Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory condition in which cells similar to those in the lining of the uterus are found elsewhere in the body. The most common symptoms are debilitating pain during periods and sex, but it can cause many other serious issues affecting bowel movements, urination, bloating, nausea, fatigue, and, more rarely, depression, anxiety, and infertility.
It’s estimated that around 1.5 million women in the UK suffer from the condition and around 200 million globally.
In a new study which has been published recently, cannabis use was found to be linked with “substantial improvements” in Endometriosis symptoms.
Previous research has already found a high prevalence of medicinal cannabis use among patients in Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, where over half were reported to use cannabis for symptom management.
This new study is one of the first to look into cannabis use for endometriosis in Europe.
912 Endometriosis patients in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland were surveyed about their use of “self-management strategies,” with over 75% responding that they had turned to these strategies after more conventional strategies weren’t providing relief.
It found that 17% of those self-managing the condition used cannabis and reported a significant impact on their overall well-being and quality of life.
The main symptoms aided by cannabis use were sleep issues (91%), menstrual pain (90%), chronic pelvic pain (80%), and dysmenorrhea. Nearly nine out of ten women were able to reduce the amount of pain medication they consumed and half of those reduced other medication by over 50%. Cannabis also showed potential in alleviating psychological symptoms, with three-quarters of women with anxiety or depression/depressed mood experiencing improvement. However, cannabis was reportedly less effective in reducing pain during sexual intercourse, bowel movements, and urination.
The authors of the study stated: “The use of Cannabis had a significant impact on the overall well-being and quality of life of women with endometriosis. Although cannabis was used comparatively infrequently, it was rated the most effective of all self-management strategies.”
Access to medical cannabis still remains a barrier for patients and more research into dosage and administration methods is needed:
“More research is required to determine the best route of administration, dosage, THC/CBD ratio, potential side effects, and long-term effects of cannabis use. This will help provide official recommendations to patients and healthcare providers. The study indicates that there is a significant interest and demand for additional therapeutic options, and cannabis can potentially become an important part of a multimodal therapy approach for treating endometriosis.”
Source: Cannabis Health News
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