Cannabis CHS, what you need to know & what to do about it.
Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome (CHS) can be devastating and is easily misdiagnosed. The first documented case was in 2004 and the number of cases is on the rise.
What is this?
Using Cannabis, in any form: smoking and edibles, at an early age and/or more than once a week for long periods of time can cause CHS, an overstimulation to your body. Your body responds to the toxic build up causes “Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome”. Will everyone that uses cannabis frequently for long periods of time get this? No. Is it something worth keeping an open mind and awareness to? Yes. This article is to educate the consumer, without bias “for or against” the use of Cannabis.
We need the facts.
It is very important to be totally upfront about your use of cannabis or any other drug, when something has changed with your health. As medical professionals we are like detectives, trying to help you. Without the facts, it makes it even more challenging & can cause delays in diagnoses. When you go for medical be ready to tell them all the things that are different. (See symptoms that are in the list below) If you are too sick to answer these kinds of questions, it is important to have a friend or relative that knows the answers and that you feel comfortable having them answer them correctly.
Let’s start with the symptoms!
As I mentioned, these symptoms can be present for a variety of illnesses. To make sure you are diagnosed accurately the question is just as important as the answer. When you read these symptoms try not to diagnose yourself. That doesn’t mean the medical provider isn’t interested in what your thoughts are. What you are thinking is very important! We want to listen! To get to the problem, the patient has to keep an open mind, just as the medical provider does. Okay here are the potential symptoms:
Nausea and vomiting that lasts for several minutes to hours and could be off and on for days. Abdominal pain, anywhere in your stomach. Unexpected weight loss. Hot baths or showers help you feel better, so you end up using them to help frequently. Let’s say you have been dealing with these symptoms for a while and you have tolerated it, so you haven’t been to the doctor. When will you get these symptoms checked?
The next phase of symptoms that tell you, “I have to see a medical professional, possibly go to the emergency room.” Dark urine (pee), not needing to urinate as often, sudden confusion and/or episodes of confusion. Dizziness, persistent sleepiness, (fatigue), feeling weak and difficult to find energy to get up to do anything. Rapid breathing or fainting.
Health conditions these symptoms can cause.
If you are vomiting frequently, you drink fluids, but they come right back up, you can become dehydrated. When you have had vomiting for hours or episodes daily you can get an inflamed esophagus. That is called Esophagitis. When you can’t keep food in your body long enough to digest because you are vomiting and/or you have no appetite it can cause Malnutrition. Frequent, reoccurring vomiting can cause a tear in your esophagus and that is called, “Mallory Weiss Syndrome”. A tear can cause an internal hemorrhage and you could bleed to death. Having an empty stomach, whether it is from vomiting or not eating, increases the acid in your stomach. When you vomit or have “heart burn” the acid can get in your mouth. This causes tooth decay.
When you see a medical professional: These are the questions you can expect
Some questions may seem silly or not important. Let’s get started: When did you start feeling sick? Do you feel sick to your stomach? Do you throw up? How often? What does it look like? For Women: Is there a chance you are pregnant? Have you been around anyone else sick? Do you have pain? Where exactly is it located? Has it been constant or off and on? Has it been hurting more since it first started? Do you use any kind of prescribed drugs or recreational drugs? Do you use Cannabis? When did you first use Cannabis, how often do you use Cannabis and how much? Have you had chills, fever or dizziness? Have you fainted or lost your balance easily? What makes you feel better? What makes you feel worse? These are just a few.
What tests will you need?
You have answered the questions. What comes next? Do you remember that the symptoms can mimic other illnesses. Some of the tests that can lead to the diagnosis: Blood & urine, imaging. The blood & urine can be tested for how your kidneys and liver are working. We can find out how dehydrated you are. They also tell us the level of a drug in your body to see if you could be toxic. Blood and urine can see if a woman is pregnant. These are just a few tests-there are many. Imaging may be a CT scan or an MRI. Checking your blood pressure, oxygen level and heart rate/rhythm are important to tell us how you are doing right in the moment.
Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome
If this is your diagnosis the immediate treatment will be to take care what your body is telling us is emergent. Long term will mean you make a decision or not, to stop using Cannabis. That is the only way your body can keep from continuing to have your symptoms return. Part 2 of this topic will look at why your body is responding to Cannabis this way. In addition, here are some websites to check out and where you can reach out to get help stopping. Website reference http//my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases
Getting help stopping: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services (SAMTSA) National Hotline 800-662-4357
