#78 Strong Clinical Relevance
High-quality evidence with meaningful patient or clinical significance.
If you use cannabis daily and experience recurring vomiting that improves with hot showers, you may have cannabis hyperemesis syndrome, and stopping cannabis use is currently the only reliable cure.
Cannabis hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) is a paradoxical condition in which chronic, heavy cannabis users develop cyclic episodes of severe nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain, often relieved temporarily by hot showers or baths. The syndrome is frequently misdiagnosed for months or years because patients and clinicians alike associate cannabis with antiemetic properties, creating a counterintuitive diagnostic barrier. As high-potency THC products have become more widely available and socially normalized, the frequency of CHS presentations in emergency departments has increased, making clinician and patient awareness more urgent than ever.
“CHS is not rare or anecdotal anymore, and continuing to prescribe or recommend high-frequency, high-potency THC to patients without screening for cyclical vomiting patterns is a clinical oversight we can no longer afford.”
🦴 Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) represents a genuine clinical paradox: patients use cannabis expecting symptom relief, yet develop severe, cyclic vomiting that resolves only with cannabis cessation.
🔹 The rising prevalence of CHS likely reflects both increased cannabis potency and frequency of use, particularly among chronic users, making clinician awareness essential for accurate diagnosis and patient counseling.
🔹 Early recognition of the prodromal phase (abdominal discomfort, nausea) allows for timely intervention before progression to the hyperemetic phase, which can lead to dehydration, electrolyte abnormalities, and unnecessary emergency department visits.
🔹 Distinguishing CHS from other causes of chronic nausea requires a careful substance use history and awareness that symptom onset typically correlates with years of regular cannabis consumption.
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