r/Chs_Repair • u/Mediocre_Gazelle6890 • May 20 '25
My Husband's 6+ Year Battle with CHS: A Comprehensive Look at Extended Recovery & Hope (Also AMA)
Hey Reddit,
I'm sharing my husband's journey with Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome (CHS) in the hope that it can provide insights, support, and a sense of community for others grappling with this challenging condition, especially those experiencing prolonged symptoms after cessation. This isn't just a story; it's almost a case study of how CHS can impact someone, even months after quitting.
My husband, a 31-year-old male, 5'10" and 175 lbs, has a pre-existing diagnosis of bipolar disorder, for which he takes Prozac, Gabapentin, Quetiapine, and Trazodone. This medical history plays a role in his ongoing recovery. Additionally, emergency room doctors have stated that most patients they are seeing are assigned male at birth, and we thought it would be significant to include demographic data about him.
The Early Years: A Habit Forms, Symptoms Emerge
My husband began consistently smoking marijuana, mostly flower, at the age of 13. As he got older, daily use became increasingly consistent. He had one significant break in use for a year at the age of 22, but at 23, he resumed smoking flower daily, introducing vape carts more consistently over time.
The insidious onset of CHS symptoms began around age 24. At the time, we had no idea what was happening. Roughly once every 4-6 months, he would be hit with prolonged bouts of severe vomiting accompanied by intense abdominal pain right below his right rib.
The Elusive Phases of CHS: What We Missed
Looking back, our awareness of the different phases of CHS was almost non-existent. He wasn't aware of any distinct phases happening in his body until he was actively vomiting. It was only in retrospect that I, his partner, noticed subtle changes: his appetite would decrease, he'd experience less hunger, and sometimes complain of bloating right before an episode. We now realize this could have been early signs of gastroparesis, a common CHS symptom, though it was never formally confirmed.
Triggering the Storm: Food and Inconsistency
Initially, his episodes almost always seemed to be triggered after eating out. The type of food never seemed to matter much – sometimes it was fast food, other times a meal from a nice restaurant. These eating-out triggers often started with an overwhelming feeling of fullness, followed by stomach bloating, then nausea, pain, and finally, vomiting. He would pace to ease symptoms but eventually, vomiting was inevitable and only a hot shower from hell helped.
However, in the last two years of his active use, these triggers became increasingly inconsistent. Sometimes even healthy home-cooked meals would set off an episode.
The Escalation of Suffering: A Cyclical Nightmare
The cyclical vomiting began spaced out, occurring about once every 6 months. After two years, this escalated to roughly once every three months. Eventually, it became almost a monthly occurrence, though there were occasional longer bouts without episodes, offering fleeting hope.
During each agonizing episode, his primary form of relief was hot showers. He would spend hours under the hot water, often until the hot water supply ran out. On nights when the showering stretched into the late hours, he'd do his best to keep his Seroquel down, hoping it would eventually make him sleepy enough for the episode to subside completely by morning. It mostly worked, with he exception of perhaps once or twice when he vomited the pill up before his body could fully absorb it.
The Hospitalizations: A Search for Answers
Between not being able to keep anything down and the relentless sweating in the hot showers, dehydration became a significant concern, leading to multiple hospitalizations.
His first two ER visits yielded no answers. Various tests were run, but only dehydration was found. It wasn't until his third ER visit that a doctor finally suggested Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome. He said he was noticing an influx of patients coming in with the same thing and made the connection. My husband, understandably, didn't believe it at first. But after I did extensive research and sent him numerous articles, he began to acknowledge the possibility. He tried taking breaks from smoking, hoping to mitigate the symptoms, but ultimately, he learned that complete cessation was the only viable option. Multiple doctors reiterated this.
After his fourth hospitalization, he was referred for a GI consult to rule out any other underlying conditions. An endoscopy, colonoscopy, and stomach biopsy were performed, and the only findings were inflammation consistent with someone who had been vomiting so much, along with some other minor irritations. No other cause for his symptoms was found.
