Marijuana Increases Nausea During Withdrawal

Dear Ask The Doctor: Hi there. i have had recurring nausea off and on for the past few months. It's almost always right when I wake up and if possible, I treated myself with marijuana. I have also had difficulty urinating (usually takes a while for me to get the flow of urine going) for the same amount of time. Two weeks ago, I had nausea in the morning, but it felt worse than usual. I had diarrhea off and on for the next 3 days. Following the stomach flu thing, I had a sore throat and runny nose for 3 more days after that. I finally felt better and then yesterday I woke up with the nausea and diarrhea again and it feels the same, though admittedly not AS bad, but still really very unpleasant, as two weeks ago. I have been smoking marijuana almost every day since mid-September. Is that the most likely cause? I have made the decision to stop smoking regardless or its effect on my health, but I would really like to know if that is the probable cause. I just can't think of any other variable in my life. Another thing to mention is that in October, I had some blood come out of my nipple in the shower. I went to my gyno and she said the discharge was straw colored, not bloody, and she didn't seem alarmed. She did a breast exam and said everything felt okay to her. I don't know if that's possibly related, but I thought I would mention it. I am not taking any prescription medications other than topical acne medication. I occasionally take lysine supplements to avoid cold sores in the winter (more so this winter than any other because I've been sicker this winter than any other). Like I said, the only other thing I put in my body is marijuana. I drink alcohol maybe once every 3 months at most, and even then, it is not very much. That's all I can think of! Please advise...

Dear Sarah: I am very sorry to hear about your present condition regarding continuous diarrhea and nausea.

I agree with you that marijuana could be related to your symptoms, in fact marijuana could cause different issues such as Tremors (shaking), Nausea, Headache, Decreased coordination, Breathing problems, Increased appetite, Reduced blood flow to the brain and Changes in the reproductive organs especially in men. It has been described that marijuana also increases nausea during withdrawal which could explain your nausea early in the morning.

However there are other causes that could explain it. One thing that caught my attention is the history of inflammatory bowel disease in your mother.

Usually this disease tends to run in the families, it is my advice to you to be evaluated by a physician if the present symptoms persist and/or worsen, he or she might also need to prescribe anti nausea medication or you could buy them over the counter, I don’t see any contraindication for that in you.

If you are ready to stop smoking marijuana don’t hesitate to ask your health care provider, they will kindly give you counseling on how to do it. I wish you a prompt recovery.