4 ms·
How do you have a placebo dose of psilocybin?! The effects are very noticable so lack of them would quickly reveal it was a placebo, I'd think. Unless it was no
by jb1991 6y ago
How do you have a placebo dose of psilocybin?! The effects are very noticable so lack of them would quickly reveal it was a placebo, I'd think. Unless it was not a blind test, in which case this would not matter.
- gardnr 6y agoThe articles that I read on this 5 years ago stated that a sub-recreational dose was sufficient to reduce or eliminate cluster headaches for 6 months. The patient doesn't need to take an amount that would get them "high" and the drug is still effective at keeping migraines at bay.
- cpncrunch 6y agoPerhaps, but this study wasn't testing a sub-clinical dose. There was a significant psychedelic effect (19.5% vs 3.08% for the placebo).
- meetups323 6y agoWhy must we be so quick to discredit placebos? If a certain set of stimuli (someone in a medically authoritative position saying "this thing will help you", followed by you taking it), can be shown to work well at reducing symptoms in clinical studies, why not embrace it?
- jb1991 6y agoNothing wrong with that, but it may be testing something different. Worth testing, but it's a different concern.
- leetcrew 6y agohow would this work at scale? people tend to take a dim view of doctors that lie to them. imagine finding out you've been paying $50/month for a sugar pill prescription.
- meetups323 6y agoWe're describing essential oils.
- zedr 6y ago> how would this work at scale? Homeopathy
- cpncrunch 6y agoWell, the study wasn't very well blinded. "Psychedelic Effects Subjects scored the 5D-ASC scale at the end of each experimental session. The percent possible score for the total scale was significantly higher after psilocybin (19.35% (7.55)) as compared to placebo (3.08% (1.80); p = 0.026, t(9) = 2.65)" So, the placebo effect could have caused the reduction in migraines.
- dec0dedab0de 6y agoThe patient would have to not know what the real drug was. And then maybe they list hallucinations as a possible side affect. But then it can't really be a double blind because an hour in the care giver would know if they had the placebo or not
- bfgoodrich 6y agoSmall doses of psilocybin are very difficult to detect. Personally I barely find it barely noticeable at 1.5g (in the dried shroom measure). Microdose levels are 1/10th of that, and often much lower. Give someone a so-called microdose and it is unlikely that a placebo vs actual study would actually find that people could detect it.
- jb1991 6y agoBut the article is not talking about microdoses. It specifically says "a moderate dose of psilocybin."
- tcannon 6y agoA common placebo for a small dose of psychadelics is a large dose of niacin, which causes you to flush and get hot flashes and chills. It's more than enough to get the mind going for someone who is bracing for the drugs to kick in.