scholarly journals Topical Capsaicin for Treating Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
Ansar Aziz ◽  
Tayyab Waheed ◽  
Olubunmi Oladunjoye ◽  
Adeolu Oladunjoye ◽  
Midhat Hanif ◽  
...  

Introduction. Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS), associated with chronic cannabis use, presents with cyclic abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. With increasing use of marijuana, the incidence of CHS is expected to increase. Most patients with CHS make frequent visits to the emergency room and are usually refractory to conventional treatment. We, therefore, present a case of CHS successfully treated with topical capsaicin application. Case Presentation. A 41-year-old female with a recent excess use of cannabis presented to the emergency department for evaluation of recurrent excruciating epigastric pain accompanied by severe nausea and vomiting. She had similar, milder symptoms a year ago and underwent endoscopic evaluation which was negative except for mild reflux esophagitis for which she was started on a proton pump inhibitor. On this presentation, basic laboratory workup, EKG, and CT scan of abdomen and pelvis were unremarkable. A detailed abdominal exam was only positive for mild epigastric tenderness. She was instructed to continue pantoprazole and pain medication and outpatient repeat esophagogastroduodenoscopy. The patient returned the next day with extreme retching, nausea, and vomiting and was admitted for further evaluation. Intravenous fluids, antiemetics, and morphine were started for pain control with no symptomatic improvement. A diagnosis of cannabis hyperemesis syndrome was made based on history of chronic marijuana use and otherwise negative workup. A trial of topical capsaicin, over the epigastric region, was tried that provided dramatic relief within 24 hours. Repeat endoscopic evaluation had no evidence of ulcers, celiac disease, or esophagitis. She was discharged on topical capsaicin and counselled on marijuana abstinence, with no return of symptoms. Conclusion. Based on the dramatic resolution of symptoms with topical capsaicin, our case supports this promising intervention and provides an alternate approach to antiemetics and narcotics routinely used in patients with cannabis hyperemesis syndrome.

2020 ◽  
pp. 089719002093428
Author(s):  
Janice L. Stumpf ◽  
Lauren D. Williams

Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome is a condition characterized by cyclic severe nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain associated with frequent, long-term marijuana use. The condition resolves with cessation of cannabis but may be temporarily relieved by bathing in hot water. Topical capsaicin cream may also alleviate symptoms, perhaps through antiemetic effects produced by activation of TRPV1 receptors, similar to that of hot water bathing. This review summarizes the epidemiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis, pathophysiology, and management of cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, focusing on treatment with topical capsaicin.


2018 ◽  
pp. bcr-2018-226524 ◽  
Author(s):  
Umesh Sharma

A young woman with chronic cannabis use presents with 2-day history of cyclical nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. Clinical and laboratory examination excluded other causes. Patient’s symptoms improved with topical capsaicin, hot showers, antiemetics and she was subsequently discharged home 4 days later. The patient was educated on side effects of cannabis use and chose to stop cannabis use completely.


2019 ◽  
Vol 98 (8) ◽  
pp. 326-327 ◽  

Introduction: The umbilical vein can become recanalised due to portal hypertension in patients with liver cirrhosis but the condition is rarely clinically significant. Although bleeding from this enlarged vein is a known complication, the finding of thrombophlebitis has not been previously described. Case report: We report the case of a 62-year-old male with a history of liver cirrhosis due to alcoholic liver disease presenting to hospital with epigastric pain. A CT scan of the patient’s abdomen revealed a thrombus with surrounding inflammatory changes in a recanalised umbilical vein. The patient was managed conservatively and was discharged home the following day. Conclusion: Thrombophlebitis of a recanalised umbilical vein is a rare cause of abdominal pain in patients with liver cirrhosis.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. e237622
Author(s):  
Osama Mosalem ◽  
Anas Alsara ◽  
Fawzi Abu Rous ◽  
Borys Hrinczenko

A 57-year-old Southeast Asian woman with a remote history of adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) of the right labium superius oris (upper lip) presented to the hospital with vague epigastric pain. On workup, she was found to have multiple pleural nodules. Histopathology confirmed the diagnosis of metastatic ACC. After 8 months of active surveillance, evidence of disease progression was found and the patient was started on pembrolizumab. Follow-up after starting pembrolizumab showed stable disease with no significant side effects.


2021 ◽  
pp. 338-343
Author(s):  
Thu L. Nguyen ◽  
Shivani Kapur ◽  
Stephen C. Schlack-Haerer ◽  
Grzegorz T. Gurda ◽  
Milan E. Folkers

Pancreatic heterotopia (PH) is a common, but typically small (<1 cm), incidental and asymptomatic finding; however, PH should be considered even for large and symptomatic upper gastrointestinal masses. A 27-year-old white woman presented with a 3-week history of burning epigastric pain, nausea, early satiety, and constipation. Physical examination revealed epigastric and right upper quadrant tenderness with normal laboratory workup, but imaging revealed a 5-cm, partly cystic mass arising from the gastric antrum with resulting pyloric stenosis and partial gastric outlet obstruction. Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration revealed PH – an anomalous pancreatic tissue lying in a nonphysiological site. The patient ultimately underwent a resection and recovered uneventfully, with a complete pathologic examination revealing normal exocrine pancreatic tissue (PH type 2) without malignant transformation. We report a case of heterotopic pancreas manifesting as severe gastric outlet obstruction, in addition to a thorough diagnostic workup and surgical follow-up, in a young adult. Differential diagnoses and features that speak to benignity of a large, symptomatic mass lesion (PH in particular) are discussed.


