A 21-year-old woman with 7 years of heavy cannabis use had repeated vomiting episodes that resolved only with abstinence
A 21-year-old woman with 7 years of heavy cannabis use developed cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome; symptoms resolved with abstinence but relapsed each time she resumed cannabis use.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
A 21-year-old woman presented with four weeks of sudden-onset vomiting, nausea, and appetite loss. She had smoked cannabis heavily for 7 years. All other causes were ruled out through extensive testing.
Blood work showed mild metabolic derangement (low potassium and bicarbonate) consistent with prolonged vomiting. Urine tested positive for cannabinoids. All other investigations (blood counts, kidney and liver function, ECG, pregnancy test, CT head scan) were normal.
Symptoms resolved with IV fluids, antiemetics, and cannabis abstinence. However, since discharge she experienced several relapses, each directly related to resuming cannabis use and each resolving again with abstinence. She was seeking cognitive behavioral therapy to achieve permanent abstinence.
Key Numbers
Age 21, 7 years of heavy cannabis smoking. Low potassium and bicarbonate. Multiple relapses, each resolved with abstinence.
How They Did This
Single case report of a 21-year-old woman presenting to hospital with 4 weeks of vomiting. Standard workup to exclude other causes. Follow-up documented multiple relapse-remission cycles correlated with cannabis use and abstinence.
Why This Research Matters
This case illustrated the recurring nature of CHS and the difficulty of maintaining abstinence, demonstrating why some patients require behavioral therapy support to avoid relapse.
The Bigger Picture
The repeated relapse-remission pattern in this young patient highlighted that CHS management requires not just symptom treatment but addressing the underlying cannabis use through behavioral interventions.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Single case report. Cannot determine prevalence or risk factors. Self-reported cannabis use history.
Questions This Raises
- ?How effective is cognitive behavioral therapy for achieving permanent cannabis abstinence in CHS patients?
- ?What proportion of CHS patients successfully maintain long-term abstinence?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Multiple relapses, each tied to cannabis resumption and resolved by abstinence
- Evidence Grade:
- Single case report documenting a clear pattern of relapse and remission, but limited to one patient.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2010. CHS has since become widely recognized in emergency medicine.
- Original Title:
- Cannabinoid hyperemesis.
- Published In:
- BMJ case reports, 2010 (2010)
- Authors:
- Wild, Kim, Wilson, Hugh
- Database ID:
- RTHC-00463
Evidence Hierarchy
Describes what happened to one person or a small group.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Can cannabinoid hyperemesis come back?
Yes. This patient had multiple relapses after resuming cannabis use, each time resolving again with abstinence, demonstrating that CHS returns if cannabis use resumes.
How is cannabinoid hyperemesis treated?
Acute treatment includes IV fluids and antiemetics. The definitive treatment is cannabis cessation. This patient was seeking cognitive behavioral therapy to help maintain abstinence.
Read More on RethinkTHC
- cannabis-cardiovascular-heart-risk-stroke
- cannabis-heart-cardiovascular-risk
- coughing-up-stuff-after-quitting-weed
- lung-recovery-after-quitting-smoking-weed
- lung-recovery-quitting-weed
- quitting-weed-female-hormones
- quitting-weed-weight-gain-loss-diet-appetite
- sex-after-quitting-weed
- weed-DUI-driving-impaired-cannabis-laws
- weed-acne-skin
- weed-fertility-sperm
- weed-gut-digestion-problems
- weed-heart-health
- weed-testosterone-levels
- why-does-weed-make-you-hungry-munchies
- why-does-weed-make-food-taste-better
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-00463APA
Wild, Kim; Wilson, Hugh. (2010). Cannabinoid hyperemesis.. BMJ case reports, 2010. https://doi.org/10.1136/bcr.01.2010.2605
MLA
Wild, Kim, et al. "Cannabinoid hyperemesis.." BMJ case reports, 2010. https://doi.org/10.1136/bcr.01.2010.2605
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Cannabinoid hyperemesis." RTHC-00463. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/wild-2010-cannabinoid-hyperemesis
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.