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Cannabis use eased symptoms for patients with fibromyalgia
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The use of cannabis significantly improved pain, stiffness and other symptoms for patients with fibromyalgia, according to study results.
The observational, cross-sectional study included 56 participants with fibromyalgia (FM) — 28 cannabis users; 28 noncannabis users in Barcelona, Spain. All were aged 18 years or older, had been diagnosed with FM according to American College of Rheumatology criteria, had moderate to severe symptoms, and showed pharmacological treatment resistance.
All participants completed three questionnaires to compare their quality of life:
- The 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), which assessed physical functioning, bodily pain, general health, social functioning, emotional role and mental health
- The Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), which assessed health-related quality of life during the previous week
- The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), which measured the quality and patterns of sleep during the previous month
Among the cannabis participants, 39% reported using it less than 1 year, 32% used the drug between 1 and 3 years, and 29% used it for more than 3 years. The methods of administration were smoking (54%), orally (46%) or a combination (43%). Twelve participants used cannabis daily, five used it 2 to 4 days per week, three used it less than twice a week and eight used it occasionally. The frequency and amount of cannabis usage were nonuniform.
None of the cannabis users reported worsening of symptoms, including pain. At least one side effect was reported by 96% of the group, including somnolence (n=18), dry mouth (n=17), sedation (n=12), dizziness (n=10), being high (n=9), and tachycardia (n=8). VAS scores were statistically significant for reduction in pain and stiffness (both P<.001), relaxation (P<.05) and perception of well-being (P<.001) after 2 hours of cannabis use.
The mental health component score for the SF-36 questionnaire was higher in the cannabis group than in the nonuser group (P<.05). There were no significant differences between the groups in the SF-36 physical component summary or in the FIQ and PSQI results.
“We observed significant improvement of symptoms of FM patients using cannabis in this study although there was a variability of patterns,” the researchers said. “The present results … seem to confirm the beneficial effects of cannabinoids on FM symptoms. Further studies regarding efficacy of cannabinoids in FM as well as cannabinoid and stress response system involvement in their pathophysiology are warranted.”
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