This article explains the current research on how microdosing works, its benefits, potential risks and side effects, and whether microdosing is legal.
How Does Microdosing Work?
Microdosing may work by affecting a person’s serotonin activity. Serotonin is a chemical messenger called a neurotransmitter that stabilizes mood and creates feelings of happiness. This impacts a person’s moods, sleeping and eating habits, cognition, and even body temperature. This serotonin receptor activity is also associated with the effects of psychedelics, such as experiencing hallucinations.
Benefits of Microdosing
The potential benefits of microdosing may include improvements in mood, sleep, and eating habits.
Some research has shown that perceived benefits were unrelated to reported outcomes, which suggests the placebo effect and recall bias may be less significant to the experience than previously thought.
Potential benefits associated with microdosing include:
Better mood (including reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression)Improved focus (lower distractibility)Self-care (including meditative practices)Self-efficacy (including motivation and ambition)Increased creativityIncreased energySocialization (including a sense of connection, empathy, and verbal fluency)Clarity of thought and problem-solvingImproved sleep qualityReduced headache/migraine
Stress reduction, reduced sensitivity to trauma, and reduced substance dependence (e.g., quitting smoking or reducing alcohol use), were also noted.
Potential Risks of Microdosing
Like the benefits, the potential risks of microdosing are not fully understood due to a lack of clinical research trials on humans. Commonly noted, though, is that continued microdosing (over the course of several weeks or months) is associated with increased neurosis (feelings of fear, worry, and anxiety). Negative consequences are more likely for those with a history of psychosis or preexisting risk factors for psychiatric disorders like bipolar or schizophrenia.
Microdosing uncontrolled substances is not an exact science. There is a risk of taking too much and experiencing an unwanted psychedelic “trip.”
Side Effects
Side effects of microdosing are commonly discussed as “challenges.” The main challenges listed across research include some of the perceived benefits, which further indicates that more clinical trials and replicable studies are needed to determine the full short-term and long-term effects of microdosing.
Perceived side effects of microdosing include:
Physiological discomforts (temperature dysregulation, digestive and appetite issues, tingling and numbing sensations)Impaired focusIncreased anxiety (solo or in social settings)Reduced mood (including feelings of depression)Feelings of disconnection (dissociation)Cognitive impairment (confusion)Migraine Excessive energy (restlessness, agitation)Drained energy (fatigue or brain fog)Tolerance to the dose building up over time
Is Microdosing Legal?
Microdosing’s legality depends on the substance being consumed. Psilocybin and LSD, for example, are commonly cited in microdosing research. However, they are Schedule I substances under the Controlled Substances Act, making them illegal to consume in any quantity.
Is this right for me?Will the microdose interefere with any medications I’m taking?What are the benefits and risks?Will it make an existing medical condition (like anxiety or depression) worse?Will I build a tolerance for psychedelic drugs?
The illegality of microdosing substances limits research opportunity and quality. It also means people who are consuming these substances do not have access to a controlled, safe supply. The drug could be adulterated (mixed in with) substances of a lower quality or dangerous products.
Summary
Microdosing is when a person consumes a small fraction of a full dose of a substance. It’s commonly associated with psychedelics such as LSD and psilocybin (magic mushrooms). There is a lack of sufficient research on the benefits, risks, and side effects of microdosing any one substance to draw general conclusions.
Perceived benefits include improved mood, creativity, and sociability. Side effects of decreased mood, cognitive impairment, neurosis, and feelings of disconnection from others have also been listed. The substances people microdose are illegal.
A Word From Verywell
Microdosing is having a moment. As its popularity rises, it’s important to remember that the short-term and long-term effects of microdosing are still largely unknown. Bear in mind that many factors, including your current mental and physical health condition, play a role in the effects of psychedelics. If you or a loved one are considering microdosing for any reason, you may want to consider speaking with your healthcare provider about personal risks that may exist. You can also speak with a mental health professional or an experienced microdoser.
What substance do you want to microdose and why?Where will you access a safe supply?How much is a standard dose and how much is a microdose?When taking substances, you may also want to consider having a safe, sober person around. They can ensure that if by chance a side effect occurs or you accidentally consume more than a microdose, you have someone there who can assist in seeking medical attention if necessary.
