r/CHSrecovery

IVE been smoking on and off for about 4 years with this year being my longest binge with smoking everyday and pretty much every couple hours to stay high.(a year or more striaght.) anyways my first symptoms started Friday with severe morning nausea where I threw up 8-10 times in like 10-15 mins and felt instant relief after. 2 days later I wake up fine no nausea, I go to a hot pot, and the day after the hot pot i again woke up nasueas and threw up 4-6 times. The day after I woke up again woth morning nausea wirhout throwing up and it didn’t really subside much, until later in the day. Today it has gotten very slightly better IVE taken so many medications and they have helped only slightly. I haven’t smoked in 2 days as I don’t want to extend to the hypermesis stage if I am in the prodromal stage. If anyone can help id appreciate it thank u!

I’m a 20-year-old male who has been smoking cannabis daily for several years.
Last year I had a severe episode of stomach pain, nausea, and eventually repeated vomiting where I couldn’t keep food or water down. I ended up in the ER severely dehydrated. All tests came back normal, but a specialist suspected CHS (Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome). They said that hot showers temporarily relieved the symptoms and that the only real solution was to stop using cannabis completely. After I stopped, the symptoms gradually went away completely within a few weeks.
I was then completely symptom-free for a couple of months and later started smoking again. At first, I had no problems, but after a few months I had another episode, this time coming on faster and feeling more intense. The same kind of severe nausea and vomiting returned, and hot baths again provided only temporary relief.
I stopped cannabis immediately after this, and the symptoms improved within a few days, but I’ve still had waves of nausea and a reduced appetite for about 1–2 weeks afterward.

I have a few questions I’d like to ask people here:
What actually causes CHS? Why do some people develop it after long-term cannabis use while others never do?

Do we know what in cannabis triggers CHS (THC, dosage, frequency, long-term use)?

Has anyone here personally experienced CHS or similar symptoms? What was it like for you?

Last thing I want to say is that it’s pretty clear I got to quit and not start again (been a couple months clean now again) but honestly miss smoking so much and still get psychological abstinens..

Hello peeps,
I’ve come here as a last resort. I (25M) have a partner who has had her 4th CHS attack that sent us to the ER for over a week. We talked about her quitting (I quit months ago) and she said she doesn’t ever want to smoke again because of how horrific this last experience was. For about a week and a half this went well, I got her a sleeping aid I devoted all my time to supporting her through her battle to quit. I would suggest we go for long hikes and she said this helped and was really fun, we went for bike rides and I got the same response, the sleep aid was helping knock her out and let her actually rest. Unfortunately she works in and industry where smoking on the job is almost the norm. Her coworkers always smoke at work, the first week and a half she was able to say no. Today though she accidentally whipped out a weed vape infront of me. I asked what it was because I was suspicious and she told me it was a fancy nicotine vape. Since my suspicion grew I asked to hit it (I can’t smoke because I get tested regularly for work) she hesitated and said “no… I lied it’s a dab pen”. I genuinely got so dissapointed and so frustrated that I couldn’t speak to her for 2 whole hours. Once I calmed down I asked to talk about this situation and she said okay. I told her I can’t be doing the lying, and I cannot go through another one of these episodes because it genuinely hurts my soul to see her in the hospital sleeping/in immense pain/and constant vomiting. I also am really just starting to second guess every moment of the past week and a half. She told me that at work people were passing it around and she decided to hit it. I obviously do not want to leave her due to this problem but idk what else I can say (given this has been a problem for the past year followed by this same conversation of I want to stop I never want to go through that again) to get her to actually stop. I’m starting to feel like no matter how I try and help, whether it’s through partnered exercises, drawing together, talking, watching movies, etc. she won’t stop. As someone who works in a hospital as a medical professional I have done extensive research on CHS and obviously I have learned that not only will it come back, but it will continue to worsen and be a more often occurrence. This problem will start to bleed us dry financially too, constant hospital trips, me consistently having to beg someone to take my shifts or just fully calling off for weeks at a time. I need advice and I need it ASAP, what can I do and say to get her to stop. I personally was also a daily user who would smack the bing every day all day until I got this job and quit cold turkey. I was able to and I need her to. How can I help her? Please offer some advice this is driving me crazy. Not to mention every time I get upset about this I get told that I’m spiraling and I’m overreacting and need to let her do what she wants to do. As a couple shouldn’t we be trying to work together? Shouldn’t we be trying our best to be eachothers best self for eachother not to mention for our selves?:( idk what to do

PS I’m genuinely loosing it, sleepless nights of just contemplating the past 5 years of this relationship and the potential lies. I always told her “babe you gotta slow down and chill a bit with the weed you can get CHS again” and she always told me she only does it at night (this has to have been a lie)….

