A growing number of people suffering from a wide range of pain conditions are turning to microdosing — taking a small amount of an intoxicating substance, usually to avoid getting high – to treat their discomfort. Psychedelic mushrooms (psilocybin) are popular in Colorado and around the country for this purpose, as is cannabis. But when it comes to neuropathic pain, or pain in the nerves, such as from fibromyalgia or phantom limb pain, these substances are getting less attention.
Microdosing mushrooms for pain have shown benefit in patients with refractory depression and end of life anxiety when administered at hallucinogenic doses and coupled with psychotherapy, there has been little research into their low-dose use as a treatment for chronic pain conditions. Nevertheless, anecdotal reports from those who microdose indicate that the drugs may be effective for some.
Microdosing Mushrooms for Pain Management: What You Need to Know
Several factors make it difficult to conduct consistent, reliable research on this phenomenon. First, psychedelics are mostly illegal, making it challenging to know how potent a given batch is or the precise dosage that will produce a therapeutic effect. Second, different psychedelics affect each person differently, and some people are more sensitive to the drug than others, even when it is taken in a low dose.
Some people report relief from neuropathic pain when they microdose, while others experience unwanted effects such as amplified pain, and yet others see no change in their discomfort. Some of this variation appears to be due to the context in which the drugs are consumed, with a few contributors reporting that they experienced painful amplification after taking a very large dose without adequate preparation.
