The Potential of Psychedelics for the Treatment of Episodic Migraine.
Current Pain and Headache Reports September 1, 2023 DOI: 10.1007/s11916-023-01145-y (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Intervention | Psilocybin |
| Dose | low-dose |
| Duration | 2 weeks |
| Topics | Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Episodic migraine Psychedelics Hallucinogens Psychedelic medicine Migraine relief Chronic headache |
| Citations | 7 |
| Key findings | A single low dose of psilocybin reduced weekly migraine days and pain intensity for two weeks in episodic migraine subjects. |
Abstract
This review presents the existing literature of and a framework for how psychedelic drugs might be applied as therapeutic agents in episodic migraine. The therapeutic effects of psychedelics in headache disorders have been reported for decades and controlled investigations are now beginning. In the first and only clinical trial of a psychedelic drug in migraine, the single administration of low-dose psilocybin reduced weekly migraine days and pain intensity for the following 2 weeks in episodic subjects. These transitional effects, along with abortive effects in two subjects and additional findings in cluster headache, offer insight into the potential medicinal use of this and other psychedelic drugs in episodic migraine. The existing evidence supports the continued investigation of psilocybin and other psychedelics as transitional treatments in episodic migraine. Acute and preventive effects also exist, but the risks may outweigh benefits with these applications. Future research of psychedelics in episodic migraine should be tailored for this condition and not modeled after protocols used in other medical or psychiatric conditions.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on psilocybin, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classic psychedelics: An integrative review of epidemiology, therapeutics, mystical experience, and brain network function. General population | 2019 | Integrative review | |
| The pharmacology of psilocybin | 2002 | Review | |
| Serotonin research: contributions to understanding psychoses | 2008 | Review | |
| Psychedelics, Meditation, and Self-Consciousness | 2018 | Review | |
| The abuse potential of medical psilocybin according to the 8 factors of the Controlled Substances Act | 2018 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 5
- Exploring DMT: Endogenous role and therapeutic potential. Neuropharmacology May 1, 2025
- Psychotropic Drugs Reemerging as Headache Medicines. CNS Drugs September 1, 2024
- Associations between psychedelic use and migraine history in Swedish twins. Journal of Psychopharmacology May 1, 2026
- Next-Generation Psychedelic Drug Development ACS Chemical Neuroscience September 15, 2026
- Psychedelics and Headache Disorders: an Update. Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports August 9, 2025
Cites 12
- Acute, subacute and long-term subjective effects of psilocybin in healthy humans: a pooled analysis of experimental studies Journal of Psychopharmacology September 20, 2010
- The Pharmacology of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide: A Review CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics November 11, 2008
- Psychedelics as Medicines: An Emerging New Paradigm Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics November 4, 2016
- Response of cluster headache to psilocybin and LSD Neurology June 26, 2006
- Exploratory Controlled Study of the Migraine-Suppressing Effects of Psilocybin. Neurotherapeutics 2021
and 7 more in the library