Klin Farmakol Farm. 2025;39(1):62-66 | DOI: 10.36290/far.2025.021

Psychedelics in the treatment of cluster headaches

Michal Židó^{1, 2}, Tomáš Páleníček³, Ivana Štětkářová^{1, 2}

¹ Neurologická klinika, 3. lékařské fakulty Univerzity Karlovy, Praha

² Neurologická klinika Fakultní nemocnice Královské Vinohrady, Praha

³ Národní ústav duševního zdraví, Klecany

Psychedelics are psychoactive substances that typically cause changes in perception, thinking, emotionality, and cognitive processes immediately after use. Recently, their antidepressant and anxiolytic effects have been intensively investigated. The main advantage of these substances is the rapid onset and long-lasting effect after administration of one or only a few doses. They also have a good safety profile. These substances can also be used to treat chronic neurogenic pain and primary headaches, e.g. cluster headache. Cluster headache is a rare disease, manifested by episodes of intense headaches with vegetative accompaniment, which can significantly limit patients. Although conventional treatment is sufficiently effective and safe for most patients, there is a certain group for whom this is not the case. Therefore, the search for new treatment options continues. Based on recent data, a group of tryptamine and ergoline psychedelics, for example psilocybin and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), and some of their derivatives, may represent a new potential source of cluster headache therapy. This treatment is still experimental.

Keywords: cluster headache, psychedelics, psilocybin, headache.

Accepted: April 15, 2025; Published: April 29, 2025  Show citation