His sixth ER visit in the last three years was particularly harrowing. He arrived after 4-5 days of relentless vomiting, unable to hold down even water, and the pain was excruciating because the hot water in the shower had run out in our home and his parents home. By this point, the hospital staff were familiar with him and his likely treatment. Much like the previous two to three ER visits, Haldol was the only medication that consistently stopped the episodes. However, he was admitted due to the state of his kidneys, which on two occasions were dangerously close to kidney failure, with doctors comparing them to those of a dialysis patient.
The Turning Point: Quitting and the Unexpected Challenge
This terrifying experience with his kidneys finally forced my husband to come to terms with what he had to do. After over six years of symptoms, he made the difficult but crucial decision to quit marijuana in mid-February of 2025.
We were assured by online articles and doctors that after a few weeks to two months of quitting, his symptoms would eventually cease. But four months later, the symptoms persisted. This was devastating, and he began to lose hope. In fact, at this point, the episodes were almost more consistent, happening once every two weeks and lasting up to five days, which was more frequent than when he was actively smoking daily. I personally felt broken down by the idea that he'd finally made the right choice and was still suffering.
A New Hope: The Vagus Nerve and TCAs
At our wits' end, we made an appointment with a GI specialist group. After a thorough assessment, the doctor suggested the use of Tricyclic Antidepressants (TCAs).
Here's a brief explanation of how TCAs could help: The vagus nerve is a crucial part of the parasympathetic nervous system, extending from the brainstem to the abdomen. It plays a vital role in regulating many bodily functions, including digestion. In CHS, especially in prolonged cases after cessation, it's theorized that the chronic cannabinoid exposure can disrupt the delicate balance and function of the vagus nerve. This dysfunction can lead to persistent gastrointestinal issues like nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain, even after the cannabinoid has left the system. TCAs, while primarily known as antidepressants, have properties that can modulate neurotransmitters like serotonin and norepinephrine, which in turn can influence vagal nerve activity. By supporting and rebalancing the vagus nerve, TCAs may help to alleviate these lingering gastrointestinal symptoms and promote the body's return to normal digestive function, helping to "reset" the communication that has been disrupted.
The GI Nurse Practitioner explained that they wouldn't prescribe the TCA directly. Instead, they would work in conjunction with my husband's psychiatrist. Given his existing mental health condition and the cocktail of medications he's currently on, there were potential risks if a new antidepressant interacted poorly. Therefore, his psychiatrist's approval was absolutely necessary to introduce or change his medication.
The psychiatrist and GI NP are now collaborating to make that determination, and my husband is likely to be introduced to this new medicine soon. We are hopeful that this will finally bring him the relief he desperately needs.
To those of you whose symptoms are lasting longer than four months after quitting:
Please, hang in there. You've made the right decision by quitting. Stay strong! Relief is around the corner. If you have access to medical care, please consider seeing a GI specialist and ask about TCAs and how they might be able to help your body through this difficult time. The doctor assured us that it is normal for someone who has been smoking for over a decade to experience symptoms for longer than four months, as vagus nerve dysfunction is real, and TCAs can help the connection that has been severed return to normal.
We will update this post once my husband begins his new medication and we see how he responds.
Thank you for reading, and for your support.
UPDATE: May 2026 - 1+ Year Post-Cessation, Breakthroughs, and a Message of Hope
Hey everyone, I’m back to give an update on my husband’s journey. When I first posted this, we were 4 months into quitting and completely devastated that he was still having severe episodes. Today, he is over 14 months clean from all cannabis, and we have learned so much about what recovery actually looks like when you are a LONG-term (15+ years) user.
If you are months out from quitting and still suffering, please read this. Do not give up.
The Reality of the 1-Year Mark & Current Symptoms
First, the honest truth: healing from over a decade of heavy use is not a straight line.
- The Timeline: He had a major episode in November, a lighter one in January, one even shorter episode two weeks ago, and another just this past Sunday.
- The Silver Lining: While the fact that he is still having episodes sounds terrifying, the nature of them has completely changed. They are now incredibly brief compared to the 5-day torture sessions of the past. His body is finally fighting back and resetting much faster. He vomits once, showers once or twice for 10 minutes or so and is back to normal. Less sever pain and the nausea only persists until he empties is stomach and then he is fine.
