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Long COVID - and psychedelics

covid psychedelics

Psychedelics are proving to be a savior for those with "long covid" symptoms. People who have experienced long COVID-19 symptoms do not have an easy life. Indeed, symptoms of long COVID-19 can include: muscle and joint pain, breathing difficulties, memory and concentration problems, and even heart rhythm disturbances. For many long COVIDs, hospitalization is necessary and a complete cure is impossible. However, there are reports that psychedelic substances can help control the debilitating disease.

What is a long COVID?

Long COVID (a.k.a. post-COVID syndrome), is a syndrome of symptoms that persist long-term after COVID-19 disease. Symptoms of long COVID-19 may include [1] [2] [3]:

  • sore throat;
  • headaches;
  • muscle pains;
  • joint pains;
  • cough;
  • gastrointestinal symptoms;
  • breathing difficulties;
  • loss of smell;
  • loss of taste;
  • cardiac arrhythmias;
  • fatigue.

Post-COVID sufferers also often struggle with depressive states, anxiety, emotional problems and sleep disorders [4] [5]. It would be great if psychedelics could help.

Long COVID - treatment is to alleviate symptoms and improve the patient's life

Doctors are helpless in the face of long COVID-19. Treatment currently consists of alleviating symptoms and improving patients' quality of life, nothing more can be done. Many people with post-COVID syndrome require hospitalization, physical rehabilitation, and psychological support. Research is therefore still underway to invent a cure for the condition. Will psychedelics prove effective in larger studies?

In recent years, there have been many scientific publications on psychedelics, a group of psychoactive substances that act on serotonin receptors in the brain so as to induce changes in mood, perception or consciousness. In clinical studies, it has been shown that naturally occurring psychodeliques in various mushroom species can be helpful in treating depression, anxiety and post-traumatic syndrome [6] [7]. This raises the question, can psychedelic drugs also serve in the treatment of long COVIDA?

Long COVID vs. psychedelics

The reason why researchers want to start studying psychedelics and their effects on long COVID is due to patient reports. Many of them, after trying psychedelics on their own, have noticed significant improvements in their health, including but not limited to: improved cognitive function and alleviation of depressive symptoms.

Research is currently underway on the use of psilocybin to treat depression and anxiety disorders, a common symptom of long COVID-19. The psychoactive substance occurs naturally in more than 200 species of mushrooms, with the most common being obtained from Psilocybe cubensis. In Poland, it can be used legally only for scientific purposes - after obtaining permits. It is believed that the way this substance affects the nervous system, as well as its possible anti-inflammatory properties [8] [9], may help patients suffering from post-COVID syndrome. However, further studies are needed to accurately determine the effect of the psilocybin On the body and the safety of its use. I think that psychedelics will surprise us more than once.

Sources:

  1. Sudre, C.H., Murray, B., Varsavsky, T., Graham, M.S., Penfold, R.S., Bowyer, R.C.E. et al. (2021). Attributes and predictors of long COVID. Nature Medicine, 27(4), 626-631.
  2. Bliddal, S., Banasik, K., Pedersen, O.B., Bang, C.N., Dahl, M., Frølund, A.L. et al. (2021). Long COVID in patients with mild to moderate disease: a Danish cohort study. medRxiv.
  3. Carfì, A., Bernabei, R., Landi, F. (2020). Persistent Symptoms in Patients After Acute COVID-19. JAMA, 324(6), 603-605.
  4. Mazza, M.G., De Lorenzo, R., Conte, C., Poletti, S., Vai, B., Bollettini, I. et al. (2020). Anxiety and depression in COVID-19 survivors: Role of inflammatory and clinical predictors. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 89, 594-600.
  5. Huang, C., Huang, L., Wang, Y., Li, X., Ren, L., Gu, X. et al. (2021). 6-month consequences of COVID-19 in patients discharged from hospital: a cohort study. The Lancet, 397(10270), 220-232.
  6. Carhart-Harris, R. L., Bolstridge, M., Rucker, J., Day, C. M. J., Erritzoe, D., Kaelen, M., et al. (2016). Psilocybin with psychological support for treatment-resistant depression: an open-label feasibility study. The Lancet Psychiatry, 3(7), 619-627.
  7. Nutt D. Psychedelic drugs-a new era in psychiatry?Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2019;21(2):139-147. doi: 10.31887/DCNS.2019.21.2/dnutt. PMID: 31636488; PMCID: PMC6787540.
  8. Gartz, J., France, R., & Yañez-Muñoz, R. J. (2019). Anti-inflammatory effects of psilocybin and its clinical potential. Expert Review of Clinical Pharmacology, 12(6), 535-544.
  9. Cattaneo, A., Cattane, N., Gallino, G., Cocchi, F., Capelli, F., Gennuso, M., ... & Riva, M. A. (2021). Psilocybin regulates cytokine levels and increases IL-10 and cortisone concentrations in major depression. Frontiers in Immunology, 12, 653547.