Cannabis Rated the Best Treatment for Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is a disorder accompanied by chronic fatigue, feelings of deep muscle pain, migraine headaches and depression. Although patients who suffer from the condition have the choice of three prescription drugs, good old cannabis has been shown to outshine any medications cooked up synthetically in the laboratory. In a recent online survey conducted by The National Pain Foundation, more than 1300 sufferers of fibromyalgia have participated. The result is that cannabis was named as the most effective for treating symptoms.



Most of fibromyalgia patients who took part in the survey reported that they have tried all three available prescription medications, including Lyrica, Cymbalta and Savella, but that none of these pharmaceuticals was as effective at eliminating or relieving their bothersome and debilitating symptoms as was cannabis. It is estimated that in America alone, at least 5 million people suffer fibromyalgia to some degree. Nine out of ten fibromyalgia sufferers are female.

Currently there is no well established cure for this disruptive disorder and many sufferers struggle to maintain any quality of life due to being in a constant state of pain and low energy. The Chairman of the National Pain Foundation, Dr. Dan Bennett, said he is supportive of patients using what he considers an "out of the box" remedy.



The numbers are quite impressive: According to the survey, less than one out of ten Cymbalta users said it worked for them. Three out of five fibromyalgia sufferers who took Lyrica for the disorder also reported they experienced no positive results from taking this medication. Savella was characterized as the least effective of the three FDA-approved medications, with almost 7 out of ten respondents saying it offered no help at all. In contrast, more than 60% of those surveyed characterized cannabis as proving very effective in reducing or eliminating symptoms.