The Problem with CDB

Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome

Huh? What’s that?

This is a newly (2006) discovered condition the occurs in daily long-term users of marijuana. I’ve been taking CBD & THC products under the supervision of my pain physician for several years now, so that puts me in the regular long term user category.

Basically, it leads to repeated and severe bouts of vomiting. And that started on an infrequent basis for me in January 2021. Very irregular, maybe once a month I’d spend the day hanging out in the bathroom. Nothing stays down, not simple/ dry food like rice or crackers. Even ginger ale, & water would come back up. Sometimes it would get so bad I’d have nothing left to lose and it’s just stomach acid coming up. I have even parked myself in the bathroom waiting for the next bout & then started walking around with a bucket.

^{Hanging out with the porcelain god}

I went up at the cottage last month, got home on February 10th, and that’s when it started. I know it wasn’t food poisoning cuz my cottage mate wasn’t sick either. Plus, it basically hasn’t stopped.

I even ended up in the hospital after three days straight of *nothing” staying down. Regular Gravol doesn’t work on it either, even the ginger stuff.

But now, I’ve been off my MMJ products since February 17th, so a full 4 weeks now & I’m still nauseous almost everyday and I’m losing my stomach contents still on a regular basis.

I finally convinced my doctor that it may not be the CBD and THC products that’s causing this. He gave me a referral to it so just a clinic and I have a scope scheduled in April.

I really hope they can figure this out.

I Got my Shot

Recently, I received an email from Sobey’s Grocery stores in response to my request to be waitlisted for the vaccine.. They said, I was eligible for the COVID vaccine, for the AstraZeneca vaccine. Finally!!

^{AZ Vacvine}

I went & signed up. It turns out the closest location for the shot was in the city a Gerrard & Vic Park. I’m sure there’s not a lot of you familiar with the geography of Toronto but from my home it is approximately 50 km or just over 30 miles ( just under an hour away) to that specific grocery store for my shot. But I was going to be going into Scarborough (East Toronto) anyways because of Lilly’s surgery. I figured I’d would kill two birds with one stone.

My Shot, Thursday

So my appointment was on Thursday, at 11:30am. It was super quick. By the time my brain registered the sensation of the needle, she was already putting it syringe into the sharps bin.So, even if you don’t like needles, it’s not that bad. I stayed the required 15 minutes. No reaction initially other than some moderate nausea.

^{Waiting n the cubical for the pharmacist to give me my shot}

The nausea stayed with me for the day. I was a little tired afterwards & had a short nap which helped me feel a little better. Even went for walk with my sister in the evening.

My Reactions – That Night

By 2:00am the nausea was worse, so much so that I had an empty bucket beside my bed, just in case.

Shortly after that I noticed I was cold. I was eventually shivering despite pj’s and warm bedding. My temperature at this time was 38 & change in Celcius .

My arm was sore, but most people have that reaction. My fibro was triggered and my pain was climbing everywhere. At worst I’d say 5/10.

By 5:00 this morning my body had switched from shivering to sweating. I was also having a headache kick in. I took some Tylenol with codeine and was finally able to get back to sleep.

My Reactions – Next Day, Friday

I was abruptly woken up by my Mom at 10:30am for a temperature check. It was 36.8, completely normal. After checking Lilly & giving her meds (see her surgical post if you are interested), I went back to bed. Fortunately in the morning, the body wide pain had taken a step back and no more shivering or sweating. I did still have the headache, and the nausea but it was not as bad.

As the day wore on I’d flip from chills to overheating, but no temperature. The nausea kept up and I did rush to the bathroom with dry heaves. The body-wide aches went back up by bedtime.

My Reactions – Day 2 Post Vaccine, Saturday

Still has ongoing flipping between chills & hot flashes. Left arm still sore.. Ongoing body aches all during the day.. Still nauseous, but not actually vomiting..sent alot of my time resting.

My Reactions – Day 3 Vaccine, Sunday.

Chills & hot flashes completely abated by the evening and the nausea aswell. Still had body-wide aches & pains.

My Reactions – Day 4 & 5, Monday & Tuesday.

I think by this point I was completely finished reacting to the actual vaccine, whoever my fibromyalgia decided to react to the vaccine reaction. Oh so fun. So by the time I woke up on Monday I was in a lovely little fibro flare that has lasted several days. Only thing I accomplished was the opening & closing of my Tuesday Night Cub meeting.

So, by this point my actual immunoreaction to the medication in the vaccine was done, but not the end of this saga of my vaccine.. Read here for more on this story.