MEDICAL GUIDELINES

For the mass majority of people Ayahuasca is completely safe and very beneficial, there are however rare occasions when it's not so safe due to certain medical conditions and pharmaceutical medications. It is necessary that you agree to disclose, in confidence, any known medical conditions and/or use of any medication, at the time of booking. Certain drugs and medications have been found to be un-compatible with Ayahuasca. It is essential to stop taking the following substances at least 6 weeks prior to a retreat.  This will give your system sufficient time to remove them from your system, before the start date. Please consult your doctor if you are in any doubt: you certainly should not suddenly stop taking prescribed medications (including antidepressants) without consulting your doctor. We at Lotus Vine Journeys take your health and safety very seriously and we want to support you in your healing process. If during the booking process we decide it's not safe for you to attend at that time we are more than happy to work with you in the hopes that you can attend another retreat down the road. It's our deeply held belief that any medical diagnosis can be fully healed by taking one step at a time.

It is not safe to work with Ayahuasca if you take the following medications or have any of the following health conditions:

 

Medical conditions not suitable for treatment with Ayahuasca without consultation are preparation.

• Schizophrenia

• Bipolar disorder

• Other dis-associative conditions including antisocial, suicidal tendencies and mood disorders

• Serious heart conditions

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Pharmaceuticals and Supplements not to be mixed with Ayahuasca

We require all guests to refrain from taking any pharmaceuticals or supplements during their stay unless it has been approved by us on special circumstance. Some medications need to be stopped well in advance (at least 1 month) of drinking Ayahuasca or other Master Plants. Different substances require longer to clear from your system so please speak with us and consult your doctor to establish how long you need to stop taking them before working with us and what the side effects may be when you do so.

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These are some of the medications particularly contract-indicative with ayahuasca.

• SSRI’s (any selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor)

• amphetamines (meth-, dex-, amphetamine)

• antihypertensives (high blood pressure medicine)

• appetite suppressants (diet pills)

• medicine for asthma, bronchitis, or other breathing problems

• antihistamines, medicines for colds, sinus problems, hay fever, or allergies (Actifed DM, Benadryl, Benylin, Chlor-Trimeton, Compoz, etc.)

• CNS (central nervous system) depressants

• antipsychotics

• alcohol

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Herbs and supplements not compatible

• St. Johns Wort

• Kava

• Ephedra

• Ginseng

• YohimbeSinicuichi

 

• Any medication that contains Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOI’s). These medications are known to cause dangerous side effects when taken in conjunction with Ayahuasca. It is critical that you stop taking these drugs and allow plenty of time for your system to be cleared of these substances.

• Any medication which has an effect on the serotonin system, including Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) (i.e. antidepressants such as Wellbutrin, Prozac, Zoloft, Effexor, etc). Combining these medications with Ayahuasca can induce serotonin syndrome – far more severely than with foods containing tryptophan, and with potentially fatal results. We advise you to stop taking SSRI medications six weeks prior to a workshop to allow the system to clear in time; some of these drugs may cause side effects when you stop taking them, and you should allow plenty of time for these to subside. You should not abruptly stop taking them without discussing the matter with your doctor. Please note that the herbal antidepressant St. John’s Wort (Hypericum Perforatum) also must not be taken directly prior to working with Ayahuasca, although the system can clear this in 2 weeks before commencing a workshop.

• Other medications you must suspend taking are decongestants, cold medications, allergy medications, antihistamines, sedatives, tranquillizers, amphetamines (including Adderall), some hypertensive medications, sympathomimetic amines including pseudoephedrine and ephedrine, carbamazipine, methylphemidate (Ritalin), macromerine, phenelanine, tyrosine, tryptophan, asarone/calamus, asthma inhalers and diet pills.

• Although Ayahuasca has not been found to cause psychosis or other psychiatric disturbances, it can be difficult for those with a very extensive history of psychological problems. Please tell us, in confidence, about any history of mental health problems.

• If you have a heart condition or chronic high blood pressure you cannot be accepted on a workshop.

•  It is not safe to drink Ayahuasca when you are pregnant.

• Special note to diabetics: MAOIs may change the amount of insulin or oral anti-diabetic medication that you need. If you are diabetic, unfortunately we are unable to accept you onto the retreat at this time.

Advise on drugs and medications to avoid when working with Ayahuasca:

• This is a comprehensive information page of medical, botanical and nutrition interaction guidelines provided by Ayahuasca Forums.

• In general, from an Amazonian plant healers’ traditional perspective, when a patient or an apprentice is working with medicinal plants, especially Ayahuasca and some other important medicinal plants like chirisanango, huayracaspi, Toé etc., it is preferable to not take any other substances or medicines, as it may cause cutipado, or in other words interfere with the plants energy and provoke unwanted reactions.

These drugs and medications are potentially dangerous with MAOIs:

•       Other MAOIs

•       SSRI’s (any selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor)

•       Antihypertensives (high blood pressure medicine)

•       Appetite suppressants (diet pills)

•       Medicine for asthma, bronchitis, or other breathing problems; antihistamines, medicines for colds, sinus problems, hay fever, or allergies (Actifed DM, Benadryl, Benylin, Chlor-Trimeton, Compoz. These include Bromarest-DM or -DX, Dimetane-DX cough syrup, Dristan Cold & Flu, Phenergan with Dextromethorphan, Robitussin-DM, Vicks formula 44-D several Tylenol cold, cough, and flu preparations, and many others — any drug with DM or Tuss in its name.)

