A groundbreaking study has shed new light on the potential of cannabis for managing menstrual discomfort, specifically through the use of a high-CBD vaginal suppository. The research, published in NPJ Women’s Health, focused on the effects of a commercially available product, Foria, which contains 100 milligrams of cannabidiol (CBD). This study is significant because it’s the first to investigate the use of a “real-world” high-CBD suppository for menstrual-related symptoms, also known as dysmenorrhea.
The study, conducted by researchers from the McLean Hospital Imaging Center and Harvard Medical School, involved 307 participants assigned female at birth. Of these, 77 received the CBD suppository, while the remaining participants continued their usual treatment. The results were encouraging: those using the suppository reported significantly reduced menstrual pain, improved mood, and a decrease in the use of pain medications compared to those using conventional treatments.
“This is the first study to assess the impact of a ‘real-world,’ commercially-available, high-CBD suppository on menstrual-related pain and discomfort,” the report states. The findings suggest that these suppositories could alleviate a range of menstrual-related symptoms, enhance daily functioning, and decrease reliance on analgesics. After one month, 72.9% of the CBD users noted at least moderate improvement, which increased to 81.1% after two months.
An intriguing aspect of the study was the observed dose-dependent response. Participants who used the suppositories more frequently reported greater symptom relief. “Increased suppository use was significantly associated with greater reduction of symptoms,” the report indicates.
Despite these encouraging results, the researchers call for further investigation. They advocate for randomized clinical trials to replicate these findings and confirm the efficacy of cannabinoid-based therapies for menstrual pain. “Vaginal suppositories can be an effective route of administration for cannabinoid-based therapies,” they add.
This study builds on earlier research published in March, which examined the impact of orally administered CBD on menstrual-related symptoms. That study highlighted CBD’s effectiveness in alleviating symptoms such as irritability and stress, setting a precedent for the current investigation into vaginal administration. The earlier study, which claimed to be the first to examine cannabidiol’s effects on menstrual-related symptoms (MRS) and irritability, found significant improvements. “Results revealed reductions…in MRS, irritability, anxiety, global impression of change, stress, and subjective severity scores when comparing baseline to all 3 months of CBD consumption,” the authors wrote, concluding that “CBD may be an effective treatment in alleviating MRS.”
