Improving access to effective medication to treat cluster (“suicide”) headaches
OPIS is an EA-associated think-and-do tank focused on the prevention of intense suffering as an ethical priority (https://www.preventsuffering.org/). We are addressing a few specific causes of suffering and, at a more meta level, working to promote compassionate ethics in governance.
One of our main current areas of focus is cluster headaches, a form of trigeminal autonomic cephalalgia and one of the most painful conditions known to medicine, often driving patients to suicide (https://www.preventsuffering.org/cluster-headaches/). The agony they cause is often compared to having a red hot ice pick driven though the eye into the brain. Attacks typically last one hour and repeat several times a day. Patients are often woken up several times during the night by attacks, and they go to extremes, including banging their head against the wall and punching their head, to try to distract themselves from the severe pain. About 85% of patients have episodic clusters lasting 1-3 months, occurring once or twice a year at the same time of year, during which they have daily recurrences at the frequency mentioned; the other 15% have chronic clusters that can last for years, often with multiple attacks per day and without a single day’s break. Although they only affect about 1 in 1000 people, the severity of the pain dramatically increases the scale of the problem.
A large number of patient reports attest to the efficacy of certain indoleamines and related compounds with hallucinogenic properties, including psilocybin, LSD and DMT, both in aborting attacks and in preventing entire episodes. Research reports based on survey results indicate that these compounds can be more effective than standard medical treatments, which are far from satisfactory. But legal restrictions and lack of sufficient information among doctors and patients mean that patients often suffer needlessly.
OPIS is working to improve access to effective treatments through an initiative to change government regulations in some key countries, and improve the information available to patients and doctors.
I propose to give a brief talk about the ethical priority of treating extreme pain, and provide more details about this specific condition and how we are tackling the subject and the challenges faced. I hope to inspire more EAs to consider supporting or becoming active in this and related cause areas.
Improving access to effective medication to treat cluster (“suicide”) headaches
OPIS is an EA-associated think-and-do tank focused on the prevention of intense suffering as an ethical priority (https://www.preventsuffering.org/). We are addressing a few specific causes of suffering and, at a more meta level, working to promote compassionate ethics in governance.
One of our main current areas of focus is cluster headaches, a form of trigeminal autonomic cephalalgia and one of the most painful conditions known to medicine, often driving patients to suicide (https://www.preventsuffering.org/cluster-headaches/). The agony they cause is often compared to having a red hot ice pick driven though the eye into the brain. Attacks typically last one hour and repeat several times a day. Patients are often woken up several times during the night by attacks, and they go to extremes, including banging their head against the wall and punching their head, to try to distract themselves from the severe pain. About 85% of patients have episodic clusters lasting 1-3 months, occurring once or twice a year at the same time of year, during which they have daily recurrences at the frequency mentioned; the other 15% have chronic clusters that can last for years, often with multiple attacks per day and without a single day’s break. Although they only affect about 1 in 1000 people, the severity of the pain dramatically increases the scale of the problem.
A large number of patient reports attest to the efficacy of certain indoleamines and related compounds with hallucinogenic properties, including psilocybin, LSD and DMT, both in aborting attacks and in preventing entire episodes. Research reports based on survey results indicate that these compounds can be more effective than standard medical treatments, which are far from satisfactory. But legal restrictions and lack of sufficient information among doctors and patients mean that patients often suffer needlessly.
OPIS is working to improve access to effective treatments through an initiative to change government regulations in some key countries, and improve the information available to patients and doctors.
I propose to give a brief talk about the ethical priority of treating extreme pain, and provide more details about this specific condition and how we are tackling the subject and the challenges faced. I hope to inspire more EAs to consider supporting or becoming active in this and related cause areas.
I’m very interested in this!! thanks for sharing