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 .
Nabilone for the treatment of pain in fibromyalgia.
UNLABELLED A r and omized , double-blind , placebo-controlled trial was conducted to determine the benefit of nabilone in pain management and quality of life improvement in 40 patients with fibromyalgia . After a baseline assessment , subjects were titrated up on nabilone , from 0.5 mg PO at bedtime to 1 mg BID over 4 weeks or received a corresponding placebo . At the 2- and 4-week visits , the primary outcome measure , visual analog scale ( VAS ) for pain , and the secondary outcome measures , number of tender points , the average tender point pain threshold , and the Fibromyalgia Impact Question naire ( FIQ ) , were evaluated . After a 4-week washout period , subjects returned for re assessment of the outcome measures . There were no significant differences in population demographics between groups at baseline . There were significant decreases in the VAS ( -2.04 , P < .02 ) , FIQ ( -12.07 , P < .02 ) , and anxiety ( -1.67 , P < .02 ) in the nabilone treated group at 4 weeks . There were no significant improvements in the placebo group . The treatment group experienced more side effects per person at 2 and 4 weeks ( 1.58 , P < .02 and 1.54 , P < .05 ) , respectively . Nabilone appears to be a beneficial , well-tolerated treatment option for fibromyalgia patients , with significant benefits in pain relief and functional improvement . PERSPECTIVE To our knowledge , this is the first r and omized , controlled trial to assess the benefit of nabilone , a synthetic cannabinoid , on pain reduction and quality of life improvement in patients with fibromyalgia . As nabilone improved symptoms and was well-tolerated , it may be a useful adjunct for pain management in fibromyalgia
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 .