Psychedelics as medicines for substance abuse rehabilitation: evaluating treatments with LSD, Peyote, Ibogaine and Ayahuasca.
Current Drug Abuse Reviews 2014 DOI: 10.2174/1874473708666150107120011 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Interventions | LSD peyote ibogaine ayahuasca |
| Topics | Ayahuasca Ibogaine LSD Mescaline |
| Keywords | Psychedelic addiction treatment Psychedelic therapeutic mechanisms Psychedelic drug safety |
| Citations | 128 |
| Key findings | Psychedelics such as LSD, peyote, ibogaine, and ayahuasca show potential as safe and effective short-term interventions for addiction treatment, partly through serotonin-mediated mechanisms including an after-glow effect. |
Abstract
Substances known as psychedelics, hallucinogens and entheogens have been employed in ethnomedical traditions for thousands of years, but after promising uses in the 1950's and 1960's they were largely prohibited in medical treatment and human research starting in the 1970's as part of the fallout from the war on drugs. Nonetheless, there are a number of studies which suggest that these substances have potential applications in the treatment of addictions. While these substances are generally classified as Schedule I, alleging no established medical uses and a high drug abuse potential, there is nonetheless evidence indicating they might be safe and effective tools for short term interventions in addictions treatment. Evidence suggests that the psychedelics have a much greater safety profile than the major addictive drugs, having extremely low levels of mortality, and producing little if any physical dependence. This paper reviews studies evaluating the use of LSD, peyote, ibogaine and ayahuasca in the treatment of dependencies and the possible mechanisms underlying the indications of effectiveness. Evidence suggests that these substances help assist recovery from drug dependency through a variety of therapeutic mechanisms, including a notable "after-glow" effect that in part reflects their action on the serotonin neurotransmitter system. Serotonin has been long recognized as central to the psychedelics' well-known phenomenological, physical, emotional and cognitive dynamics. These serotonin-based dynamics are directly relevant to treatment of addiction because of depressed serotonin levels found in addict populations, as well as the role of serotonin as a neuromodulators affecting many other neurotransmitter systems.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on ibogaine, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Anti-Addiction Drug Ibogaine and the Heart: A Delicate Relation Humans, animals | 2015 | Review | |
| Ibogaine in the treatment of substance dependence. | 2013 | Review | |
| Ibogaine, an anti-addictive drug: pharmacology and time to go further in development. A narrative review. | 2008 | Review | |
| Registered clinical studies investigating psychedelic drugs for psychiatric disorders. Registered clinical trials on clinicaltrials.gov evaluating psychedelics for... | 2021 | Review | n = 70 |
| How toxic is ibogaine? | 2016 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 88
- Psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression: fMRI-measured brain mechanisms. Scientific Reports October 13, 2017
- Antidepressive, anxiolytic, and antiaddictive effects of ayahuasca, psilocybin and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD): a systematic review of clinical trials published in the last 25 years Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology March 18, 2016
- Inclusion of people of color in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy: a review of the literature BMC Psychiatry July 31, 2018
- Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy: A Paradigm Shift in Psychiatric Research and Development Frontiers in Pharmacology July 5, 2018
- The Therapeutic Potentials of Ayahuasca: Possible Effects against Various Diseases of Civilization. Frontiers in Pharmacology March 2, 2016
and 83 more in the library
Cites 28
- Psilocybin can occasion mystical-type experiences having substantial and sustained personal meaning and spiritual significance Psychopharmacology July 7, 2006
- Human hallucinogen research: guidelines for safety. Journal of Psychopharmacology July 1, 2008
- Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) for alcoholism: meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials Journal of Psychopharmacology March 8, 2012
- The Pharmacology of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide: A Review CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics November 11, 2008
- Human Psychopharmacology of Hoasca, A Plant Hallucinogen Used in Ritual Context in Brazil The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease February 1, 1996
and 23 more in the library