Ask Dr. Patel: Medical Marijuana for Fibromyalgia

Wendy Hendersonby Wendy Henderson

In Social Clips.

In this video from The Medical Marijuana Expert, Dr. Rachna Patel talks about the use of medical marijuana (cannabis) in fibromyalgia patients and its pain-relieving properties.

Cannabis pain patch is for fibromyalgia is greatly anticipated. Find out more.

Dr. Patel reads a letter she received from a fibromyalgia patient in her late 50s who was looking for an alternative to the medications she’s taking for the condition, which she feels don’t work for her pain and fatigue symptoms. Dr. Patel talks about a study that looked at the effects of medical marijuana on fibromyalgia pain, and how it has worked for her patients.

Find out about the four R’s of fibromyalgia treatment here. 

Fibromyalgia News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.

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30 comments

  1. doro says:

    i have fibro since 1997 gets worse as time goes on hard to get a dr to prescribe these pills and do they work i would be available for a trial i am 78 yrs old female also have arthritis and thyroid

  2. Carey C says:

    Dr. Patel, In your video you mention that there was a study done in 2011 concerning Medical Marijuana and Fibromyalgia. Do you have that study info, and any other info on related studies that you can share? My current Rheumatologist won’t consider Medical Marijuana as an alternative to prescription drugs because he says (and I quote) “there is not ONE study out there that show Medical Marijuana has ANY positive effects on pain, sleeping or anxiety”. I am at a cross roads of how to manage my pain because many of the scripts I’ve been given haven’t worked for me. Please advise.
    Thank you.

    • Leslie Cole says:

      I’m sorry to hear that I’ve had for over 17 years I’m used medical marijuana for many of them I started using CBDs also CBD cured my deep debilitating muscle pain after 6 months. Marijuana seems to make my pain tolerance higher it helps me a lot I hope this helps you

    • Gerrie Harshbarger says:

      I am 82 and have Fibro for many years. My doctors have tried every med. for chronic pain with me either getting allergic to the med. or it not working. Thank heavens, my primary dr. gave me an okay for medical marijuana and it has been a huge help. It is very expensive tho.
      I live in IL. where it is legal. You have to have a doctor’s okay, have your pic. taken and fingerprinted. Fibro is one of the illnesses that you can get medical marijuana for.

    • M Walker says:

      That’s not true. There are several studies you can find online. In the USA also in Barcelona University.
      I have been taking CBD oil for 7 months and my life has totally changed. Pain is much less. If I have pain or stiffness I take a drop of oil otherwise one drop before bed rubbed into my gum.

  3. james milne says:

    I would love to try medical marijuana but living in the Uk makes that difficult well illegal, is there something similar that I could purchase where the effects would be similar?

  4. Irene Ireland says:

    I just listned to your video and it sounds too good to be true. I have had fibromyalgia for 10 years at least. I have tried several remedies none that work.I ache from head to toe several pressure points that even I can’t touch. My shoulder blades, knees, and my rib cage I haven;t wore a bra in years it’s just too painfull. I live in Canada can I get this help here to try it.

    • Johanne says:

      I live in Canada also and I too have severe fibromyalgia. I’ve been taking Hydromorph at the same dose for years and I looked for an alternative to pharmaceutical drugs. Cannabis WORKS. Ask your doctor for a referral to Canadian Cannabis Clinics. If there isn’t one near you, you may find a doctor who will work with a supplier directly. I hope you find real relief soon.

    • Becki says:

      You can get a medical certificate for cannabis from most Dr or dispensaries in Canada. Irene I am on the prairies and went to Calgary to get mine. I order monthly and it delivered to the door. Cost is about the same as my narcotics was costing me. I haven’t found a strain that works perfect for me cause each strain does something different, but I am close. Don’t give up it does help for better than most remedies without the supreme high like the 60’s.. look for high CBD’s and lower THC. Good Luck !

  5. Laurie Evans says:

    What form of marijuana treatment is recommended? My understanding is that there are different forms of it. The dr. on this page mentioned results, but what treatment form of marijuana was that using?
    Also, I live in MN. I believe it was recently made legal here, but someone told me insurance won’t cover it & it’s expensive. Is that true? Do you think that will change over time?
    Thank you.

    • Tim Bossie says:

      There are several different ways to use this type of treatment. Many people use patches and small dosages of edibles. We can not tell you for certain if insurance will cover your specific use and need, but do know that there are many people who are not covered.

    • Leslie Cole says:

      Iv had fibro for 17 yrs mmj helps so much I have used it 15 yrs it makes my pain tolarence higher, the best part is CBD’S. CBD does have 3% thc but not enough to get u stoned,I took cbd for 6 mo 2 yrsago and my debilataing deep muscle pain is GONE!!!!!!! I still have other pain spasms and stifnes but they are nothing compared to the deep mus. Pain. I found that smoking does help along with the cbd’s I like them separate so I could take more cbd. So I’m not so stoned u can get them
      Online or at the mmj stores they have diffrent % 80% cbd 20% thc. Or 100% cbd so u can control your high for those that are not use to being stoned !! CBD ARE THE BOMB! (THEY ALSO HELPED A FRIEND WHO Has bone cancer he had cemo no help ,stemcell(somthing like that) did not stop he tried cbd’ and is now in remission yea!) Goodluck I hope an pray I helped leslie

    • Karen says:

      Hi Laurie; I’ve had fibro, sjogrens and CFS for over 50 years. I no longer ingest opioids but I do take RSO (Ricky Simmons Oil) infused in coconut oil placed into capsules. It has helped me greatly! My dentist told me that smoking actually helps with inflammation. I personally can’t smoke it which is why I take the capsules. I also have oil that I place into lotions and rub in places that hurt. Occasionally, for an extra pain relief boost, I’ll eat 1/4 of a soft candy or a small piece of hard candy for relief. It keeps me going with my busy schedule and remodeling work. True, insurance does not cover cannabis at this time. If you can grow your own that will cut down on your cost (I’m learning to make RSO for personal use). Check out RSO on-line.

