• Psychedelic Drugs Welcome Guest
    View threads about
    Posting RulesBluelight Rules
    PD's Best Threads Index
    Social ThreadSupport Bluelight
    Psychedelic Beginner's FAQ

Ayahuasca and Citalopram

I

ivied

Greenlighter
Joined
Mar 15, 2015
Messages
10
Hey

SWIM is going on an Ayahuasca retreat in 5 days. SWIM also takes 20mg of Citalopram daily and has been doing so for the last 3 years.

SWIM was not made aware by the retreat that SSRIs can be dangerous with Ayahuasca - this was only found out today after looking online!

SWIM is not willing to cease going to the retreat as she is looking forward to it and has already paid. She has done MDMA and Ketamine many times since starting Citalopram and has never had any problems.

If she stops taking Citalopram now, this will give her 5 days until the retreat. Has anybody got any experience of coming SSRIs with Ayahuasca? or combining SSRIs with MAOIs

Thanks very much! :)
 
I don't post much, but this is pretty serious. Ssris and maois is a very very very fucking high risk for serotonin syndrome. If you have serotonin syndrome, death is the preferred outcome as it will broad spectrum rape your brain.

If you are dead set on going, you will be tripping on ayahuasca during the midst of ssri withdrawals, and you should cease medication now as citalopram has a long enough half life to warrant a good washout period for blood levels to eventually fall.

I would not reccomend taking ayahuasca in this situation, but if you shall be stubborn about it, cease the citalopram now so you don't kill yourself. Wasting money by not going to an ayahuasca retreat is definately preferable to dying at said retreat.
 
Welcome to bluelight, please read the rules, we don't SWIM here ;)

And MAOIs and SSRIs are a terrible combination unless you want to wake up in a hospital/never wake up again.
 
Have there ever been any cases known of people dying after ssris and ayahuasca?

Im so pissed off they never said anything.

Obviously i will now have to rethink my attendance at the retreat cos i dont want to die!!
 
MAO inhibitors combined with SSRI can lead to serotonin syndrom, they are specifically mentioned in every manual coming with your pills. it is a scientific fact.

well five days certainly isn't enough to discontinue an antidepressant without the possibility of having severe withdrawal syndrome, so please, for your own good, don't make the trip.

edit:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monoamine_oxidase_inhibitor#Diet_and_Drug_Interactions
MAOIs should not be combined with other psychoactive substances (antidepressants, painkillers, stimulants, both legal and illegal etc.) except under expert care. Certain combinations can cause lethal reactions, common examples including SSRIs, tricyclics, MDMA, meperidine,[29] tramadol, and dextromethorphan.[citation needed] Agents with actions on epinephrine, norepinephrine, or dopamine must be administered at much lower doses due to potentiation and prolonged effect.
Click to expand...

Im so pissed off they never said anything.
Click to expand...
just curious, have you told "them" that you are on this medication?
 
Last edited:
Bagseed said:
MAO inhibitors combined with SSRI can lead to serotonin syndrom, they are specifically mentioned in every manual coming with your pills. it is a scientific fact.

well five days certainly isn't enough to discontinue an antidepressant without the possibility of having severe withdrawal syndrome, so please, for your own good, don't make the trip.

edit:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monoamine_oxidase_inhibitor#Diet_and_Drug_Interactions



just curious, have you told "them" that you are on this medication?
Click to expand...


I honestly didn't even think of it and they never asked. I was just looking out of curiousity online this evening as I was thinking perhaps I should stop the Citalopram 2 days before for purposes of detox and then I found out that SSRI's interact badly with Ayahuasca and should be stopped for a minimum of 2 weeks before drinking.

I'm so angry! I have emailed the company now asking why they didn't send any medical questionnairea. I naively assumed that Ayahuasca was totally safe for anybody to take as it is natural.

I know deep down that 5 days isn't safely enough to do it, I wouldn't even be able to enjoy the experience cos I'd be paranoid the whole time I might die!
 
I naively assumed that Ayahuasca was totally safe for anybody to take as it is natural.
Click to expand...
one of the most toxic substances known to man is produced by a type of corals...

well, the only reasonable thing for you to do now is not taking ayahuasca. and I certainly wouldn't recommend doing it while in antidepressant withdrawal and there is still the possibility that using an MAOI is still dangerous even after a few days off medication.

hopefully this teaches you to be more aware of drug interactions with your medication in the future.
 
Ask for a refund and tell them how you take a mediation that is dangerous to combine with Ayahuasca.

