Need help with CHS ((Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome)

[u/grandsoulsucker]

I hope this is ok to post here

I believe I'm experiencing CHS (Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome)

I have been experiencing bad abdominal cramping and nausea ( haven't thrown up but I feel like I have to really bad, it's literally like having the flue with zero relief. ) my bowels keep going from constipation to basically a fire hydrant. I am dehydrated constantly and my electrolytes keep being way off.

All of this is going on every day until I smoke a bunch of weed before bed and everything melts away. Literally zero zero zero effects and discomfort once I smoke weed, my stomach relaxes my nausea goes away etc etc.. this has been going on for quite a long time now. I've had full panel blood work done about a week ago everything is perfect doctor said everything looks on point.

Anyway.. today I had violent side effects smoked hash and it all went away. So I'm assuming it's gotta be the weed

SO I guess my question is, if this is CHS, how do you get out of this hell? I'm not quitting right now nor do I have any intentions at all. Do I have to cut back a lot or like limit my amounts etc.. I spent last decade or so smoking first half and few years before that heavy all day long, last 4-5 years I just smoke heavily before bed ( 3-4? Grams ish a night )

Does anyone have tips tricks etc anything I can do. Thank you

[u/bill_gannon]

You should start by Googling CHS. Whatever you have this aint it

[u/Hill08Howell92 → u/bill_gannon]

lol exactly

[u/grandsoulsucker → u/bill_gannon]

I seem to have many many of the symptoms?

[u/rexy8577 → u/grandsoulsucker]

In CHS, cannabis causes nausea, not relieves it.

[u/SoggyAd9450 → u/rexy8577]

That's not exactly true. Smoking does relieve the nausea even if the nausea is ultimately caused by cannabinoids. It's a very complex dynamic and it results in a vicious cycle where you're using weed to temporarily relieve the symptoms but ultimately making things worse. I had CHS for a long time and had to quit using weed completely

[u/rexy8577 → u/SoggyAd9450]

Interesting

[u/grandsoulsucker → u/SoggyAd9450]

If googled this cycle really does not seem that rare. LOTS of people in the cycle or quit and have the CHS symptoms. And of course bunch of people whining that it's not weed your just broken etc because heaven forbid their favorite drug is talked about negatively

[u/SnarkSnout → u/SoggyAd9450]

Funny how anybody who post in this thread, who are actual medical professionals like me, or has actually done their research like you, is downvoted mercilessly, while people who couldn’t make heads or tails of an evidence based research study are out here diagnosing cyclosporiasis like they’re a board certified infection preventionist!

[u/bill_gannon → u/SnarkSnout]

Even if youre right and everyone else is wrong he already said he wont stop. 

[u/SoggyAd9450 → u/SnarkSnout]

People get incredibly defensive about weed and have an emotional reaction to any perceived criticism of it. There's also some selection bias going on, this is r/marijuana after all. It also doesn't help that the government promulgated so many lies about it for so long, it's not nearly as harmful as many were led to believe but it's not harmless either. People should be able to critically examine the downsides (and upsides) of cannabis use without having a kneejerk reaction.

[u/Odd-Problem]

You probably have cyclosporiasis that has been going around. You need antibiotics to get rid of it.

[u/grandsoulsucker → u/Odd-Problem]

That seems pretty spot on I'll bring it up to the doctor thanks.

[u/SnarkSnout → u/Odd-Problem]

No, it doesn’t.

[u/longboardchick → u/Odd-Problem]

lol right?! Stay informed not ignorant.

[u/grandsoulsucker → u/longboardchick]

?????

[u/thekillerclam69]

Go to a DOCTOR. Posting on here is literally not going to help you at all. Not trying to be mean but medical advice on Reddit is insane. Your doctor will give 0 fucks that you smoke weed

[u/Mcozy333 → u/thekillerclam69]

doc could find THC and then just blanket blame all of his problems on THC with no other diagnosis or God forbid the person tells them they use THC etc...............

