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can one dose of lsd provide long-term relief from anxiety? new study suggests it's possible
as many as 65 per cent of participants in the study experienced a reduction or remission of their anxiety symptoms after taking one dose of the illicit drug
4 minute read
using lsd as an anxiety treatment isn’t a new idea. in the 1950s and 1960s, medical researchers looked into lsd as an anxiety treatment in people living with terminal cancer, alcoholism, opioid use disorder and depression.
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lysergic acid diethylamide (lsd) goes by many other names, including acid, tabs, microdots and lucy. the drug, often considered illicit because of its illegality in most places and intoxicating properties, is now being given a chance to shine in a non-recreational space: medicine.
in fact, a new study on anxiety and lsd has found that it may be time to add a new nickname to its roster: anxiety treatment.
the investigation, which is in phase ii of clinical trials, had participants with generalized anxiety disorder take one single supervised dose of mm120, which is the pharmaceutical version of lsd, with others taking a placebo, to see how it affected their symptoms over the course of 12 weeks.
in the group that took the lsd, 47.5 per cent of participants went into remission—meaning their anxiety symptoms all but disappeared—for the entire 12-week run, with 65 per cent experiencing improvement in their anxiety symptoms.
dr. maurizio fava, chair of the mass general brigham academic medical center’s psychiatry department and consultant for the hospital, views this “old tradition” psychedelic as something that has been unfairly maligned, despite its positive effects.
he notes that there has been a lot of stigma surrounding lsd, but with new research and knowledge regarding its “very positive effects,” that could change.
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“i think that neuroscience research that has indicated that psychedelic compounds promote the formation of new synapses and they increase the plasticity of the brain has led a number of investigators and companies to explore a variety of psychedelic compounds or derivatives of psychedelics in a number of psychiatric conditions, in this case, the condition was generalized anxiety disorder.”
anxiety therapies, side effects and lsd
current therapies for anxiety revolve around both pharmacology and psychotherapy. they require consistent adherence and, in some cases, don’t even make a dent in anxiety symptoms.
with the results of the study showing remission in nearly half of all participants, it’s “a big paradigm shift” in the way people are looking at anxiety and its potential therapies.
“all the treatments that we have for anxiety, from benzodiazepines to ssris, require daily use with daily side effects, right?” said dr. fava.
these medications also come with various side effects that people have to contend with if they want to keep their anxiety symptoms under control, which only trades one type of ailment for another.
for example, people taking benzodiazepines to treat anxiety symptoms may end up developing impaired concentration, memory loss, drowsiness, dizziness, muscle weakness and more. over the long term, physical dependence, worsening of anxiety symptoms and sleep problems can creep in.
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ssris, or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, come with their own set of crosses to bear, including:
- headaches
- nausea
- vomiting
- diarrhea
- insomnia or increased tiredness
- decreased libido
- inability to get an erection or having difficulties reaching orgasm
- weight changes
many people who stop taking anxiety drugs attribute it to side effects, leaving people to choose between the side effects of having the drugs or the effects of living with anxiety.
when it comes to lsd, side effects are still there, but when only one dose is required, the experience is a little different.
“the side effects, nausea, headaches, yes, they’re there … on the day of administration and you have the psychedelic experience, which is a side effect,” said dr. fava. “but it’s different from the traditional approach in that all the other treatments require daily administration, and so the side effects persist over time.”
essentially, the participants in the study felt the side effects of lsd, but they wore off after one dose. their anxiety symptoms, however, didn’t require more than a day of treatment. they remained lessened or non-existent.
lsd as a promising new therapy route
using lsd as an anxiety treatment isn’t a new idea. in the 1950s and 1960s, medical researchers looked into lsd as an anxiety treatment in people living with terminal cancer, alcoholism, opioid use disorder and depression.
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when the drug became culturally relevant as a form of recreation as opposed to treatment sometime in the early to mid-1970s, using it for medical treatments was halted. but recent reevaluations of the drug are looking to bring to light its medicinal properties. in the case of this study in participants who have anxiety, the promise is hard to ignore.
“the study suggests that for people who have suffered for years with a chronic condition of excessive anxiety and worrying and somatic symptoms associated with it, in a single dose, may actually lead to a remission of symptoms in the majority of patients, and that improvement may be sustained for long periods of time,” said dr. fava.
he also notes that more research is needed over a longer period to determine if the effects last exactly 12 weeks, a few months, years, or forever.
“what happens when the effect wears off?” he said. “can you administer a follow-up administration to sustain that benefit. maybe two or three administrations a year or something like that. so, we’re going to need to establish that with the subsequent studies.”
the research is now going into phase iii, which will answer the remaining questions researchers have regarding lsd and anxiety, such as how long until the effects wear off, and what happens when a person is given more administrations, such as boosters, to keep the effects going for longer. as it stands, the duration of the effects has not been determined, as phase ii was only 12 weeks, and participants who experienced remission felt it through the entire study.
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