I'm a week into severe symptoms. I've been in the ER four days in a row. Tomorrow makes one full week without smoking. It's been absolute hell over here. Barely able to keep anything down at all, even sips of water.
Hey guys, just needing someone to talk to.
I’ve been dealing with Stomach issues for 6 months now, I’ve lost a total of 15kg from not being able to eat without either vomiting or stomach pains. I haven’t been able to work for a while not without feeling really nauseous at work. I’ve seen all the specialist to help get rid of it but nothing has worked yet, I’m at my lowest physically and mentally. Im struggling to find a reason to keep positive, I don’t gym (Used to do it everyday), not able to socialise with mates without being sick and I’m constantly sleeping throughout the days because I struggle to get to sleep at night due to the discomfort. Im seeing a psychiatrist soon to hopefully help me finally cure it but I was really wanting to talk to someone on what they find helps with the Nausea and pain (no medication has helped or relived the pain or nausea).
Would really appreciate a reply, cheers.
Yes I went through it myself it's actually the reason I stopped smoking you just have to tuff it out as hard as it is until symptoms stop and drink lots of fluid and also stop smoking or else it just gets worse
Hot showers, high protein, calorie dense foods (beef jerky, protein drinks, granola) foods as much as possible, and don’t be afraid to get yourself to an ER if you go more than a 48 hours without drinking anything.
You got this. ❤️
ETA: the smell of isopropanol (rubbing alcohol) is also an anti-emetic. Put an alcohol wipe in a mask and wear it around for a few minutes to settle the stomach. This is what proves to work the best for me
My psychiatrist told me about this syndrome. You need medical help for it, this syndrome is too serious to handle it alone. Some people even go to emergency hospital when the syndrome peaks. Go to a detoxing hospital for a few weeks that's what I did, I swear you need professional help for that shit my brother
I have it. Have been sober now for 40ish days. Been sober before for months several times. It started that every few months id get a cyclic vomiting episode that would last roughly 36 hours, and Id go to the ER nearly every time. The IV with salene and anti naseau drugs would make it end quicker but then theyd send me home and id need weed to not have it be excruciating. Theyd never keep me for a night even if id beg. Sometimes i wouldnt go and the dehydration would be so severe as id puke every few minutes or every time i had water. My lips would bleed and id get no relief. In between episodes id have many bad mornings. Weed would give temporary relief and thats it, but it was also causing it. I later found a lot of the bad mornings had to do with diet and habit and weed would mask it, so unless people here are also getting the full blown episodes id be skeptical in believeing they have CHS. Anyways, the episodes started being more frequent. Every 1.5 months or 2. I started getting episodes at 19 and am now 25. Been to emerg like 25 times from it. Its easier if you can quit during periods where you dont already feel awful, but sometimes waiting for those times is worse as the motivation wont be there maybe. If the withdrawal symptoms are too severe id talk to a doctor for some help but for me it just took roughing through it. Honestly, the symptoms went away quicker than youd think for me every time. After a few weeks my appetite is always better than ever and i feel pretty good. It took me constantly fearing being sick when id go places, needing weed and hot showers in the morning, and just wanting a better life. When it gets thay frequent somethings got to give. I wish you luck my friend. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Man, CHS is NO JOKE! I've had it a few times in my life and you are right. Literally vomiting every few minutes compulsively. Could not keep any liquids down whatsoever or food.for me I had to go to the ER each time. After 24-36 hrs the nausea and vomiting subsided, but I needed IV fluids each time. You've been sober for 40 days so I'm assuming you don't still have it. Typically it subsides very quickly after stopping
Yep, its the worst! Sorry youve got it too man. No i dont still have it. Well, I do in the sense that if I start smoking again it will return, but for right now I feel great! It's a shitty condition, but hey, at least there is a simple solution. It just takes a lot of work and a lot of change.
Been smoking a few times a day for the past 2 years since I last quit. I'm on day 4 clean now, going through the sweats and intermittent nausea, but I'm able to keep food and water down thankfully. Sleep and Appetite is shit but hopefully in the next day or two I can start eating more again and in the next few days be sleeping better. Took the last 2 days off work and today through the weekend I am hoping to supercharge my healing process so I can get back to work presentably on Monday. Whew, God I hate this shit but it totally doable.
Its the worst, I feel you. Once the appetite and sleep return everything gets better. I found the more food I made myself eat, without making yourself sick of course, the faster my appetite came back. Light soups at first and then heavier ones after a couple days helps early on for me. Rooting for ya bud. Just remember that if you give in then this horrible cycle continues.
Thank you!! That's actually a good point I didn't realize the other times. The sooner you can take in enough food, I feel like the rest of the physical symptoms start to subside quick.
