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Magic mushrooms may ease OCD

The active ingredient in psychedelic mushrooms appears to relieve symptoms of severe obsessive-compulsive disorder, says a preliminary study by a University of Arizona psychiatrist.

The study of nine patients found that psilocybin reduced symptoms of the disorder for an average of four to 24 hours, but some patients remained symptom-free for days, the Associated Press reported.

"What we saw acutely was a drastic decrease in symptoms. The obsessions would really dissolve or reduce drastically for a period of time," said Dr Francisco A. Moreno.

The findings appear in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.

Moreno said the purpose of the study was to test the safety of psilocybin. He said a larger controlled study needs to be done to determine psilocybin's actual effectiveness in treating obsessive compulsive disorder, the AP reported. – (HealthDayNews)

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Magic mushrooms

December 2006

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