Clinical outcomes in patients prescribed Cannabis for post-traumatic stress disorder

Summaries 3 min 18

Font Size

Created On: 13/02/2023

An observational study aimed to investigate alterations in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and adverse events in subjects who were administered Cannabis-based medicinal products (CBMPs) for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) management.

See All

Key take away

Cannabis-based medicinal product treatment is associated with improvements in post-traumatic stress disorder-specific symptoms, sleep, health-related quality of life, and anxiety at up to six months.

Background

Method

A patient case-series from the UK Medical Cannabis Registry was examined. With the use of validated patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), HRQoL was evaluated after one, three, and six months. The Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 4.0 was used to examine adverse events. The statistical significance was characterized as p < 0.050.

Result

Among the 162 patients that were incorporated, 144 (88.89%) patients were current or former Cannabis users. The median daily Cannabidiol and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol doses for the CBMP were 5.00 (IQR: 0.00-70.00) mg and 145.00 (IQR: 100.00-200.00) mg, respectively. Across all follow-up periods, there were significant enhancements in anxiety, sleep quality, and PTSD symptoms (p < 0.050).

As found, 20.37% of subjects (n = 33) experienced 135.8% (n = 220) adverse events, which were categorized as mild or moderate in severity (n = 190, 117.28%). The most frequent symptoms were insomnia and fatigue (n = 20, 12.35%).

Conclusion

Patients who started CBMP treatment experienced enhancements in HRQoL. Analysis of adverse events indicated acceptance and safety for up to six months. This research may help randomized placebo-controlled studies, which are necessary to determine causality and establish the optimal dosage.