Gainesville, FL: Plant-derived CBD provides pain relief in a manner comparable to opioids in patients recuperating from eye surgery, according to clinical trial data published in the Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery.
Researchers affiliated with the University of Florida Department of Ophthalmology compared the safety and efficacy of an oral CBD formulation versus a combination of codeine and acetaminophen for postoperative ocular pain control in a cohort of 35 patients. Study participants recorded their pain levels on a 10-point scale.
The twice-daily use of a 25 mg full-spectrum CBD softgel containing less than 0.3 percent THC provided pain relief on par with codeine and acetaminophen. No adverse effects were associated with CBD consumption.
“This randomized, self-controlled crossover trial demonstrates that a low-THC oral CBD chemovar at 50 mg two times a day offers safe pain control comparable to a standard codeine-acetaminophen regimen at 18 MME/day for patients undergoing [laser eye surgery],” the study’s authors concluded. “This positions CBD as an effective alternative to opioids in the acute ophthalmic setting.”
Prior research similarly suggests that orally administered CBD provides a viable alternative to prescription opioids in the treatment of various types of pain, including pain from pericarditis and dental pain.
Full text of the study, “Randomized, Controlled Cross-over Comparison of Oral Cannabidiol to Oral Opioid for Postoperative Photorefractive Keratectomy Pain Control,” appears in the Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery. Additional information on cannabinoids and chronic pain is available from NORML’s publication, Clinical Applications for Cannabis and Cannabinoids.