By New research published in Journal of Psychopharmacology We found that serotonergic antidepressants such as SSRIs and SNRIs can reduce the effects of psilocybin. Psychedelic Spotlight Report. Serotonergic antidepressants are often the first line of treatment for depression and include well-known drugs such as Prozac and Zoloft.
The study, published in June 2023, was based on an online retrospective study of 2,153 people who took psilocybin mushrooms while concomitantly taking antidepressants and 2,153 people who had used psilocybin within 2 years after stopping antidepressants. The 611 respondents who took mushrooms with antidepressants reported a weaker-than-expected effect of psilocybin, as did the 1,542 participants who discontinued their SSRI/SNRI medications. Of note, however, was that there was no significant difference in the odds of weakening results between those who stopped taking antidepressants one week before taking shrooms and those who stopped taking the drugs three to six months before.
This study shows that SNRI/SSRI antidepressants attenuate the effects of psilocybin compared to nonserotonergic antidepressants, and that those who stop taking antidepressants may experience a weaker effect up to 3 months after stopping the medication.
People taking psilocybin, the compound responsible for the hallucinogenic effects of magic mushrooms, have long talked about how antidepressants can lessen the experience. But this argument, long confined to music festivals and Reddit message boards, now has scientific backing. This confirmation comes at a time when psilocybin itself is gaining attention in the treatment of depression. In 2022, COMPASS Pathways will publish “the largest randomized, controlled, double-blind study of psilocybin therapy completed to date,” showing a “significant” improvement in symptoms of treatment-resistant depression (TRD).
And recently, physicians at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston began a trial of psilocybin therapy to treat cancer-related anxiety and depression in patients by “examining the effects of psilocybin on maintenance therapy in patients with advanced, controlled cancer who have mental health challenges.”
This is commendable, but as many readers know, you don’t need a cancer diagnosis to benefit from taking psilocybin for depression. Inhibitors like SSRIs are possible, but Takes up to 6 weeks To begin to take effect, psychedelic drugs such as psilocybin (not to mention ketamine) can reverse the effects of depression quickly and hopefully more effectively.As According to a 2020 surveyConventional antidepressants improve symptoms in about 20 out of 100 people. Another study published in 2020 Psilocybin is not only an effective and fast-acting treatment for major depressive disorder, but more than half of study participants were shown to remain in remission of depression four weeks after treatment.
As a result, looking at statistics alone, many people currently taking serotonergic antidepressants may be considering switching Lexapro to psilocybin (and possibly psilocybin as well). more cost effective in the treatment of depression). So, should you quit your current medication before embarking on a psychedelic healing journey? There is always a risk of serotonin toxicity or serotonin syndrome when taking two medications together, such as SSRIs and MDMA, which both increase serotonin levels. This can occur when a drug raises levels of the neurotransmitter between nerve cells, serotonin, beyond safe levels, causing everything from nausea and anxiety to, in rare cases, coma and death. The latter is pretty unheard of, as many of you reading this who have taken hallucinogens while on antidepressants can confirm.
Studies on antidepressants that reduce the effects of psilocybin say that it is generally safe to use serotonergic antidepressants before psilocybin treatment. Note, however, that SSRIs and SNRIs not only attenuate the effect of psilocybin, but that effect may persist for up to 3 months after stopping the antidepressant. So if you’re on an SSRI or SSNI, it’s fine to try psilocybin for depression, but be aware that it may take up to 3 months to see the full benefits of the new medication.