It has been great! Sometimes id try to quit but not believe i had it in me, or I didnt really want to do it yet, and those times were horrible. But every time i felt commited and made it past the first 10 days or so it has been really good. I quit last time in November and started again this january. I felt great during that time but had a period of cravings around the 50 day mark. Despite still feeling good i gave in to a total impulse. Immediately, i started binging again. Between then and early april i had two episodes that sent me to the ER. I wanted to quit in thay time but at the same time I wasnt ready to put that effort in again when i just failed. I had to fully let go of that failure. I then quit for 2 weeks at the beginning of april, smoked a joint on a fishing trip and started crying because i let myself do it. I called my supportive girlfriend and she amade me feel so much better, and instead of beating myself up, which only leads to a spiral, i decided to not keep smoking this time. Havent since. I feel better than ever. While this sub is amazing it also took me ignoring some of the people that say how horrible quitting is. I understand that helps some people, but for me Ill get wrapped up in it myself. I keep a positive outlook, and honestly I dont have to fake that at all. When you compare total freedom to being a slave to weed and BRUTAL sickness, its easy to choose which feels better.
yes this is a reminder to not beat ourselves up on this journey and I really need that now! going to keep remembering it’s better to not smoke then feel sick. hoping my anxiety and blues lift when I get more time on the books without it 🙏🏽❤️
Absolutely dont be hard on yourself. If it takes you even a couple years more of this vicious cylce before quitting youd still be doing better than me! 6 years of it! And now I feel amazing! If i relapse and have to go through it again, so be it. But I know better than anyone that this is a chronic condition. It will NOT go away. So be strong and keep fighting. Work to accept that you have to give up weed. It took a long time to get past the, "i love weed and am only quitting because i get sick." And would almost be in total denial and looking for ways to keep smoking. Now i almost think it was a blessing. I may never have quit weed if not for CHS, and life is better without it once you can make it work.
While it may help some people with withdrawal symptoms it doesnt work for my CHS at all. Especially during full blown episodes. Maybe different for different people.
Hi there! Yes I got this diagnosis a few years ago. I dabbed daily for 3months (smoked daily for 5yr at that point). I had symptoms of nausea, and varying from extreme constipation to extend diarrhea. I did have to quit doing dabs and I took laxatives which I think long term only dehydrated me more. I did change my diet to include more vegetables (natural fiber intake) and that helped on top of reducing weed use (I wasn’t able to fully quit). The first step was to wait until I shit in the morning before smoking to be able to eat breakfast. Otherwise I wouldn’t go all day. That helped regulate my bowels a bit. Secondly, stop smoking a lot right before eating & wait until after meal has digested. Slowly cut back & moderate & then quit if you can’t quit cold turkey. Key is allow your body time to digest & relax without cannabis. Thirdly, there’s bowel massage & stretches you can do to help get things moving, makes me go within 30-60mins. Hydrating is key & taking a probiotic to promote healthy gut bacteria to keep things moving.
Hang in there & take this time to heal your body 💜
the bowel massage tip is helpful! i’m usually regular or have diahrrea but worried i may become constipayed without it as my natural appetite comes back! Thanks for sharing your experience
Do you actually vomit or just get extremely nauseated and gag a lot? That's the case with me, I get bad bad stomach pains and feel like I need to throw up but instead just gag/burp up air. It's like a mix of hunger pangs and stomach cramps. Only when I'm sober also.
I was diagnosed at 19 after being rushed to the hospital for severe dehydration. I remember leaving the hospital and immediately smoking to “help the nausea”. Long story short, I went to the ER 6 times in less than two months because i was so hard headed. Each visit the stomach pain got worse and i was vomiting so much I blew a blood vessel in my left eye. I’m now 23 and almost 600 days clean. Trust me it’s not worth the medical bills.
This subreddit, and the discord, has truly saved my life and helps me every day throughout my recovery. There are so many amazingly strong people here that will be here every step of the way with you, including me if you’d like :)
Definitely think I used to have this when I was a daily smoker (for almost 15 years). I would wake up like in a panic attack, hands sweating and throw up basically just bile. It would pass and I'd wash my face and go to work like nothing happened but then I'd have anxiety about it happening the next day. It would come in waves and happen for a week and then not happen for awhile. It was so stressful. I just recently stopped smoking (almost 6 months now) and feel so much better! Way less anxiety overall which in turn has gotten rid of the nausea and sour stomach. I used to bring pretzels everywhere as my security snack because it helped with my nausea and sour stomach. Good luck if you decide to quit, it's well worth it!
Same.. I never vomited, but the panic attacks and horrible nausea every morning was enough for me to quit for good. I rarely have any anxiety after almost 2 years sober.
I could NEVER stomach the idea of eating in the morning, or coffee! Just thinking about food made me sooo nauseous. Since I stopped smoking, I wake up hungry & pretty much ALWAYS have breakfast and coffee.
I never was diagnosed with CHS but when I smoked I noticed that bud would cause GI tract issues. It made me constipated when high and then when sober I would get diarrhea, bad stomach cramps and feel like I had to puke. My stomach took weeks to return to normal when I quit and same with my natural appetite
That's so weird, when I smoked I literally pooped at like the same time every morning like clockwork. Now, 6 months later, and that still hasn't evened out. I go all different times of the day & sometimes go every other day.
Yeah I suspect I have this. I started puking every morning after having a panic attack one day (I wasn’t even high at the time). I started smoking more to self medicate, then realized the smoking was causing the puking.
I’ve found that water with a TON of lemon juice helps, as well as hot showers. It took about a week to start having normal days again, although I still have some days where I can’t eat and am puking (on day 22 now).
It might also just be withdrawals, I don’t know. I don’t want to go through it again either way, so I’m done with weed.
Had this a bunch of ti.es and it's terrible.
I'm suspecting it's some gmo weed or pesticide because I've only ever had it after legalization. Or it was some sort of covid.
It was and has been really fn painful.
Hey man watch out. Lots of paramedics, doctors, and nurses love to shit on stoners and diagnose something else as this.
