Psychedelic Research Papers

This review (2020) investigates the (limited) research on psychedelics for chronic pain and notes the limitations op opioids (and the current epidemic of use).

In this qualitative study (n=11), people living with chronic pain who self-medicate with psychedelic drugs were interviewed. Participants reported improved pain scores during and after psychedelic experiences across various psychedelics. Positive Reframing and Somatic Presence were identified as playing a role in enhancing well-being. Participants employed other techniques including mindfulness, breathwork, and movement.

This case study (n=1) describes the analgesic effects of repeated changa (unspecified amount of DMT) treatment administered to a 57-year-old male doctor who was suffering for 10 years from chronic fatigue and persistent pain due to fibromyalgia.

This survey study (n=354) sought to characterize the knowledge, perceptions and past use of psychedelics among people with fibromyalgia (FM). It was found that 29.9% of respondents reported past use of a psychedelic, and perceptions of benefit from use were generally neutral (59.4%) or positive (36.8%). Less than 3% reported that using psychedelics negatively impacted their overall health or pain symptoms. 11 out of 12 patients using psychedelics specifically to treat pain reported improvements in their symptoms.

This survey study (n=170) aimed to understand the effectiveness of classical psychedelics in treating chronic pain conditions compared to conventional treatments. The analysis focused on five specific conditions: fibromyalgia, arthritis, migraine, tension-type headache, and sciatica. Results showed that, except for sciatica, participants reported better pain relief using psychedelics than with conventional medication. Specifically, full psychedelic doses outperformed conventional treatments, while microdoses provided significantly better relief for migraines and comparable relief for the other three conditions.