Fibromyalgia
Living with fibromyalgia can often feel overwhelming to those suffering from this painful ailment. With fibromyalgia, not only do you have to deal with debilitating pain, chronic fatigue and cognitive difficulties, you also must try to explain your ailment to everyone around you.
Sadly, this is because fibromyalgia is what is often referred to as an “invisible illness.”
As many fibromyalgia sufferers will tell you, one of the biggest obstacles is getting people to understand what the daily battle fighting against this disease entails. To make matters even worse, some healthcare providers in the modern medical community still argue that fibromyalgia is not an actual ailment itself but merely symptoms of a separate and undiagnosed illness.
Thankfully, those who do not believe fibromyalgia exists are in the minority. As a result of current scientific research that has been done in recent years, patients suffering from fibromyalgia have been able to finally find some relief.
Unfortunately there is still more research that must be done before anyone can fully understand this disease process.
No one knows exactly what causes fibromyalgia and many people are left with more questions than answers when they are diagnosed with this ailment. As a result of the lack of understanding and limited treatment options available for fibromyalgia, many patients seek alternative therapy options for treating their fibromyalgia symptoms, including medical cannabis.
Is medical cannabis an effective option for treating the symptoms of fibromyalgia? In this Kanteeva article we are going to look at some of the symptoms of fibromyalgia and how medical cannabis affects those symptoms in a positive way.
It is our goal here at Kanteeva to provide you with the information that you will need to make an educated and informed decision on whether medical cannabis is an option for your needs or the needs of your loved ones.
After reading this article you should have a basic understanding about medical cannabis and fibromyalgia so that you can further discuss your options with your healthcare provider(s). If you have any additional questions or concerns please leave them in the comments area below and a Kanteeva team member will be in touch with you soon.
What is Fibromyalgia?
Lexico defines fibromyalgia as:
A chronic disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, and tenderness in localized areas.
What this definition does not explain in detail is that many researchers believe fibromyalgia makes the patient perceive pain as being much worse than it actually is because fibromyalgia affects the way that the brain processes pain signals. Fibromyalgia is often associated with physical trauma, inflammatory disease processes such as rheumatoid arthritis and other chronic pain conditions. People who suffer from fibromyalgia can be misdiagnosed easily because of the similarity of symptoms it shares with other ailments.
Simply receiving a diagnosis for fibromyalgia from a healthcare provider can often be a long and torturous road for those suffering from the ailment.
Aside from the chronic pain that fibromyalgia is known for, it is also known to cause symptoms like:
Fatigue
Many people who suffer from fibromyalgia report that they feel tired regardless of how much they sleep. Many people suffering from fibromyalgia report other sleep disorders such as sleep apnea, insomnia and restless leg syndrome. These additional ailments coupled with the pain associated with fibromyalgia means that many people with the ailment are unable to receive quality sleep.
Cognitive Difficulties
Many people who suffer from fibromyalgia report feelings of confusion, difficulty paying attention, challenges focusing and challenges concentrating on other mental tasks. This symptom is commonly referred to as “fibro fog.”
Women between the Ages of 40 and 75
While fibromyalgia can affect people of any age and gender, it is most commonly associated with women between the ages of 40 and 75. In Canada alone, fibromyalgia is estimated to affect just under 2% of the population aged 12 years or older, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada. In the United States, this number increases to more than 3.7 million Americans, according to The Arthritis Foundation.
As briefly mentioned above, fibromyalgia is typically associated with other ailments and disease processes. For example, according to Medical News Today, between 20% and 30% of people with rheumatoid arthritis will also develop fibromyalgia. Unfortunately, the cause of this association remains unknown.
Could Fibromyalgia be Caused by Endocannabinoid Deficiencies?
Migraine, fibromyalgia, IBS and related conditions display common clinical, biochemical and pathophysiological patterns that suggest an underlying clinical endocannabinoid deficiency that may be suitably treated with cannabinoid medicines.
– Dr. Ethan B. Russo, GW Pharmaceuticals
From iron deficiency anemia to osteoporosis, rickets and scurvy, there are numerous diseases which affect humans that can be directly linked to nutritional deficiencies. In the past, the causes of many of these ailments were mysterious in origin until someone was able to link them to the deficiency of a specific nutrient.
For example, scurvy killed thousands of sailors for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. Scurvy was first mentioned in written records found in ancient Egypt and at one time it was estimated that up to 50% of sailors could succumb to the disease on any given voyage. It was not until 1795 that sailors were routinely given citrus juice to keep the disease from occurring.
