Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome (CME Episode) | Incident Report 234

Cannabis DECREASES nausea and vomiting, right? But can the OPPOSITE happen? Here’s what you need to know.

This episode is eligible for continuing education credit if you’re a supporter on Facebook or Patreon! Instructions will be found in your supporter feed or using the links at zdoggmd.com/incident-report-234

Thanks to Physicians Weekly for partnering with us to make this possible!

50 Comments

  1. Michael molina on March 8, 2020 at 11:35 am

    This is very helpful, my Bf and I (18 years old- 20 years old) smoked weed nearly everyday for about 2 years (took a two month break once). Recently he started getting sick, not being able to keep anything down, stomach pain, and a lot of weight loss. Each time he got better we would start smoking again for fun and sure enough, a week goes on and he’s back to being sick, but it wouldn’t be triggered by smoking, but by eating a lot because the daily smoking caused his stomach acid to raise and he threw up so much that he had a damaged esophagus. It’s the new year and we stopped smoking and now he seems to be detoxing from it and gets sick. Hot showers and an IV in his arm were the only way to make him feel better. I on the other hand wouldn’t get sick. I denied that it was the weed because I was fine and the last time we stopped smoking he didn’t get sick, but I’m sure it’s this. It seems hard to let go of something that made me relax at the end of the night, but if it’s what it takes to make him feel healthier, then I’ll do it. It won’t be easy, but if others can do it, then we can do it, including you (the reader).



  2. THE STONES on March 8, 2020 at 11:38 am

    i lost 80 lbs due to vomiting after being sick for more than six years, denying to myself it was the pot. I was getting sick every other month, then every week, then every day. New years eve I finally quit. I’m not sleeping well and I’m aggravated alot but its better than waking up sick everyday. It cost me a fortune. I’ve vomited for 48 hours straight at times. I’ve lost work due to the illness. Its not worth it to continue using it. I’ve scared my family and friends when I was violently sick. I blamed it on everything but the marijuana, I was wrong…..I have quit for 4 days and counting.



  3. MonteCristo on March 8, 2020 at 11:39 am

    It’s crazy how every word he says matches with what I’ve been through. Only just found out what this condition was, suffered for years with this mystery vomiting sickness in the night condition. I used more cannabis to try and help it, it never really helped. It does sometimes take the sick feeling away in the middle of the night. Most nights I’m standing in the toilet trying hard not to be sick at 4 or 5am.. it’s destroyed my life, I feel weak and unwell in the day then and run down. I have to stop now, just struggling



  4. Danger GRANGER on March 8, 2020 at 11:39 am

    Dude it took me five minutes to accept what was wrong with me and I caught it in the first stage.



  5. Andrew Lewis on March 8, 2020 at 11:40 am

    I end up constantly throwing up for 3 to 7 days… or until I go to the hospital



  6. Wise Lubanda on March 8, 2020 at 11:42 am

    As a former pot head i can say people that use often are extremely in denial.



  7. Chris Frazier on March 8, 2020 at 11:45 am

    has anyone ever experienced CHS, but with relief from ICE COLD water? like bathing/showering in extremely cold water?



  8. hans gustav on March 8, 2020 at 11:47 am

    For all People who suffer

    Benzodiazepines is the only medication that help!!! (its highly addictive)
    But if you want to get rid of it
    STOP USING IT MORE THEN ONCE A WEEK



  9. Alfonso Gonzales jr on March 8, 2020 at 11:48 am

    People don’t have to quit smoking they just need to stop smoking so much a day😉



  10. Cindy Anton on March 8, 2020 at 11:51 am

    My 62 year old husband has CVS. He was a heavy smoker in his younger years but has been a truck driver for 12 years and regularly tested, DOES NOT SMOKE ANY MORE FOR OVER A DECADE. Hot baths and showers are the only thing that brings him relief. The thought that shower is exclusive with CHS is wrong. My daughter was just diagnosed with CHS, now we will wait to see if abstinence from smoking will cure her. These two syndromes are so similar it is crazy. Wondering if you know of a genetic link?



  11. L0st Frequency on March 8, 2020 at 11:52 am

    I ate a very strong dose of edibles last thursday 200mg shot … the next day i felt like i was gonna puke, now I feel like i’m gonna vomit everytime I smoke n get nausea .. someone pls help me !



