4.2.2. Headaches
Psilocybin has also been suggested to produce significant reductions in pain intensity and unpleasantness in patients with cluster headaches.76 In survey studies, 22 of 26 patients taking psilocybin for cluster headaches reported that the substance was able to abort their crisis. Further, 18 participants reported an extension of remission periods after a single dose of psylocibin. The effectiveness of psilocybin for cluster headache in qualitative studies has reported that psilocybin is “perceived by participants to shorten/abort a cluster period and bring chronic cluster headache into remission more so than conventional medications”.77
An exploratory double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study investigated psilocybin for migraines. Ten adults with migraine received oral inactive placebo and psilocybin (0.143 mg/kg) in two test sessions spaced two weeks apart. Participants were closely tracked with headache diaries. Over the two weeks after a single dose administration, psilocybin was significantly more effective than placebo in reducing the frequency of migraines.82 Overall, the research considering psilocybin and pain seems to progress alongside LSD studies; results are promising, yet in their early stages.