Frontiers in Pain Research
March 18, 2025
Jenna McAfee, Avinash Hosanagar, Vijay Tarnal et al.
18 citations
In a small open-label pilot trial, five people with fibromyalgia received two doses of psilocybin (15 mg and 25 mg) along with psychotherapy. The treatment was well-tolerated: there were temporary increases in blood pressure or heart rate during dosing that returned to normal, no serious adverse events, and four of five participants had short-lived headaches. One month after the second dose, participants reported large reductions in pain severity, pain interference, and sleep disturbance. One participant rated their symptoms as very much improved, two as much improved, and two as minimally improved. Recruitment stopped early due to generalizability concerns and changing FDA guidance, but the results suggest psilocybin-assisted therapy is safe for fibromyalgia and warrants larger trials.
The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry
February 23, 2021
Avinash Hosanagar, Joseph Cusimano, Rajiv Radhakrishnan
1 citation
Psychedelics are being studied as treatments for psychiatric disorders. The FDA has granted Breakthrough Therapy Designations for MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD and for psilocybin with psychotherapy for treatment-resistant depression and major depressive disorder. Clinical trials are also exploring psychedelics for eating disorders, cognitive impairment, and substance use disorders. This review covers evidence for psilocybin, LSD, MDMA, and ayahuasca. Open-label studies of psilocybin for obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, and substance use disorders show promising results. Randomized controlled trials of psilocybin for depression and anxiety in advanced cancer found that high-dose psilocybin produced large decreases in depression and anxiety, increased quality of life, and decreased death anxiety, with about 80% of participants sustaining the response at 6-month follow-up.
November 4, 2024
Jacob S. Aday, Jenna McAfee, Deirdre A. Conroy et al.
preprint
In a small open-label proof-of-concept trial, five adults with fibromyalgia received two doses of psilocybin (15 mg and 25 mg) two weeks apart, along with psychotherapy sessions. No serious adverse events occurred; transient blood pressure or heart rate elevations during dosing resolved by the end of treatment, and four of five participants had temporary headaches. One month after the second dose, participants reported clinically meaningful improvements in pain severity, pain interference, and sleep disturbance. One participant rated their symptoms as very much improved, two as much improved, and two as minimally improved. Improvements were also seen in fibromyalgia symptoms, anxiety, and fatigue. The findings suggest psilocybin-assisted therapy is well-tolerated and warrants larger randomized controlled trials.