There's a lot of... Anecdotal evidence and misinformation here. I'll just toss on a quick reply to clear a few things up. Some of you don't fully understand what potetiation is. Lol its anything that increases or prolongs the effects of a substance administered to alter the chemistry of one's body. That being said I am only talking about those potentiatiors one can purchase at a local pharmacy and really only those that are readily available.
HOWEVER the information here pertains to ALL potentiatiors whether they be otc, legal, illegal or just plain silly.
There are a lot of great posts in this thread already about the use of certain types of drugs used to potentiate others already. I see a lot of replies saying "I took grapefruit juice and it made this last longer than usual" or, "I took it and nothing happened". I don't want this to be lengthy, but it likely will be. I'm an RN, my fiance is as well. This is the Internet so take that or leave it. Diet is the most important factor when ingesting any substance. If your, "codine lasted longer when you drank gfj" you might have just not had anything to eat that day and the gfj had nothing to do with it. If you eat a full meal and take your meds then no amount of gfj is gonna make much of a difference. Here's what does work as evidenced by warning labels and studies and first hand accounts (not mine of course) . Grape fruit juice DOES have an enzyme that can effect the receptors responsible for opiate uptake, serotonin response and what not. It effects the liver and how it metabolizes the opiates. We all know what enzymes do, how they act as catalysts so I won't bore you with that.
Tagament also has known drug interactions with a myriad of different drugs. From opiates to benzos to stimulants. This is also why many pharmacies do not stock tagament on store shelves. They either keep it behind the counter or not at all. Tums (calcium carbonate) can help reduce stomach acids and should ALWAYS be take with grapefruit juice as gfj is highly acidic and can contribute to the faster break down of the meds.
Quinine has been said to be a potentiator, I have found no conclusive proof wether it's placebo or not, but there is no problem drinking tonic water and it's said to help with upset stomachs. To get ANY of these to help with potentiation it is best to have not eaten for 8 hours prior to taking medication. The digestive process starts as soon as you smell food and put it in your mouth, it takes 6-8 hours to complete depending on metabolism and body type. WHEN you take the potential potentiators is also a factor. I have a very high metabolism, if I were to take these with the hope of potentiation (which of course I never ever do) I would have to condense the time frame whereas someone with a higher bmi (body mass index) and/or slower metabolism might like to eat a grapefruit 2 hours before ingesting meds. And yes, I said not to eat but in the case of grapefruit you get far more c2 enzyme from the rinds and stringy bits than the actual juice. Blending a grapefruit and letting it sit after, (blending makes a lot of bubbles, gets really aerated) and drinking that would be your best bet.
Nyquil or a generic brand has dextromethorphan HBr (dxm) in it, it's been noted to work as a potentiatior as people have gotten high of just the dxm content itself. The nighttime version has 30mg whereas the daytime has only 10mg.this is typical with name brand and generic. The liquid form are of course the fastest acting as your body doesn't have to waste time breaking down the pills. It's worth mentioning that some people with low stomach pH or too high have trouble breaking down specifically coated pills/tablets. The tums can sometimes make it harder to digest pills in general. I've seen elder patients void out entire tablets of undigested medication. Dxm again will absolutely work as a potentiatior, most things that have effects you can feel on their own will have a greater effect when taken in conjunction with other medication.
I can not stress however that everyone's body is different, some people take opiates and if they drink alcohol the opiate effect is completely negated, what's worse is that combining them if you're not used to it can make one very, very sick. Trust me, not that I would know as I've never done such a thing.
If you don't think you're getting anything from your potentiators you need to look at several factors. One, when did you last eat? Fasting for 8-12 hours is always a good idea and is a standard precaution in hospitals for many meds/operations/procedures in fact for a colonoscopy (for all you who like to plug) they say don't eat for 24 hours and they make you drink something that tastes like bitter Gatorade that acts like a cleanse and a laxative all in one. A clean colon equals FAR better absorption, and a much better view for the cameras! Yay. Let it be understood that plugging is the WORST way to administer meds unless you follow the aforementioned cleanse and fast procedure. A clogged/dirty colon or even one you think is empty because you just voided (taken a dump) can prevent absorption of meds anywhere from 70-90%. Poop, really does get in the way, when plugging you want your intestinal wall clear of debris. During normal digestion your intestines are responsible for removing liquids and nutrients from processed food and fecal matter. You're "tummy growling" is actually your intestines during normal digestion. The less you have in there and the cleaner it is, the better the absorption of anything you put in there. This is info I've never seen anywhere else on a drug forum and is THE most important thing to know.... Outside of how to administer the meds of course.
Second, how fast your metabolism is greatly affects what potentiators will work and when they will work best.
And of course, most importantly, your ROA (route of administration). There is no point in taking Tums if you're going to plug or iv. With insuffilation Tums might help because you do end up getting some meds into your digestive tract via your throat/nasal passages.
Almost done now kids. You should know there is no such thing as over potentiation. You can ingest grapefruit juice with quinine (tonic water) and take Tums all at the same time. I would actually recommend the Tums as I stated before no matter what you take to potentiate. The tagament however, I would be careful with. Read up on the drug interactions. If this is recreational then do whatever you want, I'm not responsible for your choices and no one should abuse drugs. However if you are a recreational drug user yet you are also a diabetic or on BP meds, please pay some serious attention to the drug interactions.
In closing, gfj does work. It's a fact, it affects the liver, the liver processes everything. If anyone says different don't listen to them as they prolly only possess an "internet degree" and are spewing nonsense. An actual grapefruit; juiced or blended, or even pureed is the best you can do. Don't bother with even the 100% no preservative bullshit you find on the shelves. Just get a grapefruit and do it yourself. I mean you supposedly have the drugs right? Why skimp on anything that might help? Get your monies worth people! Because illegally or legally (especially legally, damn big pharma!) they are expensive!
As usual, moderation is key. Don't abuse drugs, stay safe stay legal blah blah blah.
