Journal of Psychopharmacology
November 20, 2023
Andreas Halman, Geraldine Kong, Jerome Sarris et al.
42 citations
A systematic review of 52 studies published before September 2023 examined how classic psychedelics (LSD, psilocybin, mescaline, DMT, 5-MeO-DMT, and ayahuasca) interact with other drugs in humans. When combined with antidepressants, antipsychotics, anxiolytics, mood stabilizers, or recreational drugs, the psychedelics' effects were sometimes weakened, sometimes strengthened, and sometimes unchanged. Except for a few case reports, no serious adverse events were reported. The review maps the potential molecular pathways that may explain these interactions, highlighting a critical gap in knowledge about the safety and outcomes of combining psychedelics with other substances.
medRxiv
June 1, 2023
Andreas Halman, Geraldine Kong, Jerome Sarris et al.
17 citations
preprint
Classic psychedelics—LSD, psilocybin, mescaline, and DMT—are powerful psychoactive substances, but little is known about how they interact with other psychoactive drugs. This systematic review screened 8,487 records and identified 50 studies from 34 reports published before April 20, 2023, covering 31 studies on LSD, 11 on psilocybin, 4 on mescaline, 3 on DMT, and 1 on ayahuasca. The findings show that combining these psychedelics with antidepressants, antipsychotics, anxiolytics, mood stabilizers, or recreational drugs can attenuate, potentiate, or produce no change in effects. Except for a few case reports, no serious adverse drug events were reported.
Neuropharmacology
August 21, 2025
James J Gattuso, Geraldine Kong, Bilgenur Bezcioglu et al.
7 citations
Chronic psilocybin given orally to mice at two doses (0.1 and 1 mg/kg) increased sociability in male wild-type mice but did not improve anxiety, compulsive, or depressive behaviors, nor did it induce psychosis-like effects. Psilocybin affected gut motility in a dose-dependent way. While overall gut microbiome diversity remained unchanged, specific bacterial species—Lactobacillus murinus, Lactobacillus animalis, and Alistipes dispar—decreased in male wild-type mice only. A cluster of these bacteria correlated with movement, head-twitch response, and gut motility, distinguishing psilocybin-treated from control mice, suggesting a feedback loop involving serotonin signaling. Other bacterial clusters were linked to startle response and sociability, indicating psilocybin engages distinct neural pathways. The findings underscore the roles of the microbiome and sex in psychedelic research.