Initial symptoms are feeling sick to the stomach, belly pain and the feeling like you may throw up. After about years of chronic marijuana use, patients begin to have a strong feeling of sickness, throwing up, and belly pain. This is normally when people go see a doctor to find out what is causing these problems.

Hyperemesis induced by cannabis

• Cognitive errors are common in medical practice and can have serious consequences for patients related to misdiagnosis and delays in diagnosis and treatment.
• This is more common in men than women and usually starts around 35 years old.
• During phases of comparative wellness between episodes, which vary largely in length between weeks or several months, patients are free of symptoms or report occasional nausea, abdominal pain and even vomiting 1, 2.
• Given the findings of an aortomesenteric angle of 18.1°, aortomesenteric distance of 5.0 mm, and visualized extrinsic compression via enteroscopy, our patient met the diagnostic criteria for SMA syndrome.
• Fortunately, the vomiting phase of CHS usually goes away faster, typically within 48 hours after stopping cannabis use.

It may also be true that, in the 15 states where the recreational use of cannabis is legal, people might just be more comfortable seeking help. This dehydration can lead to a type of kidney failure that experts refer to as cannabinoid hyperemesis acute renal failure, and in severe cases, it can even result in death. The reason why I know so much about this is that it happened to my son. The throwing up can be bad and can cause you to be low on body water.

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In one study of frequent cannabis users with potential CHS symptoms, 33% of participants met the definition of CHS. When expanded to the general U.S. population, research indicates that about 2.75 million Americans annually may experience CHS. THC and other chemicals in cannabis also bind to molecules in your digestive tract. These chemicals can change the time it takes your stomach to empty food. The self-reported nature of the patients’ cannabis use is also problematic from a research perspective. It could be more common than emergency departments are reporting because people in non-legalized states might be hesitant to seek help, Vakharia says.

What Are the Health Complications of CHS?

This is more common in men than women and usually starts around 35 years old. These two conditions are hard to distinguish between and the main difference is CHS happens with using a lot of marijuana. If you have cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS), the best treatment is to stop using weed, even https://ecosoberhouse.com/ if you’ve been doing it for years with no previous side effects. Once you do that, your repeated nausea and vomiting should go away and not return. Since THC is stored in your body fat, it can take weeks to months before all the symptoms go away and you notice a difference. Smoking extra marijuana won’t help your nausea but will make it worse.

• Yet, with the evolving comprehension of CHS, there is a likelihood that some cases attributed to CVS might actually be undiagnosed instances of CHS, marking it as pathognomonic.
• Research is ongoing on the exact way that cannabis triggers this problem.
• Patients in the acute phase of either syndrome do not respond adequately to conventional treatment (e.g. metamizole, metoclopramide, alizaprid, dimenhydrinate, ondansetron) of nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain 1, 2.
• During the hyperemesis phase, patients experience heavy nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain 2.

Low grade fever, headache, loose stools and even diarrhoea may be present on admission 1, 4, 8. The average duration of a vomiting episode ranges from 3 to 4 days (variable from a few hours to more than one week) 1, 8. Duration of the recovery phase is extremely variable and strongly depends on adequate treatment 1, 8. During phases of comparative wellness between episodes, which vary largely in length between weeks or several months, patients are free of symptoms or report occasional nausea, abdominal pain and even vomiting 1, 2. The cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) and the cyclic vomiting syndrome in adults (CVS) are both characterized by recurrent episodes of heavy nausea, vomiting and frequently abdominal pain. Literature is inconsistent concerning clinical features which enable differentiation between CVS and CHS.

• Integrating CHS into studies evaluating chronic marijuana abuse can give an idea of prevalence of CHS within this group.
• Without knowing this background, providers often misdiagnose CHS as other conditions, like cyclic vomiting syndrome (CVS).
• The only proven way to prevent cannabis hyperemesis syndrome is to avoid cannabis (marijuana).
• Some people use it in low dosages to reduce depression, social anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and it can help relieve nausea and vomiting that occur due to chemotherapy.

While the evidence supporting their efficacy is limited, these options could be considered in specific scenarios where conventional treatments prove inadequate. Furthermore, heat-induced vasodilation might facilitate toxin elimination through the skin, aiding cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome in the detoxification process and potentially contributing to symptom improvement in individuals with CHS. Researchers are continuing to examine potential treatment options for CHS. It’s thought that genetics may play a role because only a small number of people who regularly use cannabis develop CHS.

Ironically, one of the potential complications of long-term cannabis use is a condition called cannabis hyperemesis syndrome (CHS). Although cannabis is a US Food and Drug Administration-approved treatment for nausea in certain cases, most commonly after chemotherapy, it also has been proved to cause episodic vomiting, known as CHS 2. This biphasic effect of cannabis is minimally understood but can be reasonably linked to THC dosage. The endocannabinoid system is responsible for the mechanisms involving cannabinoid receptors and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis 2.

The ECS is composed of ligands, receptors, signaling, and enzymes (its regulators and inhibitors) 22. It’s still not clear which of the more than 100 cannabinoids found in cannabis are responsible for CHS, but it’s thought that CBD could potentially be a contributor. If you need help quitting cannabis, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration offers a 24/7 helpline in English and Spanish. A representative can refer you to local treatment facilities, support groups, and community-based organizations. Keep in mind none of these treatments will be effective if you continue using cannabis products. The prodromal phase can last for months, or even years in some cases.