A 15-Year-Old's Cannabis 'Scromiting' Got So Bad His Brain Started Shutting Down

Key Points:

• A 15-year-old boy with cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) developed a severe vitamin B1 (thiamine) deficiency leading to Wernicke encephalopathy, a rare and potentially life-threatening neurological disorder, but fully recovered after treatment.
• CHS causes cyclical vomiting and severe abdominal pain, nicknamed "scromiting," and is increasingly common among young cannabis users due to rising cannabis use and higher THC potency.
• The boy's condition worsened with symptoms including slurred speech, confusion, involuntary eye movements, and weight loss, prompting doctors to suspect and treat thiamine deficiency despite inconclusive brain imaging.
• This case is one of the earliest pediatric reports linking Wernicke encephalopathy with CHS, highlighting the need for clinicians to consider thiamine supplementation in adolescents with prolonged CHS and neurological symptoms.
• After quitting cannabis, the boy's CHS resolved, underscoring the importance of cannabis cessation in managing the syndrome and preventing serious complications.