  12. Gold Tooth #9 on March 8, 2020 at 11:52 am

    Just read how a Canadian teen died from this very interesting



  13. Happy Days on March 8, 2020 at 11:55 am

    I’m an all or nothing guy and smoked every day for 7 years. I didn’t go 30 minutes without smoking honestly. I would do challenges where i would take 4-5 dabs during a movie. I got CHS and I’m on day 5 of no smoking. Everything is balance and I ran up the smoke too much. I abused this great plant and I got bit in the ass.



  14. Beckah Espy on March 8, 2020 at 11:56 am

    I am on my girlfriends account but I am a 18 year old teen and I have been smoking weed everyday since I was 14. Just 2 weeks ago I started vomiting and having terrible nausea… the only thing that helps me is a warm bath and shower… I would like to know how long I have to go without smoking weed for the symptoms to go away. If anyone has any answers please leave it in this thread.



  15. El Mo on March 8, 2020 at 11:56 am

    I’m in the UK, took me 3 years to get diagnosed with this! Went hospital about 18 times in them 3 years. They used to diagnosed me with gastritis or suspected ulcer. Only thing that helps me other than hot showers/baths is morphine IV at the hospital… also a fan blowing on me & capsicum cream helps me abit too. Thank god for the NHS, if I lived in USA I’d be broke from medical bills!!!



  16. Dylan Manzanares on March 8, 2020 at 11:57 am

    It’s because there spraying chemicals when there growing the weed, just smoke home grown and you’ll be safe



  17. Spirit Medium Clayton Silva on March 8, 2020 at 11:59 am

    I had this syndrome. I was in denial at first. When I quit smoking it went away and am so much better. Glad this is being talked about and had it been explained to me like this I wouldn’t have probably been in so much denial. One thing I will say that most places don’t mention but capsaicin does help if rubbed on the abdomen it burns but does help. But quitting smoking is the best thing to do. I have no sx at anymore.



  18. Mikey G on March 8, 2020 at 11:59 am

    I suffered from CHS twice now… I had extreme abdominal pain and nausea.. stopped consuming THC for about a year and a half and all symptoms were gone throughout that time.. As soon as I felt better I thought it would be a great idea to smoke again.. After 2 years of smoking again Symptoms started back up and man it was the worst pain ever.. it went on for about 3 weeks and After visits to the ER and everything checked out normal I figured it was the THC again so I had to stop again.. Man I don’t wish this upon anyone.. I lost about 18 pounds by not eating in that time due to abdominal pain and nausea. So if you’re suffering the same symptoms and not sure what it is and you consume THC more than likely you have CHS. It took about 2 weeks after quitting for everything to go back to normal.



  19. Mitchell Carlson on March 8, 2020 at 11:59 am

    So if someone is diagnosed with this is it a lifelong issue or will it settle and they can casually use marijuana after some time or will it always happen after an initial episode?



  20. J C on March 8, 2020 at 12:00 pm

    Amazing video. Very accurate. One caveat, taken out of context this video, plus many sources online that come up when you Google "Cannabis hyperemesis" indicate that this is a rare disorder that only occurs in extremely heavy cannabis users. The reality is this is just simple cannabis withdrawal that happens to most any long term user when they try to quit. It’s not rare in the least. Smoke cannabis for 5 years or so and try to quit you should expect this experience.



  21. dan3nad on March 8, 2020 at 12:00 pm

    STOP, if you moderate it you will develop serious health problems! trust me thats what happened to me, its not worth it! you will just destroy your health, the pain is so bad you will not want to live, i have failing kidneys, my feet swell up so bad i cant walk half the time my vision is half of what it was before i got sick from CHS, 60% of my hair fell out, with a list of many health problems,,, just stop for the love of GOD before you have to wake up every day in to a world of hell,,, all this happened from smoking weed,,, years of daily smoking/vaping/eating etc, i never did any other drugs, rarely drank & when i did it was beer, & never smoked cigarettes



  22. kylerknows on March 8, 2020 at 12:01 pm

    So is this just for everyday users? Im pretty sure this is what I have and I’ve smoked everyday the last 3-4 years but going to stop for awhile now. Just curious if its going to be like this forever; if Im just a heavy user, or can I smoke like once or twice a week and be fine??



  23. Cynthia Gutierrez on March 8, 2020 at 12:01 pm

    Thank you so much Doctor! Im soooooo done smoking weed! Yuck 🤢🤮



  24. PBgenesis on March 8, 2020 at 12:04 pm

    Maybe the hot bath creates pain and adrenaline or something and releases some of that stored THC in their fat and helps lower the Hyperemesis effects? Just a thought…



  25. Rachael Kile on March 8, 2020 at 12:07 pm

    My attending found the classic sign of CHS is if a patient looks like they’re having an exorcism, then throw them some Haldol.



