Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) as Treatment for Cluster Headache

Safety and Efficacy of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) as Treatment for Cluster Headache: a Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Phase II Study

Background: After no official research in humans in the last 40 years, research and therapeutic uses of the serotonergic psychedelic lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) are now re-recognized and include its use in brain research, alcoholism, anxiety associated with terminal illness, and treatment of headache disorders. Specifically, LSD has been reported to abort attacks, to decrease frequency and intensity of attacks, and to induce remission in patients suffering from cluster headache (CH).

Objective: To investigate the effects of an oral LSD pulse regimen (3 x 100 µg LSD in three weeks) in patients suffering from CH compared with placebo.

Design: Double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled two-phase cross-over study design.

Participants: 30 patients aged ≥ 25 and ≤ 75 years with chronic or episodic CH with predictable periods lasting approximately 2 months and attacks responding to oxygen.

Main outcome measures: Changes in frequency and intensity of CH attacks assessed with a standardized headache diary Significance: CH is often rated as the most painful of all primary headaches, which not only causes significant disability, but is also associated with enormous personal, economic, and psychiatric burden. At the moment, there is no specific treatment available for CH, but serotonergic compounds represent an important drug class, especially in the abortive management of cluster attacks. However, there is a need for new treatment approaches, as CH is also often insufficiently managed with available medication. This study will evaluate the potential benefit and safety of a treatment with LSD for patients with CH.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age ≥ 25 and ≤ 75 years
• Chronic cluster headache (according to the International Headache Society (IHS) criteria) OR
• Episodic cluster headache (according to the IHS criteria) with recurrent predictable episodes lasting approximately 2 months and expected ongoing cluster period for at least one month beyond the inclusion
• Attacks respond to oxygen
• Sufficient understanding of the study procedures and risks associated with the study
• Participants must be willing to adhere to the study procedures and sign the consent form
• Participants are willing to abstain from taking preventive and abortive medication (except from oxygen) long enough before and after the LSD/placebo treatment session to avoid the possibility of a drug-drug interaction
• Participants are willing to refrain from taking any psychiatric medications during the experimental session period. If they are being treated with antidepressants, lithium or are taking anxiolytic medications on a fixed daily regimen, such drugs must be discontinued long enough before the LSD/placebo treatment session to avoid the possibility of a drug-drug interaction.
• Participants must also refrain from the use of any psychoactive drugs and caffeine within 24 hours of each LSD/placebo treatment session. They must agree not to use nicotine for at least 2 hours before and 6 hours after each dose of LSD. They must agree to not ingest alcohol-containing beverages for at least 1 day before each LSD treatment session. Non-routine medications for treating breakthrough pain taken in the 24 hours before the LSD treatment session may result in rescheduling the treatment session to another date, with the decision at the discretion of the investigators after discussion with the participant.
• Participants must be willing not to drive a traffic vehicle or to operate machines within 24 hours after LSD/placebo administration.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Other forms of headache attacks (migraine, paroxysmal hemicranias, shortlasting unilateral neuralgiform headache attacks with conjunctival injection, tearing, sweating and rhinorrhea (SUNCT) or with cranial autonomic symptoms (SUNA))
• Women who are pregnant, nursing or of child-bearing potential and are not practicing an effective means of birth control (double-barrier method, i.e. pill/intrauterine device and preservative/diaphragm)
• Past or present diagnosis of a primary psychotic disorder. Subjects with a first degree relative with psychotic disorders are also excluded.
• Past or present bipolar disorder (DSM-IV).
• Current substance use disorder (within the last 2 months, DSM-V, except nicotine).
• Somatic disorders including severe cardiovascular disease, untreated hypertension (systolic blood pressure > 160mmHg without treatment, systolic blood pressure > 140 mmHg with treatment), severe liver disease (liver enzymes increase by more than 5 times the upper limit of normal) or severely impaired renal function (estimated creatinine clearance <30 ml/min), or other that in the judgement of the investigators pose too great potential for side effects.
• Weight < 45kg
• Participation in another clinical trial (currently or within the last 30 days)
• Participants taking higher steroid doses (>10mg/d) over a longer time period (>2 weeks), as this would require tapering
• Use of immunomodulatory agents (i.e. azathioprine) in the past 2 weeks
• Use of serotonergic antiemetics (i.e. ondansetron) in the past 2 weeks