Psychedelic use linked to lower likelihood of migraines, twin study finds

An analysis of Swedish Twin Registry data found that pairs of twins in which at least one twin reported psychedelic use had 50% lower odds of having had migraines compared to twin pairs with no psychedelic use history. Even within pairs of twins, the twin who reported using psychedelics had almost three times lower odds of having had migraines compared to their twin who did not use psychedelics. The paper was published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology.

Migraine is a neurological disorder characterized by recurrent attacks of moderate to severe headaches, often with additional sensory and digestive symptoms. The pain is commonly throbbing or pulsating and may affect only one side of the head, although it can occur on both sides. Attacks often worsen with physical activity and may last from several hours to several days.

Nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light, sensitivity to sound, and sensitivity to smells are common accompanying symptoms. Some people experience an aura before or during the headache, which may include flashing lights, blind spots, tingling, speech difficulty, or other temporary neurological symptoms.

Migraine is thought to involve changes in brain activity, nerve signaling, and blood vessels, with genetic factors playing an important role. Common triggers include stress, lack of sleep, hormonal changes, skipped meals, dehydration, alcohol, certain foods, and changes in weather, although triggers differ among individuals.

Otto Simonsson, a researcher at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, and colleagues evaluated the association between psychedelic use and migraine history. They note that some previous studies have indicated that psychedelic substances such as psilocybin (the active substance in “magic mushrooms”) and LSD show promise in the treatment of migraine. Some recent epidemiological studies partially replicated these findings on the potential effects of psychedelics on migraines and other headache disorders. The researchers wanted to see whether these findings held in samples of twins, which helps control for genetic and environmental factors.

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The study authors combined data from three Swedish twin cohorts participating in the Swedish Twin Registry. These datasets included information on self-reported psychedelic use and migraine history. One group of twins was born between 1992 and 2005, the second group included twins born between 1985 and 1992, and the third group were twins born between 1958 and 1985.

Across all three groups, 50,726 participants answered questions about their past use of psilocybin or LSD. Of these, 47,452 also answered questions about their migraine history.

Results showed that there were 1,287 twins who reported using psilocybin or LSD, representing 2.5% of the sample. Among these, 420 were monozygotic (identical) twins. The researchers identified 271 identical twin pairs that differed in psychedelic use (one twin used psychedelics, the other did not), and 40 twin pairs that differed in both psychedelic use and migraine history.

Overall, the results showed that psychedelic use was associated with lower odds of migraine history. Participants who reported using psychedelics had 24% lower odds of having had migraines compared to participants who did not report using psychedelics. However, this association was only present in men and absent in women.

When identical twin pairs were compared, pairs in which at least one twin reported psychedelic use had 50% lower odds of having had migraines compared to twin pairs where neither twin reported psychedelic use. Within pairs, the difference in odds was even more striking—the twin who reported using psychedelics had almost three times lower odds of having had a migraine compared to the twin who did not. Again, when analyses were repeated on male participants only, results tended to stay the same, but associations were absent in female participants.

“The findings from this twin study suggest that psychedelics may be linked to a lower likelihood of migraine, with potential differences by sex. This warrants further investigation and highlights the importance of sex-specific analyses in future studies,” the study authors concluded.

The study contributes to the scientific knowledge about migraines. However, it should be noted that the design of this study does not allow any causal inferences to be derived from the results. Because of this, it remains unknown whether it is psychedelic use that reduces the risk of migraine or if it is that people who suffer from migraine are less likely to use illicit drugs. The reliance on self-reported data for medical diagnoses is another limitation.

The paper, “Associations between psychedelic use and migraine history in Swedish twins,” was authored by Otto Simonsson, Sunjuri Sun, Laura W. Wesseldijk, Fredrik Ullén, Walter Osika, and Miriam A. Mosing.