Researchers need to study CHS in more detail to make it easier for doctors to recognize and treat the condition. Further studies are also necessary to determine the causes of CHS and its risk factors. In two case reports, doctors used lorazepam (Ativan) to manage CHS-related nausea and vomiting. As people with CHS often only consult their doctors during the hyperemesis stage, there is a lack of knowledge regarding the treatment of people during the prodromal stage. Hot baths and showers tend to help reduce or curb the symptoms. Many people with CHS will compulsively shower or bathe — often for hours every day — to relieve CHS symptoms.
Patients & Families
When cannabinoids bind with brain receptors, they tend to prevent nausea and vomiting. 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.
Tips for Dealing with CHS Symptoms
- Not everyone with the condition seeks medical help or tells their provider that they use marijuana.
- Results from these case studies suggest that lorazepam might be an effective drug to control symptoms during the hyperemesis stage.
- Researchers are continuing to examine potential treatment options for CHS.
- Doctors have prescribed it for those fighting nausea and vomiting related to chemotherapy.
- It’s possible that with lower amounts or lower frequency, patients might be able to use cannabis again, but the science is unclear.
Heard says pediatric cases are down, however, thanks to steps the Colorado marijuana industry has taken, some by force of legislation, in packaging and individual dosing. In the early years of legalized recreational marijuana in Colorado, young men were most likely to show up in emergency departments with CHS, Heard says. But as marijuana use has become more widespread, patients into their 40s and 50s are arriving with CHS, and with no particular pattern with regard to gender or race. Twenty-four states and the District of Columbia allow recreational marijuana use, and recreational legalization is on the ballot in Florida, South Dakota, and North Dakota in November. In addition, a 2022 U.S. national drug use survey found that more than 4.5 million 18- to 25-year-olds use the drug daily or near daily, with 81% meeting the criteria for cannabis-use disorder.
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It’s not clear what percentage of all heavy marijuana users have experienced CHS. A study published last year in the journal Basic & Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology surveyed urban emergency room patients who marijuana addiction smoked marijuana 20 or more days a month. Of the 155 who said yes, almost a third experienced CHS symptoms. The doctors told Regina Denney and her son Brian Smith Jr. what was causing his severe vomiting and abdominal pain. Cedars of Sinai and other research institutions consider CHS occurrence rare. The occurrence of CHS is, nonetheless, ironic and counter-indicated because cannabis is known to have anti-emetic properties.
What are the risk factors for cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome?
From the time he was a child, he suffered from acid reflux and often took medicine to ease the symptoms. 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. About two years chs smoking after Brian started smoking, he began using a lot more, perhaps to help deal with depression, Denney said. He dropped out of school after ninth grade and started working full-time with an uncle who had a tree-trimming business.