The impact of microdosing on health
Can you use microdosing to influence health, to treat certain complaints? There is a growing interest in microdosing: taking a very small amount of a psychedelic substance. You will notice subtle benefits, but will not suffer from the mind-altering effects. Research shows that microdosing can be used for various complaints, such as migraine, depression and stress.
Microdosing of cannabis for pain
THC is the component in weed that gets you high. However, if you take microdoses of this, it could relieve chronic pain. The Israeli company Seqe Medical did this
research
into this. Participants inhaled very precisely measured microdoses of THC. It appears that these small doses (500 micrograms of THC was inhaled) can significantly relieve chronic pain. Pain reduction was measured by numbers and the reduction persisted for at least 150 minutes. The participants did not suffer any negative impact on their cognitive abilities. The study was double-blinded with placebo.
The benefits in case of stress
Stress can have several consequences, both for the body and the mind. Most people who suffer from stress are anxious and fret a lot. It can cause high blood pressure, insomnia and headaches. Microdosing could alleviate one or more of these symptoms. It can help you concentrate better. Due to its analgesic effect, it can relieve headaches. Many people report feeling more in the “now”. You are better off not thinking about the past or the future, but just being present in the here and now. That can help you feel more comfortable in your own skin.
Depression
There is more and more evidence that magic mushrooms can help with severe depression. There is not much scientific research on this yet. But for example, Erica Avey who was interviewed by the
Guardian
was interviewed, tells her story of how she took microdoses of LSD. She was suffering from pretty severe depression. By taking 1/6 of a normal dose of LSD every three days, she was able to keep functioning and creativity increased.
Others also use microdosing for depression. Ayelet Waldman wrote a book about it (A Really Good Day: How Microdosing Made a Mega Difference in My Mood, My Marriage, and My Life). She had tried normal medication, but it didn’t help. Microdoses of LSD freed her from unbearably depressed moods.
James Fadiman also collected experiences of microdosers. His data was collated by two researchers. Microdosers appear to suffer less from negative emotions and dysfunctional behavior. The
efficacy
of psychedelics in depression may stem from their unique effect on the brain. These agents deactivate a control network normally responsible for self-reflection and self-awareness. It seems that this network is overactive in depressed people. As a result, this can lead to obsessive negative thoughts. Therefore, if microdosing psychedelics can cause this network to be less active, it can help you break free from those personal negative thoughts.
Migraines and cluster headaches
Migraines and cluster headaches cause almost unbearable pain. They limit your ability to function to a great extent. Especially with cluster headaches, normal medication may not work. People who microdose regularly report that they benefit from it. This is true for both migraines and cluster headaches.
The best way to treat headaches (normal, migraine and cluster headaches) is with psilocybin (with magic mushrooms and truffles). That’s because it contains an alkaloid called tryptamine. This substance activates the production of serotonin in the brain. In turn, serotonin affects the processing of pain stimuli. But LSD and DMT also contain tryptamine, so you could try these psychedelics as well. The effect usually takes effect within 45 minutes.
Users indicate that
psilocybin
can work at least as well as regular painkillers. But especially for people who suffer from cluster headaches that do not respond to painkillers, psilocybin can be a godsend. Not only does it reduce pain, it can also prevent seizures. In addition, microdosing generally has few side effects
