A psychedelic compound from toad venom is the latest promising treatment for anxiety and depression, a new study reveals.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University say that the ‘mystical experience’ of the compound, called 5-MeO-DMT, may actually be a quick-acting way to reduce the symptoms of crippling mental health problems.
In the last several years, scientists have been increasingly focusing on psychedelics like psilocybin and ketamine as potential treatments for anxiety, depression and PTSD because the drugs require only short sessions to work.
And 5-MeO-DMT is the latest experimental drug to be investigated as a possible therapy for people who don’t respond to more traditional treatments.
The venom of the homely Colorado River Toad (pictured) contains 5-MeO-DMT, a psychedelic compound that reduced anxiety and depression symptoms for 80 percent of those who tried it
For decades, psychedelic drugs like psilocybin, LSD, ketamine and DMT have been used recreationally by people searching for meaning and mystical experiences.
But now scientists think that hippies and club kids might be onto something – if the drugs are used properly, in controlled settings and in conjunction with talk therapy.
One of the issues facing people struggling with mental illness is that relief is never never instantaneous.
Antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications are proven to work – best when they’re taken in tandem with therapy – but it can take weeks, even months, for their effects to set in.
And nearly half of depressed patients (45 percent) are ‘treatment resistant,’ meaning that the drugs don’t work.
The standard recommendation for next-steps is to up the dosage, add on more drugs or try a different drug.
That means starting the waiting game over, or risking broader-sweeping effects. Many patients wind up in a seemingly endless cycle of trial-and-error treatment with little to no relief.
Psychedelics have a different pharmacology from pharmaceutical drugs like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).
Instead, they act instantly, on different receptors, and only for a short while. Their effects can lead to a sense of self-exploration and work as a sort of ‘reset’ for the brain.
Clinical trials of psilocybin and ketamine for depression and PTSD treatments, respectively, are already underway, and Dr Alan Davis of Johns Hopkins Psychedelic Research Unit wants to keep exploring additional psychedelics.
Namely, 5-MeO-DMT.
The compound can be taken from the poison that the homely Colorado River Toad uses to defend itself from predators, or made synthetically.
Some have referred to 5-MeO-DMT as the ‘god molecule,’ and is estimated to be four- to seven-times more powerful than the related DMT.
The drug acts on the brain’s serotonin system too, but in a very different way from traditional antidepressants, producing hallucinogenic effects (such as seeing intricate patterns and fractals).
His new study is Dr Davis’s initial exploration of the drug, and simply surveyed people who had used it in a (relatively) controlled setting.
The study establishes that as being in a group ritualistic setting, in a predetermined dose, with guidance and support before, during and after taking it.
5-MeO-DMT lasts just an hour to an hour-and-a-half, and about 80 percent of the 362 survey respondents said that even after those short ‘trips’ they felt less anxious and depressed.
And the more ‘mystical’ their experiences were, the more effective people said 5-MeO-DMT was at reducing they symptoms of their anxiety or depression.
For 80 percent of the study participants, 5-MeO-DMT was at least among the top five most meaningful experiences of their lives.
Although some people did experience ‘challenging’ elements of a psychedelic trip, such as physical discomfort or paranoia, this didn’t seem to make any difference in whether or not 5-MeO-DMT improved their anxiety and depression.
It’s far too soon to say for sure that the toad poison psychedelic will be hitting pharmacy shelves, but Dr Davis is eager to explore its possibilities, given what a high percentage of people who tried it found relief.
‘It is important to examine the short- and long-term effects of 5-MeO-DMT, which may enhance mood in general or may be particularly mood enhancing for those individuals experiencing clinically significant negative mood,’ he said.
‘Regardless, this research is in its infancy and further investigation is warranted in healthy volunteers.’