Treatment of Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome-Associated Nausea with Haloperidol: A Case Report

Abstract

Introduction: Because of the rising prevalence of cannabis abuse, cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) was recognized as a new medical diagnosis in 2004. Despite the syndrome’s growing prevalence, many providers are unfamiliar with its diagnosis and treatment, and there is little data to back up clinical knowledge and treatment recommendations. For many years, haloperidol has been widely used as an antiemetic, despite a lack of evidence-based clinical data on efficacy and side effects. We present the case of a female who presented to the emergency room with suspected CHS and was treated with haloperidol. Case: A 34-year-old African-American woman with diabetes and a history of marijuana use presented to the emergency department with refractory nausea and vomiting. Her urine drug screen came back positive for THC, but she denied using marijuana prior to this admission. She stated that she was following her current medication regimen. She denied drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes. Multiple doses of ondansetron, promethazine, scopolamine, and metoclopramide had no effect on the patient. After two days of treatment with haloperidol 5 mg by mouth every 8 hours, nausea and vomiting subsided. Discussion: Haloperidol was able to control nausea and vomiting in six previous case reports of CHS. However, haloperidol was administered intravenously in five of the reports, and the route of administration was not specified in the sixth. To the best of our knowledge, we are the first to demonstrate the benefit of oral haloperidol for CHS. Conclusion: Although cessation of marijuana use is required for long-term resolution of CHS, our case and six others show the benefit of using IV haloperidol for acute management and oral for relapse prevention. More extensive clinical trials are needed to confirm haloperidol’s therapeutic role in patients presenting with CHS symptoms.