Pilot study finds two supervised psilocybin doses associated with lasting symptom improvements in post-treatment Lyme disease

A small Johns Hopkins pilot study of 20 people with post-treatment Lyme disease found that two clinically supervised doses of psilocybin were associated with substantial improvements in symptom burden, depression, sleep disturbance, fatigue, pain, and quality of life. Two weeks after the second dose, overall symptoms were 52 percent below baseline, while reductions of roughly 40 to 50 percent persisted six months later. Depressive symptoms, sleep disturbance, fatigue, and pain also remained improved at follow-up. Participants received 15 mg and then 25 mg two weeks later, with temporary headaches, nausea, and hypertension reported but no serious adverse effects. The findings are preliminary: there was no placebo or blinding, participants knew they received psilocybin, and the study cannot establish causation. The researchers call for randomized, controlled trials and further biomarker and sleep research.