Do You Shake Or Get Tremors When You’re High? Here is Why

Do You Shake Or Get Tremors When You’re High? Here’s Why.

Why Do Some People Get the Shakes (Tremors) from Cannabis? from CannabisNet on Vimeo.

I’ll never forget what happened sometime in January this year. I was gifted with homemade space cookies straight from San Francisco, and I had a bite the size of my fingernail.

It was like a roundtrip ticket to the moon.

I can’t recall ever being that high in recent history. While it was fun, the first 3 hours consisted of me wrapping myself in a blanket in the most delicious state of paralysis BUT I couldn’t stop shaking. I remember so clearly reaching out to the bedside table to drink a glass of water, but my entire arm (and the glass) kept shaking uncontrollably. After a while, even though my hit came in waves continuously for almost 8 hours after that, the shaking eventually subsided.

I did some research after that, and I realized that I wasn’t alone!

Shaking or the tremors when you get really high is common among stoners. Here’s why:

Cold Temperatures And Your Body

Cannabis is known to lower body temperatures. This reaction is called THC-induced hypothermia. However, don’t let the name scare you – THC-induced hypothermia is not a cause for concern, unlike actual hypothermia. When you combine this phenomenon with getting really high in a cold or air-conditioned room like I did, then you’ll likely experience the shakes even more. If you’re in a cold place, just get warm under a cozy blanket or take a nice hot shower.

Keep in mind that cannabis actually reduces and treats the shakes among people with medical conditions, such as muscle spasms or Parkinson’s disease. THC-induced hypothermia and its correlating shakes are short-lived and no reason for you to worry.

Anxiety

If you’re getting high with new people, or are feeling a little nervous, this could give you the shakes because of anxiety. Consuming large amounts of THC has been known to make certain people more edgy and anxious, which can manifest as social anxiety if you’re around people you aren’t really familiar with, resulting in the shakes or tremors.

Additionally, anxiety has been associated with trembling which can be felt in different parts of the body such as the hands, feet, head, and back. If you experience shaking after a heavy smoke session or eating too many edibles, it’s probably an indication that you’ve smoked too much and it’s nothing to worry about. Just remember not to consume more than you can handle the next time around.

Stimulants

It’s not uncommon for many people to enjoy combining cannabis with stimulants such as tobacco or caffeine; sometimes even both at the same time. However, tobacco and caffeine stimulate the nervous system, so even if you’re smoking a joint that’s been loaded with tobacco or if you smoke cigarettes when high, this stimulation can trigger the shakes.

How To Combat The Shakes

No matter how uncomfortable the shakes, tremors, or trembling may feel, keep in mind that they are not life-threatening. These are just some of the minor side effects of cannabis, or consuming too much cannabis, along with dry or red eyes, sweating, increased heart rate, cotton mouth, the munchies, paranoia, and headaches.

If you have CBD products or high-CBD strains lying around, this is the best and most effective way to combat the shakes especially if you’ve consumed way too much THC. CBD, the non-psychoactive cannabinoid in the plant, is known to be a powerful anxiolytic (anti-anxiety). Consuming CBD in any form will most certainly relax you and help bring you down, while helping to mitigate the effects of THC.

It also helps to be wary of the kind of strains you’re smoking, what you’re feeling the day you smoked (if you’re extra stressed or prone to anxiety), if you consumed stimulants that day in the form of coffee or tobacco, and taking note of how, when, and where you consumed. Detailing these notes can help you adjust your consumption habits as needed. If you are new to cannabis, shakes and tremors may be a sign that you need to experiment with other products or strains to avoid this condition next time, especially if it seriously bothers you.

Other things you can do to combat the shakes include:

Getting up and going outside for fresh air, placing your focus on your new environment

Take a hot shower or bath

Warm up under a blanket

Switch to a lower THC, high CBD strain, or an indica strain to relax you

Have you ever experienced tremors and shaking while high? Share your experience with us in the comments!