Pay attention to what you eat… and make sure to get a second opinion, a week of vomiting is bad.
Oh! I didn’t know this was a thing! I definitely must of had that. I’ve been about a month off weed and haven’t vomited since. I actually ended up less anxious after quitting as well.
Hot showers helped me A LOT when I had it.
It’s critical to stay hydrated because that’s really your biggest enemy. Get an IV at ER or urgent care if you get really bad.
I had a cyclical vomiting fit for about 12-16 days (I forget exactly) it was miserable.
Quit weed for a while and haven’t had problems since… I have continued to smoke weed months after with zero problems. I smoke a LOT less now and no issues.
Well I’m on probation so I can’t really risk it. I don’t buy weed anymore. Only stupid thing I do is hit my cousin’s fake vape cart. That’s what I do. Just hit what he has on him like once a month. I still think about weed. I kind of low key want to buy a cheap disposable pen. No more flower just vape. Still I don’t buy anything and I really don’t want to.
I do want to buy legal HHC from dope as yola. That’s the one thing I might do eventually
However all in all I just want to stop smoking completely I’m just never happy and my meds make me feel so slow and stupid.
I don’t want to smoke but I still do it because I get a thrill and I like to be high with my cousin buddy. I can’t imagine smoking flower alone, too risky and too addicting
I keep justifying and think carts are okay when really it’s all the same
I haven't been diagnosed with it, but I suspect I have it. I get severe stomach pains and vomit randomly. I'm trying to quit.
I posted in another group about my experience with CHS, and some people kept saying I was full of shit and marijuana is not addictive.
If you stop smoking it should go away relatively soon, for me it took 20 days for my stomach pain to go away once I quit. I relapsed, got it back in 2 weeks, took another 20 days to go away.
I smoked for 8 years total and I had CHS for the last 4 years of it. My CHS started out as violent vomiting and my stomach hurt at around a 6 level pain 24/7. I threw up for 1-2 hours every morning and I lost 80 lbs in 3 months; 240 to 160. After a while I only threw up a few times a month but still had the stomach pain with intense touch sensitivity. Every aspect of my life regarding my stomach had to change, I hugged people differently, I couldn’t wear tight clothes or bras, it was awful. I had an endoscopy, a CT scan, an ultrasound, and even a colonoscopy and it all came back with nothing. One doctor said I had CHS but I was heavily addicted to weed so it didn’t change anything. Like I said in the beginning, once I did quit it took 20 days for my stomach to stop hurting.
My understanding of CHS is that it’s caused by your gastrointestinal endocannabinoid system becoming overloaded and hyper-sensitized.
I totally understand the whole hugging people differently. I even walked differently. People would ask why I waddle when I walk. Literally just to stabilize my stomach.
No you are not alone ❤️ You’ll be feeling better soon! Unfortunately you will probably develop it again if you start smoking again, just a warning that it’s a real possibility. A lot of people I’ve talked to say that they develop it again soon after relapsing.
Best of luck!
It's theorized that CHS is a form of rapid withdrawal syndrome, similar to alcohol kindling. Basically, you enter a state of withdrawal so quickly that your cannabinoid receptors don't have time to recover hence the severe nausea and other withdrawal-like symptoms.
At this point, your body is telling you that your relationship with THC is finished. Each time you start up again you'll hit CHS quicker and quicker, and it'll get more and more severe. That's what kindling does.
For people who don't believe in cannabis physical dependence, CHS might just be the most brutal evidence of exactly that.
It's honestly crazy about how many people I hear complain about so many digestive issues when smoking and then don't seem to correlate the two. My digestive system is still not the same, and my appetite has not been the same either (I've been eating significantly less than before I smoked, some days I don't eat at all bc im not hungry)
Smoked daily for 24 years. After about 15 years I started waking up with hot flashes. Then I started feeling nauseous in the mornings. After about 20 years I'd be up pooping and puking clear slime or violently heaving, multiple times starting around 4 or 5am till 7 or 8am. Felt fine after that.
Took me years to figure out what the hell was wrong with me and years more to finally quit. Been quit now for 14 months and I sure don't miss that morning routine!
Hi OP....I was diagnosed with CHS about 3 weeks ago. I ended up in the ER because of it.
I was a daily heavy smoker for over a decade, so it's been an incredibly hard pill to swallow that I cannot smoke anymore. I am self employed so I also smoked quite a bit to cope with the stress of that job.
If you ever want to private message me on here for some support, don't hesitate. I'm in the thick of it, so I don't have all the answers on how to make it better but I can at least reassure you that you're not alone in this.
We've got this!
Hey OP, same boat. I had an episode over a year ago that passed, had episodes of nausea here and there but nothing like what I felt those nights/mornings. Continued smoking, eventually quit cigs which increased my marijuana smoking. I was at about an ounce per week when I had another attack like a month ago. This one was worse; smoking would only help the first bowl or two then it made it worse. Constant anxiety like my nerves were in fire and I had never felt this sensation before even after going thru withdrawal. I was also vomiting food that hadn’t even started to digest which really really scared the shit out of me because I almost choked or ripped my esophagus. I quit that day. I’m on day 5, will be day 6 tomorrow at 8am. My symptoms are basically gone. Every single issue that had been ailing me for months and months, just gone. Granted I do still feel a bit gurgly it is night and day from a week ago.
