What is cannabinoid hyperemesis, the vomiting disease of cannabis

Cannabis is the most widely used illegal drug in the world (and on the way to being legalized in many places. Much of the popularity of marijuana is due to the low awareness of risk that exists among the population, and the great economic interests that it moves.

Some of the negative consequences of excessive cannabis use are well known, such as psychotic symptoms, dependency, anxiety, sleep problems or irritability, etc. But there is a disease caused by marijuana use that is very little known among the population, even among the majority of doctors and health professionals. It is cannabinoid hyperemesis, or "marijuana vomiting disease".

In this article I am going to tell you about this little known disease, its treatment and a real testimony.

• Related article: "The false myth of medical marijuana"

Symptoms of cannabinoid hyperemesis

These are the main symptoms that define this alteration.

• Constant nausea
• Frequent bouts of vomiting
• Abdominal pain (severe)
• Loss of appetite and weight
• Dehydration
• Seizures
• Muscle spasms
• Tachycardia
• Brain edema (in the most severe cases)

What causes cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome?

Cannabis is a very complex plant, made up of a multitude of different substances. While certain uses of marijuana tend to have certain effects on the brain (calm nausea or vomiting in patients under chemotherapy, for example), can have opposite effects on the digestive tract (producing the aforementioned urge to vomit and pain ABS).

It is still unclear to the scientific community why some people suffer from cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome and others do not. Excessive marijuana use is usually a common factor, but genetic differences are probably the key factor in explaining the origin of the disease.

Phases of cannabinoid hyperemesis

This disease usually consists of three well differentiated phases.

1. Prodromal phase

The usual symptoms during this phase are usually morning stomach aches and nausea.

This phase usually lasts for months or years, during which it remains undiagnosed.. In some cases because the health workers do not know how to diagnose it, and in the majority because the person does not mention that they use cannabis frequently (or they do not ask them).

A curious detail of this disease that has the scientific community confused is that marijuana consumed in certain amounts can help stop vomiting and nausea. However, for reasons that are not yet clear, certain people who use marijuana very frequently suffer the opposite effect.

Here comes the paradoxical effect: many habitual cannabis users increase their use of marijuana when the first symptoms of the disease are found, so accelerate the progression and worsening of symptoms without realizing it.

They think that marijuana will stop the symptoms, without realizing that it causes them and makes them worse in the long run.

2. Hyperemesis phase

The next phase of this disease usually appears cyclically, and can last between 24 hours and several days.

In the hyperemesis phase, the person suffers from strong compulsive urge to vomit, severe abdominal pain, and a strong urge to take hot showers or baths (which usually relieves symptoms).

This is the phase in which they usually ask for professional help and go to the doctor.

3. Recovery phase

In this phase the person you will experience relief from nausea and abdominal pain, only if you reduce or stop using marijuana.

Recovery can last weeks or months, and relapses occur if the person uses cannabis again.

Testimony of a real case

I was recently contacted by a person describing me your ex-partner's disabling experience with cannabinoid hyperemesis (for obvious reasons, we will keep it anonymous):

“My ex-boyfriend and I have had a very big problem with this. We lived together and he has lost 4 jobs because of this. There was no way I was going to the CAD, I went for two days and nothing, I didn't come back.

Doctors no longer gave him leave because they knew what it was and he lost his jobs. The last time he was unemployed for leaving the previous job to another with better conditions and in the other he did not pass the period of try to get sick, and he was left without unemployment since they do not give it to you if you have left one and in the other you do not pass the period of proof.

Therefore we are left unable to pay for the house due to illness. He has been horrible. Until after not being able to pay and they left us money for the house, he got sick again 3 months later and I decided to end the relationship in June.

He was horrible, he stayed more than 15 days in bed vomiting. He has come to be 20-something days with constant vomiting and showers of water burning every half hour (which was something unique that calmed him). Unbelievable, it's seen to be believed.

It took about 5 years to diagnose him, because few doctors know him and they did tests for his stomach, stool and so on. But losing 4 jobs and starting with the lies saying that he no longer smokes, catching him and seeing him again how he got sick was horrible... And me crying while he was fatal. But then he would come back to it.

That's why I would like you to put it so that it has more visibility and that joints also destroy families (apart from becoming apathetic). Like this, very hard ”.

• You may be interested in: "What is the psychological treatment for cannabis addiction like?"

Cannabinoid hyperemesis treatment

The most effective treatment (and the only one that actually stops symptoms) is to stop using marijuana.

But here comes the difficulty for most people with cannabinoid hyperemesis: cannabis produces dependence, and the majority of people who develop the disease already have a very high and frequent consumption, and with a certain level of addiction.

In addition, it coincides with the definition of addiction: when a person feels incapable of stopping an activity or consumption, despite the serious negative consequences of this.

I am Luis Miguel Real, and I work as a psychologist specializing in addictions. If you want to quit marijuana (or have a family member who needs to quit) contact me and we will start working on it as soon as possible.