Endometriosis patients frequently report using cannabis preparations to alleviate their symptoms, according to survey data published in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology.
Australian researchers surveyed 192 women with a history of cannabis use and endometriosis. Sixty-three percent of respondents said that they had received a doctor’s authorization to use cannabis-based medicinal products. (Under Australian law, physicians may authorize cannabis products to patients unresponsive to conventional prescription treatments.)
Most respondents used THC-dominant products. Consistent with other studies, patients reported symptom improvements following cannabis treatment – including better sleep, less pain, fewer bouts of nausea, and reduced anxiety.
“This study found that THC-predominant CBMPs [cannabis-based medicinal products] are commonly prescribed to Australians with endometriosis,” authors concluded. “Given major issues with symptom management and the self-reported reductions in pain and other symptoms, improving access to medicinal cannabis for this population is important and timely.”
Other surveys have similarly indicated that cannabis use is popular among patients with endometriosis, and that many of them substitute it in place of other medications, particularly opioid-based analgesics.
Full text of the study, “A survey of cost, access, and outcomes for cannabinoid-based medicinal product use by Australians with endometriosis,” appears in Obstetrics & Gynecology.