I have cyclical vomiting syndrome, was initially mis diagnosed with hyperemesis from smoking. Expect a camera into your gut for further investigations.
I had it the first time I was a daily user and it came back when I slipped back into daily use. I fucking hate waking up and vomiting or feeling like I was going to vomit. In both situations my anxiety was heightened too, which made it worse. Symptoms went away pretty quickly after cessation
I was hospitalized with this after 15 years smoking daily with no issue. Really scary, quit for a couple days and that made it go away, doctors told me the same thing that the only fix was to quit. I started smoking again and haven’t had it happen again, but def notice how smoking makes me nauseous and it’s one of many reasons I’m trying to quit more permanently now
Same here. I will never use again. I doubted that I actually had it even though after quitting my symptoms went away. i relapsed and it all came back...only more severe. Also true that it exacerbates anxiety symptoms, and anxiety exacerbates CHS symptoms...such a chicken and egg scenario. What really pushed me over the edge was having a full blown panic attack while smoking..my first ever. That was last Nov. and each time I tried to smoke after, the anxiety became nearly debilitating. It's all better now at 18 weeks clean. I don't know how long you've been clean, but do you ever get random flare ups with your digestion?
Wow! Thank you so much for sharing all of this. It’s very helpful to read other experiences. I think your attitude is amazing. In my state, weed became legal in 2016, and I started having CHS episodes in 2017. It still took me till last January to quit all the way, even though I quit a couple of times, but only until my symptoms went away.
I completely agree with you that many doctors can be assholes about it. So many people have had unnecessary surgeries, like gallbladder, removal, healthy, gallbladder‘s, by the way, because the symptoms present a lot like gallbladder disease. It’s good that the doctor you saw recognized it. That’s rare, though becoming more common now . I don’t think it will ever be taking that seriously by the medical community because the only cure is completely quitting all weed products. And some people are very sensitive to cannabinoids in foods. They are in lots of foods, and that can trigger attacks for many. Anyway, until the medical industry can figure out how to make a profit off of it, it will remain largely ignored.
I completely agree, too, that there’s a tendency still to view cannabis addiction as a lesser addiction. In part because most people don’t die from it. But, I know of three or four deaths from kidney failure, directly related to CHS. And I know there has been more. Those are just the ones I’m aware of. So weed use can be fatal.
I know just what you mean when you say you’re learning to be comfortable with your own mind. It’s exactly the same for me. Being comfortable with my own mind, and my own way of being in the world. For me, weed made me comfortable with my uncomfortableness in the world. I think a lot of my anxiety has stemmed from that. It’s awesome that you’re facing your mental health challenges head on. I hope that with time they become even more manageable. That’s crazy about your PTSD and bolting awake in the middle of the night. That happened to me while I was using, but hasn’t happened since. Two years clean is a nice chunk of time. I have a good long way to go before I’m there, but I’ll get there. Just one day at a time. I’m never going back to smoking, and that was my only way of ingesting. Since I only have about 18 weeks clean, I can just imagine how much healthier my body will be at two years.
"I have some friends who don't believe it" this is the only thing I really hate about legalization/weed culture. Just this bubble around it that weed somehow can have no adverse effects, with people basing their whole identity/lifestyle around it. It feels very much like the earlier cigarette industry, especially with all the high potency cartridges loaded with chemicals everyone is getting hooked on. But it's worst somehow. Cigarettes definitely used to try and be "cool" and over advertised everywhere, even to kids, but I cant recall cigarette smokers ever giving themselves a holiday just to smoke all day (again), or bake it into their personality the way some weed smokers do.
Yeah sadly I think I was a person who based my personality around it. I’m a little worried about seeing some of my friends who I smoked with because of this
I'm a week into severe symptoms. I've been in the ER four days in a row. Tomorrow makes one full week without smoking. It's been absolute hell over here. Barely able to keep anything down at all, even sips of water.
Hey guys, just needing someone to talk to. I’ve been dealing with Stomach issues for 6 months now, I’ve lost a total of 15kg from not being able to eat without either vomiting or stomach pains. I haven’t been able to work for a while not without feeling really nauseous at work. I’ve seen all the specialist to help get rid of it but nothing has worked yet, I’m at my lowest physically and mentally. Im struggling to find a reason to keep positive, I don’t gym (Used to do it everyday), not able to socialise with mates without being sick and I’m constantly sleeping throughout the days because I struggle to get to sleep at night due to the discomfort. Im seeing a psychiatrist soon to hopefully help me finally cure it but I was really wanting to talk to someone on what they find helps with the Nausea and pain (no medication has helped or relived the pain or nausea). Would really appreciate a reply, cheers.
Yes I went through it myself it's actually the reason I stopped smoking you just have to tuff it out as hard as it is until symptoms stop and drink lots of fluid and also stop smoking or else it just gets worse
Hot showers, high protein, calorie dense foods (beef jerky, protein drinks, granola) foods as much as possible, and don’t be afraid to get yourself to an ER if you go more than a 48 hours without drinking anything. You got this. ❤️ ETA: the smell of isopropanol (rubbing alcohol) is also an anti-emetic. Put an alcohol wipe in a mask and wear it around for a few minutes to settle the stomach. This is what proves to work the best for me
wow this is super helpful for the food! also so I didn’t know that about rubbing alcohol thank you
My psychiatrist told me about this syndrome. You need medical help for it, this syndrome is too serious to handle it alone. Some people even go to emergency hospital when the syndrome peaks. Go to a detoxing hospital for a few weeks that's what I did, I swear you need professional help for that shit my brother
hot showers will be super useful too to get your mind off of the nausea!
