PHILADELPHIA – When evaluating potential causes of gastroparesis, cannabis use is a “do not miss” diagnosis that is easy to overlook and likely on the rise, according to Anthony J. Lembo, MD.
“This is not an infrequent problem, and I’ve even missed it a couple of times,” said Dr. Lembo, director of the GI Motility Laboratory at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston.
The rate of U.S. emergency department visits for vomiting with cannabis use disorder rose from 2.3 to 13.3 per 100,000 visits from 2006 to 2013, according to an analysis recently published by Dr. Lembo and colleagues (J Clin Gastroenterol. 2017 Oct 31. doi: 10.1097/MCG.0000000000000944).
The study showed that men between 20 and 29 years were the most common group presenting for vomiting with cannabis use disorder.