Citation

Nguyen TAH, Palmer MC (2019) Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome in Pregnancy: A Case Report and Treatment Overview. J Clin Gastroenterol Treat 5:069. doi.org/10.23937/2469-584X/1510069

Copyright

© 2019 Nguyen TAH, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

CASE REPORT | OPEN ACCESS DOI: 10.23937/2469-584X/1510069

Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome in Pregnancy: A Case Report and Treatment Overview

Tram Anh H Nguyen and Melissa C Palmer*

University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Pharmacy, Kansas City Missouri, USA

Abstract

Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) is characterized by cyclical vomiting, frequent hot water bathing, and chronic cannabis use. Missed diagnosis, especially in pregnancy, may delay treatment and prolong extensive medical assessments. Conventional antiemetics used to control vomiting illnesses are typically ineffective in CHS and pharmacological treatment may be limited due to concern for harm to the fetus during pregnancy. This case report describes a 19-year-old African American female at twenty weeks gestation with CHS. Successful symptom relief was obtained with diphenhydramine, haloperidol, and dronabinol. A literature search identified five case reports regarding cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome in pregnancy. This case report highlights the importance of recognizing common characteristics of CHS especially in pregnant women with a history of cannabis use. Additionally, the purpose of this article is to review the current literature available for the treatment of CHS and expand recognition of CHS as an increasingly prevalent condition.