Marijuana users are being diagnosed with Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, or CHS, and scientists are baffled.
The syndrome, which occurs in people who use the drug frequently. has no known treatments other than not using marijuana.
Symptoms range and include the patient experiencing very upset stomachs and hot baths and showers offer a temporary solution.
“As far as we know there are no good treatments for this. Most anti-nausea medications don’t work,” said Joseph Habboushe, an assistant professor at NYU Langone and the lead author on the paper, told Business Insider. “The only thing that helps is stopping. And many patients will stop for a few days, and it goes away, but then they start smoking again and it comes back.”
“This is something that’s poorly understood that doctors don’t know about. It could affect millions.”
Habboushe is currently working on a study that is aiming to identify potential treatments.
“We are going to see more of this disease,” he said. “This doesn’t mean marijuana is bad or good it just means it has side effects — side effects that we need to understand and learn how to avoid and treat.”
