4.2.2. Headaches
Psilocybin has also been suggested to produce significant reductions in
pain intensity and unpleasantness in patients with cluster
headaches.76 In survey studies, 22 of 26 patients
taking psilocybin for cluster headaches reported that the substance was
able to abort their crisis. Further, 18 participants reported an
extension of remission periods after a single dose of psylocibin. The
effectiveness of psilocybin for cluster headache in qualitative studies
has reported that psilocybin is “perceived by participants to
shorten/abort a cluster period and bring chronic cluster headache into
remission more so than conventional medications”.77
An exploratory double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study
investigated psilocybin for migraines. Ten adults with migraine received
oral inactive placebo and psilocybin (0.143 mg/kg) in two test sessions
spaced two weeks apart. Participants were closely tracked with headache
diaries. Over the two weeks after a single dose administration,
psilocybin was significantly more effective than placebo in reducing the
frequency of migraines.82 Overall, the research
considering psilocybin and pain seems to progress alongside LSD studies;
results are promising, yet in their early stages.