Two-Thirds of Women with Chronic Pelvic Pain and Fibromyalgia Have Tried CBD, with 81% Reporting Pain Improvement

36.3% never used CBD, 29.2% past users, 34.5% current users. Among current users, 80.9% reported pain improvement. Those with pain improvement also reported better sleep, anxiety, depression, fatigue, and overall health. Many substituted CBD for at least one other medication. About half reported side effects, most minor (drowsiness 29% most common).

Cross-sectional secondary analysis of online survey distributed through the National Fibromyalgia Association (April-May 2020). Limited to participants with concurrent chronic pelvic pain diagnoses. 1,382 included participants.

Chronic pelvic pain and fibromyalgia are notoriously difficult to treat. The high CBD use rate and self-reported symptom improvement, along with medication substitution, suggest patients are finding relief that conventional treatments may not provide — though placebo effects cannot be ruled out.

The medication substitution finding is significant — if CBD allows patients to reduce use of opioids or other high-risk medications, it could represent meaningful harm reduction, even if its mechanisms are not fully understood.

Self-reported outcomes susceptible to placebo and expectancy effects. Survey distributed through patient advocacy organization (selection bias). No control group. Cross-sectional design cannot establish causation. 2020 survey may not reflect current landscape.