Sharon Stone opens up about quitting stroke medication and cannabis
The Oscar-nominated actress reflected on how her 2001 stroke that reshaped her priorities and inspired her
Sharon Stone has opened up about the difficult recovery she experienced after stopping one of her long-term stroke medications and giving up cannabis, revealing she was "sick as a dog" for months during the process.
The Basic Instinct star, who suffered a life-threatening brain hemorrhage in 2001, said she decided to pursue a "drug-free life" despite doctors warning her not to discontinue one of her prescribed medications.
Speaking to Variety, Stone recalled that withdrawing from the medication was far more difficult than she expected.
"They said, 'You can't go off of it. You can never go off of it.' I'm like: 'I'm going off it,' and it was like going off of f****** heroin," she said.
The actress revealed she was ill for nearly four and a half months before recovering, explaining that she wanted to regain control of her life after gradually reducing other medications over the years.
After stopping the prescription drug, Stone also quit using cannabis, a decision that brought another wave of health challenges.
She said she became sick again for about a month, claiming modern cannabis products are much stronger than they once were.
According to Stone, her neurologist told her he had treated patients with severe marijuana-related complications in emergency rooms.
Stone has previously spoken about how her stroke dramatically changed her priorities.
Unable to continue working at the same pace, she chose to focus on raising her three adopted sons before eventually returning to acting after they became adults.
