/8th daily. Not once have i ever even tried to quit. But a couple days ago i was smoking a spliff while laying in bed and i realized i was over it. That was not last night but the night before. Last night i slept awful for a couple hours and woke up to a bed soaked in sweet. And tonight I’m dealing with the same hot flashes. I’ve almost smoked at times tonight . But i can’t let myself keep doing the same shit and expect a different outcome. Hearing y’alls stories has me feeling better. So thank you all. When times get tough and all my ways of not smoking aren’t working i just have to cry out to creator. Which is a kind of funny thing to have to do with a supposedly non addictive substance. Good luck on y’alls journey to healing. You aren’t alone. All love baby 🙂