Ann Arbor, MI: Patients with fibromyalgia (FM) frequently acknowledge substituting CBD products for opioids, NSAIDS, and other prescription medications, according to data published in The Journal of Pain.
Researchers with the University of Michigan Medical School surveyed a cohort of 878 FM patients who reported current use of CBD.
Seventy-two percent of respondents reported deliberately substituting CBD products in place of other medications, specifically opioids, NSAIDS, benzodiazepines, and gabapentanoids. Among those who engaged in CBD substitution, most either reduced or ceased their use of other medications – a finding that is consistent with prior studies. Authors further reported, “Those who substituted reported larger improvements in health and pain than those [respondents] who did not.”
The study’s results are similar to those of another just-published study in the Journal of Pain Research which reported that chronic pain patients who use CBD typically reduce their doses of prescription analgesics.
Some dozen human studies, including this one and this one, indicate that cannabinoids provide relief to patients with fibromyalgia. Most recently, data published in February reported that the long-term use of various types of cannabis preparations is associated with significant improvements in pain and other symptoms in patients with refractory fibromyalgia.
Full text of the study, “Substituting cannabidiol for opioids and pain medications among individuals with fibromyalgia: A large online survey,” appears in The Journal of Pain. Additional information regarding cannabinoids and FM is available from NORML.