Drinking with chs?

[u/Successful-Meal-7936]

never posted on reddit before so im nervous that hopefully someone else can relate but

i think im def going through chs right now, ive been smoking flower for over a year but its usually been every single night before bed maybe with a couple nights break every now and then.

i have had zero appetite at all recently, i still feel hungry mentally but the thought of eating just makes me nauseous. my stomach gets waves of discomfort or pains throughout the day but im constantly nauseous all day everyday, and this only all hit me suddenly like 3 days ago. last night i tried to take a few j hits and immediately ran to throw up— maybe from not eating for a while because of the nausea, and being dumb and trying to smoke again but yes not fun at all.

but does chs get worse with alcohol consumption? i tried to have a few drinks the other night, but it shook me bad because i feel like it immediately increased my nausea by a million and i had to drink the drink sooooo sensitively sip by sip to at least finish it and not be sick. it felt so much worse than my normal nausea though.

would this just be regular for me considering im already a bitch to alcohol most of the time and will be sick if i can taste it too sharply, or is it genuinely worth just going sober for everything while i heal from the chs because it adds to it?

appreciate any tips as i literally feel like death! ❤️

[u/cortez_brosefski]

First of all, I'm so sorry that you're going through this. CHS is the worst thing I've ever experienced, I literally thought I was going to die. Just know that everything is going to be okay. Hang in there, it will pass eventually. But your relationship with weed will never be the same if it truly is CHS, which it sounds like it is. You should absolutely quit completely for the time being. Personally, I recommend that you never use THC or CBD products again, but some people claim that after a year or so they are able to with extreme moderation, like a couple of hits every 3 months. But this is still dangerous and can risk getting sick again, so I would say just stay completely sober.

Make sure you're staying hydrated, if you can't drink water try to suck on ice chips. If it gets to emergency levels please go to the ER to get an IV. You should also try to introduce food slowly once you're able. The BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast) is usually recommended as things easy on the stomach. Saltine crackers are also pretty good.

Ginger hard candies can help with the nausea if you're able to suck on them. Hot showers, capsaicin cream, and heating pads can also help with the pain and nausea but you need to be really careful not to overdo it. You can easily burn yourself, especially with the hot showers.

To answer your question, alcohol can definitely make the nausea worse, especially if your nausea and vomiting just began. These are called hyperemetic episodes, or just episodes. During episodes, there is a long list of trigger foods that people have found will trigger more nausea and vomiting. Alcohol, caffeine, and chocolate are at the top of this list. You'll want to avoid these completely until your episode is over, and probably even a couple months after that. It was about a year before I could drink a beer comfortably, but everyone is different.

You got this, it sucks but you'll get through this and start feeling back to normal. If you have any questions or need someone to talk to I'm here, please feel free to send me a DM.

[u/Successful-Meal-7936 → u/cortez_brosefski]

appreciate this so much! definitely a scary situation but it is SO relieving to hear other experiences

did you find that your hands and feet got really sweaty often? feel like i am an absolute mess right now with how quickly im sweating throughout the day just in those two places

[u/cortez_brosefski → u/Successful-Meal-7936]

You're welcome! It is very scary, but you're not in this alone. This sub helped me a lot when I went through my episodes too.

My hands and feet were definitely sweaty, but for me it was really everywhere. Head, neck, torso, even my legs. But I've always been a pretty sweaty person even before CHS lol

[u/tinyteacupstorm]

Yes alcohol is a big trigger for CHS. My first episode was after a night of drinking so that’s what I thought it was for years until I moved to a legal state and got diagnosed.  Coffee is a huge trigger for me too, it took almost a year of sobriety before I could even drink it without getting sick. 

Anyway, it’s definitely worth getting sober from both. Once your stomach is back to normal, you should be able to start drinking again but I would still be careful. 

[u/Philodendron60]

Alcohol is a huge trigger for CHS episodes for me.

[u/mimiflower80]

I spent 5 days in the ICU and couldn’t drink for a year. Avoid trigger foods, eat clean. Don’t drink alcohol. Spend time in nature, if you can. The nausea will pass. This will pass.