In the past ten years, more people have been going to emergency rooms because of stomach pain and long episodes of vomiting.
Many of these people are regular cannabis users. Doctors noticed the trend but didn’t have a clear way to label or track it. That changed recently when a new official medical code was added for a condition called “cannabis hyperemesis syndrome” (CHS).
This condition starts within 24 hours after someone uses cannabis and can last for days. People who have CHS often go through these vomiting episodes three or four times a year.
Now, with the new code, R11.16, listed in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10), doctors can officially document this condition. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also added this code to their system in the U.S.
The new code helps in many ways. First, it allows healthcare providers to record the condition clearly using one label instead of several unclear ones. It also helps doctors spot repeat cases more easily when a patient returns.
Most importantly, the code improves the quality of health data. Researchers like Beatriz Carlini at the University of Washington can now track how often CHS happens and look for trends. She says this gives real proof that problems linked to cannabis are rising.
Even though more patients are showing up with symptoms of CHS, many doctors don’t know much about the condition. This leads to delays in diagnosis. People may visit the emergency room several times before they are correctly diagnosed.
Each visit can cost thousands of dollars. And even after being diagnosed, some patients don’t believe that cannabis is the cause. Cannabis is well-known for helping people with nausea from conditions like cancer or HIV, which makes it harder for some to accept that it could also cause nausea and vomiting.
Dr. Chris Buresh, an emergency doctor at UW Medicine and Seattle Children’s, explains that even people who have used cannabis for years without problems can suddenly develop CHS.
There seems to be a limit or “threshold,” and once crossed, the body reacts with severe vomiting. This threshold is different for everyone, and even small amounts of cannabis can cause symptoms for some people.
Doctors don’t fully understand why some cannabis users get CHS and others don’t. It might be due to more people using cannabis, the stronger THC content in today’s products, or other unknown factors. Treatment is also tricky. Common medications for nausea often don’t work.
Doctors sometimes have to use strong drugs like Haldol, which are usually meant for treating mental health conditions. Some people get mild relief from capsaicin cream, a warming rub applied to the belly, or from taking very hot showers. In fact, some patients say that hot showers are the only thing that helps during an episode.
Recovering from CHS can be difficult. Because the symptoms come and go, people might think they’ve just had food poisoning or a stomach bug. They may continue using cannabis, only to get sick again later. Even for those who believe cannabis is the cause, quitting can be hard because of addiction.
This new study and the addition of the CHS code mark a big step forward. It helps medical teams better understand and track a condition that’s becoming more common. It also makes it easier to do research and find better ways to treat it. Still, there are many unknowns, including why CHS affects some users and not others, and how best to treat or prevent it.
In summary, cannabis hyperemesis syndrome is a real and growing problem linked to cannabis use. With better awareness, documentation, and research, doctors and scientists hope to find more effective ways to help those suffering from this strange and difficult condition.
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