15-Year-Old Recovers From Cannabis-Linked Brain Disorder After 25-Pound Weight Loss
Updated
Updated · Gizmodo · Aug 25
15-Year-Old Recovers From Cannabis-Linked Brain Disorder After 25-Pound Weight Loss
2 articles · Updated · Gizmodo · Aug 25
Summary
Georgia doctors reported a 15-year-old boy made a full recovery after CHS-related vomiting triggered Wernicke encephalopathy, a potentially fatal brain disorder caused by severe vitamin B1 deficiency.
25 pounds of weight loss, low sodium, liver damage, slurred speech, confusion, blurred vision and involuntary eye movements followed weeks of relentless nausea and vomiting tied to frequent cannabis use.
Thiamine treatment began before lab confirmation because MRI scans gave no clear answer; his neurological symptoms started improving within a day, and later tests confirmed the deficiency.
The authors said this is among the earliest pediatric CHS cases linked to Wernicke encephalopathy and possibly the first not clearly identified on MRI, urging doctors to give empiric thiamine to teens with CHS and new neurologic symptoms.
CDC data cited in the report show CHS emergency visits are still rising, especially among younger patients, raising concern that similar severe complications could become more common as adolescent THC use increases.