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        Cluster Headache Help and Support >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies >> Interesting article in Neurology 
        
(Message started by: Pinkfloyd on Jun 28^th, 2006, 1:57am)

Title: Interesting article in Neurology
Post by Pinkfloyd on Jun 28^th, 2006, 1:57am

Presently available for review by your Neurologist;

http://www.neurology.org/cgi/content/abstract/66/12/1920

I gave myself permission to reprint the abstract here.

NEUROLOGY 2006;66:1920-1922
© 2006 American Academy of Neurology

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brief Communications

Response of cluster headache to psilocybin and LSD
R. Andrew Sewell, MD, John H. Halpern, MD and Harrison G. Pope, Jr, MD
From the Biological Psychiatry Laboratory (J.H.H., H.G.P.) and Clinical Research Laboratory (R.A.S.), Alcohol and Drug Abuse Research Center, McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. R. Andrew Sewell, Oaks Building, ADARC, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill St., Belmont, MA 02478; e-mail: asewell@mclean.harvard.edu.

The authors interviewed 53 cluster headache patients who had used psilocybin or lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) to treat their condition. Twenty-two of 26 psilocybin users reported that psilocybin aborted attacks; 25 of 48 psilocybin users and 7 of 8 LSD users reported cluster period termination; 18 of 19 psilocybin users and 4 of 5 LSD users reported remission period extension. Research on the effects of psilocybin and LSD on cluster headache may be warranted.
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Anyone wanting a full text article, should write to your favorite clusterbuster and ask for one.

Anyone now wishing to approach your doctor with questions on this treatment, can now bring in an article from a peer-reviewed medical journal, and ask for their thoughts on the subject.

Thanks to all involved. ;;D

Bobw

Title: Re: Interesting article in Neurology
Post by LeeS on Jun 28^th, 2006, 4:17am

Thanks to you Bob (and your intrepid team ;))

Truely a great milestone. Onwards and upwards 8)

-Lee

Title: Re: Interesting article in Neurology
Post by Charlotte on Jun 28^th, 2006, 1:41pm

Thanks. Were all our clusterbusters the subjects involved?

Thanks,

Charlotte

Title: Re: Interesting article in Neurology
Post by Bob P on Jun 28^th, 2006, 2:32pm

Quote:

25 of 48 psilocybin users and 7 of 8 LSD users reported cluster period termination

All this time I thought I was one of the very few for whom it did not work. Looks like 48% were unsuccessful in stopping their cycle.

Still good that it's out there for people to share with their doctors.

Hi Flash.

Title: Re: Interesting article in Neurology
Post by tommyD on Jun 28^th, 2006, 7:33pm

Ah, the power of understatement.

In the full paper it breaks down like this (this is just for psilocybin - the results for LSD were not inconsistent):

Used as Prophylactic - to break a cycle
Effective (completely ended cycle) 25 or 52%
Partially Effective (lessened attacks but did not end cycle) 18 or 37%
Ineffective (no help) - 3 or 6%

Acute treatment - Sublingual to abort individual attacks
Effective (abort within 20 min.) - 22 or 85%
Ineffective - 4 or 15%

And to extend remisssion - that is to prevent a cycle from starting:
Effective - 20 or 91%
Ineffective - 2 or 9%

So you’re back in the elite again, Bob.

-tommyD

Title: Re: Interesting article in Neurology
Post by Bob P on Jun 29^th, 2006, 9:47am

Sorry, was just going by what Bob posted. I didn't receive the full article from Sewell until this morning.

Quote:

So you’re back in the elite again, Bob.

Thanks.