Baronissi, Italy: Fibromyalgia (FM) patients with gastrointestinal (GI) disorders experience symptomatic improvements following the sustained use of plant-derived cannabis extracts, according to data published in the journal Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology.
Italian researchers assessed GI symptoms in 46 FM patients prior to and following their use of cannabis extracts containing 19 percent THC and 1 percent CBD. Patients were evaluated at enrollment, at three months, and six months.
Researchers reported that cannabis dosing was associated with significant reductions in patients’ epigastric and abdominal pain. Cannabis treatment was also associated with less intense and frequent symptoms of gastric burning and bloating. A minority of patients (eight percent) experienced complete remission from their symptoms during the study.
“This study supports … medical cannabis as an alternative treatment for FM with a potential effect on FD [functional dyspepsia] and IBS [irritable bowel syndrome] patients,” the study’s authors concluded.
Survey data shows that FM patients frequently consume cannabis to mitigate disease symptoms and to reduce their reliance on prescription medications.
Full text of the study, “The effect of medical cannabis on gastrointestinal symptoms in fibromyalgia and disorders of gut-brain interaction: A patient-centered real-world observational study,” appears in Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology. Additional information on cannabis and FM and cannabis and GI disorders is available from NORML’s publication, Clinical Applications for Cannabis and Cannabinoids.