Migraines are a debilitating condition that affect millions of people around the world according to Migraine Research Foundation. While some have a migraine every so often, some suffer chronic migraines that add up to over 20 per month. These painful headaches cause sensitivity to light, balance issue, vomiting, shakiness, blurred vision and extreme pain that can last for a number of hours. Therefore, those who suffer migrants often have to miss work and personal occasions in their lives. One study in the USA estimated that migraines cost US business around $31 billion in productivity every year. A cure or substance to alleviate migraines therefore, is of great importance.

Many who suffer from chronic migraines are prescribed a combination of different pharmaceutical drugs to try and combat the number of different symptoms, in an attempt to allow a sufferers to lead as normal a life as possible. One of the most commonly prescribed drugs is Triptans which are usually combined with a none-steriod anti-inflammatory (NSAID) such as ibuprofen or aspirin. These medications however, do not work to solve the problem but instead simply attempt to alleviate the symptoms.

Triptans work as selective serotonin receptor agonists meaning that the stimulate the brain to increase the amount of serotonin being produced. Serotonin is known to work to constrict blood vessels and reduce inflammation in the body which can help alleviate a migraine. What is even more interesting however is that many psychoactive compounds that are found in shrooms are also classed as tryptamines.

So Why Does Magic Mushroom Works?

Magic mushrooms contain a substance known as psilocybin, where is converted inside the body to a substance called psilocin. This new substance is a partial agonist for serotonin receptors, just like Triptans. They particularly target the 5-HT receptions in the nervous system. Research into this by a study at Yale University found that the psilocybin, responsible for the psychedelic properties of some mushrooms did appear be be effective when treating migraines.

Additionally, other previous studies also showed that the substance help to treat different types of headache such as migraine and cluster headaches. One study compared the psilocybin effects to that of a placebo when treating migraines. It included ten participants, all of whom suffered from chronic migraines. They took the substance (either the placebo or the psilocybin) during two different sessions over two weeks. The subjects of the study then kept a migraine diary where they monitored the frequency of their extreme headaches. The findings of the study identified that those that took the psilocybin reported a large decrease in the amount of migraines one week after taking it, in comparison to the placebo group which stayed the same. These results indicate that magic mushrooms may in fact be effective in alleviating migraines, even after a single exposure.

It is important to note that the researchers also did not report adverse side effects during these studies or any issues with withdrawal from the substance. There are very few studies however, that have focus on this, and more research is required in this area to properly assess the effectiveness of psilocybin.