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Notes Of Caution When Using Ayahuasca
Before trying ayahuasca or anything else that contains MAOI's, there are some very important things to consider. As far as safety is concerned, diet and medications pose the most serious health risks.
Some compounds should not be used when ingesting ayahuasca. Using these chemicals while you are taking (or within 2 weeks of taking) ayahuasca (or another MAOI) may cause serious side effects such as sudden rise in body temperature, extremely high blood pressure, severe convulsions, and (in rare cases) death.
xxx amoxapine (asendin)
xxx amphetamines (meth-, dex-, amphetamine)
xxx antihypertensives (high blood pressure medicine)
xxx appetite suppressants (diet pills)
xxx clomipramine (anafranil)
xxx cyclobenzaprine (flexeril)
xxx desipramine (pertofrane)
xxx doxepin (sinequan)
xxx fluoxetine (prozac)
xxx imipramine (tofranil)
xxx levodopa (dopar, larodopa)
xxx maprotiline (ludiomil)
xxx medicine for asthma or other breathing problems
xxx medicines for colds, sinus problems, hay fever, or allergies
xxx meperidine (demerol)
xxx methylphenidate (ritalin)
xxx nortriptyline (aventyl)
xxx other MAOI's
xxx paroxetine (paxil)
xxx protriptyline (vivactil)
xxx selegiline (eldepryl)
xxx sertraline (zoloft)
xxx SSRI's (any selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor)
xxx tricyclic antidepressants (amitriptyline, elavil)
xxx trimipramine (surmontil)
When using ayahuasca beware of the following:
xxx Diet: Dangerous reactions such as sudden high blood pressure may result when MAO inhibitors are taken with certain foods or drinks. The following foods should be avoided:
Foods that have a high tyramine content (most common in foods that are aged or fermented to increase their flavor), such as cheeses, fava or broad bean pods, yeast or meat extracts, smoked or pickled meat (and poultry or fish), fermented sausage (bologna, pepperoni, salami, summer sausage) or other fermented meat, sauerkraut, any overripe fruit, alcoholic beverages or alcohol-free or reduced-alcohol beer and wine, large amounts of caffeine-containing food or beverages such as coffee, tea, cola, or chocolate.
xxx Alcohol: Drinking alcohol while you are taking MAOI's may cause serious side effects like angina (chest pain) or headaches (severe or frequent). These conditions may interfere with warning signs of serious side effects of MAOI's.
xxx Allergies: Some people may have an unusual or allergic reaction to any type of MAOI.
xxx Asthma or Bronchitis: Some medicines used to treat these conditions may cause serious side effects when used while you are taking MAOI's.
xxx Bupropion (Wellbutrin): Using bupropion while you are taking or within 2 weeks of taking MAOI's may cause serious side effects such as seizures.
xxx Buspirone (BuSpar): Use with MAOI's may cause high blood pressure.
xxx Carbamazepine (Tegretol): Use with MAOI's may increase seizures.
xxx CNS (central nervous system) depressants: Using CNS depressants with MAOI's may increase the CNS and other depressant effects.
xxx Cocaine: MAOI's and cocaine may cause a severe increase in blood pressure.
xxx Dextromethorphan: Use with MAOI's may cause excitement, high blood pressure, and fever.
xxx Diabetes mellitus (sugar diabetes): MAOI's may change the amount of insulin or oral antidiabetic medication that you need.
xxx Diet: Dangerous reactions such as sudden high blood pressure may result when MAO inhibitors are taken with certain foods or drinks. The following foods should be avoided:
xxx High Blood Pressure: May be affected by MAOI's.
xxx Insulin: MAOI's may change the amount of antidiabetic medicine you need to take.
xxx Kidney Disease: Higher blood levels of MAOI's may occur, which increases the chance of side effects.
xxx Overactive Thyroid or Pheochromocytoma (PCC): Serious side effects may occur.
xxx Pregnancy: A study of pregnant women showed an increased risk of birth defects when MAOI's were taken during the first 3 months of pregnancy. In animal studies, MAOI's caused a reduced rate of growth and increased excitability in babies when large doses of MAOI's were given to a mother during pregnancy.
xxx Recent Heart Attack or Stroke: MAOI's may make the condition worse.
xxx Tolerance: Ayahuasca users may develop a tolerance (needing more to produce the desired results) if ayahuasca is used more often than once a week. Using ayahuasca once a month or less often is recommended.
xxx Trazodone or Tryptophan: Use of these medicines by persons taking MAOI's may cause mental confusion, excitement, shivering, trouble in breathing, or fever.
Nicole B's description:
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I felt a sudden harsh pain in the head. I shouted "Help" and the only thing I remember before falling into a coma for an indeterminate time, is that I was insulted and asked to keep quiet so as not to trouble the others' experience.
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Side Effects of MAOIs
Dizziness, Rapid heartbeat, Loss of sexual interest, Food Interaction
MAOIs react with certain foods and alcoholic beverages, and some medications, to produce a severe reaction. The reaction, which often does not appear for several hours after taking the medication, may include a dangerous rise in blood pressure, as well as headache, nausea, vomiting, rapid heartbeat, possible confusion, psychotic symptoms, seizures, stroke and coma.
The foods that interact with MAOIs include
aged cheeses
smoked, pickled, fermented and otherwise processed meats*,
fish and soy products
Chianti and other red wines
fava beans and ripe figs
foods containing monosodium glutamate (MSG).
These foods all contain large amounts of the amino acid tyramine, which, when it interacts with MAOIs, dramatically raises blood pressure.
*(yogurt and saurkraut are fermented, as is tempeh, miso, and which are fermented soy products much used by health conscious persons. Wonder if these have tyramine. Its a question worth asking.Corboy)
If anyone is evangelistically pushing the use of ayahausca, ask em to tell you what a monoamine oxidase inhibitor is.
Ask them just that.
Then, ask them to tell you what drugs an MAOI interacts with.
THen, ask them what kinds of food an MAOI interacts with.
Then, ask them if ayahuasca is an MAOI.
Stand back and watch their reactions.
Smile.
Final note:
Buproprion, the generic name for the antidepressant Wellbutrin, is also prescribed for a different purpose--to assist persons trying to quit smoking. For that purpose, boys and girls, Buproprion/Wellbutrin is called Zyban.
Imagine someone trying to quit smoking, is taking Zyban under doctors RX and doenst think about the Zyban as a potential interactant when invited to go on an ayahuasca vision quest.
The list from the holistic website was quite good. But though it mentioned Wellbutrin, it did not mention the other form in which Wellbutrin/Buproprion is prescribed--Zyban.
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www.google.com]
See how pervasive this all is?