Phantom Limb Pain: Sub‐Hallucinogenic Treatment With Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD‐25)
Headache The Journal of Head and Face Pain – July 01, 1977
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) shows promise in treating phantom limb pain, with five out of seven patients experiencing significant pain relief after oral administration of sub-hallucinogenic doses. Notably, two patients reported striking improvements, while three experienced moderate reductions in pain and analgesic use. The treatment was ineffective for the remaining two individuals. Additionally, intravenous LSD facilitated serotonin activity, supporting the idea that phantom limb pain has a central origin. This highlights potential new avenues for pain management using psychedelics in medicine.
Abstract
SYNOPSIS Oral treatment of phantom limb pain in five males and two females ranging in age from 25 to 78 years with sub‐hallucinogenic doses of Iysergic acid diethyImaide (LSD‐25) resulted in improvement in pain in five patients and reduction in use of analgesics. In two of the five patients improvement was striking and in the other three, pain and analgesic use were reduced moderately. LSD treatment was ineffective in two patients. Intravenous infusion or bolus injection of LSD‐25, 10ngml at 0.5 mlmin. resulted in facilitation of 5‐HT venospasm. The findings suggest that LSD‐25 facilitation of 5‐HT activity occurs centrally consistent with the hypothesis of the central nature of phantom limb pain.