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. 2023 Jul;13(7):e3072.
doi: 10.1002/brb3.3072. Epub 2023 May 18.

Assessment of clinical outcomes in patients with fibromyalgia: Analysis from the UK Medical Cannabis Registry

Claire Wang  1 , Simon Erridge  1   2 , Carl Holvey  2 , Ross Coomber  2   3 , Azfer Usmani  2 , Mohammed Sajad  2 , Rahul Guru  2 , Wendy Holden  2 , James J Rucker  2   4   5 , Michael W Platt  1   2 , Mikael H Sodergren  1   2
Affiliations

Assessment of clinical outcomes in patients with fibromyalgia: Analysis from the UK Medical Cannabis Registry

Claire Wang et al. Brain Behav. 2023 Jul.

Abstract

Introduction: There are limited therapeutic options for individuals with fibromyalgia. The aim of this study is to analyze changes in health-related quality of life and incidence of adverse events of those prescribed cannabis-based medicinal products (CBMPs) for fibromyalgia.

Methods: Patients treated with CBMPs for a minimum of 1 month were identified from the UK Medical Cannabis Registry. Primary outcomes were changes in validated patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). A p-value of <.050 was deemed statistically significant.

Results: In total, 306 patients with fibromyalgia were included for analysis. There were improvements in global health-related quality of life at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months (p < .0001). The most frequent adverse events were fatigue (n = 75; 24.51%), dry mouth (n = 69; 22.55%), concentration impairment (n = 66; 21.57%), and lethargy (n = 65; 21.24%).

Conclusion: CBMP treatment was associated with improvements in fibromyalgia-specific symptoms, in addition to sleep, anxiety, and health-related quality of life. Those who reported prior cannabis use appeared to have a greater response. CBMPs were generally well-tolerated. These results must be interpreted within the limitations of study design.

Keywords: cannabidiol; fibromyalgia; medical cannabis; tetrahydrocannabinol.

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Conflict of interest statement

Claire Wang is a medical student at Imperial College London. Claire Wang has no shareholdings in pharmaceutical companies. Simon Erridge is a junior doctor and undertakes paid consultancy work at Sapphire Medical Clinics (London). Simon Erridge is a research fellow at Imperial College London. Simon Erridge has no shareholdings in pharmaceutical companies. Carl Holvey is chief clinical pharmacist at Sapphire Medical Clinics (London). Carl Holvey has no shareholdings in pharmaceutical companies. Ross Coomber is a consultant orthopedic surgeon at St George's Hospital, London and a director at Sapphire Medical Clinics (London). Ross Coomber has no shareholdings in pharmaceutical companies. Azfer Usmani is a pain specialist at Sapphire Medical Clinics (London) and a consultant at Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust. Azfer Usmani has no shareholdings in pharmaceutical companies. Mohammed Sajad is a pain specialist at Sapphire Medical Clinics (London) and a consultant at Dudley Group of Hospitals NHS Trust. Mohammed Sajad has no shareholdings in pharmaceutical companies. Rahul Guru is a pain specialist at Sapphire Medical Clinics (London). Rahul Guru has no shareholdings in pharmaceutical companies. Wendy Holden is a pain specialist at Sapphire Medical Clinics (London). Wendy Holden is a specialist advisor to Arthritis Action, a U.K. charity founded to help individuals with arthritis. Wendy Holden has no shareholdings in pharmaceutical companies. James J. Rucker is a consultant psychiatrist, a director, and a shareholder at Sapphire Medical Clinics (London). James J. Rucker is an honorary consultant psychiatrist at The South London & Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, and an NIHR Clinician Scientist Fellow at the Centre for Affective Disorders at King's College London. James J. Rucker is funded by a fellowship (CS‐2017‐17‐007) from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). James J. Rucker leads the Psychedelic Trials Group at King's College London. King's College London receives grant funding from COMPASS Pathways PLC to undertake phase 1 and phase 2 trials with psilocybin. COMPASS Pathways PLC has paid for James J. Rucker to attend trial‐related meetings and conferences to present the results of research using psilocybin. James J. Rucker has undertaken paid consultancy work for Beckley PsyTech and Clerkenwell Health. Payments for consultancy work are received and managed by King's College London and James J. Rucker does not benefit personally. James J. Rucker has no shareholdings in pharmaceutical companies. Michael W. Platt is a consultant in pain services at Sapphire Medical Clinics (London). Michael W. Platt has no shareholdings in pharmaceutical companies. Mikael Sodergren is a consultant hepatopancreatobiliary surgeon at Imperial College NHS Trust, London. He is a senior clinical lecturer at Imperial College London. He is the Managing Director of Sapphire Medical Clinics (London). He is the Chief Medical Officer of Curaleaf International. The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR, or the Department of Health.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Baseline and follow‐up doses of oral morphine equivalent at 1 month, 3 months, and date of extraction with paired significance analysis (*p < .050; **p < .010; ***p < .001; n = 134).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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