Home Emergency Medicine Case Report: Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome

Case Report: Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome

Syndrome should be considered in pregnant women with intractable nausea relieved by bathing

THURSDAY, May 14, 2015 (HealthDay News) — For pregnant women with intractable nausea relieved by frequent bathing, cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome should be considered, according to a case report scheduled to be published in the June issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.

Veronica I. Alaniz, M.D., M.P.H., from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and colleagues describe the case of a 28-year-old pregnant woman with multiple admissions for episodic nausea and vomiting, resulting in Mallory-Weiss esophageal tears, dehydration, and abdominal pain. The patient was noted to frequently take long, warm baths to relieve symptoms. The patient’s social history was significant for chronic marijuana use, and she estimated smoking up to “20 bowls” of marijuana per day.

In the setting of normal laboratory values and chronic marijuana use, the researchers diagnosed the patient with cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome. Symptoms resolved after reducing marijuana use to once daily for the rest of her pregnancy.

“Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome should be considered in pregnant women with intractable nausea relieved by frequent hot bathing,” the authors write. “By considering this diagnosis, extensive diagnostic testing can be avoided and the correct therapy, abstaining from cannabis use, can be recommended.”

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