Spring 2003 Vol. 13, No. 1 60th Anniversary of the Discovery of LSD
At the University of Arizona, we are currently conducting a study that investigates the effects of psilocybin in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). As this is an FDA Phase I study, our first and foremost goal is to demonstrate safety and tolerability of psilocybin in human subjects. At the same time, we are collecting pilot data regarding psilocybin’s efficacy in treating OCD. The latter effort is based on anecdotal and theoretical evidence which suggests that psilocybin relieves the symptoms of OCD in some patients.
Thus far, we have had 7 subjects and a total of 22 psilocybin dosing sessions. All sessions have been tolerated well with no significant adverse effects. All 7 subjects have said that they would, if given the chance, repeat their session experience again. We are still looking for volunteers to participate as subjects in the study, and hope to finish the study before July 2003. Preliminary findings will be made available in May at the American Psychiatric Association meeting in San Francisco.
Potential subjects must meet the following criteria: age 21-65 years old, must have previous experience with psychedelic drugs, and must have OCD which is treatment resistant (e.g. have tried one or more first-line medications at adequate dosage for a minimum of 4 weeks without significant improvement in OCD symptoms).
Those interested in volunteering can contact Dr. Chris Wiegand at (520) 626-7708 or via e-mail: psilocybinaz@yahoo.com. If you are chosen to participate, travel and lodging expenses can be defrayed if you are in need of assistance.