Story at a glance
- As more states opt to legalize medical cannabis, patients are using the substance to treat symptoms for a wide range of ailments.
- Despite no clinical trials proving the efficacy and safety of medical cannabis use for menopause symptoms, the majority of individuals queried in a recent survey reported doing just that.
- In a survey of more than 250 perimenopausal and postmenopausal women, more than 85 percent reported using medical cannabis.
In recent years, medical cannabis has been used to treat a host of symptoms ranging from those of Parkinson’s disease to side effects of chemotherapy.
Now, a new survey from the North American Menopause Society (NAMS) shows more women are turning to the treatment during perimenopause and postmenopause, too.
Perimenopause is defined as as the time period when an individual’s ovaries gradually stop working, and it can include symptoms like irregular menstrual flow, hot flashes or night sweats. Postmenopause is the time following menopause when an individual’s period has stopped for 12 consecutive months.
To better understand medical cannabis use among these cohorts, researchers conducted a survey of 131 perimenopausal and 127 postmenopausal individuals. They found individuals experiencing perimenopause reported higher incidence of depression and anxiety diagnose and were more likely use medical cannabis to treat menopause-related mood and anxiety symptoms than postmenopausal individuals.
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Eighty-six percent of the total cohort reported currently using cannabis as an adjunct treatment for menopause-related symptoms, the most common of which were sleep disturbances and mood and anxiety. Smoking and edibles were the most popular form of ingestion
Menopause-related symptoms are caused by fluctuating hormones, and although hormone replacement therapy is an option for managing these symptoms, many women are unable or not willing to use this option, creating an opportunity for alternative options.
Thus far, only observational studies have been carried out assessing medical cannabis’ effect on anxiety, mood, sleep and pain, while no studies have investigated the substance’s safety or efficacy for menopause-related symptoms.
“Given the lack of clinical trial data on the efficacy and safety of medical cannabis for management of menopause symptoms, more research is needed before this treatment can be recommended in clinical practice,” said NAMS Medical Director Stephanie Faubion in a statement.
“Healthcare professionals should query their patients about the use of medical cannabis for menopause symptoms and provide evidence-based recommendations for symptom management.”
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