Background: Neuropathic pain and other pain disorders have received attention as potential indications for use of cannabis-based medicines or medical cannabis (CBM/MC). Evidence regarding the efficacy and safety of CBM/MC for pain disorders is, however, insufficient. Denmark introduced a pilot programme of medical cannabis in January 2018. We aimed to evaluate efficacy, safety, and non-specific effects of CBM/MC used under the pilot programme compared with controls.
Methods: We conducted a nationwide register-based cohort study in Denmark, identifying all individuals redeeming at least one prescription for CBM/MC for either neuropathic pain (n = 1817) or other and unspecified pain disorders (n = 924), and to match one control to each case using propensity score matching.
Results: Among both patient groups, users of THC used more opioids during follow-up than controls. Among patients with neuropathic pain, however, users of either CBD, THC, or combined CBD + THC used less gabapentin than controls. Users of all three classes of CBM/MC were hospitalized fewer days than controls among neuropathic-pain patients but not among patients with other or unspecified pain disorders.
Conclusions: CBM/MC were generally safe and even displayed some positive effects among patients with neuropathic pain. We conclude that CBM/MC are safe and possibly efficacious for patients with neuropathic pain but not patients with other pain disorders.
Significance: Patients with neuropathic pain may benefit from treatment with cannabis-based medicines or medical cannabis (CBM/MC), particularly in terms of reduced use of gabapentin and fewer days admitted to hospitals, compared with propensity score matched controls. CBM/MC did not, however, reduce the use of opioids. We did not find evidence that CBM/MC were effective for patients with other pain disorders.
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Int J Pharm
January 2025
College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; Dr. Li Dak Sum & Yip Yio Chin Center for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; Jinhua Institute of Zhejiang University, Jinhua 321002, China; State Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Delivery and Release Systems, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; Department of Pharmacy, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310009, China. Electronic address:
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Placebo analgesia is caused by inactive treatment, implicating endogenous brain function involvement. However, the neurobiological basis remains unclear. In this study, we found that μ-opioid signals in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) activate the descending pain inhibitory system to initiate placebo analgesia in neuropathic pain rats.
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The use of antidepressant medications in the treatment of lichen simplex chronicus (LSC) also known as neurodermatitis, is not well-documented in the literature. The primary aim of our study is to evaluate the impact of duloxetine 30 mg on the quality of life in patients with LSC, focusing on both pruritus and psychopathological aspects. The secondary aim is to investigate the relationship between LSC and anxiety and depression.
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