Cited by 88Psychedelics and Drug StudiesForensic Toxicology and Drug AnalysisTreatment of Major Depression

Drug-drug interactions between psychiatric medications and MDMA or psilocybin: a systematic review

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Sarparast, Aryan, Thomas, Kelan, Malcolm, Benjamin, Stauffer, Christopher S.·2022·Psychopharmacology

Abstract

Rationale & objectives ± 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and psilocybin are currently moving through the US Food and Drug Administration's phased drug development process for psychiatric treatment indications: posttraumatic stress disorder and depression, respectively. The current standard of care for these disorders involves treatment with psychiatric medications (e.g., selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), so it will be important to understand drug-drug interactions between MDMA or psilocybin and psychiatric medications.Methods In accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, we queried the MEDLINE database via PubMed for publications of human studies in English spanning between the first synthesis of psilocybin (1958) and December 2020. We used 163 search terms containing 22 psychiatric medication classes, 135 specific psychiatric medications, and 6 terms describing MDMA or psilocybin.Results Forty publications were included in our systematic review: 26 reporting outcomes from randomized controlled studies with healthy adults, 3 epidemiologic studies, and 11 case reports. Publications of studies describe interactions between MDMA (N = 24) or psilocybin (N = 5) and medications from several psychiatric drug classes: adrenergic agents, antipsychotics, anxiolytics, mood stabilizers, NMDA antagonists, psychostimulants, and several classes of antidepressants. We focus our results on pharmacodynamic, physiological, and subjective outcomes of drug-drug interactions.Conclusions As MDMA and psilocybin continue to move through the FDA drug development process, this systematic review offers a compilation of existing research on psychiatric drug-drug interactions with MDMA or psilocybin.

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Research works printed but not linked: 4

  1. Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality (2020) National Survey on Drug Use and Health—2019. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. https://www.samhsa.gov/data/ 30480921
  2. Grob CS, & Grigsby J (Eds.). (2021). Handbook of medical hallucinogens. The Guilford Press.
  3. Keeler MH (1967). Chlorpromazine Antagonism of Psilocybin Effect. International Journal of Neuropsychiatry, 3, 66– 71. https://bibliography.maps.org/bibliography/default/citation/1972
  4. Usona Institute. (2021). Usona Institute Psilocybin Investigator’s Brochure (Vol. 4).

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Authors
Sarparast, A., Thomas, K., Malcolm, B., & Stauffer, C. S.
Affiliations
  • Oregon Health & Science University (US)
  • Touro University California (US)
Corresponding author
Stauffer, Christopher S.
Venue
Psychopharmacology
Published
2022-03-07
Volume
239
Issue
6
Pages
1945-1976
ISSN
  • 0033-3158 (ISSN-L)
  • 1432-2072
OpenAlex
W4220686515
Cited by
88
References
145
Citations by year
2026: 13 · 2025: 25 · 2024: 24 · 2023: 21 · 2022: 5
FWCI
3.13
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Psychopharmacology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • Touro Scholar (Touro College) (submittedVersion)
Funders
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (IK2CX001495)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychedelics and Drug Studies
  • Life Sciences › Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics › Toxicology › Forensic Toxicology and Drug Analysis
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Treatment of Major Depression
Keywords
drug-drug interactions, MDMA, psilocybin, psychedelic therapy, psychiatric medication, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, antidepressants, antipsychotic drugs, anxiolytics, mood stabilizers, NMDA receptor antagonists, psychostimulants, adrenergic agents, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, pharmacodynamics
MeSH terms
Adult, Drug Interactions, Hallucinogens, Humans, Psilocybin, Psychotherapy, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine

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