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Do you have Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome?

Mama dee

New member
Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome is real! My 23 year old son has had stomach problems since he's graduated high school , back in 2009 he started getting such severe pain with vomiting that would lead him to the ER... The drs ran all sorts of testings and the only thing they would come up with was gastritis . Every year since then it has gotten worse and worse ! While in high school he played football all four years, weighing over 200 lbs of just about pure muscle at 6 feet tall. The last couple years have been bad bouts of pain and usually starts in the a.m. And he has learned that taking hot showers helps and most times keeps him out of the ER. Back I'm aug 2013 he had another episode that brought him to the ER since the multiple hot showers weren't seeming to work! Since this has been an on going thing the drs started asking if he took drugs , he always said no ( and never told them he smoked pot since that was the only drug he did) ct scans , MRI , ultra sounds labs were always in the normal range. When we had a follow up appt with his GI dr his dr asked if there was anything at home he could do to help with the pain , my son replied with " yes I take hot showers !" The dr then asked if he smoked pot to help relieve the pain , I jumped in to say yes! I felt like I was throwing him under the bus but being his mother and worried about him since this has been going on for years with losing weight and suffering tremendously I was willing to do or say anything to get answers and help ! The dr them told us about cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome , of course my son didn't believe it and me being a smoker also , I had my doubts but was willing to hear it ! Dr said to quit smoking and if the problems stop then problems solved ! My son didn't stop smoking and several weeks later was back in the ER , they admitted him to the hospital since his blood level was low and severely dehydrated! They did scopes up and down and found his galbladder was not working properly and had to remove it , also he had became malnutrition so they had to start feeding him thru the veined ( TPN with picc line which feeds him directly through the heart) he was in the hospital with non stop pain for two months, only home about 4 different times in those two months but came back the next day with pain ( he smoked everytime he came home) this was back in sept when they put the TPN bag on him and he still has it to this day) my son goes to the ER at least once a month if not once a week and they treat him like a drug addict since I told on him for smoking pot and its now on his record ! It takes high doses of *daludid (spelling) to get him out of pain ! The drs can't find anything else wrong with him so I demanded a second opinion which he now has seen a specialist from cedars siani who did an edoscope with ultrasound attached and again , found nothing except imflammed lymph nodes near liver and bile duct but said this shouldn't be causing the amount of pain and nausea with vomiting that he does , they did biopsies and are now waiting for results ! The scope caused a flare up of pain which caused an overnight stay , and has been suffering for two weeks at home after! On this past fri he was back in ER and stayed in hospital over night to control the pain ( we beg drs , since they treat him like crap and say he needs to stop smoking cuz they find nothing wrong) went home the following day and was back again three days later , the pain used to come on after eating or after a bowel movement and most often in the morning , but since being on TPN and not being able to eat his pain comes after a bowel movement I'm the am or for no readin at all , in the am ! His GI dr had just told us there is no reason to keep seeing my son since he's finding nothing wrong and his primary care dr wants to get him off the TPN and back to eating and to see a psycologist since it must be in his head ! I am outraged at the drs since he's on TPN for not being able to eat or poop without pain and his galbladder was bad they found imflammed lymph nodes do there for something must be wrong ! Our only hope now is for him to stop smoking pot to see if the problem stops and if it don't then we can at least say the drs are wrong and to find the problem ! With all this being said I sure hope it is cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome since there is a cure , to quit smoking !!! Tomorrow will be day one of no smoking for him and as he has tried before I know it's not going to be pretty , looking into NA meetings for him ... Please wish us luck !
 

TheCleanGame

Active member
Veteran
Ummm... Screw NA and don't even think of giving the kid crap for using cannabis.

What strains are being used here and at what level of intake? Also, where does this cannabis come from? All the same place, different sources, multiple growers, one grower? What are they spraying on the plants or drenching the roots of the cannabis with?

Hyperemesis doesn't show up unless you're using massive amounts of extremely high THC, low CBD strains of cannabis.

Unless your son is using multiple grams a day of pretty much elite, clone-only strains of cannabis... he's most likely suffering from azadirachtin poisoning. It's an extract of neem oil found in products like Azamax, Azatrol, Aza-Sol and so on.

