Neither the psychological treatments nor the pharmacological treatments seem to be that effective,” he said. “There is evidence that if you send a message to the brain that competes with the message that’s causing the nausea, vomiting, that you can suppress it,” Camilleri said. One possible explanation for this is called “gate control theory,” which postulates that to some extent, the brain can regulate how much pain it perceives.
Risk Factors for Developing Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome
Camilleri also said that cannabis use is positively correlated with anxiety and depression, and noted that doctors should treat the whole patient and not just the disorder. Ultimately, the only way to guarantee health is by totally abstaining, he added. If the patient quits cannabis consumption, vomiting due to CHS largely subsides.
What Is Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome (CHS)?
As CHS is a newly described condition, many doctors may find it challenging to diagnose and treat. Researchers have tried to explain what causes CHS, but further study is necessary. Researchers are currently studying several treatment options to manage the hyperemetic phase of CHS. People who use marijuana long-term — typically for about 10 to 12 years — are at risk of developing CHS.
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People with the syndrome tended to feel better when bathing. The first reports came from doctors treating regular users of marijuana for nausea and vomiting in South Australia. If you have cannabis use disorder and need help quitting, professional treatment is available. To help you transition to the recovery phase, you can try a few home remedies such as regular hot chs smoking baths. But too many of them may increase your risk for dehydration due to sweating.
- From the time he was a child, he suffered from acid reflux and often took medicine to ease the symptoms.
- Doctors have also noticed that people in the hyperemesis stage take frequent showers and baths, which seem to relieve nausea.
- However, you might research the cannabis strains you use to determine their reported effects on digestive and related systems.
- A study this year in the Journal of Forensic Science described two people in Canada who died from CHS and a third for whom the condition contributed to death.
- However, the shadows lingering over cannabis use for a century or more have radically limited the research necessary to understand cannabis composition and effects fully.
Recovery stage
As CHS is a new diagnosis, the manufacturers of these drugs did not design them for treating CHS, but a doctor may opt to prescribe them for this use. Doctors have a lack of knowledge of CHS, and this makes it hard to identify people with the condition. People often remain misdiagnosed for years, which delays treatment.
- However, Camilleri said that men are more likely to develop it, as are people who have used marijuana frequently and for many years.
- 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.
- “No kid could use continuously throughout the day and also be doing anything else, because they would have been smoking a joint before,” she said.
- Some patients use hot water bags across the center of their belly and can burn the skin if done a lot.
- But too many of them may increase your risk for dehydration due to sweating.
Symptoms and Causes
It’s possible that with lower amounts or lower frequency, patients might be able to use cannabis again, but the science is unclear. When Dr. Deepa Camenga began her career about 20 years ago, she rarely if ever saw pediatric patients with CHS, she said. Today, hospitals in her area around New Haven, Connecticut, see pediatric CHS cases nearly every day, she added. It’s not clear if some people are more prone to the syndrome than others. However, Camilleri said that men are more likely to develop it, as are people who have used marijuana frequently and for many years. She asked to be identified only by her first name for fear of how future employers may view her history of marijuana use.
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Some receptors may become more active, while others can shut down. Researchers have identified two receptors called CB1 and CB2 to which marijuana molecules attach. Receptors are specialized cells that respond to specific stimuli or changes in the environment. The symptoms typically last a few weeks, though the throwing up should ease up in a day or two. On her dresser sits a dark urn emblazoned with a gold marijuana leaf that contain’s Brian’s ashes.
Within 10 minutes, nausea and vomiting stopped, and the person no longer felt abdominal pain. CHS is also underdiagnosed because people sometimes use marijuana to suppress nausea and vomiting. Doctors currently lack knowledge of the condition, and there are no clinical guidelines for its treatment and management. Doctors also noticed that individuals with CHS would take frequent hot showers and baths.
A health care provider may diagnose CHS based on reported symptoms, medical history, and by ruling out other causes of nausea and vomiting. The only way to confirm a CHS diagnosis is if symptoms are resolved after stopping cannabis use. Some people with CHS may not be diagnosed Alcoholics Anonymous for several years or may be misdiagnosed.
