Tetrahydrocannabinol may ease pain in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome

Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is painful neurological disorder known by musculoskeletal pain accompanied by fatigue, sleep, memory and mood issues. Researchers believe that fibromyalgia amplifies painful sensations by affecting the way the brain and spinal cord process painful and non painful signals.

Women are more likely to develop fibromyalgia than are men. Many people with fibromyalgia also have tension headaches, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders, irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety and depression.

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) improved pain, depression, and quality of life in patients with fibromyalgia and may be an effective treatment option for this patient population, according to a retrospective study published in Springer.

The two chemical substances present in medical cannabis are THC and cannabidiol (CBD),are known to influence the CB1 and CB2 receptors. THC typically demonstrates mood-stabilizing, appetite-stimulating and analgesic effects, to investigate the same Horst Bettstetter and team conducted the research.

During the study, period 2017-2018, all patients in the pain ward of a clinic who were suffering from FMS and were treated in a multimodal interdisciplinary setting were selected based on inclusion criteria. The patients were examined separately according to groups with and without THC about pain intensity, various psychometric parameters and analgesic consumption during the stay.

The key findings of the study are:

• A total of the 120 FMS patients included in the study, 62 patients (51.7%) were treated with THC. In the parameters of pain intensity, depression, and quality of life.

• There was a significant improvement in the entire group during the stay (p < 0.001), which was significantly greater through the use of THC.

• In five of the seven analgesic groups examined, the dose was reduced or the drug discontinued significantly more often in the patients treated with THC.

Bettstetter and team concluded that “The results provide indications that THC can be considered as a medical alternative in addition to the substances previously recommended in various guidelines.”

Reference: Bettstetter H, Schäfer A. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS): A retrospective study of changes in pain, psychometric variables, and analgesic consumption during inpatient interdisciplinary multimodal pain therapy (IMPT). published online ahead of print, 2023 Jun 8]. Schmerz. 2023;10.1007/s00482-023-00727-4. doi: 10.1007/s00482-023-00727-4.