Persistent Tinnitus after Inhaled N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT)
Heba Diab, Benjamin Malcolm
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs November 26, 2020 DOI: 10.1080/02791072.2020.1847366 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1 |
| Population | 39-year-old male with remote history of polysubstance use disorder and depression |
| Interventions | Inhaled N N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) weekly microdoses of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) microdose of psilocybin mushrooms |
| Duration | Several months |
| Topics | Anxiety Psilocybin 5-MeO-DMT DMT |
| Keywords | Tinnitus Hyperacusis Audiology Context archaeology Distress Polysubstance dependence Hallucinogen Clinical psychology |
| Citations | 1 |
| Key findings | A probable case of tinnitus associated with DMT use, exacerbated by psilocybin, in a patient with a history of polysubstance use and depression. |
Abstract
This case report describes a 39-year-old male with remote history of polysubstance use disorder and depression who developed tinnitus after use of inhaled N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT). Although development of ear ringing was attributed to use on a single occasion, tinnitus occurred within the context of a larger self-experiment involving weekly microdoses of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). Distress and anxiety over the ear ringing prompted evaluation by an audiologist, primary care physician, and consultant psychopharmacologist. Tinnitus persisted for several months, although intensity and ability to cope with symptoms improved over time. A microdose of psilocybin mushrooms exacerbated tinnitus on two separate occasions, after which psychedelics were discontinued. Psychedelics are associated with a range of acute sensory changes including auditory phenomenon, although have not previously been associated with tinnitus in medical literature. Here, we present a probable case of tinnitus associated with DMT use and review potential underlying mechanisms connecting psychedelics and tinnitus.
Comparable studies
Other case reports and case series on psilocybin for anxiety, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psilocybin and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Individual with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder | 2014 | Case study | n = 1 |
| Poisoning by hallucinogenic mushroom Hikageshibiretake (Psilocybe argentipes K. Yokoyama) indigenous to Japan. Individuals poisoned by Psilocybe argentipes mushrooms | 1986 | Case series | n = 5 |
| A suicide attempt following psilocybin ingestion in a patient with no prior psychiatric history 30-year-old male with no psychiatric history | 2023 | Case study | n = 1 |
| Self-treatment of depression and complex post-traumatic stress disorder with psilocybin and LSD—A retrospective case study Young man with early-onset complex trauma, anxiety, and depression | 2023 | Case study | n = 1 |
| Serotoninergic antidepressants combination in psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy: a case report Adult patient with difficult-to-treat depression | 2024 | Case report | n = 1 |