Does Milk Get Rid of Your High?

In this brief article, we will answer the question, “does milk get rid of your high?” and will also discuss the signs and symptoms of a high and what you can do to get rid of a high. 

Does Milk Get Rid of Your High?

No, it has not been proved that milk counteracts the effects of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, the main psychoactive component in cannabis) to get rid of a ‘high’.

However, milk does contain an amino acid known as tryptophan that helps calm down the brain, but its levels are just enough to produce subtle relaxation and too low to get rid of a high. Dietary tryptophan is absorbed in the small intestine, where it can be transported to the peripheral circulation, and be converted to serotonin. Serotonin is an important neuromodulator in the hippocampus, entorhinal cortex and other brain structures critical for learning and memory. 

Studies in animal models indicate tryptophan presses aggressive behavior, likely related to increased central serotonin availability. Tryptophan metabolites, especially serotonin, are centrally implicated in the pathogenesis of anxiety and depression, that is, it is helpful by symptoms of THC intoxication (1).

What Foods Help Get Rid of a High?

Foods that help get rid of a high are foods which improve the gut health, such as probiotics and prebiotics. Probiotics are microorganisms able to colonize the human gut and promote health and prebiotics are food that favors probiotics growth. Probiotics are found in fermented food, such as yogurt and kefir, while prebiotics are are soluble sugars, such as fructo-oligosaccharide and galacto-oligosaccharide, found especially in vegetables and fruits which contain fibers (5,6).

Scientific evidence shows that the gut microbiota plays a significant role in defining the activity of the brain and support that there is likely to be some relationship between diet and mental health (6). 

Diet can therefore influence the mental state of the individual, in dem it determines the composition of the gut microbiota. Gut microbiota can influence some functions in the central nervous system, via changes in neurotransmitter function or by changes in the availability and actions of short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in the brain.

The ingestion of probiotics favors the maintenance of a healthy microbiota and has been used to treat stress, anxiety, depression and schizophrenia.  

What Are The Signs and Symptoms of A High?

The signs of a high are, among others, anxiety, paranoia and hallucinations. A number of experimental studies have shown that THC in doses between 40 and 300 μg/kg causes a dose-dependent and reduction in performance at tests measuring memory, attention, reaction time, tracking, and motor function (2). Typically, the effects of cannabis intoxication are pleasant. However, using too much weed of high potencies can have adverse outcomes. 

According to Dr. Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the most common signs and symptoms of a cannabis-induced high include:

  • feelings of extreme happiness, relaxation, and calm
  • increased appetite
  • changes in perception
  • enhanced reactions to colors, touch, or sound

People who have taken large doses of marijuana may experience an acute psychosis. Some more serious effects of being high include:

  • feelings of anxiety and paranoia, fear and distrust 
  • impaired judgment
  • lack of coordination
  • hallucinations
  • delusions
  • inability to recognize yourself or others

How Long Can A High Last?

The duration and intensity of a high depend on various factors, including age, gender, weight, history of use, rate of metabolism, and liver health. 

Also, the mode of consumption of cannabis as well as the ingredients in the product influence how intense and how long a high will last.

For inhaled cannabis, you will start to feel normal after about three hours.  The symptoms after acute THC administration are shown to be highest during the first hour after smoking or between 1 and 2 h after oral intake. The number of significant performance effects sharply declined to about zero over 3–4 h after THC use (2). And for edibles such as gummies and beverages containing high doses of THC, a high can last for as long as six to ten hours, which could very well carry on into the next day. 

What Can You Do When Feeling Too High?

Here are some recommendations of how to gain some relief when you are high:

  1. Be patient: forcing yourself to feel better soon will only cause stress and frustration, so quit fighting yourself and give it time.
  2. Use relaxation techniques: these include listening to music, yoga, mild to moderate exercise, taking a nap, etc. Find something that suits you and stick to it.
  3. Create a distraction: to pass the time and take your mind off stuff, try watching some television, chatting with a friend, or taking a walk or a shower.
  4. Stay hydrated: drink loads of water to flush out the weed from your system. And you might feel tempted, but AVOID alcohol and coffee, since these beverages increase the amount of THC in the bloodstream and will boost the high.
  5. Avoid taking other drugs: consuming prescription stimulants such as ADHD medication or stimulating drugs such as cocaine will enhance symptoms of delirium and paranoia, so steer clear of them.
  6. Avoid folk remedies: solutions to cure a high that involves lemon water and black peppercorns have no proven benefits in reducing cannabis intoxication, so it’s best to stick to the above.
  7. Learn from your mistakes: once sober, create a sober safety plan that lists the problems you had during your high, along with the amount of cannabis you took, what factors helped you sober up, and what you avoided. Consult this the next time you experience a high and also share it with friends so that they can help.

In emergency settings medications with acute therapeutic effects for relieving symptoms of intoxication are used. Benzodiazepines, such as lorazepam and alprazolam, recommended for the acute management of panic disorder can be used. Similarly, manic and depressive syndromes, during the intoxication, can be managed by means of medications (benzodiazepines and antipsychotics) that attenuate important acute complaints like insomnia, anxiety, psychomotor agitation, and suicidal ideation. The use of antidepressants and mood stabilizers would be indicated only in the persistence of these symptoms, with duration beyond the intoxication period (3).

When Should You Seek Professional Help For A High?

If you’ve had a rather scary reaction to cannabis, you might require professional help to manage your symptoms and help you sober up. The symptoms can include extreme agitation, panic, paranoia, and severe behavioral changes (4).

For instance, if you’re high on edibles, the emergency room staff can help you throw up or put you on activated charcoal to chelate the THC from your system. And if you’re exhibiting signs of confusion, aggression, confusion, and extreme anxiety, the staff might give you a sedative to calm you down and keep you and others around you safe until the high passes.

Conclusion

In this brief article, we answered the question, “does milk get rid of your high?” and also discussed the signs and symptoms of a high and what you can do to get rid of a high. 

If you have any questions or comments please let us know.

References

  1. Roth, William, et al. Tryptophan metabolism and gut-brain homeostasis. Int J Mol Sci, 2021, 22, 2973.
  2. Theunissen, E.L., Kauert, G.F., Toennes, S.W. et al. Neurophysiological functioning of occasional and heavy cannabis users during THC intoxication. Psychopharmacol, 2012, 220, 341–350.
  3. Crippa, José AS, et al. Pharmacological interventions in the treatment of the acute effects of cannabis: a systematic review of literature. Harm reduction j, 2012, 9, 1-6.
  4. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (US); Office of the Surgeon General (US). Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health [Internet]. Washington (DC): US Department of Health and Human Services; 2016 4, Early Intervention, Treatment, And Management Of Substance Use Disorders.
  5. Probiotics. National Institute of Health.
  6. Maqsood, Raeesah, and Trevor W. Stone. The gut-brain axis, BDNF, NMDA and CNS disorders. Neurochem res, 2016, 41, 2819-2835. 

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