Therapeutic use of cannabidiol in endometriosis: literature review

Abstract

Objective: Expose existing therapies for the treatment and monitoring of endometriosis, delving into the use of cannabidiol as a new therapeutic form. Methods: A narrative review of the literature was carried out based on 37 articles that ranged between 2004 and 2022 between March and May 2023. The bibliography included the Portuguese and English languages, preferably from the last 5 years, and were taken from the SciElo databases, PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus. Results: The clinical picture of endometriosis is variable. Symptoms are associated with dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, infertility, chronic pelvic pain, chronic fatigue, ovulatory pain, urinary or intestinal complaints. In patients in whom the clinical condition of endometriosis is minimal, initial treatment can be with progestogens or combined oral contraceptives (OC). There is evidence that cannabis acts to improve pain, quality of life and decrease complications. The vast majority report improvement in sleep quality, decrease in symptoms of nausea and vomiting. Added to this, they were able to completely discontinue medication use, with opioids being the most common class of discontinued analgesics. Current treatment options for endometriosis often affect fertility and can cause undesirable side effects that preclude long-term management of this condition. Conclusion: The main treatments are based on NSAIDs and opioids and, if used chronically, they can cause harm. Therefore, cannabis-based drugs are alternatives to conventional therapies, as they improve pain symptoms, enabling quality of life and reducing complications.