Ask your son if the pain in his stomach feels like multiple fish-hooks pulling his right side abdomen around toward his spine. What about all over muscle tension after taking a few heavy bong rips or oil dabs?

The azadirachtin is listed as "organic" and "Safe to spray up to the day of harvest" and I've found this is very bad advice for cannabis. Veggies are washed and even tobacco has a 6 month cure process that allows it to break down... cannabis cannot be washed easily and usually has a cure time of "it's dry, ship it."

Hope that helps.

Keep it Clean! :D
 

RoadRash

Member
Never heard of this and it sounds like it SUCKS.

The only problem I have with cannabis is I think I'm allergic to it. When I'm trimming or watering in short sleeves sometimes I will start to itch. I usually get around that by wearing long sleeves and gloves when handling the plants.


same thing happens to me, with the skin allergies & rashes.

not super surprising, i think Cannabis is related to the Stinging Nettle plant too.
 
L

Luther Burbank

Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome

Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/749937
http://mobile.nytimes.com/blogs/well/2014/03/07/think-like-a-doctor-sweating-it-solved/
http://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/article/S0025-6196(11)00026-7/fulltext

I've been having stomach pains and nausea for years, unsure what was causing it after repeated diet and life changes and here I fear I've found the culprit. Cannabinoid Hyperemesis is a syndrome found in chronic cannabis smokers where the patient suffers from nausea, stomach pains and often vomiting. Medicine doesn't help but almost all sufferers compulsively bathe or shower due to the relief it offers.

It's too early to figure what causes it but the research suggests it's a form of cannabinoid toxicity tied to the hypothalamus in the brain which regulates digestion. 6 out of 7 who quit smoking saw the syndrome disappear. I'm gonna be quitting smoking for quite a while to see what happens with my own health.
 

nicoiona

New member
CHS...when will it stop??

CHS...when will it stop??

Hi,

I'm hoping someone can help by sharing their experience with CHS or hopefully I can help someone else out there by posting this. My boyfriend has been suffering what we just recently stumbled upon as Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome for over 10 years. He even had his gallbladder out several years about due to the nonstop pain and vomiting. One doctor told him he had cyclical vomiting syndrome. Other than that, all doctors have been completely stumped. He even spent a week getting tests run at Kaiser 2 years ago...all of which were non conclusive.

Long story short, I just stumbled upon information on this condition while in yet another desperate search to figure out what could be wrong with him (my former theory was pancreatitis). However, he appears to be a text book case of CHS mainly noting the scorching hot showers and heavy, chronic marijuana use (which he thought was helping). He has spent a ton of time in and out of emergency rooms, he's been accused of feigning the pain to get drugs, he has missed countless days of work and has basically had spotty health since he was 18 years old (he is now 28). He also has extreme back and shoulder pain coupled with the sharp abdominal pain and nausea. These episodes last anywhere from several hours to several days with him spending most of his time in the scalding hot shower. When he finally gets out of the shower and sometimes falls asleep for short intermittent periods, he usually wakes up to violently vomit as though he has been poisoned, chugging water only to wretch it all out again. He asks me repeatedly to rub his back with all my weight. I can never seem to give him enough pressure. I have known him for almost 8 months and these episodes come and go pretty randomly. I have seen him go without occurrence for 2 months, but mostly the episodes seems to cycle in 2-3 week spans. I read about the condition having 3 stages and it seems he displays the staging quite accurately.

Anyway, this entire discovery (the existence of CHS) was only recognized by us about a month ago from medical journals and forums like this one. He took some convincing, but after I read him several case studies and forums he agreed that the stories mirrored his again and again. So he quit smoking pot (and dabs and vaping...etc) on May 30th during his last horrendous episode of excessive vomiting and showering. Today (June 26th) he got violently sick again after his usual sour stomach for the last several days although he swears he stopped on May 30th. I believe him. I read the cycle could start again, but it's almost been a month and he's in this excruciating pain again. All I can find is that symptoms of this condition are resolved after cessation of marijuana use. But how long before it doesn't happen again? Has anyone out there been through anything similar?
 

RoadRash

Member
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/749937
http://mobile.nytimes.com/blogs/well/2014/03/07/think-like-a-doctor-sweating-it-solved/
http://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/article/S0025-6196(11)00026-7/fulltext

I've been having stomach pains and nausea for years, unsure what was causing it after repeated diet and life changes and here I fear I've found the culprit. Cannabinoid Hyperemesis is a syndrome found in chronic cannabis smokers where the patient suffers from nausea, stomach pains and often vomiting. Medicine doesn't help but almost all sufferers compulsively bathe or shower due to the relief it offers.