BMC Surgery ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Reem M. Elsaid ◽  
Ashraqat S. Namrouti ◽  
Ahmad M. Samara ◽  
Wael Sadaqa ◽  
Sa’ed H. Zyoud

Abstract Background Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) and postoperative pain (POP) are most commonly experienced in the early hours after surgery. Many studies have reported high rates of PONV and POP, and have identified factors that could predict the development of these complications. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between PONV and POP, and to identify some factors associated with these symptoms. Methods This was a prospective, multicentre, observational study performed at An-Najah National University Hospital and Rafidia Governmental Hospital, the major surgical hospitals in northern Palestine, from October 2019 to February 2020. A data collection form, adapted from multiple previous studies, was used to evaluate factors associated with PONV and POP in patients undergoing elective surgery. Patients were interviewed during the first 24 h following surgery. Multiple binary logistic regression was applied to determine factors that were significantly associated with the occurrence of PONV. Results Of the 211 patients included, nausea occurred in 43.1%, vomiting in 17.5%, and PONV in 45.5%. Multiple binary logistic regression analysis, using PONV as a dependent variable, showed that only patients with a history of PONV [odds ratio (OR) = 2.28; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.03–5.01; p = 0.041] and POP (OR = 2.41; 95% CI = 1.17–4.97; p = 0.018) were significantly associated with the occurrence of PONV. Most participants (74.4%) reported experiencing pain at some point during the first 24 h following surgery. Additionally, the type and duration of surgery were significantly associated with POP (p-values were 0.002 and 0.006, respectively). Conclusions PONV and POP are common complications in our surgical patients. Factors associated with PONV include a prior history of PONV and POP. Patients at risk should be identified, the proper formulation of PONV protocols should be considered, and appropriate management plans should be implemented to improve patients’ outcomes.


CJEM ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (S1) ◽  
pp. S32-S33
Author(s):  
A. Ruberto ◽  
M. Sivilotti ◽  
S. Forrester ◽  
A. Hall ◽  
F. Crawford ◽  
...  

Introduction: One of the most common adverse effects of habitual cannabis use is hyperemesis—recurrent bouts of protracted vomiting, retching and abdominal pain superimposed on a baseline of daily nausea and anorexia. Largely anecdotal evidence supports the use of haloperidol, benzodiazepines or topical capsaicin over traditional antiemetics, yet little is known about the cause or optimal treatment of this newly recognized disorder. We report the results of one of the first clinical trials on so-called cannabis hyperemesis syndrome (NCT03056482). Methods: We approached adults with a working diagnosis of hyperemesis due to cannabis, provided they had ongoing emesis for >2 hours, a cyclic pattern of 3+ episodes in the last 2 years, and near daily use of cannabis by inhalation. We excluded those who were pregnant, deemed unreliable, or using opioids. Subjects provided written consent to be randomized during the index or any subsequent visit to either haloperidol (with a nested randomization to either 0.05 mg/kg or 0.1 mg/kg) or ondansetron 8 mg intravenously in a quadruple-blind fashion, and to be followed for 7 days. The primary outcome was the average reduction from baseline in abdominal pain and nausea (each measured on a 10-cm VAS) at 2 hours. While the original trial design allowed for crossover, the primary analysis used only the first treatment period since fewer than the prespecified threshold of 20% of subjects crossed over. Results: We enrolled 33 subjects, of whom 30 (16 men, 29+/-11 years old, using 1.5+/-0.9 g/day since age 19+/-2 years) were treated at least once (haloperidol 13, ondansetron 17). Haloperidol at either dose was superior to ondansetron (difference 2.3 cm [95%CI 0.6, 4.0]; p = 0.01), with similar improvements in both pain and nausea, as well as less rescue antiemetics (27% vs 61%; p = 0.04), and shorter time to ED departure (3.1+/-1.7 vs 5.6+/-4.5 hours; p = 0.03 Wilcoxon rank sum). There were two (haloperidol) vs six (ondansetron) return visits for ongoing nausea/vomiting, as well as two return visits for acute dystonia, both in the higher dose haloperidol group. Conclusion: Haloperidol is superior to ondansetron for the acute symptomatic treatment of patients with ongoing hyperemesis attributed to habitual cannabis use. The efficacy of this agent over ondansetron provides insight into the mechanism of this new disorder, now almost a daily diagnosis in many Canadian emergency departments.


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. e232189
Author(s):  
Natalia Hernandez ◽  
Bethany Desroches ◽  
Eric Peden ◽  
Raj Satkunasivam

A woman in her mid-forties with a history of cervical cancer requiring chemoradiation presented with bilateral ureteral strictures secondary to radiation therapy. The ureteral obstruction was initially relieved with bilateral percutaneous nephrostomy tubes, and subsequently, bilateral ureteral stents. Over the course of 8 months, she presented with multiple episodes of severe gross haematuria. This persisted even after stent removal and conversion back to percutaneous nephrostomy tubes. The initial evaluation, done with concern for an uretero-iliac artery fistula, which included bilateral retrograde pyelograms and CT angiography was non-diagnostic. Given continued haematuria, repeat endoscopic evaluation was undertaken; on retrograde pyelogram, brisk contrast was seen to pass into the arterial system, consistent with a left ureteroarterial fistula. The patient underwent endovascular iliac artery stent placement. Subsequently, the patient underwent resection of the iliac artery with endovascular graft in situ, left distal ureterectomy with proximal ureteral ligation following femoral-to-femoral bypass. This allowed for complete resolution of the patient’s gross haematuria episodes.


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