How Weed Affects Your Stomach: From Relief to CHS

Cannabis has been used for centuries for both its recreational and medicinal effects. As its use spreads across the world, it is worth understanding how the plant interacts with different systems in the body, including the digestive system. The stomach, a key player in digestion, can react to cannabis in a number of ways.

Those reactions can be either helpful or harmful, depending on factors like the dose, how often you use it and the way you consume it.

What is cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome?

For all the benefits attributed to cannabis, it is important to recognize that neither its upsides nor its downsides are fully understood yet. One of the emerging problems is cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS), a disorder first described in 2004 in a case report published in the journal Gut.

Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome was first identified in an Australian woman who, over nine years, suffered severe bouts of vomiting, dizziness and intense stomach pain. Oddly enough, the only thing that brought her relief was taking hot baths.

But as soon as the water cooled, her symptoms got worse, pushing her into extreme situations such as scalding herself with bathwater that was too hot. She was eventually diagnosed with CHS, a disorder that affects heavy cannabis users, meaning people who use it intensely and frequently over a span of years.

In 2004, only nine documented cases were known, and the only effective treatment was to stop using cannabis altogether.

More recently, CHS appears to have become more common. A study published in 2017 in German Medical Science pointed to a rise in cases tied to the syndrome. In January 2018, another study in Basic & Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology confirmed that cases are far more numerous than first thought.

Many more cases go unreported

This newer research has shifted the way we think about cannabis, especially because so many patients use it to treat nausea, one of its well-known medicinal benefits. After screening more than 2,000 people seen at an emergency department in New York, researchers identified 155 who used cannabis almost daily for at least five years.

Of those, at least a third had symptoms consistent with CHS, suggesting that as many as 2 million people in the United States could be affected by the syndrome.

Treatment and prevention

The only known treatment for CHS is complete abstinence from cannabis. Hot showers and baths offer only temporary relief and are not a long-term fix. Conventional anti-nausea and anti-vomiting medications are useless against it. If you quit cannabis and the symptoms disappear, then start using again, the symptoms come right back.

In future research, scientists plan to identify potential treatments for CHS, with the goal of providing better therapeutic options for those affected by this syndrome linked to chronic cannabis use.

The effects of smoking weed: cannabis-related acute pancreatitis

Cannabis use has been linked to several side effects, including acute pancreatitis. While the connection is not solid and many case reports involve people who were also chronic tobacco smokers, the possibility that cannabis plays a role in this condition cannot be ignored.

To date, about 18 case reports have documented people who developed acute pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas) where heavy cannabis use in the period leading up to treatment was deemed a determining factor.

In one of these cases, the patient was observed over several weeks, and his condition worsened every time he smoked cannabis, even while under medical care.

The role of cannabis in acute pancreatitis

While these cases suggest a possible connection between cannabis use and acute pancreatitis, several factors are worth keeping in mind:

1. Preexisting conditions: It is possible that the people affected have an underlying condition that is made worse by cannabis use. Individual susceptibility could play a significant role in the onset of cannabis-induced acute pancreatitis.
2. Dose and frequency: The relationship between the dose of cannabis and the onset of pancreatitis is unclear. The risk may rise with heavy, frequent cannabis use, although more studies are needed to confirm this hypothesis.
3. Interaction with other compounds: The effect of cannabis on pancreatitis may depend on the activity of other signaling molecules in the body. For example, anandamide, a natural endocannabinoid, has shown dual effects on pancreatitis depending on the context in which it is administered.

Recent studies and findings

A recent study looked at anandamide levels in people with pancreatitis and found that anandamide can either reduce or increase the severity of pancreatitis depending on whether it was administered before or after cerulein. Cerulein is a decapeptide known to influence intestinal motility and fluid secretion, and it is used to induce pancreatitis in experimental animal models.

These findings suggest that the endocannabinoid system and its interactions with other molecules play a complex role in pancreatitis. The link between cannabis and acute pancreatitis is an area that needs more research before we can fully understand the underlying mechanisms and risk factors.

Conclusion

While the evidence so far suggests a possible connection between cannabis use and acute pancreatitis, the relationship is not fully established and is likely multifactorial.

People with preexisting conditions or those who use large amounts of cannabis should be aware of this potential risk. As always, it is best to consult a health professional before starting or continuing cannabis use, especially if symptoms of pancreatitis appear.