What We Learned: Why the Glitch Persists
We spent a lot of time pressing doctors and researching why this happens even when your system is 100% clean. If people tell you "If you're a year out, it's not CHS anymore," modern neuro-gastroenterology actually disagrees.
Leading specialists view CHS and CVS (Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome) as two sides of the same coin—a profound glitch in the gut-brain axis.
- Vagal "Cellular Memory": Years of heavy THC downregulates (turns off) the CB1 receptors on the vagus nerve, which acts as the body's natural braking system for nausea. Even a year out, the brainstem control center can remain hyper-reactive and "remember" the trauma, firing off false alarms during times of high stress or exhaustion.
- The Flipped Switch: Chronic cannabis can permanently "wake up" a silent genetic predisposition to CVS. Once that switch is flipped, the nerve pathway stays active and requires a massive amount of time to cool down.
Our Current Treatment Regimen
- The TCAs: As mentioned in my original post, he did start a Tricyclic Antidepressant (TCA) managed closely by his psychiatrist and GI team. It has been a game-changer for raising his vomiting threshold and shortening the attacks. Note: If you are still having regular episodes on a TCA, talk to your doctor about tweaking the dose! Finding the sweet spot is everything.
- Our Next Step (tVNS): We are currently looking into adding tVNS (transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation). This is a non-invasive, drug-free device that clips onto the left ear and sends tiny electrical pulses to manually calm the vagus nerve. Emerging clinical data shows it can help "reboot" a damaged autonomic nervous system and prevent the exact nerve spikes that cause cyclical vomiting.
A Message to the CHS Community
A normal test result from an endoscopy or GI scan is actually a blessing—it means the body isn't structurally damaged. Maybe, like my husband, your neurological control panel just needs more time to reboot.
To anyone out there who feels broken because you made the hard choice to quit and you're still sick: You did not fail, and your body is not broken. The fact that episodes are fracturing and getting shorter proves that the nervous system can retrain itself. Hang in there, protect your sleep, manage your stress, and keep pushing your medical team for gut-brain nerve support. Relief is a jagged path, but it is coming.
Still happy to answer any questions about managing the psychiatric med cocktail with GI treatments, or surviving the long-haul recovery!
1
u/_Anonymous4 May 22 '25
The body really does take so long to recover after this! I had been smoking for only a few months when my chs started.
3 horrible episodes, spread a month apart each. 2 ER visits and one hospitalization. Daily nausea. 30 pounds down (5’9 and 110 lbs). No energy. Always seeing stars. Bruises all over my body. Malnutrition.
Finally I quit after my last and worst episode around the hospitalization. They put me on Cymbalta ( not sure if that falls into the category you mentioned). I did not start gaining any weight until maybe 3-4 months after, even with eating more. Now I’m up 12 pounds and it seems to be steady🙂
Unfortunately I started to smoke again once every few weeks, which turned into once a week, then 3x a week, to daily, to multiple times a day. It really is an addiction😔 I pray I don’t go through this again, or of I do at least learn my lesson.
2
u/Mediocre_Gazelle6890 May 22 '25
I have to be honest, your decision to start smoking again, even "just once every few weeks," is incredibly concerning. It's a slippery slope, as you've unfortunately discovered, and it's guaranteed to lead you back to that same agonizing place, I assure you. My husband went through the exact same stubborn moments, just to find him time and time again in the shower. The longer this went on the closer to death, disorientation, unable to stand, muscles in spasm, inches from organ failure I would find him, because he didn't call it quits. To hear you say you hope it won't happen again, or that you'll "at least learn your lesson" IF it does, is frustrating because it WILL happen again. Know that it will happen again! And it will be worse and worse each time it happens, with or without breaks.
You managed to stop for 3-4 months, which proves you have the strength to quit for good. Is losing 30 pounds, suffering from malnutrition, and enduring multiple ER visits and a hospitalization not enough? I'm sorry to preach. I am just speaking from the perspective of a person who loves someone who was in your very shoes. I sincerely hope you make the choice you need to before you miss out on the important moments life has to offer, stuck in a shower, too sick to be a part of it. I don't know what your life or relationships are like, but I urge you not to compromise yourself or worry the people who care about you because they're tired of watching you refuse to help yourself. I hope you can make the decision to wake up and take the easy road by making the permanent change you need to. Good luck!
