Can cannabis be used to treat fibromyalgia?
Cannabis has been used for thousands of years with medical purposes.
Unfortunately, studies in the area of marijuana use for the treatment of fibromyalgia are lacking. Some studies prove that cannabis is related with beneficial effects on some of the symptoms of fibromyalgia.
But a 2016 review of studies on this disease found the evidences weren’t to recommend any marijuana-based treatments for the cure of symptoms in people with rheumatic certain disorders, such as fibromyalgia.
90% of patients with this disease are women. And one study has found that marijuana is a better pain killer for men than women. But we must consider that marijuana is a plant that is grown and therefore, is not synthesized in a laboratory. Therefore, the amounts of potentially beneficial compounds present vary from one culture to another.
However, marijuana has been proved to be an excellent pain killer when it comes to chronic pain, nausea and muscle spasms related to multiple sclerosis. Then, why cannabis shouldn’t be equally efficient in patients with fibromyalgia? Marijuana should only be used under the care of a doctor.
Marijuana has been proved to be efficient in certain treatments. No doubt there is good evidence for its use in treating chronic pain and MS symptoms, nerve pain and muscle spasms. But most probably this number will increase with the legalization because the number of scientists who will research the problem is increasing little by little.
Some users may feel these adverse effects when being treated with marijuana
1 – Increased heart rate
2 – Breathing problems
3 – Dizziness
4 – Impaired reaction times
5 – Issues with concentration and memory
6 – Mental illness in those predisposed to it
7 – Interactions with other drugs
There is no doubt that more research must be done. However, marijuana seems to be a good treatment for:
Appetite loss, Neuromuscular Disorders, Side effects of chemotherapy, Dementia, Rheumatoid Arhritis, Bain Injury, Epilepsy and Glaucoma.
Potential side effects
Addiction, Withdrawal symptoms, Increased heart rate, Breathing problems, Dizziness, Impaired reaction times, Issues with concentration and memory and Mental illness in those predisposed to it.