Any ayahuasca tourism place worth their salt should have given you a list of foods, drinks, and medications to avoid taking for a long time before you take Ayahuasca. Even if you only stop taking the medication for 5 days or even say a week, it will still be in your system, so don't take the Ayahuasca at all.

Tell the Ayahuasca tourism company/place you booked with that you have a refund. Email them this link: https://www.erowid.org/chemicals/ayahuasca/ayahuasca_basics.shtml
 
Last edited:
I told them my concerns and they emailed me back this...


''We have much experience with people taking antidepressants and 2 day of abstinence from the medicine will be enough. You skipped it for 5 days, that's plenty.
We'll send you your boarding passes tomorrow."

What the actual fuck.....
 
^well, two days might be enough, but there is still a chance. just because they never had a problem doesn't mean it can't happen. it's just not worth risking your life over this. you can do aya later when circumstances are better, also (if you're going to south america), the next hospital might be quite a bit away from your aya center.

try to get your money back, and if you can't, just accept the loss.
 
Yes, 14 days is enough. Actually 10 days/240 hours should be, but the last 4 days definately wont hurt.

It isn't advised to stop SSRI's cold turkey though
 
yeah some people can stop taking ADs without problems, but many get pretty nasty withrdrawals from it. have you ever missed/skipped a dose?
 
ivied said:
"We'll send you your boarding passes tomorrow.".
Click to expand...

Sounds like they're very keen on your money! This comment looks suspiciously to me like they're to cement the contract by committing you quickly. Did this group come with any recommendations or did you respond to an advert? Any group that would risk a participant's safety in circumstances such as yours sound a bit suspect. A death during an aya ceremony in almost any country in the world would have police considering charges of murder/manslaughter and maybe others - not something an intelligent outfit would relish. And one would hope such an outfit would be experienced with aya themselves and be somewhat evolved - thereby empathising with your plight and offering you a refund or at least an alternative date for a subsequent ceremony. I don't think I would feel safe with this outfit. Did you pay by credit card or Paypal? perhaps you could reclaim your outlay.
 
Yea i have i skip doses for atleast 48 hours before taking E... i dont get withdrawels Luckily!
 
EntheoDjinn said:
Sounds like they're very keen on your money! This comment looks suspiciously to me like they're to cement the contract by committing you quickly. Did this group come with any recommendations or did you respond to an advert? Any group that would risk a participant's safety in circumstances such as yours sound a bit suspect. A death during an aya ceremony in almost any country in the world would have police considering charges of murder/manslaughter and maybe others - not something an intelligent outfit would relish. And one would hope such an outfit would be experienced with aya themselves and be somewhat evolved - thereby empathising with your plight and offering you a refund or at least an alternative date for a subsequent ceremony. I don't think I would feel safe with this outfit. Did you pay by credit card or Paypal? perhaps you could reclaim your outlay.
Click to expand...

Yea I don't think I would use them in future because their disregard for safety is quite concerning!!

Im awaiting a response but I have proof that Ive paid them money and all emails.... they are a legit company as I know someone who goes on their retreats!
 
just recieved this email!!!! Dont know what to do now....

"Hello

I just came back to Madrid from Berlin where we had a lovely weekend retreat. two on the participants were taking antidepressants regularly and both of them had wonderful, very liberating processes. That kept me very busy the whole weekend and I now have a good number of mails awaiting my reply, including yours.

It's only through our ample experience that we don't worry too much about most medications as long as the participant is not under their effect during the session itself.

The shamans in the jungle never ever ask about it, in fact we're a lot more careful than the vast majority of those who work with the medicine ayahuasca.

The sending of the boarding passes and the questionnaire is scheduled for tomorrow, and you'll duly receive it. The boarding passes haven't been issued yet but they will be at midnight tonight.

In the questionnaire the issue of medication is addressed, just 2 days before the retreat starts which is enough to stop anything that may be needed.

if however you insist on getting a refund I'll pass your request to the directors of the company, they may take a few days to get back to me with a reply. The usual policy of the company is clearly written in the original file that I sent you.

So let me know what would you like to do and I shall proceed to see what can be done. In any case, I'll be sending you your boarding passes tomorrow.

Rather that a new problem this may be a great opportunity for you to find some freedom from the burden of some long held fears. it's wonderful to see that we can live our lives in a lighter way and yet be very safe.

Regards"
 
I would just be super firm. Tell them that everything you've read has told you that combining an SSRI with ayahuasca can kill you, and that you'd like to live a little bit longer.
 
StanleyJobson said:
I would just be super firm. Tell them that everything you've read has told you that combining an SSRI with ayahuasca can kill you, and that you'd like to live a little bit longer.
Click to expand...

I have done just that! Can't risk it...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top