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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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What Are The Ill Effects Of Smoking Pot?

Last night I smoked pot through a bong and I became very unstable. My hands cramped so bad that my fingers began to bend and it was uncontrolable and feet also tingled and felt very cold why did this happen? I sometimes smoke it to help with my fibro myalgia and never experienced this before
Fri, 24 Oct 2014
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Internal Medicine Specialist,  's  Response
It sounds like you were hyperventilating when you were smoking. When you hyperventilate, you actually blow too much carbon dioxide out of your lungs. This causes changes in the acid level of your blood, which then affects the normal levels of calcium and other chemicals in the blood. That can cause light-headedness, cramping of the hand muscles which is quite frightening (it's like tetany), and tingling and numbness. I don't believe it had much to do with the pot itself. Usually these things right themselves after a few minutes if you rest and stop hyperventilating. Breathing into a paper bag a few moments helps to restore normal levels of carbon dioxide because you are breathing your own exhaled carbon dioxide back in. This should help those symptoms clear up quickly. Hope this answers your question.
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What Are The Ill Effects Of Smoking Pot?

It sounds like you were hyperventilating when you were smoking. When you hyperventilate, you actually blow too much carbon dioxide out of your lungs. This causes changes in the acid level of your blood, which then affects the normal levels of calcium and other chemicals in the blood. That can cause light-headedness, cramping of the hand muscles which is quite frightening (it s like tetany), and tingling and numbness. I don t believe it had much to do with the pot itself. Usually these things right themselves after a few minutes if you rest and stop hyperventilating. Breathing into a paper bag a few moments helps to restore normal levels of carbon dioxide because you are breathing your own exhaled carbon dioxide back in. This should help those symptoms clear up quickly. Hope this answers your question.