Pregnant woman diagnosed with cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome after chronic cannabis use

A 29-year-old pregnant woman with chronic cannabis use presented with uncontrolled vomiting that responded to hot baths, leading to a diagnosis of cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome. She recovered and delivered without complications.

Flament, Julien et al.·International journal of emergency medicine·2020·Preliminary EvidenceCase Report
RTHC-02556Case ReportPreliminary Evidence2020RETHINKTHC RESEARCH DATABASErethinkthc.com/research

Quick Facts

Study Type
Case Report
Evidence
Preliminary Evidence
Sample
Not reported

What This Study Found

The case illustrates that cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome should be considered in the differential diagnosis of vomiting during pregnancy, particularly when hot baths provide relief and conventional causes are excluded.

Key Numbers

Patient was 29 years old. Symptoms included uncontrolled vomiting with relief from hot baths. She continued pregnancy and delivered without complications after diagnosis.

How They Did This

Clinical case report of a single pregnant patient presenting with uncontrolled vomiting secondary to chronic cannabis use, with literature review.

Why This Research Matters

Vomiting in pregnancy is common and typically attributed to morning sickness. CHS may be underdiagnosed in pregnant cannabis users because clinicians do not routinely ask about cannabis use in the prenatal setting.

The Bigger Picture

As cannabis use increases among pregnant women, recognizing CHS as a cause of pregnancy-related vomiting becomes clinically important to avoid unnecessary interventions and ensure appropriate counseling.

What This Study Doesn't Tell Us

Single case report with limited generalizability. The diagnosis was based on clinical presentation and exclusion of other causes rather than definitive testing.

Questions This Raises

  • ?How common is CHS among pregnant cannabis users?
  • ?Could misdiagnosis of CHS as hyperemesis gravidarum lead to unnecessary treatments?
  • ?What are the fetal risks of CHS-related dehydration?

Trust & Context

Key Stat:
CHS should be considered in vomiting during pregnancy
Evidence Grade:
Preliminary: single case report.
Study Age:
Published in 2020 in International Journal of Emergency Medicine.
Original Title:
Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome in the pregnant patient: clinical case and literature review.
Published In:
International journal of emergency medicine, 13(1), 52 (2020)
Database ID:
RTHC-02556

Evidence Hierarchy

Meta-Analysis / Systematic Review
Randomized Controlled Trial
Cohort / Case-Control
Cross-Sectional / Observational
Case Report / Animal StudyOne case or non-human subjects
This study

Describes what happened to one person or a small group.

What do these levels mean? →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome?

CHS is a condition where chronic, heavy cannabis use causes cycles of severe nausea and vomiting. A hallmark feature is that hot baths or showers provide temporary relief. The only effective long-term treatment is stopping cannabis use.

Did the cannabis use harm the baby?

The case report states the patient continued her pregnancy and delivered without complications. However, the report focused on CHS diagnosis rather than neonatal outcomes, and cannabis use during pregnancy carries other documented risks.

Read More on RethinkTHC

Cite This Study

RTHC-02556·https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-02556

APA

Flament, Julien; Scius, Nathan; Thonon, Henri. (2020). Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome in the pregnant patient: clinical case and literature review.. International journal of emergency medicine, 13(1), 52. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12245-020-00311-y

MLA

Flament, Julien, et al. "Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome in the pregnant patient: clinical case and literature review.." International journal of emergency medicine, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12245-020-00311-y

RethinkTHC

RethinkTHC Research Database. "Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome in the pregnant patient: cl..." RTHC-02556. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/flament-2020-cannabinoid-hyperemesis-syndrome-in

Access the Original Study

Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.

This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.