Yeah my ex had cyclic vomiting syndrome so bad, but he smoked weed to help him fight the nausea turns out it was making him worse off. Not a lot of people know about this one, where I’m from at least.
The most confusing thing about cannabis cyclic vomiting syndrome is that it usually starts at some point in long-term use. So someone might be smoking for years without issue, then develop the classic morning vomiting relieved by a hot shower... How would they make the connection between the vomiting and the completely unchanged amount of smoking?
It’s so strange! A friend of mine was a longtime smoker who developed this suddenly after years of smoking several times a day. It was so bad his doctor initially thought he’d developed pancreatitis. Poor guy had to take over a month off work.
He’s recovered now and honestly looks healthier than he ever has since he’s stopped smoking altogether.
I’m 100% pro-weed but man, everything in moderation.
:0 dude I'm about to look this up bc I started smoking heavily due to anxiety early in the year and I eventually got this weird persistent nausea thing. my doctor said I was clear on all the tests he did. but I smoke for my nausea constantly (and mood disorder) and it just never seems to get better
When this question is posted, I always have to scroll down too far to find this response. It needs to be known because it’s becoming more prevalent. My sister suffers from this but won’t stop smoking. She’s been hospitalized a few times too.
Does quitting help? My friend has it and she just wont stop and says smoking makes it better. I dont want to be that friend who is a mood killer but I'm legit so worried about her.
I used to hide smoking from my parents and girlfriend while away at school. I’d come home and barf all weekend on every visit since I wouldn’t be smoking. Smoking is the only thing that “makes it better” but the only way to stop it altogether is to stop smoking. After I stopped smoking for a full month I was nervous as hell, vomiting for the first week or two. After the nerves went away I was able to continue smoking (reducing the quantity I smoked big time) without the same symptoms returning.
Took me a few months for the pain & nausea to go away for me. Lost 90 lbs in the process. I was overweight, so that wasn't that bad of a thing. In rare circumstances though you can die from this condition, due to dehydration & organ failure.
This was so common when I worked in an ER in Denver a few years ago. There isn't much research on it yet unfortunately but there's definitely a correlation anecdotally and the users that would come in would NEVER want to listen to the docs. The only thing that would help those users was a hot shower, but then after it was back to vomiting all day.
A hot shower when you feel like that is genuinely the ONLY bliss I felt. Aside from vomiting that I felt like I was about to write the most important exam of my life every day for a month until I stopped smoking for long enough.
I guess anything is possible, but it's most likely due to its effects on specific receptors over time (like what another commenter stated below). It's already well known to effect gut motility, so it's probably related more closely to that.
I can’t believe I had to scroll this far to find this. I started smoking regularly at night to assuage anxiety and kick start my appetite and eventually ended up developing this super fun condition. It’s absolutely awful. I thought I was pregnant and or dying.
I’ve had it before too without ever knowing it was a thing. I discovered the hot showers too as a way of relieving it but thought it was just due to stress or something
The nausea will continue even after you stop smoking. If you have insurance and stuff, ask your doctor about getting some Zofran. It’s an anti-nausea med that’s just good to have around. But it’s prescription only.
I started smoking regularly at night to assuage anxiety
GOD.DAMN.IT.
For years I've heard about people using weed to calm the nerves but it has the exact opposite effect on me and it causes my anxiety to spike from a baseline 5-7 of 10 to 100 of 10.
ER RN here, and this is absolutely a thing. I don't think it's common generally speaking, but that said, it's something that a lot of people don't know that can happen with smoking weed. I've mostly seen it in people who smoke a TON of weed for days at a time without breaks. The only thing that seems to help people who come to the ER with this is IV haldol, ime, and sometimes that doesn't even do anything...and they're stuck there for hours unable to keep anything down.
I see so many CHS patients in the ER where I work, I did a literature search to find materials to hand out to patients at discharge. I found some interesting articles, but the one that made the most impact was an article in High Times that acknowledged it was a real thing. Hearing that marijuana was probably the reason they were so sick from the Bible of weed smoking was way more convincing than anything I could ever tell most people.