So, what does this have to do with fibromyalgia? Well, the answer may surprise you.
Research that has been underway since 2003 shows that there may be a link between some ailments and a deficiency known as Clinical Endocannabinoid Deficiency (CED). This deficiency may be the root cause of many ailments, including fibromyalgia.
While additional research is still needed to conclude if there is in fact a link between CED and fibromyalgia, the initial results are promising. If CED is the culprit behind fibromyalgia, then cannabinoid supplementation may be able to be used to treat the symptoms of fibromyalgia, or eliminate them altogether, in the future.
This means that the use of cannabis may ultimately prove to be something that eliminates fibromyalgia, much like what vitamin C has done to prevent scurvy. Sadly, we will have to wait until additional scientific research is conducted to see if there is in fact a link between CED and fibromyalgia.
To learn more about CED, we invite you to read our article here.
How Is Fibromyalgia Currently Treated?
There is no cure for fibromyalgia and fibromyalgia therapy is normally aimed at treating the symptoms associated with the ailment. This is done by combining multiple treatments including medications and physical therapy for pain management, as well as counseling for help with stress and depression.
Sadly, even with so many people suffering from fibromyalgia, their medication choices are very limited. According to WebMD, there are only three medications that have been approved by the FDA for treating fibromyalgia. These medications include two antidepressants, duloxetine (Cymbalta) and milnacipran (Savella) as well as one anti-seizure medication, pregabalin (Lyrica).
Medications listed above are often given for reasons other than what they are labeled for. For example, in many cases, antidepressants are primarily given to help alleviate feelings of depression, sadness and to help with sleep. While these issues are present for many people suffering from fibromyalgia, the antidepressants listed above have been shown to also help increase serotonin and norepinephrine which results in helping control fibromyalgia pain.
Other medications that are typically given to help control fibromyalgia pain include NSAIDs like acetaminophen (Tylenol), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), and naproxen sodium (Aleve). It is important to note that narcotic pain relievers are not recommended for the treatment of fibromyalgia pain, as they are known for being highly addictive and can make fibromyalgia pain more severe, rather than alleviating it.
Due to the limited medications available for fibromyalgia and the potential side effects associated with the medications that are available, many people have found themselves seeking alternative therapy options like medical cannabis.
Can Medical Cannabis Help Treat Fibromyalgia?
I have fibromyalgia pain in this arm, and the only thing that offers any relief is marijuana. They’re talking about kids who have grand mal seizures, and they’ve discovered that marijuana eases that down to where these children can have a life. That right there, to me, says, ‘Legalize it across the board!
– Morgan Freeman via The Daily Beast
As mentioned above, there is no cure for fibromyalgia. Instead, therapy options are limited to treating the symptoms of fibromyalgia rather than the ailment itself.
Medical cannabis can often provide relief to many of the symptoms associated with fibromyalgia.
The pain associated with fibromyalgia is often said to be unique and fibromyalgia causes an increase in the perception of pain. Medical cannabis has the potential to affect this pain in a unique way and many medical cannabis users have stated that cannabis is the only thing that helps them find relief from the pain associated with fibromyalgia.
One survey published in the National Pain Report stated:
medical marijuana is far more effective at treating symptoms of fibromyalgia than any of the three prescription drugs approved by the food and drug administration to treat the disorder.
This statement was based on an online survey of more than 1300 fibromyalgia patients. Of these 1300 patients, 62% who had tried medical cannabis stated that it was very effective at treating the symptoms of fibromyalgia, including their chronic pain.
While many people were surprised by how effective medical cannabis was in the survey mentioned above, it is not very surprising because a study published in 2008 by Dr. Ethan Russo outlined how THC is able to reduce the hypersensitivity of pain experienced by both migraine and fibromyalgia patients. It is important to note once again, that fibromyalgia is known to cause an increased perception of pain that is often caused by other pre-existing ailments.
Not only can medical cannabis help alleviate the chronic pain associated with these other ailments, it has also been shown to decrease the perception of pain in people who suffer from fibromyalgia.
Medical cannabis has also been credited by many medical cannabis users as being able to help alleviate the symptoms of fatigue and cognitive difficulties that are also symptoms of fibromyalgia. Members of the medical cannabis community have also stated that cannabis can help alleviate other symptoms associated with fibromyalgia like headaches, anxiety, deep muscle pain, insomnia, irritable bowel syndrome and depression.
Many medical patients also state that they have been able to stop taking other pharmaceutical drugs after using medical cannabis for a while and by learning with their healthcare provider(s) what strains and consumption methods are the most effective at treating their own unique symptoms.
