After decades of LSD being banned from clinical trials, researchers are finally testing the drug to see what medicinal benefits it has to offer. However, psychedelic users have long celebrated their therapeutic properties, particularly for pain and ‘finding themselves’ spiritually.
In a recent double-blinded study, scientists found that small amounts of LSD, known as microdoses, can minimize the perception of pain considerably more than a placebo. Participants exhibited a decrease in subjective perceptions of pain and an increase in pain tolerance with only three non-hallucinogenic microdoses. The response appeared to be on par with 20 mg of morphine or oxycodone.
However, the size of the dosage made a significant difference in the analgesic effect; any amount of LSD lower than 20 µg didn’t seem to have any pain-relieving results.
The authors of the study said:
The present data suggest that low doses of LSD might constitute a novel pharmacological therapy that can be efficacious in patients and is devoid of problematic sequelae that are associated with current mainstay drugs, such as opioids.
Testing The Analgesic Effects Of LSD
For the trial, published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, 24 healthy participants were randomly either given one dose of the drug – 5 µg, ten µg, or 20 µg – or a dose of placebo.
Throughout the day, volunteers were asked to put their hand in a tank of freezing water for as long as they possibly can. Once the participants couldn’t bear the pain anymore, they could pull their hands out of the cold water. They were then asked to stop by the experimenter if they lasted for three minutes.
Subjective ratings of unpleasantness, stress, and pain were then assessed, and blood samples were taken as well. Finally, the experiment was repeated on four separate days with some days in between to ensure no carry-over effects remained in their system.
Conclusion
The results showed that a 20-µg dose of LSD increased immersion time by roughly 20%, and was equally strong 5 hours after taking the drug as it was 1.5 hours after taking it. This suggests that the pharmacological effects of LSD can last for several hours, even with small doses.
The authors commented:
The reduction in subjective pain perception is remarkable because it was measurable despite a prolonged exposure time to the pain stimulus in LSD 20 µg treatment condition.
The researchers are unclear why participants were able to tolerate pain for a more extended period of time. They suspect LSD causes psychological alterations that help us deal with discomfort by diverting our minds from the sensation. Still, more research is needed to verify how LSD alters our consciousness and perceptions.
The authors explained:
The study revealed the minimal dose at which the analgesic activity of LSD is effective. Yet, an extended dose-finding study is needed to determine the dose at which analgesic effects of LSD are optimal, i.e., when efficacy is maximal and mental interference is minimal.
One of the issues with LSD is if the consumer isn’t mentally prepared and takes larger doses, it can cause ‘bad trips,’ distress, or paranoia. Unlike large doses of LSD, ‘micro’ dosing looks like a more promising way to offer a positive experience for patients.
CandyFlipping
In another approach, researchers are looking into what is called ‘candyflipping,’ which is a combination of LSD and MDMA to create a psychological state that has longer-lasting effects and is reportedly more pleasant. However, the practice hasn’t been adequately inspected by scientists until now. The University of Basel in Switzerland and Mind Medicine Inc has recently announced that it plans to undergo a clinical trial to put candyflipping to the test.
Miri Halperin Wernli, the president of Mind Medicine, announced:
With this innovative treatment paradigm, we are looking to bring the participants outside the bounds of their everyday perceptions, bringing their mind into a very flexible state of mind facilitating new states of consciousness. This will provide the opportunity to step outside their usual sense of self and experience themselves from a radically different and new perspective.
Clinical trials on psychedelics are moving at a fast pace now that regulations have been lifted. So far, the therapeutic results obtained from LSD, psilocybin mushrooms, and MDMA studies look promising for a range of issues, such as PTSD, anxiety, depression, and pain.
