Cannabinoid-induced cyclic vomiting; what every clinician needs to know

Abstract

Introduction: According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug worldwide. In the United States and Europe, prevalence of regular marijuana use among adults reaches 4%. Despite the common belief that cannabinoids have an antiemetic effect, chronic use of cannabinoids can result in paradoxical bouts of abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) is still an under recognized clinical entity and its diagnosis can be challenging to many clinicians due to the similarity of its clinical presentation to other more common disorders. Case Report: We found that patients who were diagnosed with CHS have usually undergone an extensive clinical evaluation before the diagnosis was made. We are presenting a case of cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome related to chronic and heavy marijuana use. Conclusion: Compared to the increasing use of marijuana worldwide, cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome is still an under recognized condition.