The Important Takeaways from the Medical Cannabis Community and Cannabis Studies
There have been thousands of medical cannabis users who have stated that they were able to find relief from their symptoms of fibromyalgia by using medical cannabis.
However, many in the medical cannabis community have also stated that relief was achieved by closely working with their healthcare provider(s).
Every strain of cannabis does something a little different and because of this it is important that you work directly with your healthcare provider(s) when starting medical cannabis therapy. Doing this will allow you and your healthcare provider(s) to closely monitor what strains are the most effective at treating your unique symptoms.
While the symptoms of fibromyalgia can be universal, every individual who suffers from the ailment has their own unique concerns about specific symptoms.
What are the Best Marijuana Strains for Fibromyalgia?
When it comes to selecting the best medical cannabis strains for your unique fibromyalgia symptoms, there are a few factors that you should consider.
First, while studies have shown that THC is responsible for alleviating the pain that many fibromyalgia sufferers deal with, whole plant CBD extracts have been proven to also influence pain perception and have little to no psychoactive effects since they contain very low amounts of THC.
Second, as mentioned above, everyone has their own goals and objectives for therapy when it comes to dealing with the symptoms of fibromyalgia. As a result of this, it is important to discuss strain options with your healthcare provider(s) prior to beginning medical cannabis therapy. While pain relief is the number one goal for many sufferers of fibromyalgia, others have stated their primary desire is to alleviate fatigue and “fibro fog.” This is important because the strains typically associated with pain management are often not the same strains you would want to consume when trying to alleviate fatigue or “fibro fog.”
To get you started on finding the best cannabis strains for your individual needs, we here at Kanteeva have selected a few of the most popular strains that patients in the medical cannabis community have used to help find relief from the symptoms of fibromyalgia.
What are the Top Strains for Fibromyalgia?
We base these strain recommendations on testimonials from medical cannabis community members, anecdotal research, scientific research and a variety of other factors like accessibility.
Cannatonic
This 50/50 Hybrid strain is very popular among the medical cannabis community for helping to alleviate many of the symptoms associated with fibromyalgia. It often contains a 1:1 ratio of THC to CBD and most samples of Cannatonic have very high CBD levels with both THC and CBD averaging 7%. Cannatonic is a great strain for newcomers to medical cannabis that are seeking relief from their fibromyalgia symptoms.
Harlequin
This Sativa Dominant Hybrid is another strain that is very popular among medical cannabis consumers who are seeking relief from fibromyalgia symptoms. With an ideal CBD to THC ratio of 1:1, this cannabis strain is often a top choice for daytime use among patients suffering from fibromyalgia. It has a low THC content that typically ranges from 4% to 10% and a very high CBD content. Many users state that Cannatonic delivers energizing effects and helps alleviate “fibro fog” while delivering enough pain relief to get through the day.
Granddaddy Purps
This Indica Dominant Hybrid is well known among the medical cannabis community for being an amazing strain to relax with the end of the day. With THC levels that average 21% or higher, Granddaddy Purps delivers a deep body high that helps relax muscles and alleviate pain. Thanks to its very high THC levels, this strain also helps alleviate insomnia, according to many medical cannabis patients. If you are new to medical cannabis start dosing slowly as this strain is known for being overwhelming if you are not accustomed to very high levels of THC.
Final Thoughts
Sadly, fibromyalgia is still a very misunderstood ailment. The biggest battle is often the unseen one, the battle that you face when convincing people in your life that something is truly wrong. Thankfully, more research has been done on this ailment in recent years and the medical community is finally beginning to understand the potential medical benefits of treating fibromyalgia with cannabis therapy.
Finding relief from the symptoms of fibromyalgia can often feel impossible. The positive news is that thousands of people in the medical cannabis community have found relief using medical cannabis for treating their own fibromyalgia symptoms.
If you are interested in starting a medical cannabis program for the treatment of your fibromyalgia symptoms, we strongly suggest that you speak with your healthcare provider(s) and join the Kanteeva community for more helpful information from other patients and practitioners.
We Want to Hear from You
Have you or a loved one found relief from the symptoms of fibromyalgia by using medical cannabis? If you have, we would love to hear from you!
Please help us spread the word about the amazing benefits that medical cannabis patients are finding all over the world by becoming part of our community.
With your help, thousands of others could finally find relief too.
Please share your stories, comments, and questions below. If you are a medical cannabis patient, please also mention what strain has been effective at helping you find relief.
Thank you for taking the time to read this article, we look forward to hearing your story soon!
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