Psychedelics for Chronic Pain and Autoimmune Conditions: A Personal and Scientific Perspective

Days like today are often a challenge for someone such as myself with a diagnosis of fibromyalgia. After weeks of glorious sunshine and no rain, the UK has returned to its modus operandi of unrelenting soggy humidity, with the occasional bit of sunshine peeking through just to maintain the false sense of hope that we might return to the blissful rays and heat that my body seems to respond so well to! There’s a noticeable difference in how slow it’s taken me to get into my morning routine compared to other days, and the stiffness in my body can often make it feel like I’m walking through sludge. My typing speed is much slower than the previous days, and the connections between thoughts are certainly happening at a slower pace. There is some limited research to suggest that the weather can have an impact on things like chronic pain, but in general the reports seem to be mostly anecdotal.

Personally, it’s quite clear how my environment affects me, and the UK at times can certainly be a difficult place to exist, especially with the challenges that come with living costs, employment, or access to healthcare as an individual with a long-term health condition. My daily experience can often involve acute issues with pain or fatigue flare-ups, combined with a cumulative effect that can take its toll on both the mental and physical side of things. It’s generally an isolating experience, where the condition itself is confusing and not straightforward, which makes it difficult for not only other people to understand, but it’s also taken me many years to gain some level of understanding myself. I received my diagnosis in 2016, and almost a decade later, it feels like I’m building in some protocols which actually work to manage the symptoms, with reduced flare-ups and an ability to be more active in the world. 

This has, however, been mostly a personal journey towards feeling more empowered when it comes to my health, as my experience of the healthcare systems and people in general has been one where there’s a lot of misunderstanding, or advice given that might not be so well placed. There’s been a sense of invisibility in the world, which has also come as a result of often shutting myself in, where I’ve not felt like I’m able to do things like exercise or be active in general, as I might cause myself more discomfort or pain.

Psychedelic experiences can potentially provide an avenue to grapple with these more complex conditions, and possibly allow individuals to deal with the deeper issues related to their health conditions. While there is a lot of research on the benefits of psychedelics for managing mental health, there is increasing attention on the benefits of these substances for managing chronic pain, and the use of psychedelics for managing certain long-term health conditions might provide more insight into the mind-body axis when it comes to things such as chronic pain or autoimmune disorders. 

This article will explore more of the scientific research related to the benefits of psychedelics in managing chronic pain, as well as reflecting on my own experiences to understand the significance of utilising these substances to improve the quality of my life. Conditions such as fibromyalgia can be debilitating, and often it’s hard to find joy or enthusiasm for things in life which might actually benefit you in the long run, such as exercising or getting out into nature for example…but psychedelics might actually hold the key in us becoming more in touch with our own bodies and the outside world. 

I’ve struggled with weight for the majority of my life, and as a child and teenager, I always found exercise difficult. The idea of simply going to the local park for a walk would occasionally result in an argument with my parents or older siblings. Even having a dog whom I loved so much wasn’t enough to properly get me outdoors and exercise. Prior to my diagnosis of fibromyalgia in my 20s, I’d had a few injuries playing rugby as a teenager, as well as having surgery on my hip at 14, which made me quite unenthusiastic about moving around. My general experience of fibromyalgia often involves pain in places like my hips, as well as extreme fatigue in my legs and issues with mood, which can have a knock-on effect for getting out into the world and doing exercise (which is now very much being recommended as one of the primary ways to manage a condition such as this).

When I was 19, I had the fortune of discovering some psychoactive fungi growing less than a 10-minute walk from my university campus in Canterbury. The experience that I had with the Psilocybe semilanceata (commonly referred to as the ‘liberty cap’ due to its shape) was nothing short of astounding to say the least, not only because I started to question things like whether or not human origins were from outer space, but also because I really noticed my ability and desire to just keep walking and exploring. The energy that was provided by the effects of the magic mushrooms was, and still is, one of the things I appreciate the most about the experience. 

My natural curiosity in psychedelics was encouraged by university friends, and I felt like I’d found a route towards finding more joy in being outdoors in nature, and connecting to something greater than myself, while still understanding my place within everything. I began playing music in a psychedelic-inspired band and started to explore the local woodlands around Canterbury, where I learnt to identify trees, as well as sites of historical, spiritual, and energetic importance. I was blessed with a university campus that was set against the natural surroundings and very much felt like a playground to explore as we fuelled ourselves with mushrooms, LSD, and even some San Pedro powder on a couple of rare occasions. 

