What Is ‘Scromiting’? U.S. Citizens Warned About Terrifying Cannabis Side Effect

Doctors are sounding the alarm after a shocking side effect of cannabis use has been sending users to emergency rooms in large numbers—a condition so intense that it has been nicknamed “scromiting.”Find Support

It may sound like a joke, but the reality is terrifying.

Over the past decade, hospitals have seen an increase in patients suffering from severe nausea, relentless vomiting, and stomach pain so extreme that it leaves them doubled over—sometimes multiple times a year.

The culprit? Cannabis hyperemesis syndrome (CHS).

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“A person often will have multiple [emergency department] visits until it is correctly recognized, costing thousands of dollars each time,” says Dr. Beatriz Carlini, a research associate professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine.

Symptoms So Brutal They Scream—Literally

CHS attacks usually appear within 24 hours of cannabis use and can last for days.

Medical staff have coined the term scromiting because sufferers may scream while vomiting.Medical symptom checker

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Dr. Chris Buresh, an emergency medicine specialist, explains why the condition can be difficult to treat:

“There are currently no therapies approved by the Food and Drug Administration, and standard anti-nausea medications often don’t work.”

Doctors sometimes turn to unusual remedies, ranging from hot baths and showers to applying capsaicin

cream to the stomach or even using Haldol, a medication typically reserved for treating psychotic episodes.

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“That’s something that can clinch the diagnosis for me, when someone says they’re better with a hot shower,” Buresh said.Find Support

“Patients describe going through all the hot water in their house.”

Who’s at Risk?

Even after symptoms subside, CHS can return if cannabis use continues. Stopping cannabis use is the only way to fully resolve the condition.

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Carlini warns:

“Because the syndrome strikes intermittently, some cannabis users assume a recent episode was unrelated and continue using—only to become severely ill again.”