Papers

Research literature with structured metadata.

Trials

Registered studies by status, phase, and compound.

Topics

Indications and themes psychedelics are researched for.

Compounds

Evidence across molecules with rich data.

Countries

Regulation, access, and research activity by region.

Stakeholders

Organizations shaping the space across research, policy, and funding.

People

Investigators, clinicians, and authors with mapped output.

Courses

Training programs and certifications across modalities.

Events

Conferences, workshops, and convenings by date and focus.

Results

Compare outcome data across trials and publications.

Research Snapshot

One-page overview of trials, participants, papers, and research networks.

Clinical Guidelines

Trial-anchored manuals and protocol guidance with competency mapping.

Research recaps

Monthly evidence summaries with key takeaways.

Map of research

Landscape view of trials, compounds, and outcomes.

Newsletter

Weekly or daily updates on trials, publications, analysis, and more.

Research Groups

Worldwide map of psychedelic research centres by region.

Road to Access

Science, regulation, and economics on the path to patient access.

Research Network

Interactive co-authorship map of psychedelic researchers.

Top papers

Find needles in the haystack of psychedelic research per topic.

AskBeta
Pricing

The intelligence layer for psychedelic research.

Company

  • About
  • Contact
  • Newsletter

Product

  • Feedback
  • Roadmap
  • Changelog
  • API
  • Partners
  • Clinical Guidelines

Legal

  • Privacy
  • Terms

© 2026 Blossom. All rights reserved.

Home/Research/LSD/Chronic Pain

LSD for Chronic Pain

45 papers and 3 clinical trials exploring lsd as a treatment for chronic pain.

Compoundclassic psychedelic

LSD

LSD is a classic psychedelic ergoline with high potency at microgram doses and an 8-12 hour duration of action, mediated primarily via 5-HT2A receptor agonism. Modern Phase IIb data in generalised anxiety disorder and FDA Breakthrough Therapy Designation for MM120 have reignited clinical development.

Full LSD profile
IndicationOver 1.5 billion worldwide.

Chronic Pain

Chronic pain is increasingly recognised as a multifaceted condition that may respond to psychedelic therapies, which are gaining attention in clinical settings for their potential efficacy in pain management. Recent research indicates that compounds such as psilocybin and MDMA are entering clinical trials aimed at exploring their therapeutic effects on chronic pain syndromes.

Full Chronic Pain profile

Academic Research

45 papers
Open Accessindividual

Psychedelic-assisted therapy: a survey on the clinical methods of Swiss physicians

This survey study (n=41) examined how Swiss physicians provide psychedelic-assisted therapy under legal exemptions, mainly for depression, anxiety, PTSD and chronic pain. It found wide variation in practice, with psilocybin, MDMA and LSD commonly used, music often played during sessions, and adverse effects usually including disorientation, feeling cold, anxiety and nausea.

Published
May 20, 2026
Journal
Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology
Authors
Beichmann, K., Catzeflis, P., Aicher, H. D., Seragnoli, F., Calder, A., Amrani, A., Hasler, G.
Open Accessindividual

LSD persistently disrupts affective pain processing

This rat study found that a single dose of LSD persistently reduced the emotional, rather than sensory, aspect of pain. The effect was linked to the anterior cingulate cortex, where LSD dampened pain-related brain responses and reduced encoding of aversive value.

Published
May 11, 2026
Journal
Biorxiv
Authors
Plotkin, J., Zhu, E., Druart, M., Zhang, Q., Hu, E., Cathcart, D., Jun, N., Kwok, L., Sippy, T., Wang, J.
Open Accessindividual

Efficacy and Safety of the Neuroplastogen TSND-201 for the Treatment of PTSD A Randomized Clinical Trial

In a multicentre, double‑blind, placebo‑controlled phase 2 trial of 65 adults with chronic PTSD, once‑weekly oral TSND‑201 produced significantly greater reductions in clinician‑rated PTSD severity (CAPS‑5; LS mean difference 9.64, P = .01) and improvements in self‑reported symptoms, functioning and depression versus placebo. TSND‑201 was generally well tolerated — common adverse events included headache, decreased appetite, nausea, dizziness and transient blood‑pressure increases — supporting its potential as a rapid‑acting, durable treatment for PTSD.