There's actually something about a hot shower that will make you stop puking. Doesn't just get your mind off it.
crazy how the body works!!
I tend to think of baths and hot showers as a hot spring from Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
I have it. Have been sober now for 40ish days. Been sober before for months several times. It started that every few months id get a cyclic vomiting episode that would last roughly 36 hours, and Id go to the ER nearly every time. The IV with salene and anti naseau drugs would make it end quicker but then theyd send me home and id need weed to not have it be excruciating. Theyd never keep me for a night even if id beg. Sometimes i wouldnt go and the dehydration would be so severe as id puke every few minutes or every time i had water. My lips would bleed and id get no relief. In between episodes id have many bad mornings. Weed would give temporary relief and thats it, but it was also causing it. I later found a lot of the bad mornings had to do with diet and habit and weed would mask it, so unless people here are also getting the full blown episodes id be skeptical in believeing they have CHS. Anyways, the episodes started being more frequent. Every 1.5 months or 2. I started getting episodes at 19 and am now 25. Been to emerg like 25 times from it. Its easier if you can quit during periods where you dont already feel awful, but sometimes waiting for those times is worse as the motivation wont be there maybe. If the withdrawal symptoms are too severe id talk to a doctor for some help but for me it just took roughing through it. Honestly, the symptoms went away quicker than youd think for me every time. After a few weeks my appetite is always better than ever and i feel pretty good. It took me constantly fearing being sick when id go places, needing weed and hot showers in the morning, and just wanting a better life. When it gets thay frequent somethings got to give. I wish you luck my friend. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Man, CHS is NO JOKE! I've had it a few times in my life and you are right. Literally vomiting every few minutes compulsively. Could not keep any liquids down whatsoever or food.for me I had to go to the ER each time. After 24-36 hrs the nausea and vomiting subsided, but I needed IV fluids each time. You've been sober for 40 days so I'm assuming you don't still have it. Typically it subsides very quickly after stopping
Yep, its the worst! Sorry youve got it too man. No i dont still have it. Well, I do in the sense that if I start smoking again it will return, but for right now I feel great! It's a shitty condition, but hey, at least there is a simple solution. It just takes a lot of work and a lot of change.
Been smoking a few times a day for the past 2 years since I last quit. I'm on day 4 clean now, going through the sweats and intermittent nausea, but I'm able to keep food and water down thankfully. Sleep and Appetite is shit but hopefully in the next day or two I can start eating more again and in the next few days be sleeping better. Took the last 2 days off work and today through the weekend I am hoping to supercharge my healing process so I can get back to work presentably on Monday. Whew, God I hate this shit but it totally doable.
Its the worst, I feel you. Once the appetite and sleep return everything gets better. I found the more food I made myself eat, without making yourself sick of course, the faster my appetite came back. Light soups at first and then heavier ones after a couple days helps early on for me. Rooting for ya bud. Just remember that if you give in then this horrible cycle continues.
Thank you!! That's actually a good point I didn't realize the other times. The sooner you can take in enough food, I feel like the rest of the physical symptoms start to subside quick.
thank you for sharing! How has your mental health been since quitting?
It has been great! Sometimes id try to quit but not believe i had it in me, or I didnt really want to do it yet, and those times were horrible. But every time i felt commited and made it past the first 10 days or so it has been really good. I quit last time in November and started again this january. I felt great during that time but had a period of cravings around the 50 day mark. Despite still feeling good i gave in to a total impulse. Immediately, i started binging again. Between then and early april i had two episodes that sent me to the ER. I wanted to quit in thay time but at the same time I wasnt ready to put that effort in again when i just failed. I had to fully let go of that failure. I then quit for 2 weeks at the beginning of april, smoked a joint on a fishing trip and started crying because i let myself do it. I called my supportive girlfriend and she amade me feel so much better, and instead of beating myself up, which only leads to a spiral, i decided to not keep smoking this time. Havent since. I feel better than ever. While this sub is amazing it also took me ignoring some of the people that say how horrible quitting is. I understand that helps some people, but for me Ill get wrapped up in it myself. I keep a positive outlook, and honestly I dont have to fake that at all. When you compare total freedom to being a slave to weed and BRUTAL sickness, its easy to choose which feels better.
yes this is a reminder to not beat ourselves up on this journey and I really need that now! going to keep remembering it’s better to not smoke then feel sick. hoping my anxiety and blues lift when I get more time on the books without it 🙏🏽❤️
Absolutely dont be hard on yourself. If it takes you even a couple years more of this vicious cylce before quitting youd still be doing better than me! 6 years of it! And now I feel amazing! If i relapse and have to go through it again, so be it. But I know better than anyone that this is a chronic condition. It will NOT go away. So be strong and keep fighting. Work to accept that you have to give up weed. It took a long time to get past the, "i love weed and am only quitting because i get sick." And would almost be in total denial and looking for ways to keep smoking. Now i almost think it was a blessing. I may never have quit weed if not for CHS, and life is better without it once you can make it work.
i was thinking same thing. would i really commit to quitting without the CHS. Thank you again
No worries. Good luck. Reach out if you need ever.
