Long‐COVID symptoms improved after MDMA and psilocybin therapy: A case report
Summary & key facts
This paper describes one 41-year-old woman with Long-COVID who reported large, lasting symptom relief after she self‑administered psilocybin mushrooms and MDMA. She had tried usual care and tests did not show clear abnormalities. After several dosing sessions she said her fatigue, low mood, anxiety, joint pain, headaches, sleep, and thinking problems improved enough for her to return to work and school. The authors say this is only a single case and that controlled studies are needed to know if these medicines are safe and effective for Long-COVID.
- The report describes one previously healthy 41-year-old woman who developed Long-COVID after a COVID-19 infection in February 2022.
- Her Long-COVID symptoms included severe anxiety, low mood, insomnia, joint pain, daily pressure-like headaches, brain fog, and low libido.
- Routine blood tests and common inflammatory markers were within normal limits during her illness.
- She tried standard approaches like graded return to activity, pain medicines, physical therapies, acupuncture, fasting, and meditation with little or no lasting benefit.
- She first took 1 gram of dried psilocybin mushrooms and reported about 20% improvement for about a week.
- About three weeks later she took 125 mg of MDMA plus two staggered doses of 2 grams of dried psilocybin mushrooms and reported major improvement in fatigue, mood, pain, headaches, sleep, and cognition.
- After further single 2-gram psilocybin sessions she reported up to about 90% relief, and on one occasion described complete symptom resolution three days after dosing.
- She experienced side effects that included chills and shivering during one session and nausea with vomiting during another session; these were temporary.
- Her headaches fell from about five times per week to about once per week, and each attack shortened from 8–12 hours to under 2–4 hours after treatment.
- The authors emphasize this is a single, uncontrolled case of self-medication. They do not claim proof that MDMA or psilocybin treat Long-COVID and call for formal research to test safety and effectiveness.
Abstract
Key Clinical Message: Long-COVID syndrome lacks effective holistic treatment options. We present a case of a 41-year-old fully vaccinated female with Long-COVID syndrome who obtained significant symptomatic relief after self-medicating with psilocybin and MDMA. Abstract: Long-COVID, a syndrome persisting after the acute phase of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), lacks effective holistic treatment options. We present a case of a 41-year-old fully vaccinated female with Long-COVID syndrome who obtained significant symptomatic relief by self-prescribing psilocybin and MDMA. Future research is needed to assess safety and efficacy.
