Hi all,

Forgive me for this long post, I hope this isn't the wrong place to ask for advice like this.

I've been a long-time daily cannabis smoker for a long time. I've been depressed for a good 4 year period during which I spent pretty much all of my free time smoking weed and getting drunk, not eating healthy, not exercising, etc. I've been doing well on the mental aspect and have drastically cut down on my cannabis/alcohol intake the past year or so, changed my diet, etc. but physically I'm still not feeling too great.

I am suffering from a bloated/painful stomach (the pain is concentrated right below my ribs in the center, often also feel incredibly bloated, as if there is air trapped that I can't burp out. I have a feeling this might actually be resin). I've been diagnosed with gastritis by my doctor even though I do not have any heartburn, acid reflux or anything as far as I can tell. I am taking 40mg Pantomed daily which seems to do nothing for me at all.
I had an ultrasound of my upper abdomen taken earlier today which came up perfectly normal.

To my feeling, this bloated feeling seems linked to my many years of heavy cannabis abuse. It immediately gets worse for me even after vaping. This problem gradually got worse and worse, until this literally forced me to quit weed. I've given up smoking for vaping for 2 years or so, but still I always felt like this problem got worse after vaping. I feel like there is a big ball of resin deep in my lower lungs which I cannot seem to cough up. Possibly this chronic resin buildup might have caused my stomach lining to become inflamed. I seem to be coughing up little bits of resin all day everyday, and whenever I press/squeeze the aching part of my stomach and cough it seems like it is easier to cough up whatever is down there. I would like to take a long (permanent?) break from smoking/vaping and clear my lungs/innards of any resin buildup as soon as possible. Once I am finally rid of this godawful feeling and feel comfortable again I might give low dose edibles a try. If that doesn't do it for me I might have to quit for good.

I've had no weed, alcohol, coffee, soda, spices, etc. for a month now, am drinking water only and am eating plenty of fruit, am taking the gastritis meds, etc. but still find little relief.
I have googled my symptoms many times, also in relation to weed, and have come up with only a few forum posts which seem to describe the same issue, though for many symptoms ceased quickly after abstaining. Curiously, some people also turned to edibles after getting rid of their problem and found that the symptoms returned yet again. A lot of replies seem to suggest that it is all mental and might be related to anxiety, or wrong inhalation technique ( "swallowing of smoke" ), though this doesn't seem to be the case for me, it is very much physically uncomfortable.

I am wondering if anyone has ever experienced anything similar after years of smoking/vaping, and if anyone has any suggestions on how to clear my system from resin buildup more quickly?

Man I have been having the exact same issues since last July. You almost described it perfectly. Every other month like clock work I feel it come on like a bubble stuck up under/in my stomach just to the left under my rib cage. The last bout had me doubled up in bed for 7hrs, oh it was so painful, nothing would seem to help it, some how I would manage to fall asleep, I don't know how or if the pain did it some how. After I wake, it's like it never happened. I would still have a bloated feeling though. I can't seem to figure out what is causing it.

I've noticed having a bloated feeling more lately and not sure why, my diet is good, I don't drink, smoke weed on special occasions only, don't smoke cigarettes, eat mushrooms frequently and of course dmt and harmalas.

Let me ask you, do you have back issues? 2 weeks ago I thought I was going to have to endure it again as I felt it coming on but as it started getting intense it was actually the center of my back flaring up and that lasted a couple days but that little bubble feeling stayed there the whole time it just wasn't painful. I'm wondering if it's related to my back somehow. I thought it could be an ulser or something but there's no bleeding that I can tell.

Unfortunately I don't have any answers either, I'm too stubborn to go to the doctor to find out what it is or what's causing it.
I don't think it's a ball of resin in your lung though.

You both are describing some symptoms of appendicitis. Perhaps a doctor's visit would be in order? Then again, I had similar issues prior to my current regimen of magnesium supplements. An imbalance of your gut flora would also be a likely culprit.

But would you feel it near your heart area instead of where the appendics is at, mines right at my stomach under the rib cage. I don't know I'll try a few things and see if it helps.

Right under the rib cage on the left side is where the pain was for me during an appendix flare up, so that is a possibility if it's just a random thing that doesn't happen for any known reason. If you feel it's attached to every time you smoke though I don't think that's what it would be.

id get some other opinions from other doctors.
this could be alot of things.

Speaking as an EMT, I would council that you seek medical attention ASAP, and try to get some kind of abdominal CT or MRI scan done. The ultrasound is a more limited visualization technique and it's possible that it might have missed something. You also have very poor sensory resolution in your abdomen, so it's not uncommon for a problem in one area to present as vague pain in other, unaffected regions.

There are a number of things that this could be, ranging from fairly innocuous to quite serious, and, in the spirit of better safe than sorry, I'd strongly suggest you get yourself to a doctor.

I will say that it seems unlikely to be a buildup of resin in your lungs or abdominal cavity. I have never heard of such a thing occurring, even in veteran smokers, and I imagine if you'd managed to build up that much, your lungs would be pretty much in tatters.

Blessings
~ND

if resin build up was possible,
id be a molasses girl by now...............

im thinking ya have some kind of issue that requires a doctor.

with luck, and depending on where your at,
he may prescribe pot.

^ the irony.

id suggest resin build up is possible with teeth.
my dentist charges me extra for cleaning based on my bad resin build up alone.
and hes unaplogetic as he says he knows i spend fortunes on pot.

Nice. Your monkey white-coat is trying to kill you.

Read this:

http://www.realnatural.o...-increase-heart-attacks/

Please read the rules concerning giving medical advice here on The Nexus.

Blessings
~ND

Many apologies-- I didn't understand.

I will PM this kind of knowledge in the future--

I don't think the symptoms described are due to a build up of resin nor gastritis; the OPs ultrasound has not shown gallstones which can give symptoms similar to gastritis but a clear relationship to ingesting certain foods and symptom provocation is typically elicited.

A careful history is required here, focussing specifically on triggers (including most importantly diet) and excluding sinister symptoms. Blood work would also be useful including checking coeliac disease serology and ruling out inflammation/anemia along with assessing iron stores, folate and vitamin b12 levels plus liver/renal/bone profiles and blood glucose.A fecal calprotectin test would be useful if available along with a stool test for Helicobacter Pylori antigen. Whether or not further imaging (or endoscopy) is required really depends on the history and investigation results.

The most common cause of variable bloating is functional in nature and strongly associated with irritable bowel syndrome. Interestingly the endocannabinoid system is thought to play a role in the pathogenesis of irritable bowel syndrome symptoms but there remains a lot which is uncertain regarding its aetiology.

I doubt it's resin build up.

I used to suffer from GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), the symptoms sound similar. Do you get heartburn at all?

Sounds like something I went through a couple of years ago. It came out of nowhere and the pain you're feeling sounds similar to what I experienced. In my case it felt as if I was digesting glass while my stomach was wrapped in barbed wire. Turned out that I had gastritis and smoking flared it up. The only thing that helped me was drinking L-Glutamine. Totally fixed the problem. I can't really smoke anymore, so I have to use oil cartridges, but at least I'm not in massive amounts of pain.