The study found that the treatment was “feasible to implement as an outpatient, didn’t appear to raise safety concerns and showed signs of effectiveness which warranted further research.”
The Lancet released the preprint of this report late last month. The document hasn’t been peer-reviewed. This study found that amongst a group of stimulant users, “methamphetamine desire decreased as depression, anxiety, stress, and quality of life improved.”
Eight-member team of Australian authors noted there were few treatments available for the methamphetamine addiction disorder.
The 14 patients who were treated with psilocybin had all been using methamphetamine four times a month or more. No one had a serious medical condition or mental disorder that would have disqualified them for psilocybin.
Following three preparation sessions, over two weeks, the participants received one oral 25 milligram dose of Psilocybin, which was followed by 2 psychotherapy sessions, over the span of a week. Thirteen out of 14 participants underwent a post-dose evaluation lasting 90 days.
Participants reported no serious side effects, although some reported nausea, headaches and noise sensitivities in the first week following psilocybin administration.
Methamphetamine self-reporting fell from 12 days on average over the last 28 days to zero days on average a month following psilocybin. After 90 days the median amount of methamphetamine used was just two out of 28 previous days.
Notably, 57 percent (eight people) were abstained entirely from methamphetamine use during the 28-day period after psilocybin administration—a result corroborated through a urine drug screening. In 90 days, only 29 percent (4 people) of the participants had used methamphetamine.
The measures taken by the participants were: [methamphetamine] “The report shows that depression, anxiety, craving and stress have all decreased from the baseline up to day 28 or 90 after.
According to the authors, this study was the first of its kind that explored psilocybin therapy as a treatment for methamphetamine abuse disorder.
The findings indicate that such treatments can be conducted in an outpatient setting, and larger clinical trials could also be done. [psilocybin-assisted therapy] “For this indication”, says the paper. It adds that the results are consistent with prior research showing psilocybin could help manage tobacco or alcohol use disorders.
The team acknowledged that the small sample size and other limitations—such as a gender imbalance and exclusion of people with stimulant-induced psychosis and hypertension—limit the generalizability of the findings but concluded that the study “provides early signals [psilocybin-assisted therapy] “It is safe and feasible to perform the procedure in an outpatient setting.”
More research is being conducted now, decades after the early studies showed that psychedelic assisted therapy could offer significant benefits to those suffering from substance abuse disorder.
Last summer, for example, two studies—including one with contributions from a top federal drug official—examined psychedelics and alcohol use disorder (AUD).
A single dose of Psilocybin is “safe and effective for reducing alcohol intake in AUD” patients, while another concludes classic psychedelics including LSD and Psilocybin have shown potential to treat drug addiction in general and especially AUD.
The National Institutes of Health last year also announced that it would put $2.4 million toward funding studies on the use of psychedelics to treat methamphetamine use disorders—funding that came as federal health officials noted sharp increases in deaths from methamphetamine and other psychostimulants in recent years, with fatal overdoses involving the substances rising nearly fivefold between 2015 and 2022.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse has announced funding of $1.5million to study addiction and psychedelics in 2023.
Recent research also suggests that psychedelics may unlock new promising pathways for treating addiction. In 2023, a first-of its-kind study offered new insights on how psychedelics-assisted treatment works with people who have alcohol use disorders.
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health of the National Institutes of Health identified a variety of benefits of using psilocybin to treat alcohol abuse disorder. This is despite it being a Schedule I substance in the United States.
A 2022 study was highlighted by the agency, which “suggested psilocybin could be beneficial for alcohol abuse disorder.” Research found those in psilocybin assisted therapy had less heavy-drinking than their control group over a period of 32 weeks. NCCIH said this “suggests the psilocybin could be beneficial for alcohol abuse disorder.”
Outside of psychedelics, research from 2019 indicated that the cannabinoid CBD may also have the potential to treat substance use disorders involving cocaine, amphetamine and methamphetamine—adding to earlier research showing the cannabinoid has the potential to help people battling substance use disorders involving alcohol and opioids.
Federally funded study shows that opioid prescriptions drop in states where marijuana is legalized, suggesting some pain patients prefer cannabis