Efficacy and Safety of Psychoactive Tryptamines in Addiction: A Systematic Review

Pim B van der Meer; Nout Schukking; Maarten Dik; Aumer van Reemst; Juan J Fuentes; Ad A Kaptein; Jan W Schoones; Sebastiaan Verboeket; Marleen M de Waal; Anneke E Goudriaan; Cornelis Kramers; Arnt Schellekens; Matthijs G Bossong; Metten Somers; Albert Batalla

doi:10.1177/28314425251364182

Efficacy and Safety of Psychoactive Tryptamines in Addiction: A Systematic Review

Pim B van der Meer^*
, Nout Schukking
, Maarten Dik
, Aumer van Reemst
, Juan J Fuentes
, Ad A Kaptein
, Jan W Schoones
, Sebastiaan Verboeket
, Marleen M de Waal
, Anneke E Goudriaan
, Cornelis Kramers
, Arnt Schellekens
, Matthijs G Bossong
, Metten Somers
, Albert Batalla

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Psychedelics such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and psilocybin have shown a beneficial effect on substance use disorder (SUD) symptoms. In this systematic review, we aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of psychoactive tryptamines in patients with an SUD or non-substance-related disorder (i.e., gambling disorder) in order to provide a comprehensive overview of the available evidence and identify potential research gaps.

METHODS: A systematic literature search was performed in eight different databases up to February 2024. Clinical trials were included that assessed the efficacy and safety of psychoactive tryptamines other than psilocybin and ibogaine. A quality assessment of the included trials was done based on the revised Cochrane risk-of-bias tools.

RESULTS: A total of four clinical trials (three randomized controlled trials and one single-arm clinical trial; n = 176 patients) were included, all in patients with alcohol use disorder. Dipropyltryptamine and diethyltryptamine were the two investigated psychoactive tryptamines. Abstinence ranged from 10% (duration of follow-up unknown) to 38% at 26 weeks of follow-up, and severity of alcohol use did not differ between the psychoactive tryptamine group and the control groups. Adverse effects were not well reported in the trials.

CONCLUSION: Studies assessing the efficacy of psychoactive tryptamines other than psilocybin and ibogaine in addiction are scarce and show limited evidence for effectiveness in the treatment of addictive disorders.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	45-53
Number of pages	9
Journal	Psychedelic medicine (New Rochelle, N.Y.)
Volume	4
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/28314425251364182
Publication status	Published - 1 Mar 2026

Access to Document

10.1177/28314425251364182

Cite this

van der Meer, P. B., Schukking, N., Dik, M., van Reemst, A., Fuentes, J. J., Kaptein, A. A., Schoones, J. W., Verboeket, S., de Waal, M. M., Goudriaan, A. E., Kramers, C., Schellekens, A., Bossong, M. G., Somers, M., & Batalla, A. (2026). Efficacy and Safety of Psychoactive Tryptamines in Addiction: A Systematic Review. Psychedelic medicine (New Rochelle, N.Y.), 4(1), 45-53. https://doi.org/10.1177/28314425251364182

@article{6e1174276c7048e19a279a022a5f9983,

title = "Efficacy and Safety of Psychoactive Tryptamines in Addiction: A Systematic Review",

abstract = "BACKGROUND: Psychedelics such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and psilocybin have shown a beneficial effect on substance use disorder (SUD) symptoms. In this systematic review, we aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of psychoactive tryptamines in patients with an SUD or non-substance-related disorder (i.e., gambling disorder) in order to provide a comprehensive overview of the available evidence and identify potential research gaps.METHODS: A systematic literature search was performed in eight different databases up to February 2024. Clinical trials were included that assessed the efficacy and safety of psychoactive tryptamines other than psilocybin and ibogaine. A quality assessment of the included trials was done based on the revised Cochrane risk-of-bias tools.RESULTS: A total of four clinical trials (three randomized controlled trials and one single-arm clinical trial; n = 176 patients) were included, all in patients with alcohol use disorder. Dipropyltryptamine and diethyltryptamine were the two investigated psychoactive tryptamines. Abstinence ranged from 10\% (duration of follow-up unknown) to 38\% at 26 weeks of follow-up, and severity of alcohol use did not differ between the psychoactive tryptamine group and the control groups. Adverse effects were not well reported in the trials.CONCLUSION: Studies assessing the efficacy of psychoactive tryptamines other than psilocybin and ibogaine in addiction are scarce and show limited evidence for effectiveness in the treatment of addictive disorders.",

