According to ABC News, there is a growing number of reported cases of CHS, a rare and mysterious condition that may be linked to the use of cannabis. This condition has caused severe illness in certain individuals.
Diagnosis of CHS patient showed symptoms of nausea and stomach pain after cannabis use
Erica Hagler, a healthy 33-year-old, experienced a severe and unexplained illness when she claims to have been using cannabis multiple times per day.
“I felt like I was going to die,” she told ABC News. Her symptoms included “the shakes, elevated heart rate,” dehydration, and vomiting.
Hagler revealed that doctors informed her that she was experiencing symptoms related to a neurological or psychological disorder.
Shortly afterward, Hagler became aware of CHS, also known as cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome. It is a condition that impacts individuals who consume large doses of marijuana on a daily basis for an extended period.
CHS is an uncommon disorder characterized by episodes of vomiting and abdominal pain. A Canadian study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association revealed that CHS-related emergency room visits, increased by a factor of 13 between 2014 and 2021.
Challenges in recognizing and diagnosing CHS amid widespread cannabis use
“Given the prevalence of cannabis use worldwide, the very recent recognition of CH, and the paucity of CH literature, it is likely that this disease is underrecognized and underdiagnosed,” the Mayo Clinic published.
“One challenge we have is that patients sometimes believe that their use of marijuana is helping them,” Dr. Sam Torbati, co-chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Cedars-Sinai, told ABC News.
He continued, “We know that in patients with cancer marijuana actually reduces nausea and vomiting. So for many patients, understanding that for them this is a poison — is a tough pill to swallow.”
Due to the misconceptions surrounding CHS and the absence of specific diagnostic tests, Dr. Torbati explained that this condition is frequently disregarded or misidentified by healthcare professionals.
“We give patients IVs to hydrate them. We do basic testing, just to make sure their kidneys aren’t failing,” he said. “But really, to cure them of this condition, they need to stop smoking.”
