Sydni Collins, 23, has opened up about a frightening condition linked to chronic cannabis use that left her battling relentless vomiting, severe stomach pain, and even feeding tubes.
The young woman, who has used a weed pen almost daily since she was 16, experienced what doctors call cannabis hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) — and what some ER staff have nicknamed “scromiting”, because it’s a terrifying combination of screaming and vomiting.
“I’m not what you would think of as your typical stoner … and people outside of my friend group and close family didn’t even know I smoked,” Sydni told The New York Post. “The only way to figure out if [my symptoms] were from weed is if I stopped. So I did, and I got better.”
The nightmare started in high school
Sydni first noticed severe nausea and vomiting during a spring break flight in her senior year. She described it as nonstop vomiting for the entire flight.
”There were some days when it lasted until noon and I would not go to school because of how bad it was,” she said. “I would be puking all morning. I would let out yells or cries because nothing would come out. I was just dry heaving.”
At first, doctors couldn’t figure out what was wrong. Over the course of one month, Sydni ended up visiting the ER seven times, struggling to eat a single full meal.
Her symptoms were intermittent: some days she felt fine, only to be struck down again by excruciating stomach pain and vomiting.
“When I was finally admitted, [doctors] told me I was 87 pounds and had to get a feeding tube,” she explained. “They said, ‘This is not normal, we need to figure it out.’”
Life with CHS
Even after hospitalization, recovery wasn’t simple. Hot baths, sometimes recommended for relief, worsened her dehydration, and most foods, even nutritional supplements, were impossible to stomach.
“My mom got me a bunch of nutritional supplements and I could not bear the taste of anything, even Gatorade,” Sydni recalled.
“I would chew on ice cubes. I would lick the salt off pretzel rods. Cold washcloths helped. But I would be in the fetal position on the bed for hours because that was the only way my stomach didn’t hurt as bad.”
Years of daily cannabis use had wreaked havoc on her body, but even with a feeding tube, CHS made it difficult to regain weight or enjoy food.
Like many with CHS, Sydni was initially misdiagnosed. Doctors first suspected superior mesenteric artery syndrome, a rare digestive disorder, while other patients are often told it’s food poisoning or a stomach virus.
The condition has only recently been recognized by medical authorities, meaning patients like Sydni are often left to suffer while physicians puzzle over the cause.
Developed Crohn’s disease
Sydni eventually quit cannabis for nine months after her first major CHS episode. She later developed Crohn’s disease, which caused additional digestive issues, leading her to briefly resume cannabis use, only to suffer another severe episode three years later, again requiring hospitalization and a feeding tube.
Sydni explained that the only way to determine whether her symptoms were caused by cannabis was to stop using it. And once she did, her condition improved.
Since quitting two years ago, Sydni has been sober from cannabis and has found support through an online CHS group, which she says has helped her stay accountable.
Sydni’s story is a stark reminder that frequent cannabis use isn’t without risks. While millions of Americans enjoy weed recreationally, CHS is an emerging condition that can be debilitating, and even life-threatening.
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