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What Causes Lower Abdominal Pain After Smoking Marijuana?
Question: I've been smoking marajuana daily for the last 5-6 years. Everything has been completely fine up until about a 3 months ago when I noticed a slight pain in my lower abdomen (it felt like I had been kicked in the groin really hard within the last few days). From then on, every time I smoked weed, the pain grew more and more aparent while I was high. At first, I was certain that the pain was only more aparant because of my body and mind being more sensitive while under the effects of the cannabis. That changed one after I smoked and my insided felt like they were going to explode. After an hour of rolling around in my bed in agony, I had my mom take me to the ER where they took blood and ran a CT scan. Both of these test came back negative for any sort of irregularity in the stomach/ intestines/ kidney/ etc. They gave me some laxatives and stool softeners and told me to try to eat a heathier diet for a while. After a week of the same continuos smoking (with the pain growing worse and worse each time I smoked), I had to take another trip to the ER, this time thinking I may have a hernia or a gastric illness. This time, they scheduled a upper and lower colonoscopy, an MRI and they sent some more blood to labs around the country looking for all different kinds of diseases. Everything came back negative and they said I was looking fine. At this point, I decided to stop wasting my money on these tests and I tried not smoking for a week. On the 7th day, I had only very minor pains and I decided to try and smoke again. Within minutes of the first inhale, they pains were back with a vengeance. Since, ive stopped smoking completely for about 2 months now and the pain is still there from time to time. What is wrong with me?! The only illness I have found on the internet with symptoms that are similar is an illness called "canibinoid hyperemesis syndrome".
Brief Answer:
Stop cannabis residual effect will take al least 3 months to clear up.
Detailed Answer:
Hi Dear,
Thanks for choosing HealthcareMagic for your query.
I am a Gastroenterologist and would be addressing your queries.
Have gone through your history in detail.
As Endoscopy and colonoscopy are normal the only possibility left is that your intestine is sensitive to canabis hence smoking cannabis causes spasm in intestines.Medically this condition is termed as Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome .Stop cannabis totally and take an anxiolytic daily(lorazepam or clonazepam).You would need a prescription for it.It will take about three to four months for spasms to completelygo away.In lay mans language your intestinal receptors are senitive to cannabis and starts having spasmodic contraction when you smoke it.So the only way out is stop taking cannabis.
As all other tests are normal it can't be ulcer or any other disease.
General suggestions are-
- Be confident from inside & BE POSITIVE , your inner strength is of utmost
importance to keep your symptoms under control.
- Keep laughing from deepest corners of your heart & see the life from new
angle as every rising sun gives new rays of hopes for everyone.
-Avoid any intake of alcohol / smoking / abuse substances if any.
- Deep breathing exercises and YOGA specifically Kapalbhati & Anulomvilom for
30 min. per day without failure helps tremendously in regulating bowels on
long term basis.
- Avoid stress / anxiety .
Start taking anxiolytics as and when required.
In case you have any other query feel free to ask.
Good luck and regards.
Stop cannabis residual effect will take al least 3 months to clear up.
Detailed Answer:
Hi Dear,
Thanks for choosing HealthcareMagic for your query.
I am a Gastroenterologist and would be addressing your queries.
Have gone through your history in detail.
As Endoscopy and colonoscopy are normal the only possibility left is that your intestine is sensitive to canabis hence smoking cannabis causes spasm in intestines.Medically this condition is termed as Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome .Stop cannabis totally and take an anxiolytic daily(lorazepam or clonazepam).You would need a prescription for it.It will take about three to four months for spasms to completelygo away.In lay mans language your intestinal receptors are senitive to cannabis and starts having spasmodic contraction when you smoke it.So the only way out is stop taking cannabis.
As all other tests are normal it can't be ulcer or any other disease.
General suggestions are-
- Be confident from inside & BE POSITIVE , your inner strength is of utmost
importance to keep your symptoms under control.
- Keep laughing from deepest corners of your heart & see the life from new
angle as every rising sun gives new rays of hopes for everyone.
-Avoid any intake of alcohol / smoking / abuse substances if any.
- Deep breathing exercises and YOGA specifically Kapalbhati & Anulomvilom for
30 min. per day without failure helps tremendously in regulating bowels on
long term basis.
- Avoid stress / anxiety .
Start taking anxiolytics as and when required.
In case you have any other query feel free to ask.
Good luck and regards.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Remy Koshy
Thank you for your help. I have 3 follow up questions:
1. How serious is canibinoid hyperemisis syndrome? Can it be fatal or cause permanent damage to my body?
2. After going 3-4 months without smoking cannibis and the symptoms have all gone away, will it be safe to smoke again? If not, is there any length of time I would have to wait before I CAN smoke again?
3. Is there any procedure or medication that would take care of canibinoid hyperemesis syndrome?
1. How serious is canibinoid hyperemisis syndrome? Can it be fatal or cause permanent damage to my body?
2. After going 3-4 months without smoking cannibis and the symptoms have all gone away, will it be safe to smoke again? If not, is there any length of time I would have to wait before I CAN smoke again?
3. Is there any procedure or medication that would take care of canibinoid hyperemesis syndrome?
Brief Answer:
Follow up.
Detailed Answer:
Hello again,
Answers are -
1) No this is not fatal neither will it cause permanent damage to your body but severe nausea and vomiting will compromise the quality of your life and your standards of living.
2)As soon as you will start taking cannabis again symptoms will reappear.So don't smoke again your body is not comfortable with cannabis.This syndrome a rare form of cannabinoid toxicity that develops in chronic cannabis smokers and only treatment is to completely give up smoking.
3)Yes symptomatic treatment with antispasmodic like Dicyclomine and anti emetic like Zofran can be taken when nausea vomiting and cramps are severe.However the only way out is complete restriction of smoking.
In case you have any other query feel free to ask.
I would be happy to help you.
Regards.
Follow up.
Detailed Answer:
Hello again,
Answers are -
1) No this is not fatal neither will it cause permanent damage to your body but severe nausea and vomiting will compromise the quality of your life and your standards of living.
2)As soon as you will start taking cannabis again symptoms will reappear.So don't smoke again your body is not comfortable with cannabis.This syndrome a rare form of cannabinoid toxicity that develops in chronic cannabis smokers and only treatment is to completely give up smoking.
3)Yes symptomatic treatment with antispasmodic like Dicyclomine and anti emetic like Zofran can be taken when nausea vomiting and cramps are severe.However the only way out is complete restriction of smoking.
In case you have any other query feel free to ask.
I would be happy to help you.
Regards.
Note: For further follow up on digestive issues share your reports here and Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Kampana
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