Motives and side-effects of microdosing with psychedelics among users

This survey study (n=116) investigated the motives and reported side effects of psychedelic microdosing (0.5g psilocybin, 10μg LSD) and found that one-fifth (20%) of all microdosers reported some kind of psychological or physical negative effects. While most users pursued performance enhancement, many of them discontinued this practice primarily because it was not effective.

Abstract

Background: Microdosing with psychedelics has gained considerable media attention where it is portrayed as a performance enhancer, especially popular on the work floor. While reports are in general positive, scientific evidence about potential negative effects is lacking aside from the prevalence and motives for use. The present study addressed this gap by surveying psychedelic users about their experience with microdosing including their dosing schedule, motivation, and potential experienced negative effects.

Methods: An online questionnaire was launched on several websites and fora between March and July 2018. Respondents who had consented, were 18 years of age or older, and had experience with microdosing were included in the analyses.

Results: In total, 1116 of the respondents were either currently microdosing (79.5%) or microdosed in the past (20.5%). Lysergic acid diethylamide (10 mcg) and psilocybin (0.5 g) were the most commonly used psychedelics with a microdosing frequency between 2 and 4 times per week. The majority of users, however, were oblivious about the consumed dose. Performance enhancement was the main motive to microdose (37%). The most reported negative effects were of psychological nature and occurred acutely while under the influence.

Conclusion: In line with media reports and anecdotes, the majority of our respondents microdosed to enhance performance. Negative effects occurred mostly acutely after substance consumption. However, the main reason to have stopped microdosing was that it was not effective. Future experimental placebo-controlled studies are needed to test whether performance enhancement can be quantified and to assess potential negative effects after longer term microdosing.

Authors: Nadia R. P. W. Hutten, Natasha Leigh Mason, Patrick C. Dolder & Kim P. C. Kuypers

Summary

Microdosing with psychedelics has gained considerable media attention, but scientific evidence about potential negative effects is lacking.

Introduction

Microdosing, the practice of repeatedly using low doses of psychedelics like lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and psilocybin, has gained considerable media attention, but scientific data on the prevalence of microdosing with psychedelics other than LSD as well as the prevalence of microdosing in the work environment are lacking.

Microdosing LSD is commonly used for stimulating productivity, increasing focus, energy levels, and creativity, and inducing positive mood, though it has not been scientifically tested for alleviating psychological symptoms such as depressive mood and anxiety and/or physiological symptoms such as pain.

Despite the media’s focus on the positive effects of microdosing, users also report negative psychological and physiological effects, such as anxiety and migraines. In addition, unwanted “trips” were mentioned when using higher doses than intended, along with tolerance to the desired effects after daily use.

Design

A survey was advertised to psychedelic users on several websites and fora between March and July 2018. The survey was not targeted at microdosers.

Demographic Information

Demographic details included age, gender, continent of origin, daily occupation, and highest level of education. Furthermore, respondents were asked whether they were diagnosed with a psychiatric, neurological, or physical disorder.

Psychedelic Substance Use History

Respondents were asked whether they have used psilocybin, DMT, Salvinorin A, Mescaline, MDMA/Ecstasy, N-benzyl Methoxy (NBOMe)s, 2Cs, or any other psychedelic drug, and if they have, they were further asked about their use.

Motivation to Microdose

Respondents were asked to indicate the main reason they microdosed, and the answers were clustered into 5 main categories: performance enhancement, symptom alleviation, mood enhancement, curiosity, and other.

Motivation to Stop Using Psychedelics

Respondents were asked why they stopped using a substance, and the most common reasons were negative experience, can no longer find the substance, and lost interest.

Negative Effects of Microdosing

Respondents were asked if they ever experienced any negative side effects while microdosing and if yes, when they emerged: acutely, while under the influence of the substance, or sub-acutely, during the days after the use.

Statistical Analysis

Data were entered into the statistical program SPSS (version 24.0) and categorized into those who currently microdose and those who used to microdose. Mean (SD) is given for age, gender, education, continent of origin, daily occupation, psychiatric/ neurological/physical diagnoses, and psychedelic use history.

