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A THC medication reduced nightmares among individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder, according to the findings of a new study. Conducted by scientists at the German research hospital Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, the study investigated the effects of the synthetic THC drug dronabinol on PTSD-related nightmares.
Nightmares can be one of the most troubling symptoms of PTSD, a condition that can develop after exposure to severe traumatic experiences, such as disasters, serious accidents, acts of violence, or wartime experiences. Symptoms are often treated with antidepressants or other medications, but there is no drug yet approved to treat nightmares associated with PTSD.
The researchers who conducted the study wanted to investigate the association between nightmares and the endocannabinoid system, a signaling network in the body that helps regulate essential biological functions such as sleep, mood, memory, and stress. Physician and lead author Stefan Röpke says the team built on previous research that showed cannabinoids can affect sleep.
“There is evidence suggesting that during REM sleep – the intense dream phases in which the brain processes experiences and regulates emotions – THC reduces dream activity and thereby alleviates nocturnal stress responses,” Röpke explained in a press release.
The study involved 171 adults with PTSD and experiencing severe, recurring nightmares. About 80% of participants were women, most of whom reported trauma related to physical or sexual abuse.
About a fifth (19%) of participants reported PTSD associated with combat or confinement. Of the 6,398 suicide deaths among veterans in 2023, sleep problems were a contributing factor in over half the cases, according to a Department of Veterans Affairs suicide prevention report released earlier this year.
Participants Took Nightly Doses of THC
Participants were randomly chosen to receive either oral drops containing the THC drug dronabinol or a cannabis-flavored placebo at bedtime for 10 weeks.
Participants began with a dose of 2.5 milligrams of THC. The dose was then gradually increased until patients achieved the desired result. The maximum dose was 15 milligrams of THC.
Nearly four out of 10 (37%) study participants saw nightmares disappear with the use of THC, compared ot only 15% of those taking the placebo, the researchers reported in the study published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Medicine. More than half (58%) of participants taking THC saw improvements with the drug.
“More than a third of the patients treated with dronabinol reported that they no longer experienced any nightmares after ten weeks. Another 21% reported that their nightmare burden had been at least halved,” said Röpke. “And about five out of six patients in the dronabinol group felt their health had markedly improved.”
Despite the effectiveness of THC, the lead researcher advised against smoking cannabis as a treatment for nightmares or PTSD.
“The message is not just: take marijuana. No, that’s not what we found,” Roepke told Stars and Stripes. “I would not suggest just to smoke marijuana for your nightmares. I would suggest going to a doctor and discuss it and really titrate a medication for that.”
With titration, patients work with their doctors to adjust the dose of a medication to maximize benefits while minimizing unwanted effects.
More Research Needed
While the results are promising, more study is needed to determine the best way to use THC to help patients with nightmares and other sleep problems.
“Our findings demonstrate that dronabinol is effective in reducing PTSD-related nightmares, with an acceptable safety profile,” the researchers wrote. “The pattern and magnitude of improvement indicate a clinically meaningful and specific benefit.”
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