Treatment for CHS often requires both physical and psychological support, including counseling to address underlying mental health issues. Certain risk factors for CHS, such as long-term cannabis use, can also contribute to the development of comorbidities like mental health issues and substance use disorders. Additionally, cannabinoids can have indirect effects by modulating the brain-gut axis, which plays a significant role in the perception of nausea and vomiting. This complex interplay between the cannabinoid system and the GI system can lead to the development of CHS in susceptible individuals. Cannabis has over 100 cannabinoids, with Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) being the most potent and best studied.
Medical Cannabis Paradoxical Effects: Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome and Overreliance on THC
If you think you have CHS or cannabis use disorder, talk to a healthcare provider. Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) can affect people who use cannabis (marijuana) long-term. Serotonin antagonism in the gastrointestinal tract from medications such as ondansetron, dolasetron, and granisetron likewise have varying levels of efficacy.
Care at Cleveland Clinic
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. Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome (CHS) is a condition caused by long-term marijuana use, characterized by recurrent nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain.
Treatment / Management
Recognizing the signs early can help prevent unnecessary suffering and complications. Codi recommends a full six months of abstinence and comprehensive patient education to support patients through this transition before potentially reintroducing any cannabinoid treatment. The only reliable and Sobriety definitive way of managing and treating the disorder is cessation of marijuana use.
Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome: An Emerging Medical Enigma
- There are case reports of burns in patients with over-enthusiastic use of the hot tap.
- Cannabigerol (CBG) also inhibits FAAH (Bisogno et al., 2001) but has been reported in surveys to alleviate gastrointestinal symptoms including inflammatory bowel diseases (Russo et al., 2021).
- During this phase, many people don’t recognize that cannabis is the cause of their symptoms.
- It’s a relatively new and lesser-known health issue that causes severe nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain, often leading people to seek medical help.
Individuals with CHS often find relief from symptoms through hot showers or baths. CHS is a rare but serious condition that may develop after years of heavy marijuana consumption. Marijuana use can have unexpected and severe side effects, one of which is Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome (CHS). This condition is characterized by repeated episodes of nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain, which can be debilitating if left untreated. For those struggling with marijuana addiction, understanding the possible long-term health impacts of continuous usage is important.
- Many users continue consuming cannabis despite adverse effects, believing it helps with nausea, only to worsen their symptoms.
- If you have a medical problem, please contact a qualified health professional.
- Contact your health care provider if you suspect you might have CHS or for information on treatment options for cannabis use disorder.
- In simpler terms, the best way to combat any illness isn’t just to deal with its symptoms, but to eliminate the cause of the illness.
- Symptoms may be relieved with prolonged hot baths and showers so that these behaviours can become compulsive.
As a result, they often continue or even increase their cannabis use, believing it will help with their nausea since cannabis is regularly thought to do so. However, continuing to use cannabis during the prodromal phase will cause the condition to progress. The exact cause of CHS is not completely understood, but researchers believe it is linked to how cannabinoids affect the body’s endocannabinoid system. While cannabis is known to interact with this system to regulate nausea, appetite, and pain, chronic and excessive cannabis use can actually have the opposite effect in some individuals. Despite cannabis being widely known for its anti-nausea properties, CHS paradoxically causes persistent vomiting in certain individuals who use cannabis frequently. Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome follows a repeating cycle, with three distinct phases that people chs syndrome move through while continuing to use marijuana.
Symptoms of Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome
Additionally, people with CHS may experience weight loss as they don’t have an appetite and struggle to keep food down. Additionally, since vomiting leads to dehydration, sipping small amounts of water or electrolyte-rich drinks can help prevent complications. If you’ve ever used marijuana, you probably know that it can make you hungry. The “munchies” are a common side effect of marijuana, making people hungry and crave sweet treats or savory foods. There are case reports of burns in patients with over-enthusiastic use of the hot tap.