Australian researchers are looking into the potential for medicinal cannabis in the management of a serious condition affecting many women.
Often painful and sometimes debilitating, endometriosis is a condition whereby tissue similar to that of the lining of the womb grows outside it. Treatment ranges from simple pain relief to invasive approaches include laparoscopy and hysterectomy.
Back in 2018, we mentioned research indicating 13 per cent of Australian women with endometriosis using self-care strategies had turned to cannabis to help manage their symptoms. There also appears to be a high level of illicit cannabis use for endometriosis management instead of accessing it using a legal pathway – perhaps due to stigma, regulatory hurdles and cost.
With around 10% of Australian women afflicted with endometriosis at some point in their lives, it’s an important and prevalent issue needing more research on treatment options – including medicinal cannabis.
Deakin University’s EndoCannED trial in delving into the potential for prescribing medicinal cannabis instead of opioids to those living with the condition to reduce presentations to hospital emergency departments.
Professor Antonina Mikocka-Walus from Deakin’s Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development (SEED) says opioids are often ineffective in managing endometriosis and are unsuitable for long term treatment.
“Women with endometriosis have a four times greater risk of chronic opioid use compared to women without,” says Professor Mikocka-Walus. “Despite substantial use of these medications most people with endometriosis in Australia report poor pain and symptom control.”
In the Deakin trial involving 63 patients living in Victoria, an oral cannabidiol (CBD) isolate will be administered as a daily treatment. In addition to monitoring emergency department presentation rates, the study will also track pelvic pain severity in participants, general symptom severity, analgesic consumption, fatigue, and health-related quality of life changes.
Results from the project, which is being supported by the Victorian Government and NICM Health Research Institute, are expected to be delivered by April 2024.
Further information on the EndoCannED study can be found here. The NICM page indicates as well as CBD oil alone, part of the trial will involve CBD oil plus the use of vapourised medicinal cannabis flower containing a moderate amount of THC to be used for breakthrough pain of 6/10 or more. Another group of participants will receive a placebo oil without any active components.
