Endometriosis
Medical Cannabis helping Endometriosis Patients
Endometriosis pain relief is not the only thing medical cannabis can help with. It is a condition defined by the growth of tissue similar to that of the lining of the womb (endometrium) outside of the womb itself. This tissue is typically found in or around pelvic structures such as the bladder, ovaries, colon, and rectum. Research has shown that medical cannabis can stop the cells from multiplying and thus spreading.
It is estimated that around 10% of women between the age of 25-40 are affected by endometriosis, however, the true prevalence is not known as some women may be asymptomatic. On average it takes 7.5 years from the onset of symptoms to get a diagnosis of endometriosis.
Endometriosis can present differently in every woman, and as previously mentioned some women are completely asymptomatic. Symptoms are rare following menopause as the female hormone, oestrogen, is required for endometriosis.
Some symptoms may include:
- Painful periods. The pain typically begins a few days before the period and usually lasts the whole of the period. It is different from normal period pain which is usually not as severe and doesn’t last as long.
- Painful sex
- Pain in the lower abdomen and pelvis
- Reduced fertility
- Fatigue
- Pain on passing a bowel motion
- Pain on passing urine
- Low back pain
- Blood in the urine or poo
The cause of endometriosis is not known. However, the most common theory is that the lining of the womb (endometrium) escapes into the pelvis from the womb via the fallopian tubes during menstruation.
There appears to be a genetic predisposition to endometriosis, however, no specific gene has been identified to cause endometriosis.
On average it takes 7-8 years from the onset of symptoms to get a diagnosis of endometriosis. Many women are satisfactorily treated with either hormonal or non-hormonal treatment in primary care without a formal diagnosis of endometriosis.
The only way to definitively diagnose endometriosis is via laparoscopy, a keyhole operation made under a general anaesthetic to visualise endometrial deposits inside the pelvis and abdomen. In some cases, an ultrasound may be used to aid a diagnosis.
Treating endometriosis with medical cannabis
Management of endometriosis is largely dependent on the underlying symptoms for which a patient is seeking treatment.
According to Endometriosis UK, it takes an average of seven and a half years from onset of symptoms to get a diagnosis, and the condition costs the UK economy £8.2bn a year in treatment, loss of work and healthcare costs.
There is currently no cure, and treatment is limited to painkillers, hormonal contraception, or surgery to cut away the scar tissue. In more severe cases, the only option may be a full hysterectomy to remove part or all of the affected organs.
Medicinal cannabis can be considered for endometriosis-related pain when first-line therapies have not reached satisfactory usefulness.
While using cannabis as a painkiller is nothing new, experts believe that its use for endometriosis may be down to more than simply alleviating pain.
Research has found that cannabinoids also help by:
- Stopping the endometrial cells from multiplying
- Preventing them from migrating to other parts of the reproductive system
- Stopping the blood supply to the lesions – effectively starving them of the nutrients they need to grow
- Regulating nerve growth
- Reducing inflammation
- Modulating the immune response
- Desensitising the nerves that transmit pain.
Some scientists believe that dysfunction in a woman’s endocannabinoid system – the molecular system responsible for regulating and balancing processes in the body, including immune response – may be behind endometriosis.
