Could Cannabis Use Be Making You Sick?
For many people, cannabis is associated with relieving pain, calming anxiety, or easing nausea. But for some long-term, heavy users, it can have the exact opposite effect.
Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome (CHS) is a little-known condition that causes severe, recurring nausea, relentless vomiting, and intense abdominal pain. The symptoms can become so debilitating that many people end up in the emergency room, unable to keep food or even water down.
Unfortunately, CHS is often overlooked because its symptoms closely resemble many other digestive illnesses, as described in a recent article in the Washington Post.
A Difficult Diagnosis
Doctors frequently diagnose CHS only after ruling out other possible causes. Bloodwork, imaging, and other tests often come back normal, making it easy to mistake the condition for a stomach virus, food poisoning, or another gastrointestinal disorder.
That was the experience of 35-year-old Andrew Whitfield, a Miami fashion designer and stylist. After experiencing severe vomiting and abdominal pain, he sought emergency care. Despite extensive testing, doctors found nothing wrong and sent him home with anti-nausea medication. The medication didn't help.
Over the next several weeks, Whitfield discovered that taking hot showers temporarily eased his symptoms, one of the hallmark signs of CHS. After researching his condition, he learned about CHS, stopped using cannabis, and his symptoms resolved within a few weeks.
How Common Is CHS?
Experts estimate that approximately 2.75 million Americans experience CHS each year. Because the condition is still relatively unfamiliar to many patients – and even some healthcare providers – it is likely underdiagnosed.
While researchers don't yet fully understand why CHS develops, it most often affects people who have used cannabis heavily over a long period of time. Left untreated, repeated vomiting can lead to serious complications, including dehydration, kidney problems, heart rhythm abnormalities, and, in rare cases, death.
How Is CHS Treated?
The most effective long-term treatment is stopping cannabis use completely. During an acute episode, emergency physicians may provide:
- Intravenous (IV) fluids to treat dehydration
- Anti-nausea medications, although they often provide limited relief
- Topical capsaicin cream
- In some cases, anti-anxiety or antipsychotic medications
Recovery may take days or even weeks, depending on the individual.
When a Missed Diagnosis Causes Harm
Had the doctors correctly diagnosed Whitfield, it could have spared him weeks of debilitating illness and repeated trips to the hospital. While CHS can be difficult to recognize, healthcare providers are still expected to evaluate patients appropriately and consider conditions that fit their symptoms. When a delayed or missed diagnosis results in preventable harm, patients may have legal rights.
If you or a loved one suffered serious complications because a medical provider failed to properly diagnose or treat a condition, consider speaking with a top attorney for Philadelphia misdiagnosis lawsuits. In the last few years, almost every teaching hospital in the city of Philadelphia has paid 8-figure verdicts and settlements to clients of Tom Duffy.