Male Fibromyalgia Patients Were More Likely to Use Medical Cannabis

Among 3,044 fibromyalgia patients, 48% of males received medical cannabis treatment compared to 34.6% of females. Male patients were diagnosed later (52.7 vs 44.9 years), had more PTSD (14% vs 5.7%), and more sleep apnea (6.7% vs 1.8%). Females had higher obesity rates (16% vs 9.2%).

Retrospective cross-sectional study of all fibromyalgia patients in a tertiary hospital electronic medical record database from 2010-2021. Compared 401 male patients against a random cohort of 438 female patients with individual file review.

Fibromyalgia research has focused primarily on women due to the condition's female predominance. Understanding how male patients differ, including their significantly higher rates of medical cannabis use, can inform more tailored treatment approaches.

The higher medical cannabis use among male fibromyalgia patients may reflect gender differences in treatment-seeking, pain management preferences, or PTSD comorbidity. As medical cannabis becomes more accessible, understanding these patterns helps clinicians provide appropriate care.

Single tertiary center in Israel, where medical cannabis is more accessible than in many countries. Retrospective design cannot determine why males used more medical cannabis. Did not assess cannabis treatment outcomes.