Just got out the ER,
Doctors wouldn’t see me as wasn’t vomiting yet but can feel an attack coming, was sent to mental health team instead.

I’m starting to feel like this will never end, found out my cousin who has been diagnosed only smoked 1-2 times before her symptoms started as well as this it can take 90 days and potentially if “accidentally exposed” can take longer.

How will I ever know what’s going on?
I don’t want to be put on any hard core treatment as i hope it is CHS but am really concerned I’m not going to be able to get through this past 90 days if more attacks come,

Is there any other way to find out if it’s CHS or CVS
If I take a urine test and no THC is present is it CVS?

Hi guys! I'm new to this sub, but I've had CHS for about 3 years now, without realizing. (Doctor thought it was CVS).

I've tried to quit a few times, and the one thing that always gets me is the nausea. The paradox of "I'm nauseous and weed will fix this" to "the weed causes the nausea in the first place."

It's to the point that I'm puking multiple times a day and am nauseous 24/7. I'm pretty freshly sober so I know it will ease with time, but I'm losing weight because I can't keep food down. I have literally lost 6lbs in 4 days, and I'm already on the lower end of a healthy bmi.

Does anyone have food recs for lack of appetite? Or nausea hacks?

I have been diagnosed with CHS. Jan 2026 and did not listen to the doctor. I continued my smoking habits after. On late April 2026 I got CHS symptoms again. I’ve been having them going on 3 weeks now. Only eating plain light foods liquids.
My question is when will my stomach stop bothering me? I haven’t been to work cause my stomach is a little better but still vomiting. Especially when I try to eat soup.. when will this end?
I’m a dancer and can’t go to work like this..
I need to know what helps with CHS

Hey guys. Day 13 here, and I’m just mentally suicidal at the moment. I don’t really care about smoking but the constant nausea after waking up and having to endure it for 2-4 hours is just painful and draining. I just need advice and a million of them to read. Please help me. I don’t think I’m gonna last very soon. I’m already on the lower end of the weight and this constant weight loss it might kill me

Hi everyone. I suspect I have prodromal CHS but unsure. I've been getting a little nauseous the day following smoking. It's not debilitating, in fact if i distracted myself it goes away awhile. Also, drinking a LOT of water seems to help. So it's a bit like a hangover. I'd been making a real pig of myself with strong medical and a ball vape mostly and my tolerance just climbed. After a break for a few weeks I tried smoking some less potent stuff, not too much, and was not nauseous the next day. When I tried more potent stuff I was nauseous for a couple of days again. Never right after or when smoking My question: my symptoms seem relatively mild, never puked. Has anyone had a similar experience and gradually smoked at a reduced level or does it always get worse and worse? Thank you to anyone who replies. Obviously I hope for hope that i can smoke at least sometimes

Hi so i bought weed from someone new and after i smoked it i felt like i was on shrooms everything in my room was getting really big and my heart was racing I know it wasn’t laced because the girl who picked it up for me also bought some of the same weed and she was absolutely fine so that’s not an option my mom thinks it’s chs but looking at the symptoms I’m not to sure can someone let me know if this has also happened to them

So I definitely know that I’m under the recovery phase of CHS. Morning nauseas are there and I need multiple hot showers to kinda die it down. I’ve been having yogurt, apple juice, orange juice, oatmeal, and fruits to get by the past 8 days. It’s almost 2 weeks of sobriety for me and I was wondering if I could start eating noodles. It’s been 6 days since I have vomitted but the symptoms are what keep me at home. I’m Korean and I do love my kimchi and ramen and I want to try to have it so bad today. I think my mental health has definitely deteriorated the past 5 days and my weight decreased by 15 pounds. I know people tell me it gets better, but these constant nausea and constant stays at home make me mentally frustrated. Any advice helps I’m just ranting… Also chs is fucking real. I went to the er and stayed there for 5 days. I went through hell and back and I’m still in hell with these symptoms. It’s affected my work, life, and just everything. I’m super sorry to my parents for the bipolar disorder I’ve had with this symptoms. I was a real dick to everyone treating them like my servants when I needed something. The pain is just unbearable for me to act like that. So just give up weed while you can.

As many of you are already aware, gut motility is slowed substantially while recovering from CHS. Foods that support gut motility generally work by one or more of these mechanisms:
increasing stool bulk and softness
stimulating the gastrocolic reflex
supporting the gut microbiome
improving hydration/electrolyte balance
providing gentle natural laxative effects
Since many of you are currently going through disimpaction/retraining, the most useful approach is usually gentle, consistent motility support rather than huge amounts of rough fibre all at once.

