In the bodies of many women, the pain of endometriosis imposes itself as a silent and exhausting routine. Amid appointments, treatments, and attempts at relief, a promise now emerges: cannabidiol (CBD), extracted from cannabis, is beginning to gain ground as a possible ally in caring for this chronic condition.

Researchers from the Centre for Reproductive Health at the University of Edinburgh, including Dr. Lucy Whitaker, Prof. Andrew Horne, and Prof. Philippa Saunders, highlight in a review published in Trends in Pharmacological Sciences that CBD appears as a "promising therapeutic agent" in the treatment of endometriosis.

The disease, characterized by the growth of tissue similar to the endometrium outside the uterus, affects millions of women worldwide. Symptoms go beyond intense pain during menstruation: they can include discomfort during sexual intercourse, fatigue, gastrointestinal changes, and even emotional impacts such as anxiety, depression, and infertility.

What the research says

The review analyzed studies with patients and animal models, pointing out different mechanisms of action of CBD, such as analgesic, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, anti-angiogenic, antiproliferative, and neuroprotective effects. Factors such as available formulations, pharmacokinetics, and the progress of clinical trials in pain conditions were also considered.

Patient reports reinforce the potential: many claim that CBD-based products are well-tolerated and bring benefits beyond pain relief, reaching associated symptoms such as gastrointestinal disorders, mood changes, and sleep difficulties.

Path to new treatments

Despite the advances, experts emphasize that solid evidence from controlled placebo clinical trials is still lacking, essential to definitively prove the efficacy of CBD in the treatment of endometriosis. The expectation is that new relevant data will be released in the next two to three years.

In this movement, the company Ananda Developments, in partnership with the University of Edinburgh, received funding from the NHS to conduct the ENDOCAN clinical trial, which investigates a CBD oil formulation specifically targeted at patients with endometriosis.

With information from Cannabis Health News.