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Bluelighter
- Joined
- Nov 17, 2010
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WIKI info on Cluster headaches:
[original post:]
I just recently got diagnosed with cluster headaches. I did some looking online and found an article that suggested that low doses of psilocybin mushrooms are an effective treatment. I was wondering if anyone has any experience with this?
Cluster headache is a disease that involves, as its most prominent feature, repeated attacks of excruciatingly severe pain that occur always on only one side of the head. (Unilaterally) [1][2] Cluster Headache belongs to a group of primary headache conditions, classified as Trigeminal Autonomic Cephalalgias or (TACs). There is currently no known cure for cluster headache.
Cluster headaches often occur periodically; spontaneous remissions may interrupt active periods of pain, though about 10-15% of chronic cluster headache sufferers never remit.[3] The burden of cluster headache can be so great, that many patients affected with the disease may have experienced suicidal ideation, some have attempted and a small minority have completed suicide, leading sometimes to the use of a nickname "suicide headache."[4] The cause of the condition is not yet known. It affects approximately 0.1% of the population and men are more commonly affected than women, by a ratio of 2.1:1.[5]
Psilocybin is the psychoactive substance found naturally in hallucinogenic mushrooms.[74] A self-reported interview of 53 cluster headache sufferers taking LSD or Psilocybin was conducted.[75] According to responses, consuming a sub-hallucinogenic dose during and prior to the onset of a cluster episode can abort or prevent the progression.[75] It is not the hallucination that counters the pain; it is not yet known why it may be effective.[75] One notable finding is that some patients reported that treatment extends remission.[76] According to the interview report, "Twenty-two of 26 psilocybin users reported that psilocybin aborted attacks ... 7 of 8 LSD users reported cluster period termination; 18 of 19 psilocybin users and 4 of 5 LSD users reported remission period extension."[76][77]
In most countries like the United States, it is illegal to possess or consume these substances. Hallucinogenic mushrooms and LSD are currently scheduled and controlled narcotics, and thus medical research has been difficult. In April 2013, a major study by the British government on Psilocybin's benefit in treating depression was postponed because of regulatory and legal concerns.[78] In the absence of ongoing safety studies and adverse event monitoring, the safety profile for these substances is largely anecdotal. For a small population of sufferers, the legal and safety risks are outweighed by the pain caused by the condition."Drugs Inc 2: Hallucinogens". Drugs Inc 2: Hallucinogens. Season 2. National Geography. Some sufferers claim that this treatment prevented their suicide.[79] Even the US government's Partnership for a Drug-Free America has noted that, "No other medication, to our knowledge, has been reported to terminate a cluster period."[80]
This treatment has side effects, including hallucinations and stomach pain, and users should not operate motor vehicles while under the influence of these substances.[79] Ingestion with tea and honey may help alleviate stomach pain.[80]
In 2009, Newsweek published a cursory review of the risks of traditional treatments (calcium channel blockers) and the benefits of psilocybin as an alternative.[77]
[original post:]
I just recently got diagnosed with cluster headaches. I did some looking online and found an article that suggested that low doses of psilocybin mushrooms are an effective treatment. I was wondering if anyone has any experience with this?
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