Conservative treatment is most appropriate for alleviating symptoms of SMA syndrome and achieving clinical remission without surgical intervention 8. A patient-centered approach aimed to avoid attribution and anchoring errors is vital to provide proper treatment in a timely manner for medical conditions resulting from prolonged marijuana use. Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome (CHS) is a medical condition believed to be connected to heavy, chronic cannabis use.
Understanding Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome
This unique symptom can help differentiate CHS from other causes of vomiting, like morning sickness or a foodborne illness. If you need help quitting, speak to a healthcare provider or connect with your local addiction treatment services. Most people with CHS who stop using cannabis have relief from symptoms within 10 days. Hot baths may relieve the nausea for a while, but they don’t cure CHS. This case report discusses a patient who had previous CHS and continued THC use, which delayed the diagnosis of SMA syndrome cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome and appropriate treatment. It highlights how clinicians may prematurely attribute symptoms to a familiar diagnosis and potentially overlook alternative, more accurate explanations.
Exploring Effective Treatment Modalities
One theory behind CHS is that chronic overstimulation of the body’s endocannabinoid receptors leads to your body not being able to control nausea and vomiting. If you have cannabis use disorder and need help quitting, professional treatment is available. CHS develops in heavy, longtime consumers of cannabis; there is generally daily use in excess of three to five times a day for many years before the appearance of symptoms. A clinical study from Philadelphia, PA states that the average duration of cannabis use before the onset of symptoms was around 16 years, and the earliest symptoms had developed in a patient was after around three years of smoking weed. I’ve known many heavy smokers all my life and have only recently heard of it through research online.
- An Australian clinical study from 2004 looked into the syndrome in a group of 10 patients suffering from CHS, and all were marijuana smokers, not dabbers.
- Preventing a recurrence necessitates complete abstinence to facilitate recovery.
- Expensive and non-diagnostic imaging scans for CHS-related symptoms are usually unnecessary.
- One study looking at Reddit posts on the subject found that spicy food, greasy food, coffee, black tea, and alcohol were frequently mentioned as CHS triggers.
What do experts know about CHS?
Over time, the symptoms will go away completely unless you start to https://ecosoberhouse.com/ use again. Extensive research on the medicinal effects of CBD has documented that high doses may cause gastrointestinal side effects, most commonly diarrhea, but occasionally nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. These symptoms resolve when the dose is lowered, indicating a dose-dependent response. Once the proper dose of CBD is found, the individual is able to continue CBD without side effects. To arrive at an accurate diagnosis, physicians may look at how often and how much cannabis a patient uses, so if you’re feeling symptoms of CHS, be honest with your doctor about how much cannabis you consume.
People are blaming the recent and increasing popularity of dabs for Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome (CHS), but CHS has been around since way before concentrates were popular. An Australian clinical study from 2004 looked into the syndrome in a group of 10 patients suffering from CHS, and all were marijuana smokers, not dabbers. Because so little is known about Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome and its causes, few treatment approaches have been developed. If you are experiencing symptoms of Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome, the most common advice is to stop using cannabis and see if your symptoms resolve in the following days, weeks, or months. This seems to be the most effective way to completely resolve symptoms. Through a holistic and individualized treatment regimen, healthcare providers can navigate the challenges of CHS, offering hope and relief to those affected by this puzzling condition.
Hyperemetic phase
During the patient’s hospital stay, nutritional support and intravenous hydration were provided. In addition, she was initially instructed on cannabis cessation and a trial of topical capsaicin for treatment of CHS. After the definitive diagnosis of SMA syndrome, a conservative approach of intravenous hydration and nasogastric feeding was applied to treatment.
CHS Phases
- This word is a combination of “screaming” and “vomiting.” You’re in so much pain that you’re screaming while you’re vomiting.
- He also warned that people with serious mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, should be cautious about marijuana use, as studies show cannabis can exacerbate the effects of those illnesses.
- With the widespread use, increased potency and legalization of marijuana in multiple states in the U.S., CHS may be becoming increasingly common.
It may sound like a made-up condition to discourage teenagers from trying cannabis, but CHS is very real — and it can be dangerous if not properly managed. Researchers are trying to understand why some people develop it and others don’t. Right now, the only known effective treatment for CHS is to stop using cannabis. Not everyone with the condition seeks medical help or tells their provider that they use marijuana. “It’s the best medication that helps her sleep for the last five years.
Can CBD cause CHS?
For our patient, cognitive errors delayed the diagnosis and, hence, initiation of appropriate treatment. Often mistakenly called Cyclical Vomiting Syndrome, Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome is a rare form of cannabinoid toxicity that develops in chronic smokers. It’s characterized by cyclic episodes of debilitating nausea and vomiting. People who suffer from the syndrome often find that hot showers relieve their symptoms, and will compulsively bathe during episodes of nausea and vomiting.
