Over the past decade, emergency rooms across the country have reported a sharp rise in patients presenting with these symptoms. Many arrive dehydrated, exhausted, and frightened, often after days of relentless sickness. Medical staff, struggling to describe the intensity of what they witness, coined the term “scromiting”—a blend of screaming and vomiting—because some patients cry out in agony while retching uncontrollably. For those experiencing it, CHS is not a minor side effect. It is a medical crisis that can dominate their lives.
One of the most troubling aspects of Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome is how difficult it is to treat. Unlike many gastrointestinal conditions, CHS does not respond reliably to standard anti-nausea medications. Patients are often given intravenous fluids, pain relief, and antiemetics, only to find that little changes. “There are currently no therapies approved by the Food and Drug Administration,” explained Dr. Chris Buresh, highlighting the frustration clinicians face when treating these cases. Without targeted treatments, doctors are left managing symptoms rather than addressing the underlying cause. Many patients cycle through emergency rooms repeatedly. One man described being admitted four or five times within six months, each time experiencing searing abdominal pain and uncontrollable vomiting.
He said the sensation felt like his stomach was on fire from the inside. In some cases, the pain is so intense that patients require opioids such as morphine just to cope. Another individual compared CHS episodes to childbirth, calling them among the worst physical experiences of her life. During attacks, she said she found herself begging aloud for the pain to stop. A distinctive feature of CHS is the compulsive use of extremely hot showers or baths for relief. Patients often spend hours under scalding water, finding that heat temporarily dulls their symptoms.
This behavior is so common that doctors now consider it a diagnostic clue. Some sufferers develop burns or dehydration from excessive bathing. Yet even this coping mechanism provides only fleeting comfort. Once the shower ends, the pain and vomiting usually return. For many, the syndrome becomes a cycle of suffering, hospital visits, brief recovery, and relapse.What makes CHS particularly insidious is that many people who develop it struggle to accept its cause. Cannabis is often the last thing they suspect. Because marijuana is widely perceived as natural, medicinal, and relatively safe, users may dismiss the idea that it could be responsible for such severe illness. Episodes tend to occur intermittently, sometimes separated by weeks or months, which makes the connection harder to recognize.
Symptoms may subside temporarily, leading individuals to believe the episode was triggered by food poisoning, stress, or a stomach virus. As a result, they resume using cannabis, only to become violently ill again. “Because the syndrome strikes intermittently, some cannabis users assume a recent episode was unrelated and continue using—only to become severely ill again,” explained Dr. Beatriz Carlini, research associate professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine. Over time, this pattern can trap people in a loop of denial and dependence. Some patients report feeling betrayed by a substance they once relied on for comfort or pain relief. Others feel ashamed, reluctant to disclose their use to doctors or family members. Unfortunately, the only proven long-term solution for CHS is complete cessation of cannabis. Reducing intake or switching products rarely helps.
For many sufferers, quitting is emotionally difficult, especially if marijuana has been part of their identity or coping strategy for years. Yet without stopping, episodes almost always return, often with increasing severity. Recovery can take weeks or months, and relapses are common when use resumes.Recent research has begun to shed more light on who is most at risk for developing Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome and why its prevalence appears to be rising. A major study conducted by researchers at George Washington University surveyed more than 1,000 CHS patients and found strong links between heavy, long-term cannabis use and repeated emergency room visits for vomiting and abdominal pain. Early initiation and daily or near-daily consumption were particularly significant risk factors. Alarmingly, adolescent cases have surged in recent years. Between 2016 and 2023, reported CHS cases among young people increased more than tenfold.
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