Shrooms on Period: Syncing Psychedelics with Your Cycle
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Time to read 4 min
Whether it’s cramps, cravings, or feeling emotionally raw, menstruation already brings a wave of physical and mental changes. But what happens when you add psychedelics into the mix? In this first episode of a three-part series, The High Guide host April Pride explores what it means to take shrooms on period with medical journalist and author Jennifer Chesak, whose book The Psilocybin Handbook for Women breaks new ground on how psilocybin interacts with the female body.
Turns out, there is a best time in your cycle to trip—and doing so can make the difference between a transcendent journey and a challenging experience. With insights from Indigenous wisdom, cutting-edge neuroscience, and personal stories, this conversation sheds light on how women can better prepare, dose, and integrate their mushroom experiences.
❓ FAQ: Shrooms on Period
Q: Can you take shrooms on your period?
Yes, but it may not be ideal. Hormonal shifts during menstruation can make you more emotionally sensitive, which may intensify your experience.
Q: What’s the best time in your cycle to take psilocybin?
The ovulatory phase is recommended. It offers higher energy, hormonal stability, and supports fasting.
Q: Can shrooms change your menstrual cycle?
Anecdotally, yes. Some women report earlier periods or increased regularity after a trip. Research is ongoing, but it may relate to how psilocybin impacts the HPA and HPG axes.
🔵 Why Your Cycle Matters When You Trip
The menstrual cycle influences everything from mood to metabolism—so it’s no surprise that it also shapes your experience with psilocybin. Chesak explains that our cycle is governed by the HPG (hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal) axis, while stress and emotional responses are driven by the HPA (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal) axis. Psilocybin activates the HPA axis, which in turn can influence the menstrual cycle.
This overlap might explain why many women report starting their period early after a trip or noticing changes in cycle regularity following a deep journey. It also may contribute to the higher rate of challenging trips reported by people assigned female at birth.
So when is the best time to trip?
According to Indigenous practitioners like Mama De La Myco, the ovulatory phase is ideal. That’s when estrogen is high, energy is strong, and fasting (a common pre-trip ritual) is easier. During the luteal phase (right before your period), women are more insulin-resistant and emotionally sensitive—a less stable time to dive deep.
🔵 Shrooms, Serotonin, and Estrogen
Psilocybin affects serotonin receptors, and estrogen is known to interact with serotonin as well. This hormonal interplay means your experience can vary significantly depending on where you are in your cycle.
In the ovulatory phase, serotonin levels and estrogen levels are in better balance, reducing the risk of intense emotional reactivity. During the premenstrual phase, however, a drop in estrogen can amplify sensitivity and may increase the chance of a so-called "bad trip."
Jennifer Chesak notes that women may metabolize psilocybin differently due to these hormonal factors. This could be why:
Women report more challenging trips
Some notice shifts in menstrual timing after tripping
Others experience emotional breakthroughs or relief from PMS symptoms
🔵 Psilocybin and Eating Disorders, Endometriosis, PMDD
While cannabis has long been used to manage pain from endometriosis or to stimulate appetite in people with disordered eating, psilocybin offers a root-cause approach. Chesak explains that:
Psilocybin boosts brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), supporting neuroplasticity.
It reduces amygdala activity, which can dampen emotional overreactions to body image or food.
It may decrease cognitive rigidity, a trait commonly seen in anorexia and OCD.
Conditions covered in the episode include:
PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder)
PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome)
Anorexia and disordered eating
Endometriosis
While research is still early, case studies from Johns Hopkins and anecdotal evidence suggest psilocybin may help regulate cycles and reduce emotional distress tied to hormone imbalances.
🔵 Indigenous Wisdom Meets Modern Science
Chesak shares the Two-Eyed Seeing framework—a concept that encourages blending Indigenous knowledge with Western science. For psilocybin, this means honoring traditional practices like:
Aligning journeys with the ovulatory phase
Fasting or reducing food before tripping
Tracking your experience over multiple cycles
Liv Vasquez, intuitive healer and guest on another High Guide episode, also supports a cycle-aware approach. She encourages women to keep a journal across three cycles to track how microdosing or deeper journeys influence mood, energy, and menstrual regularity.
🔵 Final Thoughts: Your Cycle is a Guide
Taking shrooms on your period isn’t inherently harmful, but it might not offer the most easeful experience. The phase of your menstrual cycle can influence your serotonin levels, emotional state, and even how your body processes psilocybin.
To optimize your journey:
Plan trips during the ovulatory phase when energy and hormonal balance are higher.
Avoid deep trips right before or during your period, when emotional reactivity and physical discomfort may be heightened.
Track your body’s patterns with a journal to fine-tune your approach over time.
Your body already knows what it needs. Psilocybin can help you listen more deeply—if you work with your cycle instead of against it.
April Pride
April Pride is a the founder of SetSet and hosts it's podcast. She is a Seattle-based creative entrepreneur and harm reduction advocate with over two decades of experience building brands at the intersection of lifestyle, cannabis, psychedelics, and women's well-being.
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