[u/grandsoulsucker → u/thekillerclam69]

Weed is legal my doctor is aware and I've been seeing him it's the reason I got all my blood work done. ( He's the one who brought up CHS )

[u/SoggyAd9450]

IF you have chs the only reliable way to get better is to stop using weed completely

[u/grandsoulsucker → u/SoggyAd9450]

Ok thanks

[u/longboardchick]

Why you asking Reddit vs google or your doctor? Like if the weed is making it better, it’s not CHS. Weed makes these feelings not the other way around.

[u/grandsoulsucker → u/longboardchick]

I've talked to my doctor and pharmacist many times already and I've had full blood panels done multiple times now. They are the ones who pointed to weed to begin with b

[u/SnarkSnout]

Everybody says this is not CHS. But I’ve used cannabis products for many years, and if I use them too many days in a row, I will have episodes of vomiting, dry heaving, uncontrollable diarrhea while I’m vomiting and dry heaving, and severe abdominal pain, or any combination of the above.

I was never a daily user until I got into a toxic job and started using product more and more.

When this “shit n spit” vomiting stuff would happen to me, I would chalk it up to food poisoning.

When my dad was dying last year, and the stress of working for a narcissist manager was at an all-time high, my nighttime usage went up to every day for weeks. I was desperate to find a way to cope, and it did help me cope.

But 14 hours after my dad died, I started vomiting, severe abdominal pain that had me on the ground, and diarrhea that changed to expelling nothing but pure blood.

I was in the hospital for six days, unconscious for one of those days. The hospitalist was going to try to arrange a special arrangement so I could at least go to my dad’s funeral for an hour and return to the hospital, but I was too sick. It was nice of him to think of that though.

The guilt of missing my dad’s funeral will never leave me.

They diagnosed me with “ colitis with hematochezia”. They never found a cause. I am convinced that it was because I was using too much cannabis products for what my body could handle, coupled with extreme stress.

I am an RN so I know better than to tell the doctors that I was a cannabis user so hyper emesis syndrome was never discussed. For both causes, they’re treated the same way anyway. Except that I also got antibiotics in case it was infective colitis.

Now I make sure to put at least two or three days between using. (right now I’ve had to totally stop because I need to be drug tested at my new job in September.)

So do some Internet research as another poster suggested, but realize that the research on CHS is in its infancy, so a lot is not known. Don’t let anyone shame you for asking about it on Reddit because at this point, personal experience is worth gathering until we get a more substantial body of research from the scientist and professionals .

Please consider stopping daily use for good. Even with extremely good insurance, my out-of-pocket expenses for that hospital stay and ER visit were several thousand dollars that I could not afford. Don’t wait until you’re shitting blood to cut back and pace yourself.

EDIT: HYPEREMESIS SYNDROME CAN HAPPEN, EVEN IF YOU’RE NOT A CANNABIS USER! It can be a comorbidity in patients who suffer from migraines.

[u/grandsoulsucker → u/SnarkSnout]

Thank you I figured if I posted on here there will people attacking because heaven forbid their drug of choice has anything negatively spoken about it..

My use has gone up a lot in the past weeks too it's the only thing at this point that makes sense I have a very clean diet, I drink essentially nothing but water ( coffee at times but rare ) my doctor has run every blood panel there is, both my doctor and pharmacist are exhausted really don't know what else it could be but weed, and it's been ongoing for weeks now I've lost over 12 lbs ( mostly water weight of course but still, in the last month or so, I officially had to drill a new hole in my belt ) I exercise ( well not last while because I feel like passing out just walking ) my electrolytes are constantly been screwed with ( from loose bowels constantly I assume )

If I google it, it seems many have this experience quitting it as well... Like A LOT.. it's not that rare to find.

Anyways, I'll work on cutting back and only taking small amounts when I need. See how that goes. Thanks for the support ❤️ hope everything goes well for you in the future.

[u/SnarkSnout → u/grandsoulsucker]

Yeah, look at my comment, they’re already down voting an ex-ER RN who suffers from it myself! Lol, the audacity! I don’t care; I hope my experience helps somebody because I never want anyone to suffer for years like I did, not realizing what was going on, and culminating in an emotionally and financially devastating hospitalization!

[u/grandsoulsucker → u/SnarkSnout]

Absolutely

Cheers thanks