I thought I would document some of my short term experiences and benefits I have encountered with micro-dosing Psilocybin Mushrooms.
Micro-dosing Psilocybin Mushrooms is something that has intrigued me for a long time now and continues to do so.
It’s a subject I am very much enjoying both researching, experimenting and exploring more in the future.
I have had some brief experiences with small doses of various magic mushrooms in the past, such as Amazonian Cubensis and some chocolate mushroom bars.
Picture of a One Up Psilocybin Mushroom Chocolate Bar For Micro-Dosing
For someone who suffers from treatment-resistant depression, PTSD, CFS and other difficult to treat health issues, the increase in euphoria and mood boost I get from mushrooms is unrivalled.
Let me take you through some of the benefits I have found with micro-dosing Psilocybin Mushrooms, along with the latest clinical research.
Psilocybin, Cortisol & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
One of the most prominent benefits I noticed with micro-dosing psilocybin was an improvement in my cortisol levels and thus an increase in energy and functional capacity as someone with chronic fatigue syndrome.
I am very in tune with my body chemistry and I can tell when a substance either increases cortisol or suppresses adrenal function, which is a big no..no for me with CFS.
Something I have noticed is that I have been much more outgoing and social since micro-dosing.
I feel more like my old self again and this isn’t just from a decrease in anxiety or an increase in euphoria, but I can feel the mushrooms also giving me a good boost of cortisol that I am usually lacking in as someone who suffers from chronic fatigue syndrome, PTSD and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysfunction.
Not surprisingly, I discovered that the scientific research has shown that Psilocybin can:
Psilocybin, on the other hand, is associated with an acute increase in cortisol levels. – [1]
Usually I find substances that stimulate the adrenal glands and consequently increase cortisol to typically have a deleterious effect on energy and causing burnout.
However, with small micro-doses of mushrooms I so far have not found this to overly be the case, in fact Psilocybin feels like it has a modulating and attenuating effect on neurotransmission.
Psilocybin, Major Depressive Disorder & Reducing Inflammatory Biomarkers
Building on the last part of my above post, I stumbled upon a very interesting and fairly recent study published in November 2022.
The study found that Psilocybin induces acute and persisting alterations in immune status and the stress response in healthy volunteers.
Most notably, Psilocybin reduced various inflammatory biomarkers such as pro-inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), IL-6, and C-reactive protein (CRP)). – [2]
Chronic low-grade systemic inflammation and inflammatory disorder has been shown to play a key role in the pathophysiology of both Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and also Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS).
One of the most significant benefits I notice with micro-dosing Psilocybin mushrooms is the significant elevation in euphoria and mood.
As someone who suffers from treatment resistant severe depression, where I’ve tried everything from SSRI anti-depressants such as Citalopram to atypical tetracyclic antidepressants like Mirtazapine with no benefits and experiencing a range of intolerable side effects.
Micro-dosing Psilocybin mushrooms makes everything seem colourful and magical again, like when you were growing up.
The basic things in life seem amazing like they once used to, such as going for a walk, eating food or listening to your favorite music, due to the heightened music appreciation.
It doesn’t surprise me in the slightest, the now growing body of scientific evidence and the interest from the pharmaceutical community in Psilocybin for treating the likes of depression and other notoriously difficult to treat health conditions such as PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder).
Psilocybin appears to exert different mechanisms to conventional anti-depressants for treating psychiatric disorders such as depression and anxiety.
“Of these, psilocybin has shown great potential for treating psychiatric disorders, especially severe depression and anxiety-related conditions. This is thought to be due to its ability to induce altered states of consciousness, which might then facilitate the emergence of a novel perspective, leading to emotional release, as postulated by the REBUS model.
Evidence suggests that psilocybin’s effects are primarily mediated by activation of the 5HT2A-R and 5HT1A-R within DMN-associated brain regions, particularly the PFC and HC, which play key roles in sustaining consciousness- and self-related cognitive processes.” – [3]
Micro-Dosing Psilocybin Side-Effects & Potential Issues
Overall, as someone who tolerates even many health supplements and most pharmaceutical medications poorly, I found I tolerated micro-dosing Psilocybin quite well with minimal side effects.