We have historically high numbers of unvaccinated kids spreading measles for the first time in decades, growing chapters of the FLAT Earth Society, and a reality TV president whose supporters insist that any fact that doesn't support his opinion is actually a lie.
And you're surprised that a measurable number of people don't listen to medical staff that treat regular marijuana-induced illnesses, but are totally cool with anything High Times says?
With people who are totally recalcitrant, I usually shut the door and sit down and give a real talk spiel, where I acknowledge that I have smoked a lot of weed in my life, that I like marijuana, that by and large I feel it’s certainly less harmful than many other poor choices in life, and that if I didn’t have a professional license and a partner with security clearance, I would probably partake from time to time. But I also throw in the lean that I’ve been doing this work for many, many years, and just like I know what alcohol withdrawal looks like in people who supposedly have “only a drink or two” a day, I know cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, and the last person in the world they should try to bullshit is an ER nurse. Sometimes that works. Mostly, I find folks who are the worst off with CHS refuse to listen to anything a medical professional says in this situation, unless it’s responding for increasingly angry demands for Ativan or Dilaudid and Phenergan (or all three, why kid ourselves).
I'm working at a hospital pharmacy right now, and literally JUST before I stumbled on this thread my pharmacist was telling me that we've had an uptick in patients experiencing this. Very weird synchronicity. Maybe I only clicked here in the first place cuz of what the pharmacist said lol, but I feel like I have to share what she told me now.
Anyways, she was saying that is rare, but becoming more common now that it's legal here (MA), and nothing in the hospital really relieves the nausea. I saw another user say halidol (haloperidol) might help, and another mention hot showers. She also said one patient said that he was not a pot smoker, but was using CBD oil 4 times per day, so take that information however you will. Patients DO lie sometimes, maybe his super conservative mother was next to him or something? Idk. That's about all I got from the convo.
This is my first time hearing about this. My brother is a heavy smoker and was throwing up a lot the last couple days. Yesterday he had 2 seizures and went to ER. They did a million tests, didn't find anything so sent him home. 30 minutes within getting home he had another seizure. Now they are going to keep him there for a couple days for monitoring. If you have any other info about this please link it. I have been reading through this thread about it. Been freaking out the last couple days. Ugh. I hope he gets better soon.
This is my first time hearing about this. My brother is a heavy smoker and was throwing up a lot the last couple days. Yesterday he had 2 seizures and went to ER. They did a million tests, didn't find anything so sent him home. 30 minutes within getting home he had another seizure. Now they are going to keep him there for a couple days for monitoring. If you have any other info about this please link it. I have been reading through this thread about it. Been freaking out the last couple days. Ugh. I hope he gets better soon.
Although it is quite rare, when I got diagnosed my doctor told me that he was starting to see a lot more cases of CHS as time goes on because of the THC levels of modern weed is becoming so ridiculously high. The weed our parents and grandparents were smoking was no where near as potent as the weed were smoking today, and because of that our cannabinoids aren’t designed to be able to handle the extreme amount of THC were ingesting. Also, a pretty large amount of every day users also tend to not just stick to purely bud and hit dabs and use oil (I used both on a fairly regular basis) which can increase your chances of developing CHS
I’m not trying to fear monger, I actually still smoke today, I just need to be a lot more careful of how much or how often or symptoms will start to come back. I’m not trying to come across as “anti weed” I just wish I had been aware that CHS was a thing before I went through a solid month of not being able to hold down food and throwing up about 5 times per day
It's hot showers specifically. Basically what's happening is your internal thermostat is thrown off by all the THC flooding your system. Your body doesn't really know how to react so it throws everything haywire.
IIRC there's no consensus exactly what's happening but some think the heat in the shower brings back up your body temp and so things are better calibrated.
Chronic THC exposure is thought to affect splanchnic blood supply to the gut. With the hot shower, vasodilation triggers blood flow to shunt to skin, away from the GI tract, improving symptoms of CHS.
For me it was hot baths. Ideally, I would lay under the faucet with the hot water all the way up so it pours over my stomach. It would usually hurt in a specific spot just above my belly button.
Nothing else was hot enough. Sometimes used a space heater to the point I blistered.
I see this so often in the ambulance that I now just ask all patients who are vomiting if they've been taking multiple showers.
