Chronic administration of serotonergic antidepressants attenuates the subjective effects of LSD in humans.
K R Bonson, J W Buckholtz, D L Murphy
Neuropsychopharmacology June 1996 DOI: 10.1016/0893-133x(95)00145-4 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 32 |
| Population | Volunteer subjects recruited via Internet announcements or other sources who self-administered LSD before and during chronic antidepressant use |
| Interventions | LSD Fluoxetine Paroxetine Sertraline Trazodone |
| Duration | Over 3 weeks of antidepressant administration; 1 week for one subject |
| Topics | LSD Serotonin |
| Key findings | Among 32 volunteers taking serotonergic antidepressants (fluoxetine, paroxetine, sertraline, trazodone) for over three weeks, 28 (88%) reported a subjective decrease or virtual elimination of their LSD response, while one person on fluoxetine for one week reported an increased response. The authors note this contrasts with their previous report of increased LSD responses during chronic tricyclic antidepressant or lithium use. |
Abstract
This study investigates the possible interactions of antidepressant agents and hallucinogens in humans through structured interviews using a standardized questionnaire. Volunteer subjects recruited through announcements placed on the Internet or other sources were asked to describe the somatic, hallucinatory, and psychological effects of self-administered LSD prior to and during chronic administration of an antidepressant. Twenty-eight out of 32 subjects (88%) who had taken an antidepressant with inhibitory effects on serotonin (5-HT) reuptake (fluoxetine, paroxetine, sertraline, trazodone) for over 3 weeks had a subjective decrease or virtual elimination of their responses to LSD. An additional subject who had taken fluoxetine for only 1 week had an increased response to LSD. These data are in contrast to our previous study that reported increased responses to LSD during chronic administration of tricyclic antidepressants or lithium. Possible mechanisms of action for the effects from serotonergic antidepressants involve 5-HT2 and 5-HT1A receptors, changes in extracellular brain serotonin concentrations, and changes in brain catecholamine systems.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on LSD, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| LSD-assisted psychotherapy for anxiety associated with a life-threatening disease: A qualitative study of acute and sustained subjective effects Patients with anxiety associated with life-threatening diseases | 2014 | Prospective follow-up with qualitative content analysis | n = 10 |
| Response of cluster headache to psilocybin and LSD Cluster headache patients who used psilocybin or LSD | 2006 | Qualitative study | n = 53 |
| Making "bad trips" good: How users of psychedelics narratively transform challenging trips into valuable experiences. Norwegian users of psychedelics | 2021 | Qualitative study | n = 50 |
| Psychedelic microdosing benefits and challenges: an empirical codebook Active microdosing community | 2019 | Mixed-methods study | |
| Psychoactive substances as a last resort—a qualitative study of self-treatment of migraine and cluster headaches Users of online forums discussing cluster headache and migraine treatments | 2017 | Qualitative thematic analysis |
Citations in the library
Cited by 111
- Psilocybin with psychological support for treatment-resistant depression: an open-label feasibility study. The Lancet Psychiatry May 17, 2016
- Human hallucinogen research: guidelines for safety. Journal of Psychopharmacology July 1, 2008
- Psilocybin with psychological support for treatment-resistant depression: six-month follow-up. Psychopharmacology November 8, 2017
- Safety and Efficacy of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide-Assisted Psychotherapy for Anxiety Associated With Life-threatening Diseases The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease March 4, 2014
- The Therapeutic Potential of Psychedelic Drugs: Past, Present, and Future. Neuropsychopharmacology April 26, 2017
and 106 more in the library
Cites 19
- Evidence for 5-HT2 involvement in the mechanism of action of hallucinogenic agents. Life Sciences December 17, 1984
- ADVERSE REACTIONS TO PSYCHEDELIC DRUGS. A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease October 1, 1984
- Lysergic acid diethylamide and 2,5-dimethoxy-4-methylamphetamine are partial agonists at serotonin receptors linked to phosphoinositide hydrolysis. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics September 1, 1988
- Neuropharmacological reassessment of the discriminative stimulus properties ofd-lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) Psychopharmacology 1987
- Effects of chlorimipramine and lysergic acid diethylamide on efflux of precursor-formed 3-H-serotonin: correlations with serotonergic impulse flow. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics June 1, 1975
and 14 more in the library