The use of illicit drugs as self-medication in the treatment of cluster headache: Results from an Italian online survey
Cherubino Di Lorenzo, Gianluca Coppola, Giorgio Di Lorenzo, M. Bracaglia, P Rossi, Francesco Pierelli
Cephalalgia April 22, 2015 DOI: 10.1177/0333102415583145 via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractMany cluster headache patients are dissatisfied with conventional treatments and turn to illicit drugs. Among 54 respondents from an online self-help group, all were dissatisfied with standard care, and 34 had used cannabinoids, 18 psilocybin, 13 cocaine, 12 lysergic acid amide, 8 heroin, and 4 LSD. Most found suggestions for these substances on the Internet and often underestimated legal risks while overestimating safety. Patients frequently did not inform their physicians about this use, raising concerns about the physician-patient relationship in this population.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 54 |
| Population | Cluster headache patients from an Internet-based self-help group |
| Topics | LSD Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Medicine Illicit drug Psychiatry |
| Citations | 40 |
| Key finding | Many cluster headache patients dissatisfied with conventional treatments use illicit drugs, often without informing their physicians. |
Abstract
Background Cluster headache (CH) patients often receive unsatisfactory treatment and may explore illicit substances as alternatives. We aimed to explore this use of illicit drugs for CH treatment. Methods We invited CH patients from an Internet-based self-help group to complete a questionnaire regarding their therapeutic use of illicit substances. Results Of the 54 respondents, 29 were classified as chronic and 39 were drug-resistant cases. Fifty patients had previously tried subcutaneous sumatriptan, 40 had tried O 2 , and 48 had tried at least one prophylactic treatment. All 54 patients specified that they were dissatisfied with conventional treatments. Thirty-four patients had used cannabinoids, 13 cocaine, 8 heroin, 18 psilocybin, 12 lysergic acid amide (LSA), and 4 lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). Discussion Some patients with intractable CH decided to try illicit drugs concomitantly with cessation of medical care. Most of these patients found suggestions for illicit drug use on the Internet. Many patients seemed to underestimate the judicial consequences of, and had an overestimated confidence in the safety of, such illicit treatments. Physicians are often not informed by patients of their choice to use illicit drugs. This leads to questions regarding the true nature of the physician-patient relationship among dissatisfied CH patients.