Joe McKay, once a fearless firefighter and now a fearless psilocybin pioneer, battled cluster headaches that made fighting fires seem like a day at the spa. After 9/11, these headaches hit him like a freight train. When traditional meds failed, he turned to psilocybin, the psychedelic wizardry in “magic” mushrooms, which surprisingly gave him a year of peace—no trips to the ER, just trips of a different kind.
Despite its status as an outlaw, psilocybin is gaining a reputation for tackling headaches with the tenacity of a caffeine-fueled squirrel. Thanks to grassroots groups like Clusterbusters, there’s a growing movement to explore its potential. Researchers are scratching their heads trying to understand how this fungus fights headaches. The hypothalamus, a brain region that sounds like something from a sci-fi movie, might hold the key.
In a 2020 survey, cluster headache pain outdid childbirth and kidney stones on the “ouch” scale. Tom, another sufferer, was initially reluctant to try psilocybin given his history as a recovering alcoholic. But when the mushrooms worked their magic, he used them medicinally, not for a psychedelic tour of the Milky Way. However, the legal risks keep Tom as secretive as a cat burglar.
Despite the legal barrier and public skepticism, especially with the FDA and Massachusetts voters being buzzkills, psilocybin continues to gain a fan base. The research is as small as a mouse’s sneeze, but the results are promising. Joe McKay, now a full-time advocate, champions this cause like a knight with a mushroom-shaped lance. He and the mushroom-loving community offer hope to headache sufferers, making them feel less alone
Reference: https://www.inquirer.com/health/medicine-psilocybin-lsd-psychedelics-cluster-headache-20241112.html
Published Date: 2024-11-12