'Magic mushroom' drug reduces anxiety and depression in cancer patients for five years

Authored by edition.cnn.com and submitted by Mahmoods
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(CNN) A single dose of psilocybin, a compound found in "magic mushrooms," provides long-term relief of anxiety and depression in cancer patients, a new study finds.

In fact, cancer patients who were given psilocybin reported reductions in anxiety, depression, hopelessness, demoralization, and death anxiety more than four years after receiving the dose in combination with psychotherapy.

"Our findings strongly suggest that psilocybin therapy is a promising means of improving the emotional, psychological, and spiritual well-being of patients with life-threatening cancer," said Dr. Stephen Ross, associate professor of psychiatry in the Department of Psychiatry at NYU Langone Health.

The findings build on improvements first reported by the team in 2016, in which 29 patients with cancer-related anxiety and depression were given either a single dose of psilocybin or a vitamin placebo called niacin. Seven weeks later, they were given the opposite. This was in combination with nine psychotherapy sessions.

By 6½ months, after all patients had received psilocybin, about 60% to 80% showed clinically significant reductions in depression, anxiety and existential distress and and improved attitudes toward death.

slagmire on February 21st, 2020 at 20:02 UTC »

I was listening to an audiobook of How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence by Michael Pollan that goes into the use of psychedelics (LSD, psilocybin, etc.), a look into their history and how research has been developing over the last few years, and their benefits for terminal patients as well as their use later in life versus early while the mind is still developing. Pretty interesting stuff.

sahewins on February 21st, 2020 at 19:40 UTC »

I saw a segment about this on 60 Minutes about six months ago. They used what they called "heroic doses." So, high-dose. They used it to treat addiction, anxiety and depression.

Some people had good trips and some had bad. Even those with bad experiences often had good long-term results.

They interviewed one woman with terminal cancer who got completely over her depression. She's still dying, but she's not depressed about it.

Here's a link, but you can only watch it with CBS All Access.

https://www.cbs.com/shows/60_minutes/video/aVr4a9j7Sa5PhkHjhaE__e5QlMoU4WaX/researchers-experimenting-with-psychedelics-to-treat-addiction-depression-and-anxiety/

Fux_with_trux on February 21st, 2020 at 19:03 UTC »

It was discovered just a year ago that psilocin directly binds to 5-HT2A receptors in the human brain. It was long suspected but there is now actual evidence in the literature. 5-HT2A receptors have long been implicated in the psychedelic effects of various drugs.

More info on the study

More info on 5-HT2A receptors