  26. Fernd Up on March 8, 2020 at 12:08 pm

    Two words: DIGESTIVE ENZYMES
    Try it people, and stop consuming cannabis asap!
    Nausea will not presist 😊



  27. Cameron Bradshaw on March 8, 2020 at 12:08 pm

    Hmmm, just a thought. My doctor told me that CHS didn’t really start showing up until these higher potency strains of weed came to be. Could a higher level of CBD, and A LOT lower level of THC buds help in any way? For the people that feel like they just HAVE to smoke.



  28. Stereotype5346 on March 8, 2020 at 12:08 pm

    I found my stomach aches, spasms, and cramps were in my diet. I had to eliminate Bread, Cake, Donuts, essentially all WHITE FLOUR breads or gravy’s !! Also, YEAST!! There’s YEAST in all of these and elsewhere!! Spaghetti, Beer, even VITAMINS have YEAST. Gluten intolerant? Lactose Intolerant? Sprayed from the sky, poisons are IN THE GRAIN. Animals feed has grains in it, so the ANIMALS have poison too, as does THEIR MILK. No Milk! No Yeast! No Soy! NO MORE PROBLEMS. They’re rationalizing air poisoning.



  29. He_Fly23 on March 8, 2020 at 12:11 pm

    I actually went thru this last
    Night pure hell!! Looks like I gotta stop smoking weed 🙁



  30. Skinnydemon on March 8, 2020 at 12:12 pm

    I have suffered for 10 years, my body is destroyed off chs, once am sick i tent to smoke a lot more weed also which doesn’t help, I have been in hospital numerous times, once they know it’s due to weed they don’t really care, I have once been told to go home and just get in the bath from a doctor



  31. CrowdPleeza on March 8, 2020 at 12:14 pm

    Is there a difference with this involving indica vs sativa strains?



  32. Just the Facts on March 8, 2020 at 12:15 pm

    Is there an early stage of CHS that does not involve vomiting? I have IBS type symptoms, but no "C" or "D". nasty bloating and distension, stomach/colon discomfort… I have been a daily once/day small dose cannabis user for 10+ years… could the weed be responsible?



  33. Mighty Quin on March 8, 2020 at 12:16 pm

    Drs r misrepresentimg this. It is a gastro-renal disorder. Renal failure is the long-term prognosis. Intestinal dehydration sucks water from the kidneys. The vomiting is secondary. I am bouting this, now. Edibles are worse than smoking due to route of ingestion. Plus, some are predisposed. Kidney failure, and gastric profusion should be looked at fully. Thank you for your work-up on this. 10 years, dawn to dusk.



  34. Korkee Konrad on March 8, 2020 at 12:17 pm

    Capsaicin 1% on the stomach up to 4 times a day, works for a couple of hours. It’s just as good as a hot shower… the only cure though is to stop smoking. Trust me I’ve experienced this.



  35. pallexa on March 8, 2020 at 12:18 pm

    I was given ketamine in the ER and it stopped the nausea n vomiting immediately



  36. Geo Engineering on March 8, 2020 at 12:19 pm

    Been suffering for three years and I just realized I have chs after going to the hospital just yesterday



  37. dose boy on March 8, 2020 at 12:21 pm

    ZDogg! Thank you so much for all of your insight. I have suffered this condition and have been THC free for 6 days now. The easiest cure is to simply stop. I have shared this video with all of my doctors who have helped me through this and one important thing: The early on symptoms are loss of appetite in the morning. If I had known that my slight loss of appetite might lead to a hyperemetic episode then I would have stopped. Please do another episode on this syndrome because there are SO many people in Boulder, CO that are in denial and ER’s and Primary Care’s are being flooded with CHS patients. My PA said that CHS is the most common diagnosis for stomach issues in Colorado. Please continue to inform, love ya Zdogg.



  38. Jr Gonzales on March 8, 2020 at 12:22 pm

    Is anyone else constipated.



  39. Gordon Seymour on March 8, 2020 at 12:24 pm

    Can you ever smoke again? Maybe micodosing? i know i have it. showers are the only thing to stop it i was in and out the hospital for 8 days and lost 14 pounds because of it and a nurse said you dont have to stop but have to cut back a lot and only smoke every now and again rarely. i dont want to chance it but at the same time it helps with my stress and its how i use to unwind i dont drink or anything but was wondering if micodosing could work ??



