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. Some patients may not make the connection between their symptoms and cannabis use. The widely known antiemetic properties of cannabis make the paradoxical symptoms of CHS difficult for many patients to accept, especially if they have cannabis use disorder. Communicate in a way that fosters patient trust in the healthcare team to encourage early diagnosis and treatment. Be factual and straightforward when explaining CHS to patients, and advocate for necessary supportive measures to aid cannabis cessation. One study found that 32.9% of self-reported frequent marijuana users who came to an emergency department for care met the criteria for CHS.
Drug Overdose Reporting System (SUDORS)
Cyclic vomiting syndrome visits declined from 300 to 186 per 100,000 visits, perhaps suggesting a growing clinical awareness of CHS. Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) is a very unpleasant — and potentially dangerous — complication of long-term marijuana use. Because of this https://ecosoberhouse.com/ possible complication, it’s important to use caution with marijuana and other cannabis products. If you think you have CHS or cannabis use disorder, talk to a healthcare provider.
What Is Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome (CHS)?
Senior care at Catholic Health is provided on either a long- or short-term basis with coordinated approach focused on your wellness. From routine procedures to complex surgeries, our skilled team is dedicated to delivering safe, effective, and personalized treatment. Our cardiac experts are the region’s most experience team of physicians and surgeons, providing the most advanced treatments available. Many surgeries and procedures can be performed on an outpatient basis. Catholic Health has several surgery centers specializing in outpatient procedures.
- The combination of severe vomiting, dehydration, and potential organ stress means CHS can be life-threatening if not treated.
- A commitment to caring can be found in the hearts and minds of the physicians, nurses and thousands of other employees who support patient care at CHS-affiliated hospitals and clinics.
- “I feel like maybe before just making marijuana available to the masses, maybe some of these things should have been looked into. You know, too much of anything might be bad,” said Ramsey.
Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome (CHS)
CHS is often underrecognized or chs illness misdiagnosed, but awareness is improving. A new ICD-10 code may enhance surveillance, though accurate diagnosis remains essential. Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) can affect people who use cannabis (marijuana) long-term.
THC is also known for having biphasic effects, which means it can cause two opposite effects at different doses. Some have suggested that high doses might cause the anti-emetic effects to flip into a pro-emetic syndrome. While often excluded from this list, one study found that 23% of presentations involve diarrhea at this stage, increasing the potential for misdiagnosis as gastroenteritis. These cases highlight the importance of finding better ways to distinguish CHS from other conditions that manifest in similar ways. Soon Facebook groups dedicated to CHS started to appear as well, with thousands of people who claimed they had these same symptoms. Now, 20 years later, cases of CHS have risen dramatically in areas with legal cannabis access, and researchers have learned a lot more about what CHS is, who is likely to get it, and how to get it to stop.
Care at Cleveland Clinic
That’s what makes it hard to track back and identify, because you could be using marijuana products for years and experience no ill effects. Over time and with increased exposure, your endocannabinoid pathways become dysregulated. This leads to the timing between your brain and your gut being disrupted, due to the chronic exposure to cannabinoids.
CHS, which was first medically documented in 2004, affects people who use high doses of marijuana frequently. Our affiliated hospitals have the flexibility to meet individual needs and the ability to offer competitive recruitment packages and start-up incentives. Hundreds of physicians choose CHS affiliated hospitals each year for quality of care and quality of life. On Oct. 1, the World Health Organization formally recognized cannabis hyperemesis syndrome, adding an official diagnosis code to its manual. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has also incorporated the new code into US diagnostic systems.
- The condition seems to intensify over the course of months or years, and symptoms may escalate to more debilitating nausea, episodic vomiting, abdominal pain, weight loss, and dehydration.
- Pancreatitis – Inflammation of the pancreas causing severe abdominal pain and nausea.
- People suffering CHS often self-medicate with over-the-counter antacids, but some increase their cannabis use, thinking it will remedy the problem.
The hyperemetic phase is characterized by 24 to 48 hours of intense vomiting, epigastric or diffuse abdominal pain, sweating, and flushing. Nausea and vomiting in this phase are refractory to antiemetic medications. Most patients in this phase cease cannabis use because of the intensity of their symptoms. When patients learn—usually by accident—that hot showering and bathing relieves symptoms, the behavior may become compulsive; some patients take up to 12 hot showers or baths per day during this phase. Many patients say that the hotter the water, the greater drug addiction treatment their relief, and some describe it as “washing away” their nausea.
Is There a Connection Between Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome (CHS) and EVALI from Vaping?
While pesticides like neem oil can cause poisoning, the common effects of that poisoning do not line up with CHS symptoms. Additionally researchers have pointed to overstimulation of CB1 or TRPV1 receptors – leading the body to reduce the amount of those receptors – as a possible mechanism for CHS. While these are all just theories, they make sense with what we know about cannabis and its impact on the human body. But there are a number of theories about why cannabis could lead to CHS. Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome (aka CHS) is a rare form of non-stop vomiting related to too much cannabis use.Read about the history, prevalence, causes, and cures in this expert research review.
Very little is known about this condition, including its causes, but researchers hypothesize that an oversaturation of cannabinoid receptors in the body could lead to these complications. Others suspect that certain pesticides used in cannabis cultivation might be the cause. As cannabis legalization continues to spread across the country, doctors are sounding the alarm about the potential health risks of the quickly changing drug. One rare condition is sending chronic marijuana users to emergency rooms. Researchers are attempting to spread awareness about that condition, cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS), and the need for more government oversight in the legal cannabis industry.