Published
February 18, 2026
Journal
JAMA Psychiatry
Authors
Jones, A., Warner-Schmidt, J., Kwak, H., Stogniew, M., Mandell, B., Ching, T. H., Stein, M. B., Kelmendi, B.
Paywallindividual

Single Treatment With MM120 (Lysergide) in Generalized Anxiety Disorder: A Randomized Clinical Trial

In a multicentre phase 2b randomised placebo‑controlled trial of 198 adults with moderate to severe GAD, a single dose of MM120 (lysergide D‑tartrate) produced a dose‑dependent reduction in HAM‑A scores at 4 weeks, with 100 µg and 200 µg showing significant improvements versus placebo (least‑squares mean differences −5.0 and −6.0 points, respectively). Adverse events were dose‑related—most commonly visual perceptual changes and nausea—supporting the efficacy and informing dose selection for phase 3 trials.

Published
October 21, 2025
Journal
JAMA
Authors
Robison, R., Barrow, R., Conant, C., Foster, E., Freedman, J. M., Jacobsen, P. L., Karas, S. M., Karlin, D. R., Solomon, T. M., Wernli, M. H., Fava, M. F., Jemisen, J.
Open Accessindividual

A randomised placebo-controlled study of the effects of lysergic acid diethylamide microdosing (15 μg) on pain perception in healthy volunteers

In a randomised placebo‑controlled trial in healthy volunteers, repeated 15 µg LSD microdoses produced no overall analgesic effects on cold‑pressor pain tolerance or subjective pain ratings, despite increasing blood pressure and subjective drug effects. Post‑hoc analyses in participants without baseline ceiling effects suggested a transient increase in pain tolerance and reduced unpleasantness after the first dose, implying the dose may be below the threshold for consistent analgesia and that larger studies with higher doses are needed.

Published
September 4, 2025
Journal
British Journal of Pain
Authors
Cavarra, M., Hutten, N. R. P. W., Schepers, J., Mason, N. L., Theunissen, E. L., Liechti, M. E., Kuypers, K. P. C., Bonnelle, V., Feilding, A., Ramaekers, J. G., Ramakers, J. G.
Paywallindividual

The polypharmacology of psychedelics reveals multiple targets for potential therapeutics

This receptor profiling study (n=41 compounds) maps the pharmacological activity of classical psychedelics across 318 human G-protein-coupled receptors and, for LSD, over 450 human kinases. It finds that psychedelics act potently at nearly all serotonin, dopamine, and adrenergic receptors, with multiple 5-HT2A receptor signalling pathways linked to psychedelic effects in vivo.

Published
July 15, 2025
Journal
Neuron
Authors
Jain, M. K., Gumpper, R. H., Slocum, S. T., Gloriam, D. E., Nichols, D. E., Roth, B. L., Schmitz, G. P., Madsen, J. S., Tummino, T. A., Suomivuori, C. M., Huang, X. P., Shub, L., Diberto, J. F., Kim, K., Deleon, C., Krumm, B. E., Fay, J. F., Keiser, M., Hauser, A. S., Dror, R. O., Shoichet, B.

Clinical Trials

3 trials
RecruitingPhase II

LSD to Improve Cluster Headache Impact Trial

This double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (n=65) will assess the efficacy and safety of LSD (25μg) every 3 days for 3 weeks versus placebo in treating chronic cluster headaches (CCH).

Started
January 1, 2024
Type
interventional
Blinding
quadruple
Randomized
Yes
Registry ID
NCT05477459
RecruitingPhase II

Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) as Treatment for Cluster Headache

Double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled crossover study (n=30) testing oral LSD pulse regimen (3 × 100 µg over 3 weeks) versus placebo in patients with cluster headache.

Started
January 2, 2019
Type
interventional
Blinding
quadruple
Randomized
Yes
Registry ID
NCT03781128
Completed

LSD Treatment for Anticipatory Anxiety in Pre-Terminal Cancer Patients: An Open-Label Clinical Series (Kast 1967)

This unregistered trial (n=128) was an open-label clinical series of single-dose LSD for anticipatory anxiety and pain in pre-terminal cancer patients, which demonstrated a reduction in psychological distress and improved sleep patterns.

Started
January 1, 1966
Type
interventional
Randomized
No
Registry ID
KAST-1967-PQ-LSD-TERMINAL-CANCER

Explore further

Search all LSD papers Search all Chronic Pain trials Full LSD profile Full Chronic Pain profile