Novara, Italy: Fibromyalgia (FM) patients suffering from treatment-resistant pain experience therapeutic benefits following the daily use of plant-derived cannabis extracts, according to observational data published in the Journal of Anesthesia, Analgesia, and Critical Care.
Italian investigators assessed the safety and efficacy of THC-dominant cannabis extracts in a cohort of 65 FM patients. Study participants, on average, had lived with the disease for seven years and were generally unresponsive to conventional pharmacological therapies. Patients in the study administered THC extracts three times daily for six months.
On average, participants experienced a 2.6-point reduction in pain on a ten-point numerical rating scale. Improvements were most pronounced in younger patients. Six patients elected to discontinue the study because of self-reported side effects, including dry mouth, headache, drowsiness, and impaired thinking.
In December, British researchers published longitudinal data finding that the adjunctive use of cannabis preparations provided sustained improvements in fibromyalgia patients’ pain, anxiety, sleep, and overall quality of life. Numerous other studies have reported similar results.
Full text of the study, “Real-world use of cannabis oil for pain management in fibromyalgia,” appears in the Journal of Anesthesia, Analgesia, and Critical Care. Additional information on cannabis and FM is available from NORML’s publication, Clinical Applications for Cannabis and Cannabinoids.