Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome CHS: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment
However, the main stay of treatment remains cessation of cannabis use. Future studies and trials are needed to further explore the role of capsaicin use in cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome. The patient had been relatively symptom-free over the course of the two years until recently when she started experiencing severe epigastric pain with retching and nausea.
Diagnostic approach and management
In the United States, 9 states and the District of Columbia have legalized recreational marijuana use, and 29 states and DC have legalized medical marijuana. Marijuana use is likely to rise, and with it may arise an increasing incidence of CHS. If you do use cannabis, quitting can ward off future episodes of CHS.
Diagnosis
Complete cessation of cannabis use is the cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome most effective long-term treatment for CHS. However, advising patients with CHS to stop cannabis use immediately may cause cannabis withdrawal symptoms and high rates of relapse. Counseling to achieve cannabis cessation and tricyclic antidepressants (such as amitriptyline) are recommended for long-term management of CHS. People with CHS who do not improve with these treatments may benefit from seeing a psychologist or psychiatrist.
- The patient had been relatively symptom-free over the course of the two years until recently when she started experiencing severe epigastric pain with retching and nausea.
- Imaging is up to the discretion of the clinician, depending on various specific factors of history or physical exam, which may be concerning for surgical processes.
- Most people with CHS who stop using cannabis have relief from symptoms within 10 days.
- He has multiple admissions for intractable nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain believed to be from diabetic gastroparesis despite a normal gastric-emptying study.
- 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.
- Preventing a recurrence necessitates complete abstinence to facilitate recovery.
How soon after cannabis hyperemesis syndrome treatment will I feel better?
Brian went back on his depression medication, and the doctor recommended counseling. There is a history of depression in our family, and Brian had developed it during preadolescence. CHS was first described in 2004 in South Australia and since then many case reports have been published. Unlike its antiemetic effect, the pathophysiology of the proemetic effect of marijuana is not well understood. Diagnosis is often delayed as there is no reliable diagnostic test.
Symptoms and Causes
In one small study of eight patients hospitalized with CHS, four of the five who stopped using weed recovered from CHS. One of the 4 who recovered went back to using marijuana and the vomiting resumed. It’s a serious medical problem that can cause major health issues if you leave it untreated. If you have any symptoms of severe dehydration, like dizziness, confusion and a rapid heartbeat, call 911 right away. Hot baths may relieve the nausea for a while, but they don’t cure CHS. Taking too many hot baths can increase dehydration due to sweating.
- Some people use it in low dosages to reduce depression, social anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and it can help relieve nausea and vomiting that occur due to chemotherapy.
- Hot showers have emerged as an intriguing phenomenon in assuaging the symptoms of Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome (CHS), offering a peculiar yet effective avenue for relief.
- Moreover, the report emphasizes the underdiagnosis of CHS due to its resemblance to other conditions and limited research in the field.
- Its effects include slowing stomach emptying, suppressing colon contractions, and causing loss of colon tone by binding to CB1 receptors in nerve fibers of the gut5.
It’s important to be honest about your marijuana use if you https://ecosoberhouse.com/ have symptoms of CHS. Without knowing this background, providers often misdiagnose CHS as other conditions, like cyclic vomiting syndrome (CVS). Some people use it in low dosages to reduce depression, social anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and it can help relieve nausea and vomiting that occur due to chemotherapy.
Conditions
Some patients may also benefit from acute and short-term use of benzodiazepines (antianxiety medication) and haloperidol (antipsychotic medication). Ultimately, the treatment of any illness is the removal of precipitating factors, not merely the management of its symptoms. With the increasing prevalence of cannabis in the United States and worldwide, our case highlights the need for consideration of CHS as a differential diagnosis in the setting of chronic cannabis use. With the worldwide growing usage of cannabis due to its legalization, cases of CHS are on the rise, and widespread awareness is vital for healthcare practitioners to recognize and appropriately manage nausea and vomiting induced by long-term cannabis intake. Based on the dramatic resolution of symptoms with topical capsaicin, our case supports this promising intervention and provides an alternate approach to antiemetics and narcotics routinely used in patients with cannabis hyperemesis syndrome.
This underscores the critical need to correlate symptoms with cannabis consumption, ruling out overlapping diagnoses that could be mistaken for CVS. Notably, a hallmark behavior observed in CHS cases is the propensity for pathologic hot bathing or showering. This behavior stands out as a prevalent diagnostic hallmark of CHS. While not exclusive to individuals with CHS, the act of hot bathing or showering manifests in approximately 80-90% of patients with this condition. As the utilization of cannabis transcends traditional boundaries, encompassing medical treatments, recreational indulgence, and wellness pursuits, the profound impact of THC and cannabinoids on gastrointestinal physiology is coming to light. Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.
