4.1.3 Phantom Limb Pain
Phantom limb pain (PLB) is a painful experience interpreted by patients after a limb amputation with few viable treatment options.78 The causes of PLB are currently unclear, but it is hypothesized to result from the disruption of ascending and descending pain pathways that reorganize improperly, leading to an ongoing misinterpreted pain perception. LSD has been previously suggested as a possible treatment for PLB. Small case series demonstrated that intravenous infusion or bolus injection of LSD (10 ng/mL at 0.5 ml/min) was “curative” in two patients, “partially helpful” in three, and “ineffective” in two (although measurement and definition of benefit were not systematically described).79 An additional study found significant benefits of LSD for PLB, with sustained self-reported pain reduction in seven out of eight participants.80