Posted by pinksharkmark (206.105.238.142) on December 29, 2000 at 01:01:15:
In Reply to: Progress Report -- 2 Months posted by Q on December 27, 2000 at 01:35:10:
... for the update. Knowledge is power!
However, I must take issue with your categorization of this treatment as "radical and controversial".
For me, the ONLY drawback to this treatment is that in many countries, possession of psilocybin or lsd (lsd more so than psilocybin) without a prescription is illegal. From a medical standpoint, however, the treatment is neither new nor radical.
Hoffman first synthesized lsd while looking for a more effective treatment for vascular headaches (specifically migraines) than the existing ergot alkoloids (ergotamine tartrate et al) of the time. He was successful in his quest. There are numerous reports in the literature that support your personal experiences. Unfortunately, the psychedelic side-effects got a lot more press coverage, leading to the eventual criminalization of lsd. Too bad.
Sansert, which is widely prescribed for migraines and clusters, is nothing more than methysergide... a very close chemical cousin to lsd. Unfortunately, methysergide is MUCH less effective than lsd at stopping either migraines or clusters, and has WAY more scary and serious side-effects.
As for psilocybin... it is nothing new to the shamans and herbal healers of the world that "magic mushrooms" stop vascular headaches. They have known this fact since before the dawn of recorded history.
I understand why your somewhat unique personal situation made it more convenient to follow up your initial successful mushroom dose with clinically pure liquid lsd, but not all of the rest of us are in a position to obtain the latter.
As for me... I am starting to get precursor symptoms once again. Nothing that needs an Imitrex yet, or even much more than the occasional Fiorinal, but I am sure that the beast is on his way back. This time I will be ready for him.
My own crop of mushrooms will probably be ready in another week or two. I still haven't decided whether I will take a small dose as soon as the mushrooms are ready, and skip this cycle completely, or whether I will wait until the beast is firmly entrenched and blast him out of the water with a slightly larger dose.
My curiosity tells me to take the latter course, in the interests of adding more anecdotal data to the growing collection already posted here.
The wimp in me says to take them as soon as they pop out of the soil, and avoid even the slightest hint of pain for the next half year or so.
I still don't know which way I'll eventually decide to go. Stay tuned.
pinky