The non-hallucinogen 2-bromo-lysergic acid diethylamide as preventative treatment for cluster headache: An open, non-randomized case series
Cephalalgia March 26, 2010 Matthias Karst, John H. Halpern, Michael Bernateck et al. 104 citations
Cluster headache is a severe, one-sided headache condition affecting 0.1% of people. Standard treatments like oxygen and sumatriptan can fail, and surgical options carry serious risks. An internet survey of 53 patients suggested that the hallucinogens psilocybin and LSD may abort attacks and extend remission better than standard drugs, but these substances are criminalized. To test whether a non-hallucinogenic LSD analog could also help, researchers investigated 2-bromo-LSD (BOL-148). Past studies found BOL-148 non-toxic and non-hallucinogenic, with only mild side effects at the dose used, and no long-term effects in over 300 healthy subjects or in schizophrenic women given 30mg daily for weeks.