Experiencing increased brain fog? Frequent and increased dosing of THC? Travelling?
A tolerance break may be something you should, or have to consider in your near future.
Tetrahydrocannabidiol (THC) Tolerance develops when you dose with THC on a regular/daily basis. Over time your CB1 receptors in your endocannabinoid system decrease in numbers. In turn, it causes patients to require higher levels and amounts of THC for symptom relief. The receptors still uptake THC, but the impact of your dose will be much lower than it once was. You may notice you require double the dose for symptom relief compared to the first days you began dosing. If this is already happening, it may be time for a break. As time moves on, you will need to continuously increase your THC intake for symptom relief, creating a costly care plan to the average patient.
Daily Users should pick one day a week where they do not dose with any THC. We suggest selecting a day where your activity levels are much lower than the other days. Daily users who dose frequently/multiple times a day should take up to 1-week every 2-3 months.
What to Expect During a Tolerance Break
Patients are expected to experience psychological symptoms during their tolerance breaks, with the worst day being Day 3 (72-hours after their last dose). You may experience
Insomnia
Increased Pain
Irritability and Mood Fluctuation
Nausea
Lack of Appetite
Increased depression
Night Sweats
Headaches
These symptoms look intimidating on their own, they can easily turn a patient off wanting to take a tolerance break. You will experience difficulties there is no doubt. It requires commitment and utilizing your alternative therapies to make it successful.
We have some helpful and useful tips you can do during your break for symptom control. Multiple reports from cannabis consumers state, “self-care is key!”.
Tolerance Break Tips
Take CBD.
Assist increased irritability, anxiety, and depression with CBD. It is also well known through research CBD can limit the rate which THC binds to CB1 receptors, it can potentially make for a quicker recovery.
Increase Vitamin C Intake.
In some studies Vitamin C has exhibited analgesic effects helping with musculoskeletal pain. It can also assist with detoxifying the body from substances while easing symptoms of depression, insomnia and anxiety.
Soak in warm/hot baths.
Hot showers and baths have been utilized for opiate withdrawl, the heat itself is an easy way to target muscle aches, pains, and anxiety.
Drink plenty of water.
Drinking plenty of fluids will help flush the body of any impurities but also help speed up metabolism. Monitoring how much fluid you are taking in during this time is crucial, do not speed up the process with fluids, speeding up may cause health problems.
Exercise daily, induce sweat.
Every time you think about dosing, go for some physical activity. THC stores itself in your body’s fat cells, burning fat = burning it out of your system faster. Continuing this practice while you are actively pertaining to a THC cannabis regime can help keep your tolerance down in the future.
Utilize terpenes.
Terpenes or terpene vape pens can be utilized during this time. These pens generally involve aromatherapy, aromatherapy contains terpenes exactly like cannabis. Terpenes provide therapeutic effects such as anti-inflammatory, anxiety, depression and more.
Meditation and Yoga.
Register for CHC’s FREE Online Virtual Yoga and Meditation classes. These classes can help ground an anxious, irritable, and depressed mind while also assisting physically.
Returning to Medical Cannabis Regime
Studies and patient reports demonstrate micro-dosing to provide excellent symptom relief. It is important you start with micro-dosing and titrate your way up. Here are those magic words again, “start low, go slow”. If you experience, or are “looking for” the euphoric feeling, you will be ending up where you left off and the tolerance break would have served minimal purpose. Introduce THC at 2.5mg to 5mg per dose, 1-4 times a day.
Keep your eyes peeled for this month’s terpene blogs Eucalyptol and Limonene. Our Cannabinoid Educators will show you how you can link these terpenes to your tolerance breaks. If you are wondering if a tolerance break is right for you. Or, if you have questions how to best manage the process, reach out to your clinic or cannabinoid educator.