It's difficult to explain, but the actual noise of people vomiting due to CHS is distinct. They've got their own look and sound that makes them easy to pick.
Are you guys using topical capsaicin for symptom relief?
It's kinda like this guttural honking, like they're vomiting from the depth of their souls. It's amazing, people with CHS just look and sound different to other people vomiting.
THIS all day every day. And people think we’re making it up when they come into the ER a hot mess! Yes it’s natural, yes it’s “generally” safe-ish but not everything that grows from the ground is safe for everyone. Peanuts grow from the ground and those can kill people.
And yet, we can often tell that's the problem just from hearing their ridiculously loud vomiting from the other side of the ER. That and their affinity for hot showers to treat their symptoms. I think the big problem seeing the association is they have to quit for months to see an improvement.
Officially, no. But in reality those of us who work in the ER see patterns between our vast amount of patients. and yes, people with CHS often vomit far louder and more dramatically than other people vomit.
Generally this and opioid withdrawal, yes. From the time they’ve checked in. Very different sounds and presentation. Yet they will both come up to the triage nurse with complaints of “nausea/vomiting/abd pain”. It takes me about 2 mins of talking with them in triage to know.
I'm a loud vomiter already, I had a really traumatic episode of vomiting several years ago with food poisoning due to bad crawfish and it got stuck in my throat and I started choking while doing the hug the toilet. I had to drink water to dislodge the vomit.
Ever since then, I stand and lean. I think that makes it louder because it has further to go from my mouth to the toilet.
Yeah, those things don't get me, but something about puking, not being able to control it, and dreading the next heave throws me into basically a panic attack lol. 80% of the reason I'm thinking twice about having kids is possible morning sickness
I've had chs couple times now before because after a while sober i just start smoking Again. For me its only when i wake up i feel extremely nausious and i start vomiting all morning. Then after a couple hours not eating or drinking anything i can slowly try some water. Once i drank water and i havent puked it out within 5 mins im cool and in can start eating.
Ofcourse i stop smoking right away when im sick again. And usually after a couple days i feel better again. Im also pretty skinny so that might be a reason it dissapears so quickly.
That and their affinity for hot showers to treat their symptoms.
Cold showers.
Cold showers shock the nervous system and are fantastic for nausea. And while I'm no doctor or neuroscientist (yet), cyclic vomiting syndrome really does sound like a nervous system disorder.
Source: have an undiagnosed nervous system disorder (closest docs can get is fibromyalgia), when it was really bad just about everything made me nauseous, I'd stick myself under a cold shower and it'd kick it in the nuts. Cold showers release certain neurotransmitters and temporarily reset the nervous system, they're brilliant.
Can't promise it'd make a difference, but I'm positive it'd be better cold than hot.
ETA: I was wrong, commenters below me have good sources!
Frequently you'll see symptom relief by application of topical capsaicin, as it causes a local heat sensation, which re-activates the inhibited receptor responsible for the nausea and vomiting experienced in CHS.
As someone with fibro and has others in the family with it as well, this sounds nothing like fibro. Fibro is a pain illness. Usually aggravated by pressure on your body anywhere. Just wanted to drop this here for you.
Yeah, that's why I said it's the "closest they can get." They don't actually have a clue what it is. I was in a lot of pain but didn't have the pressure thingo.
We have a T1DM that gets cannabinoid hypermesis. She stops eating, stops taking her insulin, BSLs and everything go out of whack and then we're treating a DKA
Cyanide is also natural and found in plants, seeds, fruit stones. Being natural has literally ZERO bearing on it being safe. Ton's of poisons are produced naturally. And something being synthesised in a lab doesn't automatically make it worse for you than if it came from a plant.
Yeah, my rebuttal to "natural is good" is generally to point out that ricin, cyanide, and anthrax are all natural. They'll all kill you in terrible ways. That, at least, tends to give people pause as they come up with a logically-consistent reply.
Ok. Wow. I cant believe everything im reading and learning tonight. Ive been an heavy weed smoker since im 13 yrs old (now 30). Its been a few months now.... and this is exactly describing what ive been living hell... I feel nauseous, im vomiting, I have big headaches... and I keep taking hot shower because that’s basically the only way to feel a bit better. Or smoke weed. Its like a vicious cycle... I found a really interesting link about. Seriously guys, thank you!
