Phantom Limb Pain: Sub‐Hallucinogenic Treatment With Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD‐25)
M Fanciullacci, E. Del Bene, G Franchi, F Sicuteri
Headache The Journal of Head and Face Pain July 1, 1977 DOI: 10.1111/j.1526-4610.1977.hed1703118.x via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractOral treatment with sub-hallucinogenic doses of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD-25) improved phantom limb pain in five of seven patients, with two showing striking improvement and three moderate reduction in pain and analgesic use; two patients experienced no benefit. Intravenous infusion or bolus injection of LSD-25 at 10 ng/ml at 0.5 ml/min facilitated 5-HT venospasm. The findings suggest LSD-25 facilitates 5-HT activity centrally, consistent with the hypothesis that phantom limb pain has a central origin.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Case series Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 7 |
| Population | Five males and two females aged 25 to 78 with phantom limb pain |
| Dose | sub-hallucinogenic doses |
| Topics | LSD |
| Keywords | Hallucinogen Analgesic Phantom pain Medicine |
| Citations | 30 |
| Key finding | Sub-hallucinogenic doses of LSD-25 improved phantom limb pain in five of seven patients and reduced analgesic use. |
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.