Motivation to microdose was assessed by summing the total amount of responses for each of the 5 main motivation categories. Furthermore, frequency of reasons to stop using psychedelic substances was calculated for both regular and microdoses, separated by current and past users.

Demographic Information

A total of 1116 respondents consented, were 18 years or older, and completed the questionnaire. Two respondents were removed from further analyses due to untrustworthy answers, and 2472 respondents were removed because they had no experience with microdosing.

All microdosers indicated experience with at least 1 regular dose of a psychedelic substance. Psilocybin, LSD, and MDMA/ecstasy were the 3 most used substances, followed by 5-MeO-DMT.

The 3 most used substances for microdosing were LSD, psilocybin, and 1P-LSD, with 5-MeO-DMT, NBOMes, and ayahuasca being the least used substances.

Almost one-half of the respondents who microdosed indicated that they designed their own microdosing schedule. Some indicated to not have a microdosing schedule at all.

Table 4 shows that respondents microdosed LSD and psilocybin several times per week, ranging between 2 and 4 times per week.

Motivation to Microdose

The majority of respondents reported to have microdosed for performance enhancement, mood enhancement, symptom relief, curiosity, and other reasons, whereas almost one-half reported to have microdosed to go to work.

Reasons to Stop Using Psychedelics

Around one-fifth of all microdosers indicated to have stopped microdosing completely, and around one-third indicated to have stopped microdosing with at least 1 psychedelic substance.

Separate chi-square tests of independence revealed that regular dosing had a significant effect on negative experiences and loss of interest in the substance, but no significant difference was shown for the other past use reasons.

Negative Effects of Microdosing

About one-fifth of respondents that microdosed experienced negative effects. The co-occurrence of psychological and physical effects differed statistically between past and current microdose use, but did not differ between current and past users with respect to only psychological effects or only physical effects.

Discussion

The present study used an online questionnaire to investigate the history of psychedelic use among microdosers, the dose and schedule they use, the prevalence of microdosing in the work environment, and their motivation to microdose.

All respondents had used at least 1 regular dose of a psychedelic, and the most frequently reported psychedelics were LSD and psilocybin. Most microdosers followed their own microdosing schedule, and the most common motives were performance enhancement, mood enhancement, out of curiosity, and for self-medication.

The present study demonstrated that the majority of microdosing respondents (58 – 78%) reported to have microdosed on a regular basis, while this was only 2% in the GDS of 2017. The majority of respondents in our survey were from North America, while the majority of respondents in the GDS were from Europe.

In the current survey, the most reported microdoses of LSD (10 mcg) and psilocybin (0.5 g) are comparable with the doses reported in previous studies and in line with the reported one-tenth of a regular dose. However, up to 67% of the respondents reported to not know the dose they were consuming.

The precise dose is difficult to specify when using such small amounts, because respondents do not know its purity. Most respondents microdosed for performance enhancement at the workplace, but there is no scientific support for this to date. Furthermore, observing others engaging in these practices could in some people create the idea that it might be necessary to use substances to keep up in a competitive environment.

One-fifth of all microdosers reported to have experienced some kind of psychological or physical negative effects. However, only a small proportion of microdosers indicated that the negative effects lasted for days after dosing. Users stopped microdosing due to a perceived lack of efficacy, rather than negative side effects. This perception may be related to the expectations people have developed of microdosing, for instance by anecdotal reports in the media.

The present survey was not limited to healthy respondents and was advertised on fora focusing on psychedelics. Consequently, it may not have reached the population that has experience with microdosing without having experienced a regular dose. The range of reported microdoses for LSD was very broad, and it is unknown if more respondents did not realize the actual dose they are taking. Furthermore, future studies should focus on investigating potential acute and long-term side-effects.

Microdosing is mostly used to enhance performance, and the negative effects are mostly acute. Placebo-controlled studies are needed to assess the full consequence of microdosing.

Study details

Compounds studied
Psilocybin LSD

Topics studied
Microdosing

Study characteristics
Survey

Participants
1116

Institutes

Institutes associated with this publication

Maastricht University
Maastricht University is host to the psychopharmacology department (Psychopharmacology in Maastricht) where various researchers are investigating the effects of psychedelics.

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