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Improvement in advanced Alzheimer’s disease following high-dose psilocybin

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Re: Improvement in advanced Alzheimer’s disease following high-dose psilocybin

#91

Post by whimsicalism »

shepardrtc wrote: post #90
whimsicalism wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

i’m skeptical how much of a real thing this is vs particularly type of appealing story to the human psyche

It happened to my father, who was suffering a severe mental decline because of hydrocephalus. After weeks of trying to figure out what happened, one day he was sitting in the hospital perfectly fine, talking normally. I remember being so relieved. But then the next day he was back to not knowing anything and being half aware. He died a few weeks later.

totally believe you, but i guess i feel like that is different from spontaneous temporary recovery from a long-term neurodegenerative disorder. i'm sorry for your loss.

Re: Improvement in advanced Alzheimer’s disease following high-dose psilocybin

#92

Post by late_groomer »

whimsicalism wrote: post #69
sowbug wrote: post #66

I was recently reading about a phenomenon called terminal lucidity, where a person suffering from mental decline such as Alzheimer's spontaneously improves, recognizing loved ones, retrieving memories, and being able to carry on conversations. It's called "terminal" because the person usually dies within hours or days. If this is a real phenomenon, then it's amazing to think that at least some of the people who suffe…

i’m skeptical how much of a real thing this is vs particularly type of appealing story to the human psyche

Lost my grandfather to it in his late 80's. He did indeed become more responsive and engaged the day (maybe two) before he died, but he was non-verbal at that point. I recalled my mother telling me he was having a surprisingly good day on Sunday and seemed to recognize people, then getting the call from her the following evening that he had passed.

Re: Improvement in advanced Alzheimer’s disease following high-dose psilocybin

#93

Post by _whiteCaps_ »

asveikau wrote: post #58
Pxtl wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yup. Not sure which particular stopped-clock struck right within the generally anti-science MAHA movement but I think everybody is happy to take the win.

Ironically enough, the psychedelic field sort of defies some scientific analysis, so could be construed as "anti-science". I've seen some commentary that it's difficult to test. As an example, you can't really do a double blind study with a placebo because it's obvious to everybody who got the drug.

Niacin works well as an 'active placebo'.

Re: Improvement in advanced Alzheimer’s disease following high-dose psilocybin

#94

Post by hgoel »

Pxtl wrote: post #54
bilsbie wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What’s exciting though is that this administration recently signed an executive order directing the agency to speed up the development and approval process for psychedelics.

Yup. Not sure which particular stopped-clock struck right within the generally anti-science MAHA movement but I think everybody is happy to take the win.

They only did it because it lets them beat the "big pharma is stealing from you (not us)" drum.

Re: Improvement in advanced Alzheimer’s disease following high-dose psilocybin

#95

Post by kortex »

new-treatment wrote: post #87
trumpdong wrote: post #16

Psilocybin is one of those things we don't even know the full effects of because the government had a hysterical fit and completely banned it because people who took it were more likely to oppose the Vietnam War.

>>the government had a hysterical fit and completely banned it because people who took it were more likely to oppose the Vietnam War. If you are to believe the Brave New World ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brave_New_World ) worldview of Huxley (who topically was on loads of LSD himself), you'd think the government would want to flood the public with psychedelics -- low to zero toxicity, allows people to zone out, n…

Psychededics are unpredictable. We know the government looked into their use as thought- and behavior-manipulating tools (MKUltra) but the results proved too chaotic. You might get a manchurian candidate...or the unabomber. But most likely just a renewed outlook on life.

Psyches basically raise the "temperature" (in machine learning parlance) of the brain, increasing crosstalk. This can jostle folks out of a mental rut. But it can also create positive feedback loops of upheaval.

Soma would only work as it did in BNW if society controlled essentially all sources of information - which is essentially the whole premise.

Re: Improvement in advanced Alzheimer’s disease following high-dose psilocybin

#96

Post by make3 »

new-treatment wrote: post #87
trumpdong wrote: post #16

Psilocybin is one of those things we don't even know the full effects of because the government had a hysterical fit and completely banned it because people who took it were more likely to oppose the Vietnam War.

>>the government had a hysterical fit and completely banned it because people who took it were more likely to oppose the Vietnam War. If you are to believe the Brave New World ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brave_New_World ) worldview of Huxley (who topically was on loads of LSD himself), you'd think the government would want to flood the public with psychedelics -- low to zero toxicity, allows people to zone out, n…

hallucinogens where taken by hippies, it was probably a way to put a few extra commies and lefties in prison

Re: Improvement in advanced Alzheimer’s disease following high-dose psilocybin

#97

Post by helterskelter »

whimsicalism wrote: post #69
sowbug wrote: post #66

I was recently reading about a phenomenon called terminal lucidity, where a person suffering from mental decline such as Alzheimer's spontaneously improves, recognizing loved ones, retrieving memories, and being able to carry on conversations. It's called "terminal" because the person usually dies within hours or days. If this is a real phenomenon, then it's amazing to think that at least some of the people who suffe…

i’m skeptical how much of a real thing this is vs particularly type of appealing story to the human psyche

I saw it with a family member that had glioblastoma. It was weird, one of the nurses had seen it quite a few times apparently, it's also known as rallying. Family member's situation was similar to sibling comment's family, it wasn't right before death, just in the days and weeks leading up to it. It was like a sudden burst of vitality that came of nowhere, like their condition had dramatically reversed itself.

I'm sure it's a little different for everyone though.

Re: Improvement in advanced Alzheimer’s disease following high-dose psilocybin

#98

Post by agumonkey »

sowbug wrote: post #66

I was recently reading about a phenomenon called terminal lucidity, where a person suffering from mental decline such as Alzheimer's spontaneously improves, recognizing loved ones, retrieving memories, and being able to carry on conversations. It's called "terminal" because the person usually dies within hours or days. If this is a real phenomenon, then it's amazing to think that at least some of the people who suffe…

Same thing happens for other disease. Some kind of last honey moon period where your health improves and often followed by a catastrophic relapse.

I'm nobody but it makes me feels there's an economic system issue, the body gradually degrades but has the ability one last time to inject a final wave of change to try restore a proper state but the resources are too short and so the attempt cannot sustain itself.

I wonder if research is happening on this aspect.

Re: Improvement in advanced Alzheimer’s disease following high-dose psilocybin

#99

Post by hmokiguess »

If it was my grandma I would treat her to some shrooms, I've taken them many times and I find them quite safe, I can't see harm in trying. If it would really works I don't know, but I would find value in the experience and consider it safe. Though the challenge would be explaining it to her and potentially dealing with her tripping.

Re: Improvement in advanced Alzheimer’s disease following high-dose psilocybin

#100

Post by godwinson__4-8 »

Reminder that the American federal government classifies psilocybin as a Schedule I drug "no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse". Along with marijuana. And heroin. Who else but the DEA thinks those three things make sense to put in the same bucket?

Meanwhile fentanyl is Schedule II. The government is often the biggest barrier to psilocybin research despite its positive effects being acknowledged for decades. Depending on the administration (which will sometimes signal they won't actually enforce the law) these research efforts are often terminated, meaning it is often safer/cheaper to just never start them in the first place.

https://www.dea.gov/drug-information/drug-scheduling

https://www.nature.com/articles/nrn3530

https://www.cato.org/blog/trumps-psychedelic-order-speeds-re...

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