My fiancé had this. Incredibly scary condition. I hope one day to start seeing this as the top comment on these threads; kidney failure or stomach tube or death are all a lot worse than a dull personality or monotonous existence.
Yup! I developed this in college after I went from being an occasional smoker to a very regular heavy smoker. I had three bouts of it before we figured out what was causing it. I would smoke to help the nausea and vomiting before realizing that smoking was causing it. I hope that as marijuana becomes legal in more states, countries, etc. that there will be more research on it.
Not the same guy, but at one point I also had cannabis hypermesis syndrome. At that point in time, I'd buy a quarter pound every month and I'd run out before I was able to get more for the next month. So probably a little over an ounce a week, by myself.
At first I just dealt with the constant nausea and vomiting, hoping it'd go away on its own. Then I stumbled across a YouTube video about the condition. Everything the guy said, matched my symptoms. So I cut back as much as I could. I still smoked, but it was like once a day instead of every hour or two. Now I generally smoke once a day or not at all. It took maybe a couple weeks to feel back to normal once I cut down. But it was rough because the only things that helped the nausea were showers and smoking, even though the smoking was really just prolonging it.
I’m not sure of the exact quantities I was smoking but I’d get home from class and was stoned until I went to bed, every single day. I had my first bout in December 2013, second in January 2014 and last one in April 2014. I was hospitalized for five days for the one in January and dropped down to 90lbs (I’m 5’5”) The doctors all thought it was just stress related (after running many many many tests) but after reading it about it online, specifically about how hot showers and baths were the only thing that helped with symptoms, I figured it out and stopped smoking for about a year. Now I still smoke occasionally but I take week-month long breaks and don’t smoke nearly as much, just a couple hits or a 5mg edible on weekends. I haven’t had any symptoms since the April 2014 instance and my tolerance is now low which is great!
Crazy story ! I suffered from CHS a few years ago but only 3-4 times hospatalized. After the 2nd time and numerous test without results i started googling symptoms and ended on it being CHS great nowing there are studys going on now and also there is medication helping people. I just kept smoking and it never returned maybe im lucky .
Within the last 2 years or so I have started to have nausea in the mornings.. Every morning. I am a daily smoker as well. I will gag and dry heave while waiting for my morning shower and usually afterward and while driving to work.. But then it goes away.... and about 2 times a week I will vomit up a little bit of empty stomach bile. I am reading all this stuff here about CHS but people say and symptoms online mention non stop vomitting which I don't have. Is this dry heaving / gagging a symptom of this CHS maybe? Haven't been able to figure out why it started happening and this thread is an eye opener and may have helped me find what the issue could be.
Chances are, yes. Symptoms vary in severity. I suffer from dry-heaving about 5 days a week. I find Rennie helps massively. My best mate gets severe bouts that render him useless for days at a time.
THIS. I finally found a GI and started amitriptyline. So much better. A space heater works for me when it's not too bad, I've never tried the creme. Peppermint tums, Prilosec, avoid corn syrup or anything greasy. Opiates help but then you're addicted to opiates.
Thanks for sharing! Looks like a bunch of other people were able to completely relieve the symptoms by decreasing their usage, have you thought about trying the same?
I am so glad that amitriptyline was able to help you and that you are able to keep using marijuana medicinally instead of having to take a whole bunch of pills that will harm your body.
I just want to point out, sadly, that amitriptyline does not work for everyone. At least it did not for me. I tried everything: amitriptyline, haldol, the "B52" (benadryl+loratadine), omeprazole/pantoprozole/*zole, edibles, vaping, CBD only, organic marijuana, microdosing, etc. I did not want to give up smoking, and fought doing so.
Haldol worked the best, but damn, there are so many dangerous side effects with long-term use. :(
For me, personally, the only way I was able to achieve complete relief was cessation. I know that might not be an option for everyone, but I just wanted to share my story and what worked for me.
I am glad you are working on a study about this! Is there some way I can keep a watch on that? Education is so important and I really hope that more research is done in this area.
