Most trials showed improvement in symptoms associated with cannabinoids but these associations did not reach statistical significance in all trials .
There was an increased risk of short-term AEs with cannabinoids , including serious AEs .
Common AEs included dizziness , dry mouth , nausea , fatigue , somnolence , euphoria , vomiting , disorientation , drowsiness , confusion , loss of balance , and hallucination .
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE There was moderate- quality evidence to support the use of cannabinoids for the treatment of chronic pain and spasticity .
There was low- quality evidence suggesting that cannabinoids were associated with improvements in nausea and vomiting due to chemotherapy , weight gain in HIV infection , sleep disorders , and Tourette syndrome .
Cannabinoids were associated with an increased risk of short-term AEs
IMPORTANCE Cannabis and cannabinoid drugs are widely used to treat disease or alleviate symptoms , but their efficacy for specific indications is not clear .
OBJECTIVE To conduct a systematic review of the benefits and adverse events ( AEs ) of cannabinoids .
Prospective randomized double-blind trial of nabilone versus domperidone in the treatment of cytotoxic-induced emesis
Summary A prospect i ve r and omized double-blind trial comparing the butyrophenone analogue domperidone ( D ) and the synthetic cannabinoid nabilone ( N ) in the treatment of cytotoxic-induced emesis was conducted in 38 patients receiving highly emetogenic chemotherapy regimens ( 70 % containing cisplatin ) . Patients received 20 mg D or 1 mg N the night before chemotherapy and 8-hourly on each chemotherapy day for two consecutive cycles of treatment . Three of 19 patients r and omized to N completed only one cycle because of disease progression ( 2 ) or subjectively adverse effects ( 1 ) . Four of 19 patients completed only one cycle of D because of lack of efficacy ( 3 ) or chemotherapy toxicity ( 1 ) . In all , 32 cycles of N and 33 cycles of D were evaluable for efficacy . The mean number of vomiting episodes in cycle 1 was 4.76 for N and 12.95 for D ( P<0.02 ) . The corresponding values for cycle 2 were 4.27 and 7.69 ( P>0.10 ) , and for cycles 1 and 2 combined , 4.53 for N and 10.81 for D ( P<0.01 ) . Nausea and food intake scores did not differ significantly , although there was a trend towards less nausea and an increased food intake with N. Subjectively adverse effects were more frequent with N and included drowsiness , dizziness , dry mouth , and postural hypotension . N is superior to D for the control of cytotoxic-induced emesis
Most trials showed improvement in symptoms associated with cannabinoids but these associations did not reach statistical significance in all trials .
There was an increased risk of short-term AEs with cannabinoids , including serious AEs .
Common AEs included dizziness , dry mouth , nausea , fatigue , somnolence , euphoria , vomiting , disorientation , drowsiness , confusion , loss of balance , and hallucination .
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE There was moderate- quality evidence to support the use of cannabinoids for the treatment of chronic pain and spasticity .
There was low- quality evidence suggesting that cannabinoids were associated with improvements in nausea and vomiting due to chemotherapy , weight gain in HIV infection , sleep disorders , and Tourette syndrome .
Cannabinoids were associated with an increased risk of short-term AEs
IMPORTANCE Cannabis and cannabinoid drugs are widely used to treat disease or alleviate symptoms , but their efficacy for specific indications is not clear .
OBJECTIVE To conduct a systematic review of the benefits and adverse events ( AEs ) of cannabinoids .