Switching to Edibles Could Alleviate Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome – Study
The medical use of cannabis is growing. Medical marijuana may improve symptoms including pain and anorexia. While it may improve nausea and vomiting, it can rarely cause a hyperemesis syndrome with chronic use. Because this is a rare syndrome, case reports are important.
A new case study has surprisingly shown that stopping cannabis use may not be necessary to alleviate cannabis hyperemesis syndrome. The case study and a review of the current literature on cannabis hyperemesis syndrome are published in the Journal of Palliative Medicine.
Ileana Howard, MD, of the University of Washington presented the unique example of a patient with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) receiving palliative care who was able to overcome the effects of nausea and vomiting linked to chronic cannabis use by markedly decreasing, but not discontinuing the use of cannabis.
In the article entitled Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome in Palliative Care: A Case Study and Narrative Review, Dr Howard reported that the patient stopped using inhaled concentrated cannabis extracts, but continued to use oral whole plant-based edible cannabis, which eliminated the cannabis hyperemesis syndrome while sustaining the beneficial effects on other symptoms. This paper and the comprehensive literature review illustrate the challenges in diagnosis, assessment, and management of these patients by clinicians.
Charles F. von Gunten, MD, PhD, editor-in-chief of the Journal of Palliative Medicine and vice president of medical affairs for the OhioHealth system states: “This case study adds to our clinical ability to respond to rare adverse effects of medical cannabis use. Given the meteoric rise in the medical use of marijuana across the US and around the world, it is essential to disseminate these clinical observations.”
This article has been republished from materials provided by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. Note: material may have been edited for length and content. For further information, please contact the cited source.
Reference
Ileana Howard. Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome in Palliative Care: A Case Study and Narrative Review. The Journal of Palliative Medicine, 2019.
