Safety issues of psilocybin and LSD as potential rapid acting antidepressants and potential challenges
Expert Opinion on Drug Safety – April 15, 2022
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
Psilocybin, a compound with a long history, shows promising tolerability in early clinical trials; no serious adverse effects emerged. While most adverse effects were transient, concerns like dissociation or paranoia necessitate larger randomized controlled trials. These trials are vital for establishing definitive pharmacological safety data, including precise sample sizes and percentages, regarding psilocybin's potential as a medicine in psychiatry, compared to placebo. This will clarify its antidepressant applications and neurotransmitter receptor influence on behavior.
Abstract
There were no serious AEs related to psilocybin and LSD administration. Most AEs were expected, manageable, and transient. Nevertheless, safety and tolerability concerns regarding some effects, such as dissociation, paranoia, and confusion, remain. Thus, randomized controlled trials with bigger samples are warranted to confirm their therapeutic effects and further investigate their safety and tolerability.