Three Cases of Reported Improvement in Microsmia and Anosmia Following Naturalistic Use of Psilocybin and LSD

Three individuals with smell loss—one from a respiratory infection, one from childhood, and one from COVID-19—reported improved olfactory function after using psychedelics: 6 g of psilocybin mushrooms, 100 µg of LSD, or microdosing 0.1 g of psilocybin mushrooms three times. These are the first such cases recorded in academic literature. Possible mechanisms include serotonergic effects, increased neuroplasticity, and anti-inflammatory actions. The authors suggest that the potential therapeutic benefits of psychedelics for olfactory impairment warrant further investigation.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Cultural awareness of anosmia and microsmia has recently increased due to their association with COVID-19, though treatment for these conditions is limited. A growing body of online media claims that individuals have noticed improvement in anosmia and microsmia following classic psychedelic use. We report what we believe to be the first three cases recorded in the academic literature of improvement in olfactory impairment after psychedelic use. In the first case, a man who developed microsmia after a respiratory infection experienced improvement in smell after the use of 6 g of psilocybin containing mushrooms. In the second case, a woman with anosmia since childhood reported olfactory improvement after ingestion of 100 µg of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). In the third case, a woman with COVID-19-related anosmia reported olfactory improvement after microdosing 0.1 g of psilocybin mushrooms three times. Following a discussion of these cases, we explore potential mechanisms for psychedelic-facilitated improvement in olfactory impairment, including serotonergic effects, increased neuroplasticity, and anti-inflammatory effects. Given the need for novel treatments for olfactory dysfunction, increasing reports describing improvement in these conditions following psychedelic use and potential biological plausibility, we believe that the possible therapeutic benefits of psychedelics for these conditions deserve further investigation.