So, you’ve got a pounding headache and you’re wondering, what if I just took some shrooms instead of ibuprofen? Sounds wild, right? Surprisingly, that question isn’t as out-there as it sounds. Science has actually looked into whether magic mushrooms can help with some of the nastiest headaches known to humans. Spoiler: it’s not a total joke.
Wait, Shrooms for a Headache?
Yeah, it sounds like a stoner myth your cousin made up, but researchers have actually studied this. Most of the attention has gone to something called cluster headaches, a rare, brutal type of headache sometimes called “suicide headaches” because of how intense they are. We’re talking eye-stabbing, tear-inducing pain that shows up in waves.
According to a review in Current Pain and Headache Reports (Henderson et al., 2025), psilocybin, the active compound in magic mushrooms, might help people who get these attacks. Not in the “trip and your pain disappears instantly” kind of way, but more like preventing the attacks from coming back so often.
So yeah, shrooms might not be your everyday headache fix, but they’ve definitely caught scientists’ attention.
“Turns out the cure for a headache might be… the thing that makes your wallpaper breathe.”
What the Research Says
Back in the early 2000s, people in online forums (yes, the early internet) started claiming shrooms helped them stop cluster headache cycles. Doctors thought it was nonsense, until patients started showing up with results.
Now, fast-forward to today: researchers from places like Yale, Harvard, and UCSF have been looking into this seriously. A 2023 review in European Psychiatry found that even tiny doses of psilocybin can reduce the frequency and intensity of cluster headaches.
We’re talking doses so low they don’t even cause hallucinations. It’s called microdosing, and for some patients, it’s working better than traditional treatments.
The American Migraine Foundation even has an entire section discussing it. They say psilocybin seems to “reset” the brain’s pain pathways, possibly calming the same circuits that trigger cluster headaches. It’s still early, but science is no longer laughing it off.
Why It Might Work
Here’s the cool part: psilocybin works on the same serotonin receptors that many migraine drugs target. These receptors help regulate blood flow in the brain and how pain signals get processed. When psilocybin binds to them, it seems to calm the chaos that triggers those sudden bursts of agony.
Think of it like rebooting your brain’s pain software. Sometimes it just needs a little “Ctrl + Alt + Delete.”
Some researchers think psilocybin might also reduce inflammation and improve sleep, two big triggers for migraines and headaches in general. That’s why people report fewer episodes even weeks after taking it.
What About Regular Headaches?
If we’re talking about your average “too much screen time” headache, shrooms probably aren’t the answer. For one, it’s not exactly practical. Imagine your boss asking why your email’s full of rainbow emojis and you’re crying about the beauty of spreadsheets.
Plus, the studies focus on specific medical conditions like cluster headaches and migraines, not the “ugh, I need coffee” kind. So unless you enjoy accidentally seeing time melt while trying to fix your neck tension, stick with Advil for now.
“Magic mushrooms can work wonders, but they’re not Tylenol with extra sparkles.”
The Catch (Because of Course There’s One)
Psilocybin isn’t legal for medical use just yet, at least in most places. A few U.S. cities and states, like Oregon and Colorado, are allowing controlled therapeutic use, but the rest of the world is still waiting for official approval.
Also, not every headache sufferer should rush to eat shrooms. People with certain mental health conditions or those on other medications should definitely talk to a doctor first. Researchers are still figuring out the safest ways to use it for headaches, ideally under supervision and without the “my carpet’s talking to me” side effects.
So… Should You Try It?
Here’s the deal. If you’re someone who suffers from cluster headaches or chronic migraines, psilocybin might eventually become a legit medical option. Early studies show promise. People who tried it in research settings often had weeks or even months without attacks.
But if you just have a tension headache from bad posture or dehydration, you’ll probably just end up tripping about how loud your ceiling fan sounds.
The key difference is dose and intention. The folks in studies are using tiny, precisely measured doses, not full-on “see God” levels.
Direct Answer: Will Shrooms Help With a Headache?
Maybe, if we’re talking about cluster headaches or chronic migraines. Studies show psilocybin can reduce their frequency and intensity, possibly by resetting serotonin pathways in the brain. But for your average headache, shrooms aren’t the cure, they’re overkill.
My Honest Take
If magic mushrooms ever get approved for medical use, it wouldn’t surprise me if neurologists start prescribing microdoses alongside other treatments. The idea of a fungus helping with “suicide headaches” sounds wild, but that’s science for you, it finds answers in strange places.
So, next time someone says “shrooms will blow your mind,” you can tell them, “Yeah, maybe, but they might fix my head first.”
Sources
Henderson I., Elsaadany R., Chan G., et al. – 2025 – Exploring the Potential of Psychedelics in the Treatment of Headache Disorders: Clinical Considerations and Exploratory Insights
American Migraine Foundation – 2023 – Can Psilocybin Treat Cluster Headache?
Tsang J., et al. – 2023 – A Systematic Review to Assess the Use of Psilocybin in the Treatment of Headaches