Posted by Flash (217.32.142.13) on June 25, 2001 at 03:49:45:
In Reply to: Neuropharmacological musings from a mad scientist posted by pinksharkmark on June 24, 2001 at 02:35:25:
Like you said in your reply to my post of 2 weeks ago. Hallucinogens bind to 5HT-2A and 5HT-2C receptors. LSD and Psilocybin act as agonists at these sites. Methysergide (Sansert) is a very potent 5HT-2A receptor. 5HT-2A receptors have long been implicated in vascular headaches. Methysergide is a much more potent 5HT-2A agonist than LSD. Sandoz Ltd created Methysergide specifically to treat migraine.
If the 5HT-2A is the main receptor with respect to vascular headaches then Methysergide should be a much more potent treatment than LSD. However as anyone who has used both to treat CH (at different times obviously) will tell you, LSD is way more effective than Methysergide.
I recently read something to the effect that scientists have begun looking at the 5HT-2C receptor as being implicated in vascular headaches. My own thoughts are that both receptors have something to do with it. I do not think it will be possible to produce a non-hallucinogenic drug that will treat CH as effectively as a hallucinogen. The next best thing would be LSD combined with Valium!
Below is a link to my original under researched post, and pinky's reply that pretty much fills in the blanks.