There are some small side effects and potential issues I can see that I will list below.
Inconsistency Of Product & Different Strains
One of the biggest issues I have found with micro-dosing Psilocybin mushroom is obtaining a consistent supply of the same product or strain of mushroom.
So inconsistency of product has been a slight issue.
I find one type of mushroom chocolate bar can provide me pleasurable feelings, then the next ends up actually giving me mild feelings of anxiety due to being a more stimulating strain of mushroom such as Albino Penis Envy.
Of course, this wouldn’t be an issue at all if you were just able to obtain the consistent, pharmaceutical grade quality products from the same vendor.
Mild Addictive Potential
As someone with a highly addictive personality type, I will be honest that I do notice a small mild addictive potential to misuse Psilocybin mushroom.
By that I mean, because the euphoria is so appealing, there can be a tendency to either want to experiment with higher doses as tolerance develops or take daily.
This wouldn’t be a problem of course if I had unlimited access to the same product on a daily basis, but life doesn’t work out like that.
However, I would say it’s just mild psychological addiction to the feelings of heightened and elevated euphoria, not physical dependency in any way.
So far I have found I can leave or take the Psilocybin and I don’t even need it on a daily basis because the effects have a lasting rebound effect even from acute small doses, which is really impressive.
Tolerance
I have noticed a small increase in tolerance with micro-dosing Psilocybin mushroom on a daily basis.
Initially, half to one piece of mushroom chocolate bar would produce feelings of strong euphoria and then before I know it, it would be one full piece with several re-dosing over the day.
Again, because I don’t tend to micro-dose on a daily basis, it’s easy to reset tolerance levels, so it’s not a huge issue unless I guess you were planning to micro-dose on a daily basis, but most of the protocols out there appear to recommend cycling Psilocybin on/off various cycles.
Generic Side Effects
Some of the other mild side effects I’ve noticed with Psilocybin mushroom, probably as a result of taking too high a dosage.
Sometimes instead of a decrease in anxiety, there can be an increase in physical sensations of anxiety I have found with Psilocybin mushroom.
Your palms can get sweaty and if you suffer from social anxiety when taken slightly above the micro-dose threshold it can be mildly anxiety inducing I have found.
Again some strains of Psilocybin mushroom appear to be worse for this such as Albino Penis Envy, I have found those to be slightly more stimulating in nature and anxiety provoking than other strains.
Social Stigma
The social stigma of using Psilocybin medicinally and even the concept of micro-dosing is still enormous.
It reminds me of the stigma that used to be associated with medical marijuana and the likes of CBD probably a decade back now, but maybe worse given the psychedelic nature and horror stories of trips associated with extremely high doses of Magic Mushrooms, usually with inexperienced consumers.
I have already had several negative comments in relation to my desire to micro-dose Psilocybin mushroom in an effort to treat various difficult to treat health problems I chronically have suffered from for over decades such as major depression, anxiety, PTSD and chronic fatigue syndrome.
As I tell these people if a natural mushroom can increase the quality of my life, then why should I not be allowed access to it?
Because others such as doctors have vested financial monopoly interests in various pharmaceutical medications?
Or because some individual hasn’t done the adequate basic research into the concept of micro-dosing psychedelics such as Psilocybin for health conditions that allopathic medicine isn’t treating adequately.
Let’s be honest here, if allopathic medicine worked or was remotely efficient to any degree for the likes of severe major depression to PTSD to chronic fatigue syndrome, then individuals like myself wouldn’t be left to need to experiment with various alternative modalities and remedies in the first place.
Overall
I have thoroughly enjoyed my brief, short-term experiences with micro-dosing Psilocybin for my difficult to treat health issues.
As mentioned above, I plan to do much more research into this topic in the future, as I can see mushrooms becoming a very popular topic in the next decade.
References
The information in this article has not been evaluated by the FDA and should not be used to diagnose, cure or treat any disease, implied or otherwise.
Always consult a medical professional before taking any dietary supplements, herbs or medication.
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