Psychedelic potential Psilocybin and MDMA may positively impact the neurological and mental health challenges associated with Long COVID symptoms, according to a new case report. Most people who get COVID-19 recover within a few days or weeks. But for some patients, symptoms of Long COVID have lasted for months or even years. - Wide range of symptoms Common Long COVID symptoms include fatigue, difficulty breathing, joint or muscle pain, chest pain, heart palpitations, brain fog, headaches, sleep problems, anxiety, and depression. - What causes Long COVID? Researchers believe prolonged symptoms are caused by viral remnants in the body, overactive immune systems, or lingering inflammation from infection. - Cardio complications Vascular issues, such as blood clots or blood vessel damage, have also been connected to Long COVID. According to Yale Medicine, patients with Long COVID experienced difficulty extracting oxygen from the blood. - No catch-all treatment With varying potential causes for Long COVID — and so many symptoms — there’s no specific treatment yet. But according to one new case study, psilocybin and MDMA may help neurological symptoms due to the ability of these psychedelics to create new neural pathways. - Case study A 44-year-old woman had tried several medications, fasting, acupuncture, and massages to ease her COVID symptoms. Nothing worked until she tried psilocybin, and after two sessions, she reported significantly less anxiety and depression. - She’s not alone, either Dr. Joel Castellanos, associate medical director at the University of California and lead author on the case study, says he’s heard from “plenty” of Long COVID patients who have tried psychedelics to ease their symptoms … or are interested in trying. - Anecdotal evidence is just that, anecdotal While this single case study should not be taken as a broader medical recommendation, it opens up the door for future studies on how psychedelics could potentially treat Long COVID.