Best foods for gut motility
Hydrating fruits

These help soften stool and increase water content in the bowel.
Kiwifruit — one of the best studied fruits for constipation/motility
Pear
Prune
Papaya
Orange
Dragon fruit
Stewed apple

Kiwifruit is particularly interesting because it can improve motility without being as harsh as stimulant laxatives.

Soluble fibre foods
These create a soft gel-like stool that moves more comfortably through the bowel.
Oat
Chia seed
Flaxseed
Psyllium
Legume
Sweet potato
For someone with long-standing constipation, soluble fibre is often tolerated better than huge amounts of raw bran or coarse fibre.

Fermented foods (microbiome support)
These may help bowel regularity over time.
Kefir
Yogurt
Sauerkraut
Kimchi
Miso
If you already tolerate kefir/probiotics reasonably well, it is helpful. If not go slowly avoid large amounts all at once.
Healthy fats that stimulate bowel movement
Fat naturally stimulates the gastrocolic reflex.
Avocado
Olive oil
Nut
Egg
A breakfast with some fat + fluid + warmth is often excellent for morning bowel activity.

Warm fluids & motility triggers
These can help “wake up” the bowel.
Warm water
Herbal tea
Ginger tea
Coffee (if tolerated)
Warm lemon water
Soup/broth

The majority of people who have had CHS have been chronically constipated for a long time, I was shocked to learn that you can still be retaining stool even if you are using your bowels daily 😳 The colon can stretch and stool higher up in the intestinal tract is retained, to start clearing this retained stool many people do better with:
softer cooked foods
soups/stews
oats
yoghurt/kefir
fruit
adequate salt/fluid intake

It’s all about moderate fibre instead of massive fibre loading. Sometimes excessive insoluble fibre during impaction can just create more bulk behind slow-moving stool.

Foods that commonly slow motility in some people

Not “bad,” but worth watching if symptoms worsen:
large amounts of cheese
highly processed snack foods
low-fluid high-protein diets
excessive takeaway/fried foods
very low-carb diets
large amounts of red meat without fibre/fluid
chronic under-eating

A practical motility-friendly breakfast

oats
chia/flax
kefir or yoghurt
kiwi or berries
enough fluid
warm drink alongside it
That combination gives:
soluble fibre
probiotics
hydration
healthy fats
gastrocolic stimulation - Warm fluids like herbal teas upon waking, sitting on the toilet and gently pushing within 20 minutes of meals regardless of feeling the need.

Quitting both cannabis and nicotine cold turkey at the same time is the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life.

I’ve suffered from mental health issues my whole life and my family has a LONG history of addiction.

I currently do not have a diagnosis of CHS as symptoms have only started 10 days ago and only had 1 visit to the emergency room however my hope is to never receive a diagnosis and overcome this before it gets to the point of repeated episodes.

Even if that means I’ll never “truly” know if I had it or not.

My two cousins who have been dealing with CHS for over 5 years while not being able to quit.

This has given me so much motivation to prove to not only my self but my whole family that it is possible to overcome this horrible experience.

QUESTION:

One was able to quit for 2 weeks but claimed felt no difference and began smoking again.

I have read online that coffee contains cannabinoids and can trigger episodes (she works as a part time barista and drinks very strong coffee regularly.

Is it possible this is what caused her to feel no benefit during this time?

As currently i can say I already notice a huge difference.

THANK YOU:

I genuinely can’t thank this community and anyone who has replied enough living in the UK with potential early stages is very difficult.

Doctors are hugely miss informed (one today told me every cannabis smoker is in psychosis but in denial)

I think if I hadn’t informed my self so well quickly I could have headed down a dark path of miss diagnoses.

I turn 3 years sober in August (somehow!)? And I am super proud of myself. But recently my cravings have been getting really bad. I'm trying to remind myself how bad it was in hyperemesis but theres a voice saying its worth it for the high. Does anyone have any advice or tips?

Hi everyone!! I have been suffering from CHS since 4/6/26 and am now 5 days without vomiting. I had a gastric emptying study done while on scopolamine and omeprazole for my comfort; the results showed 88% or more of the food remained in my stomach until hour 4. At hour 4 58% remained.
I have discontinued all anti emetics as I'm remaining sober and experiencing relief from CHS but wondering if anyone else had gastroparesis that improved with time spent sober. Really hoping that I'll be able to improve my stomach function as CHS set me back quite badly and managing the GP now is proving difficult too. Thanks everyone