?Cannabis gummies for stress?

[Doggiemomma]

I’m 72 & have a-fib that has thankfully been controlled by medication these past few years. My current life situation has me dealing with A LOT of stress & that’s not likely to change any time soon.

Cannibis & associated products (gummies) are legal in my state (California, USA). My EP says he doesn’t know if “gummies” would be an issue with a-fib.

When my daily meds don’t work (rarely), I end up in the emergency room at the hospital with IV meds to see if that will help restore me to NSR. I want to avoid the emergency room of course.

Does anyone have any experience with a-fib & the use of gummies?

Will using gummies designed as a stress reducer cause a-fib?

Mostly I am dealing with the stress by doing meditation (doesn’t always work) & by overeating (not so good).

Thanks!

Doggiemomma

[mjames1]

Don't know anything about "Gummies", but your ep should be able to give you a Home/Away plan to control your afib without having to go to the Emergency Room (ER/A&E).

My initial plan was to take fast acting rate control drugs at home as soon as I went into afib. When my HR got down to around 100, I went about my normal business until I converted naturally, which was usually within 12-48 hours.

Later, when my episodes became longer, I was given an anti-arrythmic drug called Flecainide. That always converted me in 1-4 hours.

Personally, I would have that discussion first with your ep, at least in terms of avoiding the ER.

Jim

[Doggiemomma in reply to mjames1]

Thanks for your input , & I do have back up” meds. Maybe there is someone here who can ring in on their experience with gummies & a-fib. 😀

[DevonHubby1]

I'd talk to your pharmacist. You need to check that the meds you take are compatible with your gummies. I'm sure I saw a note on here saying someone had been advised not to have a CBD based oil with their meds. Also, watch out for gummies as too nany can have a laxative effect.

[etheral]

You can certainly try low dose gummies...maybe start with 5mg THC. You can buy them without CBD. Absorption can be erratic and it probably helps to have a small snack first. Personally I would opt for smoking or vaping flower one hit a time . Many different varieties available and the effect is almost immediate so you can decide if it is pleasant and wait a few minutes before another hit. Much more predictable than gummies. I take Tikosyn for afib and an anticoagulant . I have had no untoward effects from this route. I have tried gummies in the past and am not comfortable with the unpredictable effects. .Best etheral

[Cholla3 in reply to etheral]

One can make his/her own tincture...be kind to your lungs.

[etheral in reply to Cholla3]

Curious how you make tincture from a particular strain of flower? It needs to be absorbed sublingually and not swallowed to avoid further metabolism by the liver if swallowed.

[Rainfern]

What I’ve learned from this forum is that all meds are a bit hit and miss for Afib. I’m at last getting a good nights sleep after coming off amiodorone- and finding sleep a better medicine with less side effects. I believe active ingredients of cannabis are still illegal here in UK, but if I was in Canada or California I’d have this conversation with an EP who can work with you and monitor results. Let us know how you get on!

[LJjr]

I take a puff in the evenings for anxiety. I find if I take more than that I am prone to PVCs. That spooks me so I am careful to minimize my intake to just enough to relax. High THC is what stimulates the heart rate. Many studies I have read relative to cannabis and cardiac conditions are still biased with a slant towards any use as substance abuse. Makes it hard to come to useful conclusions. My sense is that heavy cannabis use, particularly cannabis with high THC levels, is not ideal for best cardiac care.

[TouchVeena]

My sister and I both have Afib, and cannabis even in small amounts is a trigger for us. It only triggered me once, and I haven't done any since, but my sister has been triggered several times by it. However, triggers vary radically from person to person, and it might not trigger you. Also I've heard that CBD is a blood thinner, and if you were already on blood thinners it might make them dangerously stronger. I miss cannabis though, and hope someday I may be able to take it again in small amounts.

[DKBX]

I considered cannabis for anxiety via the tincture or gummy route and made my own for a while. It didn’t help much with the anxiety and it made my heart race a bit. I wouldn’t put it down as a trigger, however. I didn’t want to go the inhalation path to give my lungs a break.

Instead, I found that Gabapentin along with meditation (morning prayer), yoga, TaiChi, qigong, and long walks helped control anxiety best.

[Hairem]

I googled THC before thinking of trying gummies. The results were not great as it can cause an increase in heart rate (AF). I dropped that idea.