Psilocybin boosts gabapentin's pain-relieving effects in mice with nerve injury, pointing to a potential new approach for neuropathic pain treatment

Psilocybin enhances the pain-relieving effects of gabapentin in mice with neuropathic pain caused by sciatic nerve injury. The combined treatment reduced mechanical hypersensitivity more than either drug alone, while psilocybin by itself produced only limited benefit. The findings come from preclinical work testing whether a psychedelic compound can strengthen a widely used non-opioid pain medication. Researchers used a mouse model of nerve damage and found that co-administration improved outcomes without relying on opioid mechanisms. Neuropathic pain is often difficult to treat, and gabapentin provides incomplete relief for many patients. These results suggest psilocybin could eventually serve as an adjunct therapy, but the evidence is still early and limited to animal research rather than human clinical trials.