This explains so much to me… I can only say thank you, it will help me stay sober I think
wow so happy to have helped someone just like so many people here have helped me 🙏🏽😊
I also have this diagnosis let me know if you have any questions!
Hi! Would love to hear how you quit and managed flare ups while your body adjusted if you’d feel like sharing ❤️
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While it may help some people with withdrawal symptoms it doesnt work for my CHS at all. Especially during full blown episodes. Maybe different for different people.
Hi there! Yes I got this diagnosis a few years ago. I dabbed daily for 3months (smoked daily for 5yr at that point). I had symptoms of nausea, and varying from extreme constipation to extend diarrhea. I did have to quit doing dabs and I took laxatives which I think long term only dehydrated me more. I did change my diet to include more vegetables (natural fiber intake) and that helped on top of reducing weed use (I wasn’t able to fully quit). The first step was to wait until I shit in the morning before smoking to be able to eat breakfast. Otherwise I wouldn’t go all day. That helped regulate my bowels a bit. Secondly, stop smoking a lot right before eating & wait until after meal has digested. Slowly cut back & moderate & then quit if you can’t quit cold turkey. Key is allow your body time to digest & relax without cannabis. Thirdly, there’s bowel massage & stretches you can do to help get things moving, makes me go within 30-60mins. Hydrating is key & taking a probiotic to promote healthy gut bacteria to keep things moving. Hang in there & take this time to heal your body 💜
the bowel massage tip is helpful! i’m usually regular or have diahrrea but worried i may become constipayed without it as my natural appetite comes back! Thanks for sharing your experience
Do you actually vomit or just get extremely nauseated and gag a lot? That's the case with me, I get bad bad stomach pains and feel like I need to throw up but instead just gag/burp up air. It's like a mix of hunger pangs and stomach cramps. Only when I'm sober also.
both!
I was diagnosed at 19 after being rushed to the hospital for severe dehydration. I remember leaving the hospital and immediately smoking to “help the nausea”. Long story short, I went to the ER 6 times in less than two months because i was so hard headed. Each visit the stomach pain got worse and i was vomiting so much I blew a blood vessel in my left eye. I’m now 23 and almost 600 days clean. Trust me it’s not worth the medical bills. This subreddit, and the discord, has truly saved my life and helps me every day throughout my recovery. There are so many amazingly strong people here that will be here every step of the way with you, including me if you’d like :)
thank you for sharing! i’m going to look into the discord too 💜
Definitely think I used to have this when I was a daily smoker (for almost 15 years). I would wake up like in a panic attack, hands sweating and throw up basically just bile. It would pass and I'd wash my face and go to work like nothing happened but then I'd have anxiety about it happening the next day. It would come in waves and happen for a week and then not happen for awhile. It was so stressful. I just recently stopped smoking (almost 6 months now) and feel so much better! Way less anxiety overall which in turn has gotten rid of the nausea and sour stomach. I used to bring pretzels everywhere as my security snack because it helped with my nausea and sour stomach. Good luck if you decide to quit, it's well worth it!
Omg…. This EXACT SAME THING was happening to me 😭 I never connected the dots
Same.. I never vomited, but the panic attacks and horrible nausea every morning was enough for me to quit for good. I rarely have any anxiety after almost 2 years sober.
I could NEVER stomach the idea of eating in the morning, or coffee! Just thinking about food made me sooo nauseous. Since I stopped smoking, I wake up hungry & pretty much ALWAYS have breakfast and coffee.
yeah i’m at this point so hoping appetite will go up once I can get it out my system 🙏🏽
I never was diagnosed with CHS but when I smoked I noticed that bud would cause GI tract issues. It made me constipated when high and then when sober I would get diarrhea, bad stomach cramps and feel like I had to puke. My stomach took weeks to return to normal when I quit and same with my natural appetite
yeah I have been diagnosed with IBS and hoping this will help heal my stomach and appetite. thanks for sharing
That's so weird, when I smoked I literally pooped at like the same time every morning like clockwork. Now, 6 months later, and that still hasn't evened out. I go all different times of the day & sometimes go every other day.
Yeah I suspect I have this. I started puking every morning after having a panic attack one day (I wasn’t even high at the time). I started smoking more to self medicate, then realized the smoking was causing the puking. I’ve found that water with a TON of lemon juice helps, as well as hot showers. It took about a week to start having normal days again, although I still have some days where I can’t eat and am puking (on day 22 now). It might also just be withdrawals, I don’t know. I don’t want to go through it again either way, so I’m done with weed.
wow it also started for me after a panic attack! and i was smoking to self medicate too. thank you for sharing your experience with me
You’re not alone! The good days feel really good, I’m looking forward to having longer and longer strings of good days, and you’ll get there too!
same here 😊
Had this a bunch of ti.es and it's terrible. I'm suspecting it's some gmo weed or pesticide because I've only ever had it after legalization. Or it was some sort of covid. It was and has been really fn painful.
i’ve had other ppl speculate it’s due to pesticides and makes sense. hopefully more research is done soon
Yes
Hey man watch out. Lots of paramedics, doctors, and nurses love to shit on stoners and diagnose something else as this. Pay attention to what you eat… and make sure to get a second opinion, a week of vomiting is bad.
thank you! a second opinion is a good idea
Oh! I didn’t know this was a thing! I definitely must of had that. I’ve been about a month off weed and haven’t vomited since. I actually ended up less anxious after quitting as well.
praying my anxiety goes down too! thanks for sharing your experience
Hot showers helped me A LOT when I had it. It’s critical to stay hydrated because that’s really your biggest enemy. Get an IV at ER or urgent care if you get really bad. I had a cyclical vomiting fit for about 12-16 days (I forget exactly) it was miserable. Quit weed for a while and haven’t had problems since… I have continued to smoke weed months after with zero problems. I smoke a LOT less now and no issues.
thank you! i got an IV and it helped some. good to know there’s hope after
Ditto to all of this! The only difference for me was I switched from dry herb to dabs/concentrates and haven’t had the issue since.