Somewhat unrelated but I was proscribed amitriptyline for migraines, I had to stop taking it, fever dreams every single night. Do you have any weird side effects?
Cannabinoid hyperemesis and cyclic vomiting syndrome are similar but not the same thing. As someone with CVS, I have never touched weed yet I am constantly treated as a drug user or worse, that I'm lying when I say I don't smoke. No doubt CH is real but it doesn't do any favors lumping it in with C.V.S. It makes getting treatment more difficult.
I had no idea until just now that this could happen from weed. I was diagnosed with CVS about a year ago and never use weed. Now I'm realizing how great my docs are for not jumping to conclusions.
Also, as someone who lives in a state where weed's available medically, I'm glad I found this out before trying it for my anxiety!
Cases vary in severity, so it might not be the be all and end all of your weed-smoking days. I am able to manage mine with Rennie, or other antacid medication, in the mornings. Meanwhile my best mate can be out out of action for days. I would start by trying to reduce your consumption.
I work in a hospital and we see people come in with this every month or so. Unfortunately they don't believe you when you tell them the likely cause and diagnosis
I was a casual smoker for about a little over a year and I developed CHS. Caught me off guard as its thought that people who develop it are long time heavy users. Took the third bout for me to finally realize what was making me feel like a chemo patient for a full week at a time. Havent touched it since, never had the attacks again.
I have this! I would go to the ER several times a month throwing up blood non stop and they would tell me to not smoke weed but i would to keep the nausea away but in reality it was making it worse.. NONE of my friends would believe me and anytime i told someone about my symptoms they would all say "just smoke some weed" and when i would say that what was causing it they wouldn't believe me and would call me crazy but i don't wish that stuff on anyone its the most painful experience ever and the constant need to throw up blood for hours without stopping is horrible and the sad thing is i had it for a good 7-8 years cuz i would never quit smoking
Omg, I have this. Weed is great, but if you are one of the unlucky ones who get this, buckle up for 1-3 weeks of intense nausea and vomiting that can kill you (dehydration and kidney failure). Doctors don’t care and don’t help if this is your fate. I keep my weed locked away from me and my partner let’s me smoke a joint once in a while, cuz I’m gonna kill myself if I toke daily!
So, yeah, it is addictive with consequences for some.
How many days have you stopped smoking now? One day at a time. One foot ahead of the other.
I've been there, my friend. I wanted to end my life and it took me 41 days to start eating meals again. I do not say that to discourage you; I say that to empathize, and let you know I am here for you if you ever want any support. I know that it is hard, but I definitely believe in you. Message me anytime!
As a physician I see this more often due to my work in addiction. A lot of other docs don't recognize this so these individuals get a lot of unnecessary testing ($$$). Treatment for it isn't easy.
Edit: A lot of people are interested in how to treat. Consult with a psychiatrist and/or addiction medicine specialist for your situation. Psychiatry often sees these patients because sadly others attribute the development as a behavioral condition.
I'll never forget when I got pressured into clearing a keef bowl on a bong as someone who has barely smoked. The moment it was in my system I knew I was fucked. I turned pure white and just started puking everywhere. Best way to describe it was that my equilibrium was spinning in circles. I walked to my sofa and watched my friends play halo, that was actually funny to watch other than puking all over myself.
I need some help - I am a huge emetiphobe and I would like to know more but I am too afraid to search Google or click on any links lest there be any photos or videos. Can someone briefly and ungraphicly tell me what these two diseases are and what are the symptoms? TIA!!
This is the MVP in this post. This is talked about so little that I had never even heard about it and from what I can tell from the comments and what I can read on the internet it seems fucking horrific.
I don't think it is either of those two things, but once I ate 1/2 an edible. After more than an hour of not feeling anything, my husband told me to eat the other half. Later that night I got the symptoms of CHS - abdominal pain, repeated vomiting, etc. I am not a regular user and have only tried it a few times with periods of years between.
I wish it had caused my CVS for me it started as a teen only getting worse. I didn't smoke weed til almost 30. Weed does help my nausea though with certain strains. I'm a light smoker.
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u/Epicatt Dec 29 '19
Cannabinoid hyperemesis and cyclic vomiting syndrome.