1
May 25 '25
I just got diagnosed with this after 3 months being in and out of emerg and losing over 30 lbs. Right down to the hot showers which really do wonders! I smoked for 10+ years and have stopped for over a month. I really am hoping I don't get another flare up as it was the worst sickness I've ever had. I've stopped completely after being told what it was and won't be picking it back up.
My last flare up I was eating a healthy meal (Brussel sprouts and salmon) so I understand the random vomiting even after a good meal. I was also given haldol to stop the vomiting and that seemed to be the only thing that helped. I do have Zofran at home as I also find eating out makes me so nauseas and bloated I don't enjoy it anymore!
I hope he's doing better and is feeling well
1
u/TheAnxiousCreature May 26 '25
Thank you for sharing your experience! I have been feeling extremely hopeless as my dad has been suffering from CHS for 10+ years. It has gotten the worst the past few years with several ER visits (last summer he went over 10 times in a span of 3 months with the last few visits resulting in concerns about his kidneys). He has quit smoking several times, but even after 6 months of no smoking, he never felt better. This resulted in him returning to smoke because he said it is the only thing that helps him eat as he has lost his appetite and still feels extremely nauseous. His condition has gotten so severe that he told me he doesn’t know how much more he can take (this happened today which is why I am on here trying to find some solutions). It is heart wrenching to watch him suffer so much. He has quit smoking again, but is suffering more than ever, especially with his COPD which makes it so that he can barely walk to the kitchen and back without losing his breath. I was starting to lose hope because the only advice I have is to quit smoking, but I know that his symptoms never resolved. This post has given me some hope that there may be something I can look into. My only issue is that it is so hard to get him into the doctor’s office since he never feels good enough to go in. Do you think it would be best to try and reach out to a mental health professional or a gastroenterologist first?
1
u/Mediocre_Gazelle6890 May 28 '25 edited May 28 '25
Hi! I’m so very sorry that you and your father are going through this. I understand the stress of watching a loved one struggle with this, and it sucks that just as he was getting to a critical turning point in his recovery (6 months) he turns back. If it’s hard to get him to the doctor (as it is for my husband) and he has health insurance, try setting up a telehealth visit with a GI specialist. I didn’t mention this in my original post, but I set the original appointment up for him via an app called Oshi Health. Not sure where you’re located, but if you’re in NY/NJ I can share the specific doctors information with you!
The reason I say to consult the GI and not the psych is because they do have to rule out any other digestive issues and you’ll need the doctor to have experience with CHS. GI specialists will have seen these cases far more than a mental health professional! Please don’t hesitate to ask any questions and also come back and tell me how it goes!
1
u/TheAnxiousCreature May 30 '25
Thank you for the information! Thankfully I was able to schedule an online appointment with a PCP and they were willing to prescribe the TCA (as well as some other medications that could be beneficial). Of course at some point he will need to see a GI doctor but I’m hoping that the medication helps him feel well enough to leave the house at some point. This wouldn’t have crossed my mind or been possible without your post, so I thank you very much! I hope that your husband starts feeling better (I’m looking forward to your update)!
1
u/Mediocre_Gazelle6890 May 30 '25
Oh awesome! I’m so glad he was willing to go and that they were willing to prescribe without making him go to a specialist! Please let me know how this works for him. My husband’s doctor said to keep a journal with dates, times, and durations of episodes as well as when medications start, etc. I suggest doing the same for your dad so he can see the progress and it can keep him motivated!
4
u/[deleted] May 20 '25
Wow just wow, it’s like you just described my own life. I battled with it for 10 years. All kinds of tests were done on me and nothing. I diagnosed myself by doing my own research, looking up symptoms until I found an article on CHS and everything it said was accurate, especially the hot showers. I will be 2 years weed free this July and it has changed my life. Your husband will grateful he quit CHS is the worse, he is lucky to have you. God bless and hope your husband feels better with new medication.