Patients in Australia living with endometriosis say cannabis is more-effective for managing their symptoms, and has fewer side-effects than pharmaceutical medications, a new survey finds.
According to new survey data published in the journal Reproduction & Fertility, the majority of patients using cannabis to manage symptoms of endometriosis, find it to be superior to pharmaceutical medications.
Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory condition where cells similar to those in the lining of the uterus are found elsewhere in the body.
Alongside debilitating pain during periods and sex, it can affect bowel movements, urination, bloating, nausea, fatigue, and sometimes depression, anxiety, and infertility. Current treatment options focus on symptom management, but often have their own side-effects.
Researchers at the University of Western Sydney, surveyed 899 endometriosis patients in 28 countries, who were consuming cannabis to manage their symptoms.
The majority of people were accessing cannabis illegally, despite it being available on prescription in many countries, and the majority (99%) said they planned to continue using it.
The most common reasons for cannabis use were “inadequate pain control” (68.6%) and “bothersome side effects of medications” (56.3%). Concerns over dependence/addiction on pharmaceutical medications (43.9%) was a common motivation for a patient’s continued cannabis use.
Many respondents reported that cannabis was “more effective” and had a “more tolerable side-effect profile” than pharmaceutical medications they had taken previously.
According to the study, 78% of respondents described cannabis as “more effective in managing my symptoms than my current or previous pharmaceutical medication.” The same amount reported that cannabis posed “less severe” side effects than prescribed medications.
Concerns over stigma, cost and legality
Despite these effects, over half were concerned about the negative impact of stigma associated with cannabis and how this might affect their day-to-day lives. Other concerns were around cost, potentially breaking the law, losing their driving licence due to drug-driving laws, or losing their job as a result of workplace drug-tests.
Only a third of respondents disclosed their cannabis consumption to their doctor and those using illicit cannabis were significantly less likely to do so.
The researchers say this identifies an “urgent need” to encourage doctor-patient communication and improve outcome and patient safety.
“Medical supervision is important to monitor for side effects and potential drug interactions, which people using cannabis may not know exist,” they state.
“This is especially important for endometriosis, given that care is often both challenging and inadequate before the complexity of MC is added. They conclude: “More research is urgently needed, including clinical trial and real-world data to evaluate safety, tolerability, and effectiveness of quality-assured medicinal cannabis products in the endometriosis population.”
They conclude: “More research is urgently needed, including clinical trial and real-world data to evaluate safety, tolerability, and effectiveness of quality-assured medicinal cannabis products in the endometriosis population.”
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