It's too early to figure what causes it but the research suggests it's a form of cannabinoid toxicity tied to the hypothalamus in the brain which regulates digestion. 6 out of 7 who quit smoking saw the syndrome disappear. I'm gonna be quitting smoking for quite a while to see what happens with my own health.

Hope it works out for more & better health ! :tiphat:


It's interesting how Cannabis can in some cases cause a condition that it cures in many other patients. (helps cancer patients not be nauseous). I have used it myself for heartburn, where the Cannabis replaced Zantac & Tagamet (when they were prescription) and did a WAAY (Way Way Way Way
WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY )
better job. :dance013:
 
L

Luther Burbank

My doctor thinks my issue is just really bad acid reflux but also has a patient with this disorder. No clue how long after quitting it should stop; definitely should bring CH to your doctor. I was lucky to have a pothead doc familiar with it.
 
Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome

Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome

Let me preface this thread with the fact I am not anti cannabis. I am 59 years old and have been growing for the last 14 years and have been smoking since my teens.
Over the last few years I have been experiencing intermittent bouts of severe morning nausea getting progressivly more frequent with no relief from smoking, as well as bouts of constipation. I would feel better as the day wore on. I stopped wake and baking a long time ago and don't smoke during work hours. Nights are usually 2 j's, weekends and vacations I smoked like a fiend I have lost almost 15lbs in this time frame. As I normally weighed 149lbs at 5'9" this is a drastic loss of weight. My family freaked out when they saw me last Thanksgiving.
I have been through upper and lower GI scopes, EKG, chest x ray and even an MRI of my brain to determine what could be causing it. All my blood work ups and the above procedures indicate I am a very healthy 59.
Research on the internet has led me to many articles regarding CHS, the following is about the easiest to understand,

https://www.facebook.com/TexasCoalitionForCompassionateCare/posts/707899092556073

here are a few other links
http://www.jaoa.org/content/111/3/166.full

http://manuetcorde.org/2013/03/10/cannabinoid-hyperemesis-and-post-exam-learning/

http://www.mdpi.com/1424-8247/3/7/2163

In general there is a paradox of the anti-emetic properties of cannabis as it affects the CB1 receptors. If THC crosses the gut barrier it cancels the brain receptors ability to provide anti-emetic effects and causes a slowdown/shutdown of the peristalsis action of the gut. Morning are the worst, I would assume increased nighttime smoking and munchies.
As the articles indicate, the first indicator is chronic long term use. It is noted that hot showers are the only relief of the symptoms during the hyperemtic stage with medicines usually used for hyper emesis having no effect on symptom reduction.

I have been in the prodromal phase for all this time, with an occasional bout of morning vomiting in which it looked as if nothing digested (gastroparisis). I have stopped smoking for the last three days and my morning nausea has decreased. I am confident as the THC level in my body decreases so will my illness.
The only cure is to stop smoking. None of the Drs. I have seen have associated my illness to my marijuana use. I live in a non MM state in an area predominated with senior citizens.
My GP had prescribed Zofran for the nausea and Xanax for the anxiety this undiagnosed illness has cause. I no longer use the Zofran everyday and take .5 mg of Xanax at bedtime ( to help with the insomnia from going cold turkey), .25mg in the morning and .25mg in the afternoon to give me an effective blood level of .5-.75mg during the day. Still have fear of vomiting.
I really enjoy smoking and hope a dry out will lower my THC levels to below toxic in this case so I may enjoy an occasional toke.

If you are struggling with constant nausea not related to other issues such as chemo or other illness, or you are and smoking to alleviate the nausea of these issues, high concentrations of THC may be countering the anti-emetic effects of your prescribed medicines.

And don't be mislead regarding no withdrawal symptoms of MJ. You will experience vivid dreams, possible anxiety and if you are suffering from CHS, digestive issues as your gut returns to normal, (mine is very loose stools). I prefer loose vs. the agony of constipation.

I hope this post helps someone else dealing with this issue.
 
