Living with fibromyalgia can be difficult, unpredictable and incredibly painful. This chronic pain disorder is thought to affect up to one in 20 people, most of them being women.
Is there a cure to this debilitating chronic illness?
What do we know about this life-changing condition?
Is CBD oil a magic elixir?
We’ve put together some no-nonsense information on the topic of CBD oil for fibromyalgia; covering everything you need to know about this (often misunderstood) disorder and how it relates to and reacts with, CBD.
Throughout the article, we’ll cover:
- Is CBD good for fibromyalgia?
- What is the correct CBD dosage for fibromyalgia?
- Can CBD make fibromyalgia worse?
In this guide:
What is fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia – often referred to as fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) – is a chronic condition which causes widespread musculoskeletal pain all over the body.
Patients living with FMS often experience chronic pain accompanied by fatigue, sleep issues and memory problems; which can – unsurprisingly – lead to mental health problems, including anxiety and depression.
While condition can be hereditary, it isn’t always. Fibromyalgia can also often co-exist with other conditions including osteoarthritis, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis.
Read more: CBD oil for arthritis
Is CBD oil good for fibromyalgia?
It’s the million-dollar question. Can CBD oil really help this multifaceted and misunderstood condition?
The answer – sadly – is complicated.
There’s currently no cure for fibromyalgia. Advice regarding lifestyle changes, alongside various medications prescribed to aid symptom alleviation, is currently the limit of offerings available to patients.
Meanwhile, there’s not enough clinical evidence to support the idea that using CBD oil for fibromyalgia can help treat the condition or its associated symptoms. Rather, CBD is a tool which supports overall wellness.
So… is it all doom and gloom?
While it isn’t clear – or clinically proven – that CBD can treat fibromyalgia in a medical sense, one of the key theories that currently inform research into chronic pain conditions is that they may be caused by a shortage of endocannabinoids in the body.
So what are endocannabinoids, and why is this relevant? Stick with us, and we’ll talk you through it.
Endocannabinoids are naturally occurring receptors in the body. While still little understood, they are believed to manage functions such as sleep, mood and our response to pain. Pretty important stuff, we’d say!
One theory is that CBD attaches itself to our endocannabinoid receptors. Another is that the compound prevents endocannabinoids from breaking down, thus promoting homeostasis in the body.
So, if theories are correct and chronic pain conditions are in some relation to the endocannabinoid system – and CBD can in a sense ‘boost’ the ECS – we can begin to connect dots between CBD and chronic pain; which, as we know by now, is the key symptom of fibromyalgia.
While not a medical treatment, using CBD oil for fibromyalgia should be considered as one potential way to support a healthy and active lifestyle for those who live with the condition.
What is the right CBD dosage for fibromyalgia?
When determining the correct CBD dosage for fibromyalgia, you should to consider your height, weight and why you want to use it.
Past experience with CBD will also determine how much you should take. It’s probably rather obvious, but if your body is used to a substance, your tolerance will naturally be higher.
As everybody responds differently to CBD, we’d always recommend going low and slow with your doses.
If you’re new to consuming the cannabinoid, we’d advise you start on the minimum dose advised by the brand, before gradually increasing by 5mg until you feel the dose is right for you.
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What strength CBD oil is best for fibromyalgia?
“My CBD isn’t doing anything! I’ve never noticed any differences!”
If you’ve had poor experiences with CBD in the past, it’s possible you may have chosen a product that isn’t as strong as advertised.
This is a common occurrence with CBD available on the high street. Unfortunately, this leads to the rest of the industry operating under a bad rep – but the rumours are true: like most things in life, not all CBD is made equal.
Take our products: our low-strength oil is 5%, which means that the whole bottle contains 500mg of CBD. Our highest strength oil measures in at 20%, meaning it has 2000mg CBD in the bottle.
With a serious chronic pain condition such as fibromyalgia, it’s realistic to say that the higher the strength of the CBD oil, the more likely that it has a demonstrable impact on your general wellness and quality of life.
However, when using CBD oil for fibromyalgia, do ensure that you take our advice and gradually build up to higher doses: you wouldn’t dive into the deep end before you learned the basics of breaststroke.
Read more: CBD oil strength explained
How long does it take CBD oil to work for fibromyalgia?
Once you know that you are using high-quality CBD oil, the next question is: how long does CBD take to work?
Unfortunately, the answer can’t be given in a simple number, as the time CBD takes to work varies from person to person and is subject to multiple factors.
However, we recommend continuously using CBD for at least three months for the best results. It’s also a good idea to keep a symptom diary to determine if CBD oil is helping to ease some of your fibromyalgia symptoms.
How to choose the best CBD oil for fibromyalgia UK
When buying CBD for fibromyalgia in the UK, we’d always advise making sure that the product:
- Has a Certificate of Analysis (including a cannabinoid, heavy metals and pesticides analysis
- Is lab tested, ideally by a third party (here is a handy guide on how to read CBD lab results)
- Has a short ingredient list – ideally consisting only of cannabinoids, terpenes and a carrier oil such as MCT oil (this is dependent, of course, on which type of CBD oil you choose)
Can CBD make fibromyalgia worse?
So, is there any evidence that CBD may actually worsen fibromyalgia?
As of the moment, there is no research indicating that CBD can make fibromyalgia worse. However, since we don’t yet know everything there is to know about CBD and fibromyalgia, we can’t be 100% sure.
It should be noted that CBD is generally safe and well tolerated, but there is still a chance for side effects and it may interact with other medications.
Should you consider using CBD oil for fibromyalgia, its advisable to speak to a medical professional who is knowledgeable about CBD and its interactions with your specific health situation.
Final thoughts on CBD oil for fibromyalgia
So, what’s the verdict? Is CBD good for fibromyalgia?
As part of an integrated plan for those suffering from Fibromyalgia, CBD can help support the health and wellness of those living with this chronic disease.
At Evopure, we look forward to seeing more clinical evidence on the topic of CBD oil for fibromyalgia, as an understanding of the ECS – and the endocannabinoids present in our body – steadily grows.
For now, anyone looking to integrate CBD into an existing treatment plan should first ensure to consult a medical professional, in order to ensure there’s no risk that ingesting CBD could alter the effects of other prescribed drugs.