•       CNS (central nervous system) depressants

•       Antipsychotics

•       Barbiturates

•       Alcohol

Illegal or recreational drugs that are very dangerous to combine with MAOIs:

•       Cocaine

•       Amphetamines (meth-, dex-, amphetamine)

•       MDMA (Ecstasy)

•       MDA

•       MDEA

•       PMA

•       Dextromethorphan (DXM)

Illegal or recreational drugs that may be dangerous to combine with MAOIs:

•       Opiates

•       Mescaline (any phenethylapsychoactiverates

Other psychoactive that should not be combined with MAOIs:

•       Kratom

•       Kava

Some specific pharmaceutical drugs that should not be combined with MAOIs (some are mild risks, others serious):

•       Actifed

•       Adderall

•       Alaproclate

•       Albuterol (Proventil, Ventolin)

•       Amantadine hydrochloride (Symmetrel)

•       Amineptine

•       Amitriptaline

•       Amoxapine (Asendin)

•       Atomoxedine

•       Befloxetone

•       Benadryl

•       Benylin

•       Benzedrine

•       Benzphetamine (Didrex)

•       Bicifadine

•       Brasofensine

•       Brofaromine

•       Bupropion (Wellbutrin)

•       Buspirone (BuSpar)

•       Butriptyline

•       Carbamazepine (Tegretol, Epitol

•       Chlorpheniramine

•       Chlor Trimeton

•       Cimoxetone

•       Citalopram

•       Clomipramine (Anafranil)

•       Codeine

•       Cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril)

•       Cyclizine (Marezine)

•       Dapoxotine

•       Desipramine (Pertofrane, Norpramin)

•       Desvenlafaxine

•       Dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine)

•       Dextromethorphan (DXM)

•       Dibenzepin

•       Dienolide kavapyrone desmethoxyyangonin

•       Diethylpropion

•       Disopyramide (Norpace)

•       Disulfiram (Antabuse)

•       Dopamine (Intropin)

•       Dosulepin

•       Doxepin (Sinequan)

•       Duloxetine

•       Emsam

•       Ephedrine

•       Epinephrine (Adrenalin)

•       Escitalopram

•       Femoxitine

•       Fenfluramine (Pondimin)

•       Flavoxate Hydrochloride (Urispas)

•       Fluoxetine (Prozac)

•       Fluvoxamine

•       Furazolidone (Furoxone)

•       Guanethedine

•       Guanadrel (Hylorel)

•       Guanethidine (Ismelin)

•       Hydralazine (Apresoline)

•       5 Hydroxytryptophan

•       Imipramine (Tofranil)

•       Iprindole

•       Iproniazid (Marsilid, Iprozid, Ipronid, Rivivol, Propilniazida)

•       Iproclozide

•       Isocarboxazid (Marplan)

•       Isoniazid (Laniazid, Nydrazid)

•       Isoniazid rifampin (Rifamate, Rimactane)

•       Isoproterenol (Isuprel)

•       L dopa (Sinemet)

•       Levodopa (Dopar, Larodopa

•       Linezolid (Zyvox, Zyvoxid)

•       Lithium (Eskalith)

•       Lofepramine

•       Loratadine (Claritin)

•       Maprotiline (Ludiomil)

•       Medifoxamine

•       Melitracen

•       Meperidine (Demerol)

•       Metaproterenol (Alupent, Metaprel)

•       Metaraminol (Aramine)

•       Methamphetamine (Desoxyn)

•       Methyldopa (Aidomet)

•       Methylphenidate (Ritalin)

•       Mianserin

•       Milnacipran

•       Minaprine

•       Mirtazapine (Remeron)

•       Moclobemide

•       Montelukast (Singulair)

•       Nefazodone

•       Nialamide

•       Nisoxetine

•       Nomifensine

•       Norepinephrine (Levophed)

•       Nortriptyline (Aventyl)

•       Oxybutynin chloride (Ditropan)

•       Oxymetazoline (Afrin)

•       Orphenadrine (Norflex)

•       Pargyline (Eutonyl)

•       Parnate

•       Paroxetine (Paxil)

•       Pemoline (Cylert)

•       Percocet

•       Pethedine (Demerol)

•       Phendimetrazine (Plegiline)

•       Phenergen

•       Phenmetrazine

•       Phentermine

•       Phenylephrine (Dimetane, Dristan decongestant, Neo Synephrine)

•       Phenylpropanolamine (in many cold medicines)

•       Phenelzine (Nardil)

•       Procarbazine (Matulane)

•       Procainamide (Pronestyl)

•       Protriptyline (Vivactil)

•       Pseudoephedrine

•       Oxymetazoline (Afrin)

•       Quinidine (Quinidex)

•       Rasagiline (Azilect)

•       Reboxetine

•       Reserpine (Serpasil)

•       Risperidone

•       Salbutemol

•       Salmeterol

•       Selegiline (Eldepryl)

•       Sertraline (Zoloft)

•       Sibutramine

•       Sumatriptan (Imitrex)

•       Terfenadine (Seldane D)

•       Tegretol

•       Temaril

•       Tesofensine

•       Theophylline (Theo Dur)

•       Tianeptine

•       Toloxatone

•       Tramidol

•       Tranylcypromine (Parnate)

•       Trazodone

•       Tricyclic antidepressants (Amitriptyline, Elavil)

•       Trimipramine (Surmontil)

•       Triptans

•       Vanoxerine

•       Venlafaxine (Effexor)

•       Viloxezine

•       Yohimbine

•       Zimelidine

•       Ziprasidone (Geodon)

Also avoid the following herbs 2 weeks prior to your retreat start date:

•       St. Johns Wort

•       Kava

•       Kratom

•       Ephedra

•       Ginseng

•       Yohimbe

•       Sinicuichi

•       Rhodiola Rosea

•       Kanna

•       Boswellia

•       Nutmeg

•       Scotch Broom

•       Licorice Root

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 Thank you for taking the time to thoroughly read everything!