Been reading some of the replies to this post. Seems like many of the replies are from folks who don't realize each person has there own level of toxic threshold.
Not sure if I am the oldest person in this thread but the truth is, THC levels of weed are over the top higher than when I started smoking in 1968 and higher than when I started growing 14 years ago. My first post on this site was 2004 so I have been around the block a few times with ICMAG.
The half life of THC is suspected to be weeks/months not hours like most prescribed medicines and can vary person to person based on fat/lipid content of your body and your ability to flush it. Age may be a factor as well. Women have higher fat content then men but represent a smaller population of cannabis users. Xanax half life is approx 11 hours, hence my calculations of effective blood level. Unfortunatly no studies have been done to accurately measure the half life of THC nor the level of THC in sufferers of CHS. It may be possible for CHS sufferers to return to a moderate level of recreational use but you must dry out to a zero level. Buy a home THC test after a month to check for clear. BTW head shop cleansers will not cleanse you of THC for this purpose, they are only good for passing a piss test.

Do not scoff at others who have medical conditions. Face it folks, we are Functional Cannabis addicts, and like most addicts there will be denial of our condition. Just because our addiction may not fit into the 12 Step definition of addiction does not lessen the truth.
There is no methodology in the diagnosis or treatment of CHS as it is a new disease. There is also no methodology for Marijuana withdrawal although there are many proposals in mental health journals for one. We will just have to suffer with the withdrawal symptoms as best as we can.
 
to Nicoiona:
It may take a while for all the symptoms to subside. It depends on how long it will take for the levels in the body to decrease. And yes, there may be residual bouts but hopefully they will be less in severity. Tell your bf it is important not to toke even small amounts until his body is clear. I will be drying for a month before I even attempt to toke. If you haven't seen my posts yet please read them, entered them today.
Take heart, the withdrawal symptoms from MJ will be a little rough and will kick in about 48 hours after last use. Expect vivid dreams, mood swings, loss of appetite, anxiety and even nausea. When the dreams kick in you will know the detox has started.
I've dried out before to take piss tests and I promise you it not as bad as CHS and the anxiety and expense it can cause.
I'm right there with him, he wont be alone. I started to dry 7/3.
 

diffusing

Active member
no disrespect, but how does not smoking for 3 days make you an expert? again, no disrespect meant. my gf has similar issues, has gone months without smoking. the symptoms get less bad, or maybe its just being in a different environment. but I am not convinced this is her problem. and i cant really understand after 3 days without weed you can state with such certainty this is indeed your problem either. ?

regardless, i wish you well on getting your health back!
 
Last edited:

RoadRash

Member
Not sure if I am the oldest person in this thread but the truth is, THC levels of weed are over the top higher than when I started smoking in 1968 and higher than when I started growing 14 years ago.


Very true. To me these nice high THC strains are like smoking hash. A little bit goes a long way.
 
none taken.
As my post noted, absent from other indications from all the tests I've gone through, I have no other idea as to what is the cause of my symptoms. All my research points to CHS. Since not smoking I have had a reduction in my morning nausea, not a complete cessation. My research fits my symptoms. I also realize that complete cessation of my symptoms may be weeks or even months away. If you've experienced this yourself you'd understand how desperate one may get for a resolution. Giving up MJ is a logical step and for me, smoking since 1968, it may be worth it for me to give it up.
As far as MJ withdrawal symptoms, I've dried out before to pass piss tests before the manifestations of these symptoms
May I suggest your gf follow up with her Dr to make sure there is no other cause for her symptoms. Look further on the 'net regarding CHS.
 
@ RoadRash
Amen brother. But stupidly on my part, the amount I have available has enabled me to toke enough to reach a tolerance level at which I found myself smoking waaay too much, too often. I'm sure my body is saying "enough". Jeez, nothing works the same when you're 59 as it did when I was younger. Getting old sux.
 

billboto

New member
Chalk up another one!

Chalk up another one!

Well I stumbled upon CVS/CHS a month or so ago and it fit like a rubber glove! I'm 49 and have been a daily pot smoker for over 35 of those years. About ten years ago I started having these Cyclic Vomiting episodes. They are always the same for me; creeping up within a couple hours after waking and within another hour vomiting my toes out. I used to regard this as vampire sickness seeing as I'd start feeling better after the sun set. While ill I didn't want to look or listen at anything, just writhe and real in between bouts of vomiting.

