What is Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome?

26 Nov What is Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome?

A referral for counseling for cannabis use disorder should be considered. Long-term management success relies on patient and physician commitment, availability, and the coordination of regular follow-up visits. Establishing trust and rapport between the patient and physician is crucial.

Prodromal Phase

Cannabis hyperemesis syndrome, a subtype of cyclic vomiting syndrome, causes repeated nausea and vomiting, with symptoms resolving during the recovery phase after cannabis cessation. Both cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) and cyclic vomiting syndrome (CVS) cause people to feel sick to the stomach and throw up at times, while feeling normal at other times. 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.

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Education and awareness are vital in diagnosing and treating CHS as its prevalence increases. This comprehensive review explores the ECS’s involvement, CHS management approaches, and knowledge gaps to enhance understanding of this syndrome. Diagnosis can be challenging, and CHS may be misdiagnosed as many other disorders, including cyclic vomiting syndrome (CVS). Although some patients who use marijuana present with CVS, there are several differentiating factors between CVS and CHS.

• While any amount of long-term cannabis use can lead to CHS, daily cannabis use seems to be more likely to cause CHS than using it less often.
• Neither the psychological treatments nor the pharmacological treatments seem to be that effective,” he said.
• They bind to receptors in the brain, gastrointestinal tract, and immune cells.
• People who use marijuana long-term — typically for about 10 to 12 years — are at risk of developing CHS.
• It is essential to treat the underlying mood disorder to achieve cannabis discontinuation and CHS remission.

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You can always talk with your doctor or a therapist if you’re struggling with staying away from the substance — they’re there to support you wherever you are on that journey. New research also suggests that people affected by CHS may have genetic differences than regular cannabis users who don’t develop CHS. Plus, Walker says that CHS often gets misdiagnosed as other conditions when people aren’t forthcoming about their cannabis use. Carnett’s sign refers to pain elicited by tensing the abdominal muscles or performing a straight leg raise.

Hyperemetic Phase

• Cannabinoids, the active compounds found in cannabis, have a profound impact on the gastrointestinal (GI) system.
• It doesn’t happen very often, but it completely disrupts the lives of those who have it.
• There are benefits to social media, such as entertainment and self-expression.

She wondered if her gastric distress might have been caused by the marijuana she regularly and legally smoked at her home in Toronto. If you need help quitting, speak to a healthcare provider or connect with your local addiction treatment services. This can be especially hard — and maybe seem unfair to some — considering the condition doesn’t affect all long-term cannabis users. And as of right now, it’s not known why some people experience CHS and others don’t.

Risk Factors For Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome

As recovery progresses, patients are initially given clear liquids and gradually advance to a regular diet as tolerated. In patients treated at home, recommendations are emphasized to consume fluids containing glucose and electrolytes between vomiting episodes to ensure adequate hydration. CHS patients generally do not experience significant weight loss, as periods of regular oral intake often compensate for the days of vomiting. During this phase, patients may experience morning nausea, abdominal discomfort, or anxiety about vomiting. Symptoms, patients often eat well, maintain weight, and remain functional at work. The patients continue using cannabis in this https://ecosoberhouse.com/ phase, believing in its anti-nausea effects.

• CHS is a newly identified condition, so doctors currently know little about it.
• “Cannabinoid” points to the active chemical compounds in the Cannabis sativa plant, including THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol).
• Severe nausea, vomiting, and stomach pain are the hallmark symptoms of cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS).
• After you quit, you may still have symptoms and side effects for a few days to a few weeks.
• In states where recreational marijuana is legal, some brands of marijuana contain up to 30 percent THC.
• It’s not entirely clear how cannabis hyperemesis syndrome occurs, though there are several theories.

In the case of CHS, the prolonged and high-dose use of cannabis can lead to an overstimulation of the cannabinoid receptors in the GI system. This overstimulation disrupts the delicate balance of the GI functions, resulting in the characteristic symptoms of severe nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. The direct effects of cannabinoids include the activation of cannabinoid receptors on the surface of GI cells, drug addiction which can influence the release of neurotransmitters and hormones that regulate GI function. If a patient stops cannabis use, they enter into a recovery phase where nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain subside, and eating and bathing habits normalize. This can take some time – usually at least 7-10 days after stopping cannabis.

It’s important to be honest about your marijuana use if you have symptoms of CHS. Without knowing this background, providers often misdiagnose CHS as other conditions, like cyclic vomiting syndrome (CVS). 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. With the widespread use, increased potency and legalization of marijuana in multiple states in the U.S., CHS may be becoming increasingly common. Many people will take a lot of hot showers during the day to ease their nausea. In chs syndrome summary, a suggested approach includes an initial evaluation with a comprehensive metabolic panel, ECG, and urine drug screen.

• Nortriptyline and doxepin have fewer adverse effects and provide substantial therapeutic benefits.
• CHS is also underdiagnosed because people sometimes use marijuana to suppress nausea and vomiting.
• Multiple and forceful vomiting events can cause Mallory–Weiss tears with hematemesis and rarely lead to pneumomediastinum or Boerhaave’s syndrome 58.
• CHS is a rather rare condition and is generally only seen in long time cannabis users.

Symptoms of CHS typically come on several years after the start of chronic marijuana use. Dr. Berry is chief resident at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Va. She is applying for a pediatric hospital medicine fellowship this year and is looking forward to her future career in pediatric hospital medicine. Ultimately, while being high can reduce anxiety and make the most mundane things hilarious, if you’re someone who is affected by CHS, it’s probably not worth these symptoms. Life can be just as fun and colorful without cannabis, pinky promise. If you’re a long-term user, stopping cannabis use will mean a significant lifestyle change.

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The throwing up can be bad and can cause you to be low on body water. 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. One study found up to 6% of people who went to the emergency room for cyclical vomiting had CHS. Experts believe only a fraction of habitual cannabis users develop CHS. But because CHS is a somewhat newly discovered condition that was first diagnosed in 2004, some people may be underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed.