A WOMAN appears to have cured herself of long Covid by taking psychedelic drugs.
The 41-year-old was struggling with severe anxiety, depression, insomnia, joint pain, headaches and a low sex drive after contracting the virus in 2022.
But after taking MDMA and psilocybin - the psychoactive ingredient in magic mushrooms - while supervised, these symptoms seemingly vanished.
Doctors are now investigating whether the substances could transform the lives of others.
"To our knowledge, this is the first case report describing the potential efficacy of psychedelics for long Covid symptoms," Dr Harman Chopra, from John Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, US, said.
"This reinforces the need for more robust investigation with larger sample sizes into the use of psychedelics for a poorly controlled chronic illness such as long Covid."
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The woman was considered "healthy" and had received three vaccines before she tested positive for coronavirus in February 2022.
After her fever, cough, sore throat and loss of smell cleared, she began to suffer from "severe" anxiety, depression and other cognitive difficulties like brain fog.
She also started to get headaches, pain in her hips, knees, shoulders and jaw, sleeping difficulties, a "sharp decrease in libido" and crippling fatigue.
After blood tests and X-rays, medics could find no explanation for her debilitating symptoms.
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The patient tried exercise, intermittent fasting, massage therapy, acupuncture and meditation to help improve her symptoms, but nothing seemed to work long-term.
While on a waiting list for a specialist long Covid clinic, she decided to try psychedelics under the guidance of a therapist.
On May 5, 2022, she started with one gram of whole dried "golden teacher" Psilocybe cubensis mushrooms.
This dose reduced the intensity of her symptoms by 20 per cent, but she also experienced chills and shivering as the effects wore off.
About a month later, the woman tried 125 milligrams of MDMA, followed by two separate doses of psilocybin prepared in tea.
Following further sessions, she said her symptoms improved 80 per cent overall, and that she was able to resume her PhD studies.
"The patient reported a slower build-up without shivering and reported feeling very detached from long Covid symptoms," the researchers wrote in their paper published in .
"The patient's experience while under the influence of MDMA and psilocybin was reported as feelings of being in a childlike state, having an intense connection to nature, and of being in an alternate reality.
"The patient was able to return to work and her cognitive function improved, allowing her to resume her PhD studies.
"The patient’s insomnia also improved, and she was able to stop taking antihistamines."
'COMPLETE RECOVERY'
The woman experienced nausea and vomiting about 40 minutes after taking the mushrooms, but her pain score dropped to "zero out of 10" roughly one hour later.
Her headaches also became shorter and less frequent.
Previously, she had about five excruciating headaches every week, but she now had just one.
These went from lasting eight to 12 hours to less than two to four per attack.
By the end of the year, the woman, who had a BMI of 27.4 so would be considered overweight by the NHS, reported a "complete resolution of her symptoms" and returned to full-time work.
Dr Chopra and colleagues say more research is needed to confirm if the same effects could be found in others.
But the case provides hope that guided psychedelic therapy could provide a fast-acting treatment for those suffering from long Covid and other poorly-understood conditions, they added.
The dangers of self-medicating
When you're feeling overwhelmed by your symptoms, whatever is causing them, it can be easy to look to self-medication.
Some people might smoke a joint, others turn to alcohol, and some find comfort in food or cigarettes.
While these things may help in the short-term, over time they can make things significantly worse.
Whether you become addicted to your "medicine", end up damaging your relationships, lose your job or develop a long-term health condition, it's not advised to self-medicate.
Speak to your GP for advice on safe ways to manage your condition.
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Most people with Covid-19 feel better within a few days or weeks and make a full recovery within 12.
But for some people, symptoms last much longer. This is called long Covid or post Covid-19 syndrome and it is still being studied.
Symptoms vary hugely between people. Some might experience extreme tiredness, shortness of breath, heart palpitations and dizziness, while others may report insomnia, pins and needles, tinnitus and skin rashes.
An estimated two million people in England and Scotland have long Covid, according to the Office for National Statistics.
If you think you might be one of them, speak to your GP.
There is currently no specific treatment plan, but scientists are investigating ways to manage and reduce symptoms.
A recent review suggests that psilocybin and MDMA could be effective in treating the mental health challenges associated with long Covid.
You should always speak to a medical professional before self-medicating with any substance.
'RAVE' DRUGS
Psychedelics, also known as hallucinogens, are a subclass of drugs that produce changes in perception, mood and cognitive processes.
They affect all senses, altering a person's thinking, sense of time and emotions. They can also trigger hallucinations.
Psilocybin is a naturally-occurring substance found in mushrooms.
Studies have shown it can help treat depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and addiction.
MDMA, also known as ecstasy, molly or mandy, is a popular "rave" drug.
It has also been found to improve the lives of people with PTSD and help alcoholics beat their addiction.
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It is not understood exactly why, but experts say it could be that psychedelics reduce neuroinflammation and neurologic dysfunction.
Psychedelics are legal or decriminalised in some countries, like Spain, Brazil and the Netherlands, but remain illegal to use in the UK.
Psilocybin may help mental health
Scientific studies are increasingly finding that the psychedelic drug psilocybin, found in magic mushrooms, can improve mental health problems like depression.
Trials have used it in conjunction with counselling or other therapy sessions and found it helps people to open up and face their demons.
- A single 25mg dose of psilocybin was associated with a "rapid and sustained antidepressant effect" when trialled for six weeks in 104 adults with major depressive disorder. (Usona Institute, Wisconsin; Journal of the American Medical Association; 2023)
- A single 25mg dose of psilocybin "reduced depression scores significantly" in a three-week trial involving 79 people with treatment-resistant depression. (King's College London; New England Journal of Medicine; 2022)
- Five out of 12 patients given psilocybin entered remission after one week, having suffered from depression for an average 17 years each and not responding to standard medication. All 12 patients reported a "marked improvement". (Imperial College London; Nature; 2016)