author = "\{van der Meer\}, \{Pim B\} and Nout Schukking and Maarten Dik and \{van Reemst\}, Aumer and Fuentes, \{Juan J\} and Kaptein, \{Ad A\} and Schoones, \{Jan W\} and Sebastiaan Verboeket and \{de Waal\}, \{Marleen M\} and Goudriaan, \{Anneke E\} and Cornelis Kramers and Arnt Schellekens and Bossong, \{Matthijs G\} and Metten Somers and Albert Batalla",

year = "2026",

month = mar,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1177/28314425251364182",

language = "English",

volume = "4",

pages = "45--53",

journal = "Psychedelic medicine (New Rochelle, N.Y.)",

issn = "2831-4425",

number = "1",

}

van der Meer, PB, Schukking, N, Dik, M, van Reemst, A, Fuentes, JJ, Kaptein, AA, Schoones, JW, Verboeket, S, de Waal, MM, Goudriaan, AE, Kramers, C, Schellekens, A, Bossong, MG, Somers, M & Batalla, A 2026, 'Efficacy and Safety of Psychoactive Tryptamines in Addiction: A Systematic Review', Psychedelic medicine (New Rochelle, N.Y.), vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 45-53. https://doi.org/10.1177/28314425251364182

TY - JOUR

T1 - Efficacy and Safety of Psychoactive Tryptamines in Addiction

T2 - A Systematic Review

AU - van der Meer, Pim B

AU - Schukking, Nout

AU - Dik, Maarten

AU - van Reemst, Aumer

AU - Fuentes, Juan J

AU - Kaptein, Ad A

AU - Schoones, Jan W

AU - Verboeket, Sebastiaan

AU - de Waal, Marleen M

AU - Goudriaan, Anneke E

AU - Kramers, Cornelis

AU - Schellekens, Arnt

AU - Bossong, Matthijs G

AU - Somers, Metten

AU - Batalla, Albert

PY - 2026/3/1

Y1 - 2026/3/1

N2 - BACKGROUND: Psychedelics such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and psilocybin have shown a beneficial effect on substance use disorder (SUD) symptoms. In this systematic review, we aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of psychoactive tryptamines in patients with an SUD or non-substance-related disorder (i.e., gambling disorder) in order to provide a comprehensive overview of the available evidence and identify potential research gaps.METHODS: A systematic literature search was performed in eight different databases up to February 2024. Clinical trials were included that assessed the efficacy and safety of psychoactive tryptamines other than psilocybin and ibogaine. A quality assessment of the included trials was done based on the revised Cochrane risk-of-bias tools.RESULTS: A total of four clinical trials (three randomized controlled trials and one single-arm clinical trial; n = 176 patients) were included, all in patients with alcohol use disorder. Dipropyltryptamine and diethyltryptamine were the two investigated psychoactive tryptamines. Abstinence ranged from 10% (duration of follow-up unknown) to 38% at 26 weeks of follow-up, and severity of alcohol use did not differ between the psychoactive tryptamine group and the control groups. Adverse effects were not well reported in the trials.CONCLUSION: Studies assessing the efficacy of psychoactive tryptamines other than psilocybin and ibogaine in addiction are scarce and show limited evidence for effectiveness in the treatment of addictive disorders.

AB - BACKGROUND: Psychedelics such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and psilocybin have shown a beneficial effect on substance use disorder (SUD) symptoms. In this systematic review, we aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of psychoactive tryptamines in patients with an SUD or non-substance-related disorder (i.e., gambling disorder) in order to provide a comprehensive overview of the available evidence and identify potential research gaps.METHODS: A systematic literature search was performed in eight different databases up to February 2024. Clinical trials were included that assessed the efficacy and safety of psychoactive tryptamines other than psilocybin and ibogaine. A quality assessment of the included trials was done based on the revised Cochrane risk-of-bias tools.RESULTS: A total of four clinical trials (three randomized controlled trials and one single-arm clinical trial; n = 176 patients) were included, all in patients with alcohol use disorder. Dipropyltryptamine and diethyltryptamine were the two investigated psychoactive tryptamines. Abstinence ranged from 10% (duration of follow-up unknown) to 38% at 26 weeks of follow-up, and severity of alcohol use did not differ between the psychoactive tryptamine group and the control groups. Adverse effects were not well reported in the trials.CONCLUSION: Studies assessing the efficacy of psychoactive tryptamines other than psilocybin and ibogaine in addiction are scarce and show limited evidence for effectiveness in the treatment of addictive disorders.

U2 - 10.1177/28314425251364182

DO - 10.1177/28314425251364182

M3 - Article

C2 - 42130778

SN - 2831-4425

VL - 4

SP - 45

EP - 53

JO - Psychedelic medicine (New Rochelle, N.Y.)

JF - Psychedelic medicine (New Rochelle, N.Y.)

IS - 1

ER -

Efficacy and Safety of Psychoactive Tryptamines in Addiction: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Cite this