    • Gerrie Harshbarger says:

      I live in IL. where medical marijuana is legal. Yes, it is expensive. I pay approx. $100 – $150 each month. Insurance does not pay for it. There are many kinds. We now have the patch, and little chewy’s, an oil kind you put inside your lip, and the kind I now use, a cream that you rub on your wrist. I only use CBD that does not make you addicted.

  6. Elisabeth Mack says:

    I’ve been a fiber patient since 1994. Nothing really worked and for years I was using motrin, flexeril, and fiorinal, after deciding the vicodin needed to go. About a year ago I began using medical marijuana in the form of CBD concentrates and very low doses of edibles and a hit or two from a vape pen daily. Now I’m taking 1 -2, and sometimes 0 pills a day. That used to be 8+ pills…now next to nothing. In August I had ligament reconstruction to my R shoulder and in one day, I was off the oxycontin and taking just CBD/THC chocolate and the CBD concentrate. It is truly amazing and I have my life back!

  7. Nichola Harrison says:

    Hi,
    I’ve had fibro for as long as I remember (childhood) but diagnosed finally in 2009. I have tried EVERYTHING, and travelled the world looking for a cure. I am at my wits end. I really want to try these patches, these could be my last resort and my saviour, I’m tired of taking prescribed drugs,they have pretty much destroyed my life, and my intestines!!

    Regards,

    Nichola

  9. Willie says:

    I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 1997. I tried every kind of treatment that was suggested by my doctors. Nothing helped. I had bad reactions to all of the meds they tried. In 2008, I had colon cancer. (I am now cancer free!) During chemo it was suggested that I try cannabis to treat the nausea and pain. It made a tremendous difference. Not only did it help with the nausea but my fibro pain decreased. The chemo seemed to “turn up the volume” on the fibro pain. I have gotten more relief from marijuana than any of the prescribed meds and with absolutely no bad side-effects.

    They just approved medical marijuana in my state but it will be at least two years before anyone can get it. I am not waiting for the state to get their act together. If there is any crime involved here it is the government that is at fault for preventing us from getting an effective treatment.

  10. Jessica says:

    I am 27 years old I have been living with fibromyalgia for about 5 years now well since I was diagnosed properly. I was put on a few different medications and I could not take any of them. They made me more depressed and more tired. All i wanted to do was sleep. So I took myself off all medications. A friend of mine went to Colorado this past spring and brought back some edibles as well as a few different strands of medical marijuana with a higher cbd dose than thc. I get the indica and sativa mixed up but he was recommended a certain strand and when he brought it back and I tried it. It was the first time when I felt absolutely no pain almost. It was nice because I didnt have the head high but my body was so relieved. I also had some cbd patches. They were Mary medicinal brand and I wore them for up to 12 hours a day. It makes me want to move there as I am having problems with getting on the medical card for it due to my doctor situation. But good luck!

  11. Wendy says:

    Thank you Dr. Patel for your video.
    These are my questions: 1) Are there any specific strains you recommend for specific symptoms? (For example, I have heard that Indica is better for sleep, but there are so many strains of indica; where to start?) I am most interested in pain relief and sleep.
    2) Are there any strains recommended for flare breakthrough pain?
    3) Are there any recommended strains for ‘roving’ pain? What I mean by roving pain is you grab your right ribs because they hurt, but now your left hand and wrist hurt because you used them to grab your rib, and now the ribs on your left side hurt because you used your arm to grab your ribs that initially hurt on your right side?
    4) Links to study results (hopefully more than one study) to enlighten closed-minded doctors.
    5) Recommendations on CBD/THC ratios
    6) Are there other endocannabinoids that specifically target pain other than CBDs and THC?

    Thanks again for your help. After what I’ve experienced, I am about to give up on doctors altogether when it comes to seeking treatment for fibro.

    I appreciate your help!

    • Tim Bossie says:

      Wow… you really do have some questions! We would recommend that you go to the video on this page and click on the YouTube button in order to leave your questions there. Dr. Patel will be able to see them there rather than on our site.

  12. Terri Neal says:

    I am going through a series of 6 one hour sessions in what is called the Magnetosphere (Clearwater Fla- EpicClinics.com). It treats the body with the same degree of magnetic energy that is in the human body. I was ofcourse skeptical at first but BC I’m not getting enough relief from Lyrica, I decided to give it a try. It is amazing how much it has helped greatly reduce my pain after four sessions. This therapy is discounted 20% if you buy the package if 6 sessions. Insurance and Medicare do not pay.

  13. may says:

    I have had fibromyalgia for many years. I had bad reactions to pharmaceuticals. finally my rheumatologist ok’d me for medical marijuana. here in my sate it is legal but they make it hard to get. it is expensive and you have to travel a good distance to pick it up at a registered distribution center. I have one strain for the day and another for the night. it has changed my life. I am an 84 active women who is busy in many activities. my head is clear now – no fibro fog. however somedays, even though I take a very small dose, I am “loony”. happily doing nothing. I don’t like that part. will the oil be different? how do I know which companies are legitimate with what they are selling?

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