Doctors are testing psychedelics such as psilocybin and LSD for fibromyalgia. Painkillers, antidepressants and other drugs fall short. Early studies suggest psychedelics reset the brain for long-term relief.
Summary: Fibromyalgia is a common long-term disorder. It causes body aches, tiredness, sore spots across the body, depression, sleep problems and more. Changes in the brain cause it, but science still does not understand them well. Doctors treat it with painkillers, antidepressants and other drugs, but the results are far from good. Now new studies suggest psychedelics like psilocybin or LSD may help treat chronic pain. They may reset the brain and give long-term relief.
Fibromyalgia is one of the hardest disorders to diagnose and treat. It causes aches all over the body. Many spots are highly sensitive to pain. It also causes tiredness, sleep problems, depression and more.
Yet science still understands it poorly. That is why it is diagnosed by ruling other things out. Before confirming it, doctors usually rule out other known long-term disorders with similar symptoms, like aches and tiredness. The diagnosis is mostly made from the exam and history. No reliable lab marker confirms it. Still, it is one of the common causes of chronic pain. And worryingly, it is becoming more common.
No single drug works for everyone. So doctors prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs, anti-seizure drugs like gabapentin, and antidepressants. But most of these drugs help far too little, and the risk of side effects is high. Safe medicines for the condition are needed.
In recent years, doctors have learned that brain changes cause fibromyalgia. These changes cause hyperalgesia (extra sensitivity to pain) and tiredness. So the body tenderness comes from the brain, not from swelling in one spot. That is why it is vital to test drugs that change how the brain works. Psychedelics are known to help reset the brain and give lasting benefits for many brain disorders. But psychedelic therapy is still mostly experimental for most health problems.
Now one drug startup has chosen to study psychedelics for fibromyalgia. A California company called Tryp Therapeutics has teamed up with the Chronic Pain & Fatigue Research Center at the University of Michigan Medical School. Together they will run a phase 2 study of psilocybin to treat fibromyalgia.
There are many reasons to look at psilocybin. It is the mind-altering compound in “magic mushrooms” and is known to be fairly safe. So researchers do not need to spend years on lab and animal data. They also do not need to start with a phase 1 study, which mostly tests safety in humans. Enough is already known about psilocybin, and its safety in humans is proven to a degree. It could become the best treatment for fibromyalgia.
Of course, phase 2 studies also test safety, but they are larger than phase 1 studies. They also test whether the drug works at the same time. So starting at phase 2 saves a lot of money and time.
The company will test lab-made psilocybin. Early studies suggest psilocybin can change neuroplasticity (the brain’s ability to rewire), change many brain networks and cause lasting changes in how the brain works. So it may help reduce the brain-driven pain sensitivity often found in people with fibromyalgia.
Everyone is excited about the study. If it works, it may change how fibromyalgia is managed. It may even change how chronic pain treatment, opioid addiction treatment and depression care are done. But these are still early days. The company is only getting ready to file for phase 2 trials. Such a trial needs a few hundred people. And before the US FDA approves the drug for medical use, a much larger phase 3 trial would be needed.
So yes, there is still a way to go. But the news is exciting. Drug companies have started looking past standard painkillers and antidepressants for conditions like this. And there is only limited evidence that antidepressants work for fibromyalgia.
Even more interesting, other drug companies have also started studying psychedelics for fibromyalgia. Another company, Mind Medicine, has announced it is starting to study LSD to treat chronic pain syndrome and to relieve cluster headaches.
For now, LSD and psilocybin are Schedule 1 controlled substances. So they are not approved for any medical use. But these studies may change all that.
Frequently asked questions
What is the new breakthrough for fibromyalgia?
Psychedelics. Tryp Therapeutics, a California company, teamed up with the Chronic Pain & Fatigue Research Center at the University of Michigan Medical School on a phase 2 study of lab-made psilocybin for fibromyalgia. Mind Medicine is studying LSD for chronic pain syndrome and cluster headache. Psilocybin can change neuroplasticity and brain networks. That may reduce the brain-driven pain sensitivity behind fibromyalgia. These are still early days.
What is the best drug for fibromyalgia pain?
No single drug works for everyone. Doctors prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs, anti-seizure drugs such as gabapentin, and antidepressants. But most of them help far too little, and the risk of side effects is high. The evidence that antidepressants work for fibromyalgia is limited. That gap is why researchers now test drugs that change how the brain itself works.
Is fibromyalgia pain real?
Yes. Fibromyalgia comes from changes in the brain that cause hyperalgesia, a heightened sensitivity to pain, along with tiredness. The tenderness patients feel comes from those brain changes, not from local swelling. No reliable lab marker confirms it. So doctors diagnose it from the exam after ruling out other long-term disorders that cause aches and tiredness. It is also becoming more common.
Can doctors prescribe psilocybin for fibromyalgia?
Not today. LSD and psilocybin are Schedule 1 controlled substances with no approved medical use. Psilocybin can skip phase 1 testing because its safety in humans is proven to a degree. But a phase 2 trial must enroll a few hundred people. FDA approval for medical use would still need a much larger phase 3 trial.
Related reading
Psychedelic Effects Through Virtual Reality · Psychedelics, Near-Death Experiences and Fear of Death · Theta Waves as a Marker for Emotional Dysregulation · Drug Addiction Treatment, St. Louis