This article was originally published on Psychedelic Spotlight and appears here with permission.
There is limited research on the combination of psychedelics and opioids. Nonetheless, a study investigating the interaction between opioids and hallucinogens found that low opioid doses tend to diminish the effects of DMT and LSD, whereas higher doses can intensify their impact.
If you’re suffering from chronic pain, mixing psychedelics and opioids may seem like a good idea. In theory, it can increase the potency and effects of these drugs, alleviating pain and perhaps even boosting your sense of well-being.
In reality, however, this drug combination can bring more harm than good.
Keep reading to learn more about the interaction between psychedelics and opioids and discover how to stay safe while taking opioids for chronic pain.
What Are Opioids?
Oxycodone is the generic name for a range of opioid pain killing tablets.
Opioids are a broad class of drugs with pain-relieving properties that are usually prescribed to treat moderate to severe pain resistant to over-the-counter medications.
Depending on their origin, these drugs can be natural, semi-synthetic, or synthetic. Natural opioids are derived directly from the opium poppy plant, unlike synthetic opioids, which are fully human-made. Meanwhile, semi-synthetic opioids are produced by synthesizing natural opioids such as morphine.
Some commonly prescribed opioids include:
- Oxycodone (OxyContin®)
- Hydrocodone (Vicodin®)
- Tramadol (Ultram®)
- Oxymorphone (Opana®)
- Hydromorphone (Dilaudid®)
Although opioids can effectively alleviate acute and chronic pain, they carry a high potential for addiction that increases with prolonged use and opioid abuse (e.g., taking opioids at larger doses than prescribed).
If you or someone you love is struggling with opioid …