Psilocybin for IBS: Could altering the mind help alter the gut?

Evan Walker
Evan Walker TheMediTary.Com |
Psilocybin mushrooms, commonly known as magic mushrooms, growing out of a stubShare on Pinterest
Could magic mushrooms help relieve symptoms and treat IBS? A new study aims to find out. Irina Efremova/Stocksy
  • Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one of the most common conditions affecting the gut.
  • Despite its prevalence and decades of research, treatments are limited, and the underlying causes remain shrouded in mystery.
  • An ongoing study, conducted by Erin Mauney, MD, is taking a fascinating new approach to this mysterious condition: psychedelics, and more specifically psilocybin.

In this article, we will investigate why researcher Erin Mauney believes psilocybin — the active compound in magic mushrooms — might help treat irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and how her ongoing research is breaking new ground.

To help us understand how altering the mind might alter the gut, we will first explore the links between body and brain.

Mauney and colleagues’ ongoing study was halfway through enrollment as of her April 24th JCG interview. Although she was cautious not to preempt the findings, Mauney was excited to share that at least some of the participants had experienced benefits.

In the study, participants are paired with two medical professionals with backgrounds in psychotherapy or psychiatry.

Each of the two therapy sessions (two weeks apart) involves the “dosing” part of the study, where the participant takes psilocybin and relaxes while listening to a carefully curated playlist.

Then, the three of them discuss the participants’ symptoms, previous life experiences, and whatever comes up during the session. In total, these sessions last 6–8 hours.

Mauney explains how the psilocybin “acts as an amplifier of therapeutic processes,” perhaps enhancing standard talking therapy.

Although this approach has not worked for everyone in the trial, for some, Mauney says, it has. She explains that it has encouraged some individuals to engage deeply with difficult parts of their lives, make meaningful changes that they could not manage before, or influence close relationships in ways that have led to reduced symptoms.

For others, their symptoms have remained unchanged, but they report that the symptoms are no longer so bothersome.

Medical News Today reached out to Ruvini Wijetilaka, MD, a board certified Internal Medicine Physician at Mecca Health, who was not involved in the study. “As a physician, I find this early research into psilocybin-assisted therapy for treatment-resistant IBS intriguing and encouraging,” she explained.

“IBS is a complex condition rooted in the brain-gut connection,” she continued, “and traditional treatments don’t always work for everyone.”

“In cases where symptoms persist despite initial interventions, psilocybin may offer a promising alternative for targeting the neurological pathways involved. It’s an exciting area of exploration for patients who experience chronic, unrelenting symptoms and have few remaining options.”
— Ruvini Wijetilaka, MD

Mauney’s study is the first to look at this relationship, and the preliminary results are encouraging. However, as she explains, the study is not yet complete, and it might not work.

With that said, because the mechanistic theory is promising, and it seems that at least some people have already benefited, we might be forgiven for being optimistic.

“It might sound a little bit out there to the average gastroenterologist,” says Mauney. “But I think this is really what’s needed, and what our patients are calling out for. […] A holistic approach to their suffering.”

MNT also contacted Prof. David D. Clarke, MD, president of the Association for the Treatment of Neuroplastic Symptoms and board certified in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology, who is not involved in the research.

“People with IBS that are not responding to available treatments need more options. Under the right conditions, psychedelics are worth a try for this group,” he said.

However, he also suggested comparing its efficacy with Emotional Awareness and Expression Therapy (EAET), which he told us has had some success in the treatment of “people with chronic musculoskeletal pain, back pain (when combined with mindfulness), and long COVID.”

Psilocybin is unlikely to work for everyone, but Mauney hopes that, at least for some, this intervention could improve thought processes and relieve the negative impact of a chronic condition that remains poorly understood.

“While more concrete research is needed on this, the study could mark a meaningful shift in how we approach IBS care and gut health as a whole,” concluded Wijetilaka.

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