Cannabinoids, the active compounds found in cannabis, have a profound impact on the gastrointestinal (GI) system. The GI system is rich in cannabinoid receptors, which play a crucial role in regulating various physiological processes, including nausea and vomiting. When cannabinoids bind to these receptors, they can alter the normal functioning of the GI system, leading to changes in gut motility, secretion, and blood flow. It is important for people with CHS to stop using marijuana because this will resolve their nausea and vomiting. Preventing dehydration and stopping nausea and vomiting are the treatment goals during the hyperemesis stage of the condition. One doctor reported using injectable lorazepam to help control nausea and vomiting symptoms in an adult.
- Hot water helps calm the symptoms for a while, but the relief doesn’t last long after stepping out.
- However, many experts consider these treatments to be ineffective for managing nausea and vomiting in people with CHS.
- This suggests that this once “rare” condition is going to emerge as an increasingly common presentation in emergency departments (ED) and clinics.
- WASHINGTON (Feb. 20, 2025)–A new study analyzes the disease burden and the risk factors for severity among people who suffer from a condition called cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome.
- Furthermore, the role of cytochrome (CYP) P450 metabolism and genetic polymorphisms might play a role in terms of why certain individuals are susceptible to CHS.
The leading cause of marijuana-related ER visits is called CHS or cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome. What is CHS?
- The 11-OH-THC metabolite is psychoactive and is equipotent to THC in terms of psychoactive effects; THC-COOH is not psychotropic and has anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties 41, 42.
- Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome (CHS) can have both immediate and long-term effects on health.
- When speaking to Page Six at the screening of “Riff Raff” at the Cinema Society Wednesday, Krumholtz told the outlet that he “almost died” after he experienced an extreme reaction to cannabis.
- This level of distress highlights why CHS is much more than a minor digestive complaint.
- Ultimately, the treatment of any illness is the removal of precipitating factors, not merely the management of its symptoms.
Your doctor may ask you questions, like how long you’ve been using cannabis and what type of products you normally use. For example, if you smoke weed, eat edibles, use tinctures, or dab or vape THC, tell your doctor about any or all of them. This word is a combination of “screaming” and “vomiting.” You’re in so much pain that you’re screaming while you’re vomiting. It tends to affect people who use cannabis at least once a week and happens more often in adults who’ve been using cannabis since their adolescent years.
What are the possible complications of cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome?
We fix this by giving the water back through the veins and giving drugs to stop the sick feeling and lower the acid in the stomach. These medications aim to manage symptoms and support recovery while discontinuing cannabis use. Although these phases describe the typical progression, each individual’s experience with CHS may vary. By exploring the effects of cannabinoids on the GI system, we can gain a deeper understanding of how CHS develops and identify potential avenues for treatment and prevention. However, doctors exercise caution when prescribing lorazepam because it is a controlled substance with the potential for abuse and addiction. The use of lorazepam for CHS is also off-label, so a person’s doctor would need to make them aware of this fact.
Treatment
The first reports came from doctors treating regular users of marijuana for nausea and vomiting in South Australia. The top reason marijuana users seek help in ERs is a malady known as cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, or CHS. Studies show that about 80% of people with CHS recover when they completely stop using marijuana. On the flip side, if you keep consuming cannabis, the syndrome often returns, and the cycle continues. If you’ve tried to quit weed in the past but found it too difficult, this might be a sign of a deeper marijuana addiction.
Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) is a condition in which a patient experiences cyclical nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain after using cannabis. The almost pathognomic aspect of a patient’s presenting history is that their symptoms are relieved by hot baths or shower. This activity introduces the pathophysiology, clinical manifestation, and management of cannabis hyperemesis.
Case reports were summarized in Table 2 and case series presented in the narrative text. In some cases, the bibliographies of these articles were also searched. Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome is a condition that affects individuals who use marijuana regularly, particularly those who have been using it for years or in large quantities. This syndrome is characterized by severe and persistent nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain that do not respond to traditional anti-nausea treatments, and in many cases, it leads to dehydration and weight loss.
Addiction Therapy FAQs
The only proven way to prevent cannabis hyperemesis syndrome is to avoid cannabis (marijuana). Most people with CHS who stop using cannabis have relief from symptoms within 10 days. On the flip side, McIff tells of a 17-year-old patient who had self-medicated for his anxiety with cannabis obtained from friends. McIff walked the mother and son through the risks of adolescent cannabis — CHS, addiction risks, cognitive dysfunction and harms to the developing brain and body.
Since CHS is thought to occur only chs symptoms and signs with long-term marijuana use, a CHS diagnosis is often ruled out for adolescents and children. However, case studies demonstrate that adolescents are susceptible to CHS. The youngest age for a CHS case in the literature found by the authors is 15 years 125. In a report on a 16-year-old CHS patient, she reported that she used marijuana herself but had been exposed prior to that to secondhand smoke for many years, as her family used marijuana 125. Since there are no laboratory or radiographic examinations that can be used to diagnose CHS, CHS should be diagnosed based on symptoms and patient behaviors.
Accidentally put eyelash glue in your eye? Tips to avoid painful mistakes.
Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) can affect people who use cannabis (marijuana) long-term. To assess the Drug rehabilitation burden of disease, Meltzer and his colleagues conducted a survey of 1,052 people who report suffering from cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome. Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) is linked to long-term, frequent cannabis use, causing nausea, vomiting, and pain, often leading to hospital visits.
Skin Conditions
The HPA axis and the sympathetic nervous system must balance their activities in response to stressors. While stress response is vital to survival, prolonged stress increases the allostatic load and can have adverse effects on health 58, 59. Interestingly, endocannabinoids play a role in allostasis, that is, they promote the recovery from stress and help to reestablish homeostasis of neurotransmitters, neurohormones, and neuropeptides 60.
