Hi all,

My GP sent me to a rheumatologist, I saw her yesterday and she recommended that I try a very low dose of Cesamet. Has anyone here had any experience with this drug?

She also recommended that I take up Qi Gong, has any one had any experience with that?

Warm regards to all.

MsL

Here is some information I found on this medication, I have tried it now for the past 3 nights. I have felt very relaxed yet have had a slightly raised heart rate, could be the medication but quite possibly from high levels of stress that I'm under. My pain levels are up and down so it's still hard to know what is working when the levels are low.


Nabilone (Synthetic Cannibanoid) for the Treatment of Fibromyalgia Pain
Research conducted at the University of Manitoba's Rehabilitation Hospital [Canada] into the effectiveness of a synthetic cannibanoid for fibromyalgia pain was recently published in the Journal of Pain [2007 Oct 30] .

Nabilone is a synthetic cannabinoid that mimics THC, the main ingredient of marijuana, but it can be dosed more uniformly and has more predictable side effects. It causes no or minimal euphoria, and is not derived from the cannabis plant. Nabilone has been used medically as an anti-nausea drug as well as for neuropathic pain. It is sold in many countries as a drug called Cesamet and is FDA approved in the US for the treatment of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting as well as for the treatment of anorexia and weight loss in AIDS patients. It is widely used "off-label" as an adjunct therapy for chronic pain management. Studies have shown it has benefits for multiple sclerosis as well as fibromyalgia.



In the University of Manitoba study, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted to determine whether or not nabilone had any impact on pain management and quality of life in 40 fibromyalgia patients. Some patients were assessed before the treatment and then received slowly increasing doses of nabilone, starting at 0.5 mg PO at bedtime and going up to 1 mg BID over 4 weeks. Others received a placebo with similar titration instructions.

After four weeks there were significant decreases in the Visual Analog Score for pain (VAS) (-2.04, P < .02), Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire rating (-12.07, P < .02), and anxiety (-1.67, P <.02) in the nabilone treated group. There were no significant improvements in the placebo group. The treatment group also experienced more side effects. The research summarizes that Nabilone "appears to be a beneficial, well-tolerated treatment option for fibromyalgia patients" particularly because of the significant benefits it provides for pain relief and improvement of functioning:
To our knowledge, this is the first randomized, controlled trial to assess the benefit of nabilone, a synthetic cannabinoid, on pain reduction and quality of life improvement in patients with fibromyalgia. As nabilone improved symptoms and was well-tolerated, it may be a useful adjunct for pain management in fibromyalgia.

Just following up with my experience with this medication, after taking this for 3 nights I felt very confused and unable to concentrate during the day. When I stopped taking it I returned back to normal functioning levels (as normal as RSD can be)

I spoke with a friend today who also has rsd and she had tried it about a year ago but did not like it either, for her it made no difference in her pain levels just made her feel more disoriented.

Hope you are all making out OK with all the stress of the holidays.

MsL