Advisory Committee Chair
Jarred Younger
Document Type
Dissertation
Date of Award
2024
Degree Name by School
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) College of Arts and Sciences
Abstract
Psilocybin and other classic psychedelics may have potential for treatment of fibromyalgia, a chronic condition characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain and other symptoms including fatigue, cognitive difficulties, and sleep problems. In this exploratory, descriptive study, an online survey was distributed among individuals with fibromyalgia to gather reports of any changes in pain related to past classic psychedelic use. Sixty-four participants with fibromyalgia completed the study, with most having used psilocybin mushrooms or LSD. In addition to recreational use and other reasons, use of psychedelics for mental health or pain-related reasons was frequently endorsed. Of the participants who reported experiencing any change in pain with past psychedelic use (n = 36), most (n = 32 or 88.9%) described an acute reduction in pain. Many participants (n = 25 or 69.4%) reported lingering improvements in pain lasting one to two days, sometimes up to several weeks or longer, and a subset of participants (n = 11 or 30.6%) noted a decreased need for pain medications following use. Results add to a small but growing body of work suggesting promise for classic psychedelics such as psilocybin for chronic pain.
Recommended Citation
Hodgin, Kathleen, "Use Of Psilocybin And Other Classic Psychedelics In Fibromyalgia: A Survey Study" (2024). All ETDs from UAB. 3845.
https://digitalcommons.library.uab.edu/etd-collection/3845