Good health is going up in smoke for some weed users.
Recently, ERs have been flooded with visitors complaining of stomach-churning pain that leaves them next to a toilet vomiting for hours on end — all after lighting up.
These “scromiting” episodes — so nicknamed because sufferers are often both screaming and vomiting — are a result of cannabis hyperemesis syndrome (CHS), and new research has linked the disorder to one weed habit in particular.
Scromiting can include relentless nausea, severe abdominal pain and constant vomiting that causes those afflicted to see drastic weight loss and be bedridden for days.
While these episodes typically hit within 24 hours, a link has been found between one form of cannabis and CHS.
The study, published last week in Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, discovered that those who used electronic vape cartridges developed chronic vomiting much faster than smoking or edibles.
The findings are considered a “massive public health concern,” according to researchers, as vaping usage increases and more risks are discovered.
Looking at more than 1,130 responses to a survey from those who developed CHS, a strong association was found between those who vape and having a faster reaction to weed than their peers who smoke and use higher levels of cannabis.
More than 96% of respondents used cannabis products daily, with nearly half saying they used it six or more times a day.
The study also found a connection between heavy daily use of THC-rich vape cartridges, providing evidence that the main psychoactive compound in marijuana is causing CHS.
That was the case for Sydni Collins who previously told The Post that she was using a weed pen most days when she developed CHS.
“I would be puking all morning. I would let out yells or cries because nothing would come out. I was just dry heaving,” she said.
“I would be in the fetal position on the bed for hours because that was the only way my stomach didn’t hurt as bad,” she added.
Despite their findings, the researchers caution that the results don’t prove vaping cannabis is more dangerous and will cause vomiting or stomach pain faster.
“It’s just something we noticed that people who exclusively vaped developed CHS in a shorter timeline,” lead study author and an associate professor of pharmaceutical sciences at UC Irvine, Codi Peterson, told SFGATE.
Despite its growing prevalence, CHS is still a relatively new disorder, with the World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention only formally recognizing and adding diagnostic codes last year.
Even after a diagnosis, the debilitating condition can be difficult to treat, as there are no current treatments approved by the FDA.
Those dealing with symptoms often turn to hot baths or showers or use capsaicin cream on their stomachs for pain relief.
“That’s something that can clinch the diagnosis for me, when someone says they’re better with a hot shower,” said Dr. Chris Buresh, an emergency medicine specialist with UW Medicine and Seattle Children’s Hospital. “Patients describe going through all the hot water in their house.”
The exact cause is also unknown, but the leading theory, according to the Cleveland Clinic, is that long-term overstimulation of receptors in the endocannabinoid system may disrupt the body’s natural control of nausea and vomiting.
“It seems like there’s a threshold when people can become vulnerable to this condition, and that threshold is different for everyone,” Buresh added. “Even using in small amounts can make these people start throwing up.”
