Microdosing: Everything You Need to Know (2024)

Microdosing means taking a tiny fraction of a full dose of psychedelic substances, such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD or "acid") or psilocybin mushrooms (magic mushrooms).

Research on the benefits and effects are largely inconclusive, and many medical professionals are split on whether or not microdoses cause a placebo effect or recall bias (remembering events as they wanted them to be rather than what they were).

This article explains the current research on how microdosing works, its benefits, potential risks and side effects, and whether it is legal.

How Does Microdosing Work?

Microdosing may work by affecting a person’s serotonin activity. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter (chemical messenger) that stabilizes mood and creates feelings of happiness. This impacts a person’s mood, sleeping and eating habits, cognition, and even body temperature. 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, among others.

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 creativity
• Increased energy
• Socialization (including a sense of connection, empathy, and verbal fluency)
• Clarity of thought and problem-solving
• Improved sleep quality
• Reduced headache/migraine

Stress reduction, reduced sensitivity to trauma, and reduced substance dependence (e.g., quitting smoking or reducing alcohol use) were also noted.

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 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 several weeks or months) is associated with increased neurosis (feelings of fear, worry, and anxiety).

Adverse consequences are more likely for those with a history of psychosis or pre-existing 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 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 focus
• Increased anxiety (alone 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)
• Increased dose tolerance 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.

The illegality of microdosing substances limits research opportunity and quality. It also means people consuming these substances cannot access a controlled, safe supply.The drug could be adulterated (mixed in) with substances of a lower quality or dangerous product.

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 noted. The substances people microdose are illegal, further complicating research efforts.

A Word From Verywell

Microdosing is having a moment. As its popularity rises, it’s important to remember that the short and long-term effects of microdosing are still largely unknown. 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, speak with your healthcare provider and/or a mental health provider about your risks.