Dronabinol, shows success reducing pain in patients with multiple sclerosis, according to a new study published . Dronabinol, also known as Marinol, has been used to soothe nausea and to stimulate appetite. Researchers evaluated the effect of Dronabinol on pain in patients with multiple sclerosis.
24 patients with multiple sclerosis and central pain participated in the study . They were given up to 10 milligrams of dronabinol or a placebo for three weeks. Patients reported pain intensity was significantly lower and pain relief was higher during dronabinol treatment. The difference between treatments in pain reduction was about 21 percent. Pressure-evoked pain also tended to decrease, and patients reported better quality of life with dronabinol. The functional ability of the patients was not affected.Adverse effects, dizziness being the most common, were more frequent with dronabinol than with placebo. Acute or chronic pain, including musculoskeletal pain, pain associated with spasms and central pain, occur in 30 percent to 80 percent of patients with multiple sclerosis. However, no patients stopped treatment because of adverse effects, which reportedly decreased after the first week of treatment.
Thus researchers conclude that dronabinol should be available for patients whose central pain from multiple sclerosis is not sufficiently treated with alternative drugs.