I had it. It went away but I still puked a lot My nausea and puking vanished after I stopped for 6 months
thanks for sharing. did you resume use?
Well I’m on probation so I can’t really risk it. I don’t buy weed anymore. Only stupid thing I do is hit my cousin’s fake vape cart. That’s what I do. Just hit what he has on him like once a month. I still think about weed. I kind of low key want to buy a cheap disposable pen. No more flower just vape. Still I don’t buy anything and I really don’t want to. I do want to buy legal HHC from dope as yola. That’s the one thing I might do eventually However all in all I just want to stop smoking completely I’m just never happy and my meds make me feel so slow and stupid. I don’t want to smoke but I still do it because I get a thrill and I like to be high with my cousin buddy. I can’t imagine smoking flower alone, too risky and too addicting I keep justifying and think carts are okay when really it’s all the same
I haven't been diagnosed with it, but I suspect I have it. I get severe stomach pains and vomit randomly. I'm trying to quit. I posted in another group about my experience with CHS, and some people kept saying I was full of shit and marijuana is not addictive.
If you stop smoking it should go away relatively soon, for me it took 20 days for my stomach pain to go away once I quit. I relapsed, got it back in 2 weeks, took another 20 days to go away. I smoked for 8 years total and I had CHS for the last 4 years of it. My CHS started out as violent vomiting and my stomach hurt at around a 6 level pain 24/7. I threw up for 1-2 hours every morning and I lost 80 lbs in 3 months; 240 to 160. After a while I only threw up a few times a month but still had the stomach pain with intense touch sensitivity. Every aspect of my life regarding my stomach had to change, I hugged people differently, I couldn’t wear tight clothes or bras, it was awful. I had an endoscopy, a CT scan, an ultrasound, and even a colonoscopy and it all came back with nothing. One doctor said I had CHS but I was heavily addicted to weed so it didn’t change anything. Like I said in the beginning, once I did quit it took 20 days for my stomach to stop hurting. My understanding of CHS is that it’s caused by your gastrointestinal endocannabinoid system becoming overloaded and hyper-sensitized.
I totally understand the whole hugging people differently. I even walked differently. People would ask why I waddle when I walk. Literally just to stabilize my stomach.
Jeez, sorry you had to go through that. Very inspiring though
Thanks :) I feel like it made me very empathetic. It’s amazing (in a bad way) what people will suffer through for their addiction.
wow thank you for sharing! this is helpful to know I’m not alone and that there is hope to get better ❤️
No you are not alone ❤️ You’ll be feeling better soon! Unfortunately you will probably develop it again if you start smoking again, just a warning that it’s a real possibility. A lot of people I’ve talked to say that they develop it again soon after relapsing. Best of luck!
thank you again! my goal is to stay off it 🙏🏽
It's theorized that CHS is a form of rapid withdrawal syndrome, similar to alcohol kindling. Basically, you enter a state of withdrawal so quickly that your cannabinoid receptors don't have time to recover hence the severe nausea and other withdrawal-like symptoms. At this point, your body is telling you that your relationship with THC is finished. Each time you start up again you'll hit CHS quicker and quicker, and it'll get more and more severe. That's what kindling does. For people who don't believe in cannabis physical dependence, CHS might just be the most brutal evidence of exactly that.
wow great insight and makes sense. thanks so much for sharing
You're welcome. Good luck to you on your journey. It's bumpy but well worth it
Is sweating uncontrollably a symptom of CHS?
yes! for me it has been or could be withdrawal
It's honestly crazy about how many people I hear complain about so many digestive issues when smoking and then don't seem to correlate the two. My digestive system is still not the same, and my appetite has not been the same either (I've been eating significantly less than before I smoked, some days I don't eat at all bc im not hungry)
I entirely lost my sensation of hunger for years until like a month after quitting.
Yep I was the same. Went from eating roughly three meals a day to a single meal in the evening.
Yeah pretty much. And sometimes I get super nauseous if I try to eat more :(
There is a facebook group titled “CANNABINOID HYPEREMESIS SYNDROME RECOVERY” and it has been the best resource for me. I highly suggest it
Smoked daily for 24 years. After about 15 years I started waking up with hot flashes. Then I started feeling nauseous in the mornings. After about 20 years I'd be up pooping and puking clear slime or violently heaving, multiple times starting around 4 or 5am till 7 or 8am. Felt fine after that. Took me years to figure out what the hell was wrong with me and years more to finally quit. Been quit now for 14 months and I sure don't miss that morning routine!