I learned after a while that I did not want to leave the hot shower I'd take (to rinse my mouth, at first) after vomiting. After noticing all the water going down the drain I'd alternate with baths that'd last 30+minutes. I'd even have my wife bring me soup to the bathtub so I could get something in me while I felt okay; after the sunset of course.

These episodes varied in occurrence, from every few months or so to as frequent as monthly. Always wondering "what did I eat?, what are the triggers?, etc. I even used my, unknown at the time CVS, symptoms to acquire my medical marijuana card so now I could legally and easily buy the good shit! Which oddly enough wasn't able to smoke much if any while episoding.

After a few years suffering I visited the Dr. and went through the gauntlet of tests you're all familiar. They determined it was my GallBladder and I eventually gave in (after first refusing for a year or so) and had it removed, about two years ago. Of course, my post-op meeting with the surgeon he mentioned how healthy my GB appeared "no shit! doctor quack".

Well the past year my episodes started becoming more frequent, almost monthly, and I made a Dr. appointment to see what the next organ they wanted to remove. Luckily my niece, who also partakes, posted how Anti-Nausea liquid cured her being sick for 5 hours. And her mother had possibly figured out what it was; CVS which I'd never heard of until that moment. She mentioned that pot smoking was noted as a possible cause! WTF!!!

Sure enough, after my re-research, there it was CHS "denoted by frequent hot bathing" OMG, this must be a conspiracy by my wife who has always frowned upon my consumption. But there is way too much info out there; how did I miss this before! I guess I gave up the research years ago. Well I met with the Dr. and helped him diagnose my condition and after a couple weeks of slowing down have now been without my close buddy MJ for two weeks.

I figure I must abstain for at least six months to see if this is real. If I have an episode after that then I'm not sure if I'll stay on the wacky weed wagon or not; probably not though. BTW the dreams are real annoying right now but I'm sure they'll calm in time.

And Mr Thecleangame I find your posting very interesting...
{Only thing I changed before I had the problem was the addition of Azadirachtin products to my grow. Azamax & Azatrol... Aza-Sol is another one that also uses azadirachtin as an active ingredient.}

I've thought that this is probably some chemical fertilizer that's being used by the "big" growers that supply the "stores"; especially seeing as this only struck me about ten years ago and I've Always have been smoking "top shelf" shtuff. Interesting how you also mentioned...
{there's going to be a link between almost no CBD in the cannabis being used by all these folks.}
very interesting indeed. Maybe home grown will be okay then? hmm
 

TheCleanGame

Active member
Veteran
Azatrol was ORMI certified on June 1, 2004.

Not sure when the other azadirachtin products hit the market... anyone experience cannabis hyperemesis before then?

I'm very curious to know...

Keep it Clean! :D
 

TheCleanGame

Active member
Veteran
I've been giving this a lot of thought lately... still having digestive issues after getting poisoned over a month ago.

I'm thinking that the reason my symptoms may be different is that my tolerance for aza is so low. I have so much pain from low doses that I never reach the high amounts that the people around me do.

I'm thinking that because they're non-sensitive to it... it's built up to a much higher point in their body before triggering the cyclic vomiting. I never had the massive bouts of vomiting except when I super overdosed myself.

Going to be quite interesting to see the end results of this...

Keep it Clean! :D
 

QueenElyse

New member
Thank you for Sharing My NIGHTMARE!!!!! I have had this for the past 6 YEARS! Been going in and out of hospitals in Va; No one knows how to help. Doctors look at me like I am Crazy. My symptoms are Identical to what you wrote. Espeically the weird bathing episodes and dry heaving. Episodes of vomiting have lasted upto 2 weeks in some cases.

I stay home every night; relationships are very hard to keep; and is very hard on my family. Not to mention I can't keep a job due to throwing up at work...its horrible!

** I wished I had NEVER Smoked. Its a great time for some; but Everyone's Chemical Balance and Insides are Different. Some people may understand this better; its similar in comparison to an Alcoholic; some people can drink while others become dependant and have severe issues. This ISSUE NEEDS TO BE TOLD! Its NO JOKE!

If anyone knows how to help..besides the obvious stopping smoking; PLEASE let me know! I cant stop smoking; still have attacks.
 
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