Doctors are raising red flags after a shocking new side effect of cannabis use is sending users to emergency rooms in droves — a condition so intense it’s earned the nickname “scromiting.”
It sounds bizarre, but the reality is serious. Over the past decade, hospitals have seen a surge in patients suffering from severe nausea, relentless vomiting, and crippling stomach pain — sometimes multiple times a year.
The cause? Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome (CHS).
“Patients often have multiple ER visits before the condition is recognized, costing thousands of dollars each time,” says Dr. Beatriz Carlini, research associate professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine.
Symptoms that scream — literally
CHS attacks typically appear within 24 hours of cannabis use and can last for days. Medical staff coined the term scromiting because sufferers often scream while vomiting.
Dr. Chris Buresh, an emergency medicine specialist, explains the challenge: “There are no FDA-approved treatments, and standard anti-nausea medications often fail.” Unusual remedies sometimes work, including hot showers, capsaicin cream on the stomach, or even Haldol, a drug usually reserved for psychotic episodes.
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