In recent years, a bizarre and alarming health phenomenon, known as “scromiting,” has been making headlines due to its increasing frequency in emergency room visits.
Although the name may seem odd, the condition is far from humorous, and it has become a significant concern for both patients and medical professionals.
The Terrifying Reality of Scromiting: A Blend of Vomiting and Screaming
Scromiting, a term coined by doctors to describe the combination of screaming and vomiting, is a symptom of cannabis hyperemesis syndrome (CHS).
This debilitating condition affects regular cannabis smokers, often causing them to suffer from extreme nausea, severe abdominal pain, and uncontrollable vomiting, sometimes up to five times an hour. The episodes can last for days, causing immense distress and frequent ER visits.
While cannabis use is generally seen as benign by many, this syndrome is prompting health experts to issue urgent warnings to users, as the condition continues to rise.
The Cleveland Clinic describes CHS as a disorder that can strike repeatedly in individuals who regularly use cannabis, and its effects are far from trivial.
Patients with CHS are frequently hospitalized due to the severity of their symptoms, which can include nausea, extreme abdominal pain, and persistent vomiting.
What Happens During a Scromiting Episode?
When patients experience CHS, their symptoms can become so intense that they require emergency care.
One patient, who was admitted to the ER four or five times over a six-month period, described his suffering in detail.
He explained that the pain was “burning” and “agonizing” around his stomach, and that he was vomiting uncontrollably.
He sought relief by taking “steaming hot showers” multiple times a day, so hot that his sister could not even bear to approach the water. He added that when he was in the hospital, doctors had to administer morphine to help manage the pain.
Another individual who experienced scromiting noted that the pain was “some of the worst physical pain I’ve ever experienced in my life,” even comparing it to the agony of childbirth.
She recalled screaming and crying in desperation, saying: “I’m just begging God, please make it stop.”
For some, the condition can be so severe that they feel as though they are on the brink of death, unable to eat or drink as they vomit uncontrollably.
The Role of Cannabis in Triggering Scromiting
Cannabis hyperemesis syndrome is most commonly seen in long-term cannabis users, but the exact cause of the condition remains unclear.
Health experts have speculated that CHS may be related to an overload of the body’s endocannabinoid system, which is affected by regular cannabis consumption.
Some research has also pointed to older individuals who start using cannabis later in life being at higher risk for developing CHS, although younger users are not immune.
Interestingly, the trend seems to vary by state. In states where cannabis is legalized, higher overall numbers of CHS cases have been reported.
Conversely, younger users in states where cannabis remains illegal are also experiencing an uptick in CHS cases, suggesting that accessibility plays a role in the condition’s prevalence.
