Posted by Flash (62.6.214.60) on April 22, 2000 at 07:46:57:
I tried to word it a bit like a news report. I don't know why but it seemed like a good idea.
Your thoughts please... (don't tell me all the spelling mistakes - aaargh)
Sufferers Seek Legalisation of LSD to Treat Headache from Hell
Sufferers of a condition know as cluster headaches are using LSD and various psychoactive fungis' containing the compund Psilocilin to abort and prevent attacks.
Cluster headaches has been recognised by the medical profession as possibly the worst pain that a human being can endure. Sufferers are either chronic, whereby they experience several attacks every day, or episodic where their attacks come in episodes lasting anything up to 10 months. Each headache lasts between 30mins and 2 hours. At acute times as one headache ends another one starts. The pain is similar to migraine but of a magnitude that is utterly debilitating. Suffers have been known to injure themselves banging their heads in an attempt to relive the pain.
Existing established treatments are ineffective and the side effects do more harm than the headaches theselves. Many sufferers have been serious harmed by side effects that include fibrosis of the chest, strokes and even gangrene.
The condition is now believed to be caused by a genetic deformity of the brain and usually persists throughout the sufferers lifetime.
In desperation many sufferes have turned to alternative treatments. Two of these are demonstrating a near perfect sucess rates - LSD and 'Magic Mushrooms'.
It has long been known by the medical establishment that LSD may be the most effective treatment foir both migraine and cluster headaches. During the 60s and early 70s LSD was experimentally administered to serious cases in headache clinics throughout the US. These trial s ceased when recreational abuse of LSD tarnished it's reputation.
LSD belongs to the chemical family Ergot Alkaloids, substances dervied from Ergot and fungis that once caused outbreaks of ST Anthony's fire and many blame for accusations of witchcraft. Two other members of this family are now established as the primary cluster headache treatments: Ergotamine and Methysergide. Both durgs are extremely toxic and have dangerous side effects. Neither are particularily sucessful in allowing sufferers to lead normal lives.
With the establishment of the Worldwide Cluster Headaches Support Group at www.clusterheadaches.com sufferes were able to exchange information for the first time. One thng that came to light was that recreational use of both LSD and Magic Mushrooms had conicided with lengthy periods of remission. What's more when used by episodic patients outside a cluster episode the cycle would be interrupted and some future episodes skipped. Most amazing was the dose at which this was achieved, around 1/4 of the typical recreational quantity or hit, administered once or twice each year.
LSD and Psilocilin not only act as preventatives but will also abort a rapidly abort headaches and end episodes if administered during an attack.
Sufferers are now clamouring to obtain illegal supplies of these banned substances. The biggest dangers that they face are arrest or supply of the wrong substance.
Some sufferers have attempted to figure out how these drugs work, using the internet as a reference guide. Their theory is based on circumstantial evidence gleaned from a number of sources:
The only proven physical indicator of cluster headaches is a slightly enlarged Hypothalmus. Part of the brain thought to act as the 'body clock' and known to control secretions of the Pituitary Gland, including Sertonin. It has also be shown that a cluster headache is often preceeded by a Serotonin storm followed by the characterisitc constriction then massive swelling or dilation of the blood vessels around one temple.
Both LSD Psilocilin contsist of an 'Indole Ring' structure similar to Serotonin. Psilocilin itself is an almost identical structure to Serotonin whereas LSD is metabolised by the body into Psilocilin. It is thought that these substances may somehow correct a chemical imbalance in the brain but the exact mechanism remains unknown. Both substances also produce a mild vasculkar constrictor effect that may help abort the headache attacks.
In an effort to gain publicity for this treatment with a view to having LSD or Psilocilin made legally available for the treatment of cluster headaches (and perhaps migraine), myself and other sufferers would like ABC to produce a documentary detailing our findings. As part of that several sufferers both chronic and episodic who have not used this treatment are prepared to try it on camera, supervised by those already experienced.
What do you reckon. We must do something to treat this hellish and sould destroying condition. Prior to this treatment, 8 years ago, I was a complete failure. Now after 8 years of remission I have a sucessful IT business employing 30 people.
Please contact me if you require further information.
Regards
Craig Adams
Cluster Headaches
http://www.clusterheadaches.com/
http://abc.net.au/rn/talks/8.30/helthrpt/stories/s42434.htm
About Serotonin & LSD
http://www.fairlite.com/ocd/articles/ser90.shtml
http://www.chem.wisc.edu/edu/WCATY/drugs/WebPage.html
http://web.idirect.com/~maindrug/html/ser10.htm
http://www.proqc.com/~mcclay/pineal.html
http://www.macalester.edu/~psych/whathap/UBNRP/LSD/conn.htm
http://www.macalester.edu/~psych/whathap/UBNRP/LSD/two.htm
Ergot
http://encarta.msn.com/index/conciseindex/29/029C9000.htm
http://www.gov.sg/moh/mohiss/poison/ergot.html
Methysergide:
http://www.headaches.org/drugs/sansert.html
http://chorus.rad.mcw.edu/doc/00265.html
http://www.pneumotox.com/pneumotox/methysergide.html