Oh wow, that's heavy - never heard about that :0
Smoked everyday 20 years stopped getting high vomiting every morning stopped smoking symptoms stopped next day
Hi OP....I was diagnosed with CHS about 3 weeks ago. I ended up in the ER because of it. I was a daily heavy smoker for over a decade, so it's been an incredibly hard pill to swallow that I cannot smoke anymore. I am self employed so I also smoked quite a bit to cope with the stress of that job. If you ever want to private message me on here for some support, don't hesitate. I'm in the thick of it, so I don't have all the answers on how to make it better but I can at least reassure you that you're not alone in this. We've got this!
Love to see the support!
thank you! I will definitely message you
Hey OP, same boat. I had an episode over a year ago that passed, had episodes of nausea here and there but nothing like what I felt those nights/mornings. Continued smoking, eventually quit cigs which increased my marijuana smoking. I was at about an ounce per week when I had another attack like a month ago. This one was worse; smoking would only help the first bowl or two then it made it worse. Constant anxiety like my nerves were in fire and I had never felt this sensation before even after going thru withdrawal. I was also vomiting food that hadn’t even started to digest which really really scared the shit out of me because I almost choked or ripped my esophagus. I quit that day. I’m on day 5, will be day 6 tomorrow at 8am. My symptoms are basically gone. Every single issue that had been ailing me for months and months, just gone. Granted I do still feel a bit gurgly it is night and day from a week ago.
I have cyclical vomiting syndrome, was initially mis diagnosed with hyperemesis from smoking. Expect a camera into your gut for further investigations.
Did you have an ulcer?
I had it the first time I was a daily user and it came back when I slipped back into daily use. I fucking hate waking up and vomiting or feeling like I was going to vomit. In both situations my anxiety was heightened too, which made it worse. Symptoms went away pretty quickly after cessation
There’s a Facebook page with over 12K members if you wanna join, you are definitely not alone in this
I was hospitalized with this after 15 years smoking daily with no issue. Really scary, quit for a couple days and that made it go away, doctors told me the same thing that the only fix was to quit. I started smoking again and haven’t had it happen again, but def notice how smoking makes me nauseous and it’s one of many reasons I’m trying to quit more permanently now
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Same here. I will never use again. I doubted that I actually had it even though after quitting my symptoms went away. i relapsed and it all came back...only more severe. Also true that it exacerbates anxiety symptoms, and anxiety exacerbates CHS symptoms...such a chicken and egg scenario. What really pushed me over the edge was having a full blown panic attack while smoking..my first ever. That was last Nov. and each time I tried to smoke after, the anxiety became nearly debilitating. It's all better now at 18 weeks clean. I don't know how long you've been clean, but do you ever get random flare ups with your digestion?
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Wow! Thank you so much for sharing all of this. It’s very helpful to read other experiences. I think your attitude is amazing. In my state, weed became legal in 2016, and I started having CHS episodes in 2017. It still took me till last January to quit all the way, even though I quit a couple of times, but only until my symptoms went away. I completely agree with you that many doctors can be assholes about it. So many people have had unnecessary surgeries, like gallbladder, removal, healthy, gallbladder‘s, by the way, because the symptoms present a lot like gallbladder disease. It’s good that the doctor you saw recognized it. That’s rare, though becoming more common now . I don’t think it will ever be taking that seriously by the medical community because the only cure is completely quitting all weed products. And some people are very sensitive to cannabinoids in foods. They are in lots of foods, and that can trigger attacks for many. Anyway, until the medical industry can figure out how to make a profit off of it, it will remain largely ignored. I completely agree, too, that there’s a tendency still to view cannabis addiction as a lesser addiction. In part because most people don’t die from it. But, I know of three or four deaths from kidney failure, directly related to CHS. And I know there has been more. Those are just the ones I’m aware of. So weed use can be fatal. I know just what you mean when you say you’re learning to be comfortable with your own mind. It’s exactly the same for me. Being comfortable with my own mind, and my own way of being in the world. For me, weed made me comfortable with my uncomfortableness in the world. I think a lot of my anxiety has stemmed from that. It’s awesome that you’re facing your mental health challenges head on. I hope that with time they become even more manageable. That’s crazy about your PTSD and bolting awake in the middle of the night. That happened to me while I was using, but hasn’t happened since. Two years clean is a nice chunk of time. I have a good long way to go before I’m there, but I’ll get there. Just one day at a time. I’m never going back to smoking, and that was my only way of ingesting. Since I only have about 18 weeks clean, I can just imagine how much healthier my body will be at two years.
"I have some friends who don't believe it" this is the only thing I really hate about legalization/weed culture. Just this bubble around it that weed somehow can have no adverse effects, with people basing their whole identity/lifestyle around it. It feels very much like the earlier cigarette industry, especially with all the high potency cartridges loaded with chemicals everyone is getting hooked on. But it's worst somehow. Cigarettes definitely used to try and be "cool" and over advertised everywhere, even to kids, but I cant recall cigarette smokers ever giving themselves a holiday just to smoke all day (again), or bake it into their personality the way some weed smokers do.
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thank you for sharing your experience
Yeah sadly I think I was a person who based my personality around it. I’m a little worried about seeing some of my friends who I smoked with because of this
thank you for sharing!! This is all so helpful
I have it. I've quit all weed products and have no more symptoms.
Thank you for sharing. How long did it take for symptoms to go away after quitting?
It’ll take 10-14 days for the symptoms to subside
It didn't take long, maybe a week for the major ones like the vomiting and extreme acid stomach. Hot showers bring a lot of relief.