The Effectiveness of Microdosed Psilocybin in the Treatment of Neuropsychiatric Lyme Disease: A Case Study.
International medical case reports journal 2023 DOI: 10.2147/imcrj.s395342 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1 |
| Population | Immunocompetent male with serologically positive neuropsychiatric Lyme disease |
| Intervention | Psilocybin |
| Dose | microdosed (sub-hallucinogenic) amounts |
| Topics | Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Autoimmune Encephalopathy Mental illness Microdose Neuroinflammation #lymedisease lyme borreliosis Borrelia infection #psychedelics psilocybin Hallucinogens Entheogens #microdosing |
| Citations | 7 |
| Key findings | Microdosed psilocybin was associated with remission of neuropsychiatric symptoms in a patient with Lyme disease who had not tolerated other treatments. |
Abstract
Lyme disease can result in severe neuropsychiatric symptoms that may be resistant to treatment. The pathogenesis of neuropsychiatric Lyme disease is associated with autoimmune induced neuroinflammation. This case report describes an immunocompetent male with serologically positive neuropsychiatric Lyme disease who did not tolerate antimicrobial or psychotropic medications and whose symptoms remitted when he began psilocybin in microdosed (sub-hallucinogenic) amounts. A literature review of its therapeutic benefits reveals that psilocybin is both serotonergic and anti-inflammatory and therefore may offer significant therapeutic benefits to patients with mental illness secondary to autoimmune inflammation. The role of microdosed psilocybin in the treatment of neuropsychiatric Lyme disease and autoimmune encephalopathies warrants further study.
Comparable studies
Other case reports and case series on psilocybin, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psilocybin Mushroom (Psilocybe semilanceata) Intoxication with Myocardial Infarction 18-year-old man | 1998 | Case study | n = 1 |
| Relief from intractable phantom pain by combining psilocybin and mirror visual-feedback (MVF) Person with leg amputation and phantom-limb pain | 2018 | Case study | n = 1 |
| Hallucinogen persisting perception disorder after psilocybin consumption: a case study 18-year-old man with HPPD after mixed psilocybin and cannabis intoxication | 2005 | Case study | n = 1 |
| Microdosing psilocybin for chronic pain: a case series Individuals with chronic neuropathic pain | 2022 | Case series | n = 3 |
| Psilocybin and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Individual with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder | 2014 | Case study | n = 1 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 6
- Psilocybin for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease Frontiers in Neuroscience July 10, 2024
- Deciphering psilocybin: Cytotoxicity, anti-inflammatory effects, and mechanistic insights International Immunopharmacology February 23, 2024
- Mushrooms, Microdosing, and Mental Illness: The Effect of Psilocybin on Neurotransmitters, Neuroinflammation, and Neuroplasticity. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment 2025
- Between enhancement and risk: A critical review of psychedelic microdosing Current Opinion in Psychology August 6, 2025
- Salience, sensemaking, and setting in psilocybin microdosing: Methodological lessons and preliminary findings of a mixed method qualitative study Philosophical Psychology September 26, 2024
and 1 more in the library
Cites 27
- Psilocybin produces substantial and sustained decreases in depression and anxiety in patients with life-threatening cancer: A randomized double-blind trial Journal of Psychopharmacology November 30, 2016
- Effects of Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy on Major Depressive Disorder JAMA Psychiatry November 4, 2020
- Psilocybin induces schizophrenia-like psychosis in humans via a serotonin-2 agonist action Neuroreport December 1, 1998
- Pilot study of the 5-HT2AR agonist psilocybin in the treatment of tobacco addiction Journal of Psychopharmacology September 11, 2014
- Safety, Tolerability, and Efficacy of Psilocybin in 9 Patients With Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry November 15, 2006
and 22 more in the library