In 2024, a Third Wave community member asked a question about microdosing and headaches, noting that she gets headaches 4-6 hours after microdosing and asking our community for support. At the same time, however, anecdotal reports suggest that psychedelics could help with headaches, and our forum is littered with reports of people dosing and microdosing to help with cluster headaches.

Said to affect up to 0.1% of the population, these painful headaches last for between fifteen minutes and three hours and can occur daily. Sufferers often rank them as the worst pain they have ever experienced, worse than labor and pancreatitis. There are preventative medications available, but common over-the-counter analgesics are often ineffective, so if psychedelics are an effective solution, they could bring much-needed relief to millions. (1)(2)(3)

As with other psychedelic benefits and side effects, the results differ from user to user. But what is the general consensus when it comes to psychedelics and cluster headaches? More importantly, what does the research have to say on this matter?

Studies on Psychedelics and Cluster Headaches

In 2015, Clusterbusters, an organization devoted to finding treatments for cluster headaches, conducted a survey to determine the efficacy of alternative treatments compared with conventional options. The survey spanned 496 participants and identified various treatments, including psychedelics. (4)

Interestingly, the survey found that indoleamine hallucinogens—a category that includes LSD and psilocybin—produced similar or better results than conventional treatments. The survey suggested that these psychedelics were effective at shortening or completely aborting a cluster headache attack, and this was true even for sub-perceptual doses, known as microdoses. However, it added that further research was needed, and it doesn’t provide a definitive answer to whether or not psychedelics can help with cluster headaches.

It’s not the only study to highlight the potential of psychedelics for treating cluster headaches.

Nearly a decade before this Clusterbusters survey, researchers interviewed 53 individuals who suffered from cluster headaches and regularly sit with psychedelics to alleviate their symptoms. (5)

Twenty-two out of 26 suitable participants regularly sat with psilocybin and claimed that it helped to abort their attacks, while seven out of eight said the same about LSD. Most also noted that they experienced longer periods of remission from their cluster headaches as a direct result of psychedelics.

A 2021 study arrived at a similar conclusion in relation to migraine headaches, noting that compounds like psilocybin “may have long-lasting therapeutic effects after limited dosing in headache disorders”. In this case, the study compared small doses of psilocybin with a placebo over two test sessions.

The study’s participants were asked to complete headache diaries, and researchers also recorded all psychological and physiological effects. Headache frequency dropped significantly in the psilocybin group, and there were no unexpected effects, adverse reactions, or withdrawals.

Anecdotal Reports

The Clusterbusters community is a great source of information not just on cluster headaches, but also on psychedelics and other alternative treatments. This is not a coincidence, as psychedelics are the main “alternative treatments” that the organization promotes. In fact, the genesis of the brand came from a forum post in which someone claimed LSD had successfully prevented their cluster headaches.

After more research, more claims, and a great deal more interest, the site was born.

Still, it makes for fascinating reading. If these summaries of Clusterbusters posts are anything to go by, there is a clear connection between psychedelic experiences and improved cluster headache symptoms:

• Baby Moth’s “level 7” pain dropped to a “level 1-2” after they microdosed psilocybin. They had fewer attacks and less pain, and despite their limited experience at the time of posting, they said that it “feels like [their] body is starting to return to [them]”.

• One user felt that they were “reborn” after discovering that magic mushrooms could help with their cluster headaches. After eight years of suffering and trying various conventional medications, they finally found relief in psychedelics.

• A member noted that “Shrooms are the only preventative [they’ve] had any success with”, stating that they sit with this psychedelic once every couple of months.

• A user’s father tried psychedelics after struggling with cluster headaches for many years. After just one dose, he was able to sleep through the night for the first time in many weeks. Following several months of self-treatment, he had not experienced “as much as an aura”.

Although microdosing seems to be effective for many of the above forum users, and indeed for the larger psychedelic community, the general consensus is that larger doses are more effective. Advocates usually recommend light, perceptual doses—strong enough to experience perceptual and psychological changes, but not strong enough to trigger any kind of ego-death or lock the individual in a deep, contemplative, and transformative state.

Are Psychedelics Safe for People with Cluster Headaches?

Whether you’re acting as a psychedelic practitioner or considering psychedelics for your own means, it’s important to consider the potential side effects and follow the proper safety procedures.

These include the basics of set and setting, which emphasize the importance of establishing the right mindset and experiencing psychedelics in a safe, familiar, and comfortable environment.

Caution is strongly advised for anyone with preexisting physical and mental health conditions (including heart disease and schizophrenia), as well as anyone taking medications.

We’ve spoken about the potential contraindications of psychedelics and antidepressants in the past, and this is also an often-discussed topic in the Clusterbusters forum. You don’t have to look too hard to find people who take antidepressants and report positive experiences from psychedelics, and yet research suggests these two can be a dangerous combination.

In truth, it depends on the individual, the psychedelic, the antidepressant, and the dose, but it’s not something to be taken lightly, and psychedelics are best avoided in anyone taking lithium and other tricyclics.

Summary: Cluster Headaches and Psychedelics

As with other areas of psychedelic research, there are numerous positive studies and anecdotal reports suggesting that psychedelics can help with cluster headaches, but we don’t know for sure how psychedelics provide such benefits, what dose should be taken, or whether there are any long-term side effects.

If you’re a psychedelic practitioner, make sure you’re aware of the risks and necessary precautions of treating with psychedelics, as well as the potential benefits. Check out Clusterbusters, read some reports, studies, and stories, and prepare yourself and your clients.

To further expand your knowledge of plant medicines and proper psychedelic integration, become certified with the Psychedelic Coaching Institute. You’ll learn everything you need to know about psychedelic integration, including hands-on experiences that will inspire confidence in your clients.