Medical Cannabis Reduced GI Symptoms in Fibromyalgia Patients Over Six Months | Research

The takeaway

Fibromyalgia patients treated with Bedrocan medical cannabis showed significant improvements in both overall fibromyalgia severity and specific gastrointestinal symptoms including abdominal pain and bloating.

Fibromyalgia patients, gastroenterologists, pain management clinicians, and researchers studying disorders of gut-brain interaction.

What the researchers found

After six months of Bedrocan cannabis treatment, fibromyalgia severity scores decreased significantly (p<0.001), and the intensity-frequency scores for epigastric pain, epigastric burning, abdominal pain, abdominal distension, and bloating all decreased significantly (p<0.01).

Why it matters

Fibromyalgia frequently co-occurs with irritable bowel syndrome and functional dyspepsia, and current treatments for both conditions offer limited relief. Finding a single treatment that addresses both sets of symptoms could meaningfully improve quality of life for this patient population.

The numbers in context

60 patients enrolled. 76.6% (46/60) met criteria for at least one disorder of gut-brain interaction. 16.7% had IBS, 28.3% had functional dyspepsia, 31.7% had both. FIQR severity and five GI symptoms showed statistically significant month-by-month improvement.

How the study worked

Prospective observational study of 60 fibromyalgia patients receiving Bedrocan cannabis treatment for 6 months, assessed at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months using standardized GI symptom questionnaires and the Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQR).

What this study cannot tell us

No control group or placebo comparison. Small sample size of 60 patients. Open-label design introduces expectation bias. Cannot separate cannabis effects from natural symptom fluctuation or regression to the mean.

How to read the evidence

Prospective design with validated outcome measures, but no control group, small sample, and open-label design significantly limit confidence in the findings.

When this study was published

Published 2025.

The bigger picture

The overlap between fibromyalgia and GI disorders suggests shared mechanisms, possibly involving the endocannabinoid system. If cannabis can address both symptom domains simultaneously, it could simplify treatment regimens for patients who currently manage multiple conditions with multiple medications.

Questions still open

Whether the GI improvements persist beyond six months
Which cannabinoid components (THC, CBD, or both) drive the gastrointestinal effects

Common questions

What is Bedrocan?

Bedrocan is a standardized pharmaceutical-grade cannabis product from the Netherlands containing approximately 22% THC and less than 1% CBD. It is one of the most commonly used medical cannabis products in European clinical settings.

Why do so many fibromyalgia patients have digestive problems?

Fibromyalgia and GI disorders like IBS share features of central sensitization, where the nervous system amplifies pain and other signals. The endocannabinoid system, which cannabis interacts with, plays a role in both pain processing and gut function.

Read the original research

The effect of medical cannabis on gastrointestinal symptoms in fibromyalgia and disorders of gut-brain interaction: a patient‑centred real‑world observational study.

Clinical and experimental rheumatology, 43(6), 1074-1081

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Santonicola, Antonella; Moscato, Paolo; Soldaini, Carlo; Loi, Gabriella; Merchionda, Anna; D'Addieco, Paola; Lauritano, Anna; Pellegrino, Greta; Sarzi-Puttini, Piercarlo; Iovino, Paola. (2025). The effect of medical cannabis on gastrointestinal symptoms in fibromyalgia and disorders of gut-brain interaction: a patient‑centred real‑world observational study.. Clinical and experimental rheumatology, 43(6), 1074-1081. https://doi.org/10.55563/clinexprheumatol/o5ck22