Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the primary psychoactive compound in cannabis. The role of cannabinoid (C.B.) receptors has enhanced our understanding of cannabis’s effects on inflammation, seizures, nausea, and appetite regulation 5,6,7. The ongoing cannabis legalization is expected to advance more research into its therapeutic potential. During this period, you can vomit as often as five times in a single hour.
Drug Addiction Therapies
Medications or strains of medical marijuana that are high in CBD but low in THC will not cause you to experience “high” sensations. It might be interesting to learn that we have cannabinoid chemicals within our bodies as part of our endocannabinoid system. The system is not perfectly understood, but we know that it consists of cannabinoid receptors and endocannabinoid chemicals. But it’s also important to acknowledge the positive uses of marijuana, Camilleri said.
Treatments for Alcohol Use Disorder
What was causing this intense stomach pain, Brittany wondered as she rode in an ambulance one late night in February. By Anna GiorgiGiorgi is a freelance writer with more than 25 years of experience writing health and wellness-related content. It’s still possible to develop CHS if you use cannabis for many years without having any problems. Cannabinoids affect the pituitary–adrenal axis and stress-responsive brain regions. Studies suggest that CHS may involve disruption at the hippocampal–hypothalamic–pituitary level 22. Chronic cannabis use can lower pituitary hormone levels, including the growth hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, and luteinizing hormone, which has been shown to normalize after stopping use 23,24.
Diagnosis
Over time, the symptoms will go away completely unless you start to use again. Marijuana has a lot of active chemical compounds called cannabinoids. When you use weed, these compounds bind to cannabinoid receptors found in your brain, digestive tract (gut), and certain cells in your body. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) are the main cannabinoids in marijuana products. THC is what’s responsible for the “high” most people feel when they use marijuana.
Differences Between CHS and Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome (CVS)
In women, a pregnancy test is necessary to assess for any pregnancies, especially ectopic pregnancies. 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 Sober living house processes. A rare but severe condition, cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome is caused by heavy cannabis use and is “marked by nausea, vomiting and pain,” said The New York Times. It can lead in some cases to extreme dehydration, seizures, kidney failure and cardiac arrest.
CHS Phases
The underlying mechanism of the cannabis-induced biphasic effect related to emesis is not clearly understood, but the literature supports the role of the brainstem and hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis. It could be a combination of these that produces the various clinical effects of cannabis. ECS affects nausea and vomiting pathways in multiple ways, as noted in Fig. Compulsive hot showering or bathing may be critical in distinguishing CHS from CVS and other conditions with similar symptoms. Studies show that between 90% to 100% of people with CHS use hot showering or bathing to relieve symptoms. Researchers have proposed that this behavior may be included in the diagnostic criteria for CHS.
Serotonin antagonism in the gastrointestinal tract from medications such as ondansetron, dolasetron, and granisetron likewise have varying levels of efficacy. Opioids, while often prescribed for the patient’s debilitating abdominal pain, are not appropriate for CHS, as they may, in fact, worsen nausea and vomiting. The onset of CHS tends to affect people “after years of using marijuana many times a week,” per the American College of Gastroenterology. The initial symptoms include nausea, belly pain and persistent vomiting. People in the hyperemetic phase can take up to 12 hot showers or baths during the day to relieve symptoms. The hot temperatures may provide some relief as they affect your hypothalamus, the part of your brain that regulates both vomiting and your internal body temperature.
Besides these approaches, secondary options such as mindfulness-based meditation and drug counseling are highly beneficial. Mindfulness-based meditation is a new approach that promotes inner reflection and acceptance of experiences and negative chs syndrome effects by enhancing present-moment awareness and thus decreases the impact of triggers of use 93. The holistic management options would provide a more comprehensive approach to long-term care.
Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome (CHS): Causes, Symptoms, Treatment
- This evolution has been accompanied by a concerning uptick in cases of Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome (CHS), characterized by distressing bouts of nausea and vomiting with varying degrees of severity.
- Some individuals, for instance, also admitted to smoking 2000 mg of THC per day.
- Without more research, there is no definitive answer, but doctors have linked the increase in CHS cases to widespread legalization, along with higher tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content in modern marijuana.
- These vomiting bouts feel relentless and severe, and over-the-counter medications rarely help.
- The goal is a healthier life free from the worry and discomfort of CHS.
- Understanding the effects of CHS is important for both patients and healthcare providers.
- The amitriptyline effect on CHS is significantly lowered in patients with continued usage of cannabis products.
The sympathetic nervous system becomes activated during starvation or heightened physical stress. This results in elevated adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) action on adipocyte receptors, causing lipolysis to meet bodily demands 50. Lipolysis from elevated ACTH triggers the release of THC from fat cells.
How states have reshaped marijuana laws and what’s next
Severe and persistent vomiting can also lead to Mallory-Weiss tear 47. A telltale sign of CHS is that heat often temporarily relieves the condition’s symptoms. Hundreds of people told the Times that they spent hours in hot baths and showers. Some were even “burned by scalding water,” and one was injured when “in desperation, he pressed his body against a hot car,” the outlet said. With there being so little research on the syndrome, experts are not sure why heat soothes the symptoms, “nor why certain chronic marijuana users develop it and others don’t,” said the Times. The onset of CHS appears to be related to the way marijuana interacts with the body’s endocannabinoid system, which helps regulate bodily functions like sleep, digestion and pain perception.