The venom of the domestic Colorado River toad (pictured) contains 5-meo-DMT, a psychedelic compound that reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression for 80 percent of those who do it.
A psychedelic compound from toad venom is one of the latest promising treatments for anxiety depression, a 2019 study showed.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University said the ‘mysterious experience’ of the compound, called 5-MeO-DMT, may actually be a quick-acting way to ease symptoms of serious mental health problems.
Over the past several years, scientists have been focusing on psychedelics such as psilocybin and ketamine as potential treatments for anxiety, depression, and PTSD because only short sessions are needed for the drugs to work.
The compound 5-MeO-DMT is the latest experimental drug to be investigated as a potential therapy for people who do not respond to more conventional treatments.
For decades, psychedelic drugs such as psilocybin, LSD, ketamine and DMT have been used recreationally by people searching for meaning and mystical experiences.
But now scientists think that hippies and club kids may be on to something – if the drugs are used properly, in controlled settings, and in combination with talk therapy.
One problem faced by people living with mental illness is that relief is never instant.
Antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs are proven to work – best when they are taken in conjunction with therapy – but their effects can take weeks, even months, to set in.
And about half of depressed patients (45 percent) are ‘treatment resistant’, meaning the drugs don’t work.
The standard recommendation for next steps is to increase the dosage, add more drugs, or try a different drug.
That means eliminating the waiting game, or risking wide-ranging effects.
Many patients end up in an endless cycle of trial-and-error treatments with no relief.
Psychedelics have a different pharmacology from pharmaceutical drugs such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).
Instead, they act immediately, on different receptors, and only for a short time. Their effects can create a sense of self-exploration and serve as a ‘reset’ for the brain.
Clinical trials of psilocybin and ketamine for depression and PTSD treatment, respectively, are already underway, and Dr. Alan Davis of the Johns Hopkins Psychedelic Research Unit said he wants to continue exploring additional psychedelics.
Namely, 5-MeO-DMT.
The compound may be derived from the venom that the domestic Colorado River toad uses to protect itself from predators, or made artificially.
Some have referred to 5-MeO-DMT as the ‘god molecule’, and is estimated to be four to seven times more potent than the related DMT.
The drug also acts on the brain’s serotonin system, but in a very different way from traditional antidepressants, producing hallucinogenic effects (such as seeing complex patterns and fractals).
The 2019 study is an early discovery of the drug by Dr. Davis, and only surveyed people who used it in a (relatively) controlled setting.
The study establishes that being in a group ritual setting, in a predetermined dosage, with guidance and support before, during and after taking it.
5-Meo-DMT only lasted an hour to an hour and a half, and nearly 80 percent of the 362 survey respondents said they felt less anxious and depressed, even after those short ‘visits’.
And the more ‘mysterious’ their experiences were, the more effective people said 5-MeO-DMT was in reducing their anxiety or depression symptoms.
For 80 percent of study participants, 5-MeO-DMT was at least one of the top five most meaningful experiences of their lives.
Although some people experienced ‘challenging’ elements of the psychedelic journey, such as physical discomfort or paranoia, it did not matter whether 5-MeO-DMT improved their anxiety and depression.
It’s too early to say for sure when toad venom will hit psychedelic pharmacy shelves, but Dr. Davis is eager to explore its possibilities, noting that the high percentage of people who try it were relieved.
“It is important to examine the short- and long-term effects of 5-MeO-DMT, which may be mood enhancing in general or mood enhancers in particular for individuals with clinically significant negative moods,” he said. are experiencing.’
‘Even though, this research is in its infancy and further investigation is needed in healthy volunteers.’
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