My own experiences with psychedelics have certainly benefited me on a noticeable level when it comes to a reduction in pain, increased energy, and elevated mood. My favourite psychedelic is LSD, and I have frequently consumed it in small doses to assist with certain activities such as performing or going to see live music, where I know I might need to feel more present and less concerned with things like fatigue or pain. The joy, excitement, wonder, humour, and social engagement I find with low doses of LSD really make a difference to my experience of fibromyalgia, and I continue to be grateful for the potential it provides to engage more comfortably in the aspects of my life that I find so fulfilling.  

While my personal experiences have shown me the benefit of utilising these substances to manage chronic pain, we can turn our attention to where the science has been exploring the side of psychedelics, which goes beyond treating mental health conditions.

Chronic pain is notoriously difficult to treat, and it has a wide-reaching impact on both the peripheral and central nervous systems, which can in turn impact emotional, sensory, and cognitive functions, and have an adverse effect on an individual's overall well-being. Certain classic psychedelics, such as LSD and magic mushrooms, might provide some potential for managing chronic pain, as well as dealing with mental health conditions such as depression or anxiety (although these are both often interwoven with chronic pain due to the long-term effects on one’s mental health).

Despite the attention being largely focused on utilising the benefits of psychedelics for managing mental health, there has been growing interest in the potential of these substances for managing pain conditions, which dates back all the way to the 1930s, according to the Psychedelics and Pain Association. Even as far back as the late 1800s, there have been studies to suggest that mescaline (in the form of peyote) was beneficial for managing pain conditions and phantom limb issues. According to the PPA, this research dropped off in the 1960s due to restrictions; however, since the early 2000s and more so in the 2020s, there has been increasing research in exploring how psychedelics might be beneficial for managing pain. 

The benefits from these substances may even occur on a subtle level, and individuals might find some pain relief from consuming sub-psychedelic doses. There has been some research into the self-administered use of microdoses of psilocybin mushrooms by individuals who shared common experiences of reduced quality of life, along with difficulties using existing medications to manage their conditions. Even with the low doses being used in this particular instance, people have been experiencing the analgesic benefits of psilocybin, and this has been complemented by introducing exercise into the mix.

Further research into cluster headaches has shown psilocybin to be promising for managing this condition, with individuals experiencing a reduction of approximately 50% in the frequency of attacks after a pulse administration of psilocybin (10 mg/70 kg, 3 doses, 5 days apart each). 

Some research also suggests that LSD can be utilised for managing pain, with an analgesic effect at doses low enough to not induce a psychedelic experience (20 μg). The promising analgesic effects of LSD were known about in the 1950s, where it was discovered to be particularly beneficial for managing certain types of headaches, such as migraines, before being shown in the early 1960s to help with managing cluster headaches. A “cluster” is the period in which the individual is experiencing a regular occurrence of attacks, ranging from weeks to years, where there might be some unpredictability. Patients may experience some remission, but about 15–20% of cluster headache patients experience this as a chronic condition, with only brief or no remission periods at all. As this condition wasn’t properly defined until the 1980s, it has made evidence surrounding the benefit of psychedelics for managing it somewhat unclear; however, there has been renewed interest since the early 2000s in exploring the benefit of psychedelics for managing this debilitating condition.

Psychedelics might provide a useful avenue for these kinds of conditions, which are difficult to define or poorly understood, and interestingly, there has been some recent research to suggest that the use of psilocybin and other classic psychedelics might be useful for managing fibromyalgia. As I have personally experienced the benefits of mushrooms in helping me manage this condition, it’s important to see the scientific research catching up with the anecdotal reports.

The investigation into the benefits of psychedelics such as LSD in managing chronic pain has gained more traction over the years, with a recent announcement from the company MindMed with ‘Project Angie’ looking to advance the development of psychedelics in treating pain conditions. There is some suggestion that psychedelics may offer new mechanisms of action for managing pain, and while these mechanisms aren’t necessarily so well-understood, there is a theory that there is something happening in regards to our endogenous modulation of pain when we consume psychedelics. 

This might have a wide-reaching impact on a range of conditions that might be occurring as a result of altered function or dysfunction, and through modulating these pain response pathways with psychedelics, patients experiencing certain pain might have an opportunity to manage it more effectively. Research has shown that the activation of serotonin receptors by psychedelics such as LSD or psilocybin can have an effect on our perception of pain, reduce inflammation, and increase the opportunity for neuroplasticity, potentially remodelling synaptic pathways. A further clinical study using fMRI showed how LSD can actually change our neural architecture and modulate the network in our brains which responds to pain. 

