Sharon Stone Opened Up About Stroke Medication Battle

Determined to reclaim control of her health, Stone decided to stop taking one of the medications despite medical advice, before also giving up cannabis.

The actress, who is the mother of three adopted sons, has previously spoken about how the stroke transformed her priorities, forcing her away from Hollywood while she focused on raising her family before returning to work.

Speaking about the ordeal, Stone said: “I got off one of my medications that I was on for my stroke last September, and they said I couldn’t go off of it. 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. I was sick as a frigging dog for four and a half months. I just thought, ‘I want my life back.’ I had gotten off the majority of the drugs over the years that they had put me on. But I was like: ‘I want a drug-free life.'”

A source close to the actress said Stone had become increasingly determined to reduce her dependence on medication after years of living with the consequences of her stroke.

He said: “Sharon felt she had reached a point where she wanted to know who she was without relying on medication every day. It was an intensely difficult process, but she believed reclaiming her independence was worth enduring months of illness.”

Stone said her decision to stop smoking cannabis also triggered another period of severe sickness.

She said: “Once I got off that (the stroke medication), I decided I’m going to quit smoking pot. And because I think they put so much stuff in it now – they really do – when I stopped smoking pot, I also got sick. It’s not like you’re pulling it out of the ground anymore. It’s not like when we were kids. I got pretty sick for a month. I went to my neurologist, and he said, ‘Sharon, I’ve had people dying in the emergency room from marijuana.'”

Another source said Stone hopes sharing her experience will encourage people to seek medical guidance before making major changes to prescribed treatments.

He said: “She is not telling others to stop their medication. Sharon simply wants people to understand how physically demanding the process was for her and why those decisions should always be taken carefully and with professional advice.”

Stone has also reflected on how surviving her stroke reshaped her outlook on life and career.

Speaking to the Today show in 2025, she said: “Well, in the ’90s I think it would be fair to say I pretty much owned the ’90s as an actress.

“I stopped when I had a stroke. I had a massive, massive stroke and nearly died, so I couldn’t work.

“When I reconsidered what value things had to me in life, I really wanted to have children and spend my time with them. And I only really worked as much as I needed to to support my family. But now my children have left the nest, and now I’m back to work.”