Posted by pinksharkmark (64.32.117.179) on September 21, 2001 at 13:34:37:
In Reply to: Wife's latest CH episode posted by Randy on September 21, 2001 at 09:48:22:
To address your wife's concern about serotonin levels:
There are many medications that alter serotonin levels. SSRIs, tri-cyclics, anti-convulsants, anti-depressants, anti-psychotics, and various psychoactive compounds all alter serotonin levels.
But the reason she suffers from cluster headaches in the first place is that her serotonin-regulating mechanism gets out of whack every now and then. It is probable that the reason psilocybin has such an astounding success rate with ending cluster cycles is that it resets this regulating mechanism to its normal state. This "normalizing" of the serotonin-regulating mechanism is almost certainly why psilocybin is also successful in treating other conditions that are associated with serotonin imbalance: OCD (Obssessive-Compulsive Disorder), PMS, mild cases of clinical depression, and more.
Point by point:
Side effects: If she takes a great big dose, she'll get high as a kite. If she takes a "clusterhead-sized" dose, she'll get a bit buzzed. In either case, she'll be back to normal four to eight hours later, but will probably feel very sleepy immediately afterwards. If she eats the mushroom tissue rather than extracting the active ingredients into a tea, there may be some gastric distress as well. This is not uncommon, but it is by no means universal.
The only LINGERING side-effect (apart from pain relief) is that with great big doses there tends to be a feeling of detachment or serenity or enormous peace and contentment for the day or two following the dose. Sadly, this feeling rarely lasts more than a few days.
Safety: Psilocybin is incredibly non-toxic. Tylenol is worse, let alone prednisone, Imitrex, Indocin, and Lithium. It should also be noted that with psilocybin, in most cases only a single dose is required, or maybe two or three at the most. All other meds require constant dosing for the length of the cycle.
Success rate: For episodics, the success rate is pretty darn close to 100%, to the best of my knowledge. In the case of episodics who are completely free of lingering traces of other meds at the time of dosing, I cannot think of a single failure so far.
Sources: there are dozens of sites on the web that sell spores and supplies for those who wish to cultivate their own. There are many sites that provide identification guides for those who wish to gather their own from the wild. And the black market in any town of any size will probably be able to fill an order for mushrooms.
My e-mail address is at the top of this message. It is possible to find these sites on your own with a bit of effort, but I already know most of them. Click the link below, too. Make sure to check out the section titled "sufferers experience" while you are there.
pinky