  40. Andrew Bisson on March 8, 2020 at 12:27 pm

    My doctors said i have to stop smoking weed but i havent vomited but i do has alot of tummy pain do i have chs?



  41. dudeinabmw on March 8, 2020 at 12:28 pm

    The question is how many of you are using street illegal weed. Perhaps there are pesticide residue since weed is so mass produced. You need to find cannabis in a legal state that is top notch quality and organic. And get a one to one ratio of THC/CBD. These buds today are overloaded with THC and some have traces of pesticides even more in concentrates. I live in Denver I’m sure most of you don’t know where ur bud comes from but even in Denver you can get sick from cheap shitty buds or bad dispensaries. It ain’t the weed.



  42. Christian Sparks on March 8, 2020 at 12:29 pm

    Thanks man. Just got diagnosed in the ER a week ago!!!! I’m a 25 year old male tired of waking up in the morning feeling pregnant lol!!!!!!! But yeah something about the hot showers really does help but this ain’t a sustainable lifestyle. Time to make a change I guess!!!



  43. Allen Weston on March 8, 2020 at 12:29 pm

    I never comment on YT, but this hit me right in the heart!! Thank you for all of the CHS information. I really hope more medical professionals learn how to spot this syndrome. I smoked ALOT every single day for the last 11-12 years. A few years ago I started having these INSANE vomiting episodes with no explanation that would last for up to 3 weeks at a time. Completely put me in the fetal position… Couldn’t even hold down water for more than about 5 minutes. Other times I would throw up a couple of times and it would go away. Other times I was just nauseous for no reason and would have to sit down and breathe deep to get it to subside. No Dr in Utah (lol) has ever been able to give me an explanation, killing my trust in the medical World. About 2 years ago, my brother presented me with an online article outlining CHS, and of course I was in denial. After years of the sickness I finally started to believe. A couple of months ago I completely went sober (after being deathly sick for 2 weeks and losing 20 pounds). I have to say, I’m feeling great and haven’t been nauseous AT ALL. Weed is cool, but being clearheaded and not throwing up for no reason is WAAAYYYY COOLER!!! I wish I had accepted the truth sooner because CHS is so insanely miserable I felt like shooting myself in the head. Keep spreading the word, this sickness is very fucking real.
    Thanks again for the video, and I also think you should meet up with Joe Rogan and talk about CHS in detail.



  44. dudeinabmw on March 8, 2020 at 12:30 pm

    It’s the pesticides and the mass production of cannabis products where these pesticides arent being tracked properly because everyone has their hands in the weed biz. They want the $. They don’t give a fuck how much bullshit they spew out as long as they get paid. However, there are growers in Denver who take pride in their buds and are fully organic and safe. If the bud does have toxins and pesticides then making concentrates with them often hides the issue from being detected but it also concentrates the toxins as well as the thc. So you’re getting a nice cocktail of poison everytime you take a wax hit.
    Most people are using wax pens nowadays and the cheap kind so. You already know people all over are getting bullshit poison. That’s the problem. Only few select growers really keep it safe.
    You can even get poisoned in a legal stare bc of how mass produced it is. You need to know where to source your plants.



  45. GINGERALER on March 8, 2020 at 12:31 pm

    Question: what about cannabis thats high in CBD and very low THC (like 3% or less) can a person get CHS from smoking CBD a lot or is this only from THC?



  46. Giovanni Leonetti on March 8, 2020 at 12:32 pm

    I believe CHS is the body’s reaction to toxicity from too much THC built up in the system over time. With cannibis use, dosage is key. The only way to avoid CHS from occurring is to limit usage and take frequent and long breaks to allow the body to purge all of the THC so there’s no build up.



  47. Reply Soon on March 8, 2020 at 12:32 pm

    Wow I never knew Mr. Rogers was bald.



  48. Proud American on March 8, 2020 at 12:32 pm

    420 thumbs up 😂
    Stop smoking cigarettes and vaping. Watch what you use to ignite your herb. Limit butane fuel sources



  49. Iancreed8592 on March 8, 2020 at 12:33 pm

    Its hyper nemesis syndrom…because its my only real nemesis in life.



  50. Samazon on March 8, 2020 at 12:33 pm

    Thanks for posting this and allowing me to learn more about a condition i’ve dealt with for a few years. I posted a video recently about my CHS story and what i went through.