During a psychedelic experience, we might actually become more aware of our bodily sensations, which can allow us to interpret them in a different way, and perhaps change our response to experiences of pain. This is an interesting point when it comes to understanding how we relate to our body and how aware we are in terms of the way in which we’re using it. I have personally found psychedelics to be incredibly useful for forging a new relationship with my body, where I am able to be less frustrated about any perceived limitations, as well as being more attentive and conscious to understand how to use my energy in a way which serves me best. 

With something like fibromyalgia, I have found there is a fine balance between giving my body the rest it needs and moving often enough to ensure good mobility (as well as maintaining fitness), and it can often be hard to get that balance right. When I have utilised psychedelics even in small doses, I find that it’s easier to get the balance right – I feel more tuned in to what is going on, and energetically I have more insight into where I should be directing my energy. The potential for emotional release can also alleviate stored trauma or tension, and I have personally found a lot of crossover with these aspects of myself when it comes to my experience of chronic pain. There are also individuals experiencing a lot of emotional discomfort when dealing with certain autoimmune conditions, which are also characterised by frequent experiences of pain.

Autoimmune conditions such as multiple sclerosis can be incredibly difficult to manage, as the immune system is constantly overworking and attacking otherwise healthy parts of the body. The balance in our immune system is incredibly important, as we need it to deal with pathogens, but we don’t want it to start attacking the body itself. These kinds of conditions can have a massive impact on the daily lives of individuals, where they are experiencing things like pain, as well as the emotional and psychological discomfort that arises as a result of their condition. Certain autoimmune conditions are complex and poorly understood, but psychedelics might offer an opportunity to engage with these conditions in a different way. There has been some research to suggest that classical psychedelics, which can help alleviate some of this psychological discomfort, do not affect the responses of certain immune cells.

This is promising for people suffering from autoimmune conditions, and there is more research to suggest that classical psychedelics, which interact with our serotonergic system, can help to modulate our immune response. There is evidence for the production and use of immune factors by the central nervous system, and interactions between immune cells and peripheral nerve endings allow the immune system to recruit local neuronal elements for fine-tuning of the immune response. Reciprocally, immune cells and mediators play a regulatory role in the nervous system, and participate in the elimination and plasticity of synapses during development as well as in synaptic plasticity in adulthood. Alterations in communication pathways between the immune system and the nervous system can account for many pathological conditions that were initially attributed to strict organ dysfunction. This applies in particular to psychiatric disorders and several immune-mediated diseases. This is interesting to note when we think about how classical psychedelics can impact things such as neuroplasticity in a positive way, allowing for the creation of new pathways and the potential alleviation of trauma. 

There are also things going on outside of our bodies, and as I mentioned at the start, when talking about the weather, for example, our natural environment as well as our social one can certainly make a difference to our experience.

Psychedelics aren’t magic pills for managing chronic pain or autoimmune conditions, but they might offer some serious potential where other therapeutics have fallen short. The intention behind consumption of psychedelics matters deeply to how much the individual will get out of it, and this might be why there seems to be some promise in both using large doses which might grapple with more of the psychological and emotional aspects of our condition, as well as smaller doses which help to alleviate the general daily discomfort and allow us to be more present in the world. 

My own experience with preparing for these kinds of experiences, both big and small, involves setting an intention, checking in with my support network, utilising other practices such as meditation or breathwork, and creating a comfortable physical environment. This often involves being warm (which isn’t always easy in the UK), having comfortable seating arrangements, and feeling like I’m in a safe space – these requirements can often create a challenging experience if they’re not met, as well as reinforcing the difference between myself and friends who don’t experience issues with chronic pain, and are able to feel more relaxed about the experience in general. 

Often, this means I’m having these kinds of experiences alone, but this also allows for deeper reflection and more focus on integration through checking in with my body, journaling, paying more attention to diet, and taking the time to rest. 

These kinds of experiences aren’t for everyone, however, and often with long-term health conditions, there are mental health vulnerabilities to be aware of, as well as potential interactions with medications such as SSRIs, immunosuppressants. Individuals in these situations might also be lacking in the necessary resources to access these substances or be living in a country with restrictions, as well as not having enough support for their experiences. Most of the studies are still in their early stages, and a lot of the evidence is anecdotal, however further research and changes in legislation to allow for more access can help us understand healing in a way that is more holistic, transformative, and collective, where we can offer individuals suffering with chronic pain and autoimmune conditions more dignity as they engage with their mind and body as a whole.

Oli is one of our community bloggers here at Chemical Collective. If you’re interested in joining our blogging team and getting paid to write about subjects you’re passionate about, please reach out to Sam via email at [email protected]