Sasha Shulgin suffers a stroke

[Janja]

The man is getting old. Pioneering individual.

 

[The Network]

^Sasha is Alex's alias.

Alright thanks!

On another note when I get my new credit card in the mail later today I'm gonna donate $45 immediately!

 

[Tryptamine*Dreamer]

I hope he makes a full recovery.

I'll be donating when I get some money.

 

[socalthizzn]

just wondering though, i know he tried out most of the things he created, i wonder if being the first one to try all thees research chemicals, contributed to his stroak, just a thought, not talking shit , this guy is one of my heros, up there with albert hoffman, and David E nichols,

this is what i wonder too, drugs are new theres nothing know of long term effects, look at what we just now find out about steroids, people who used steroids are HIGHLY HIGHLY susceptable to heart attacks. what if its the same for drugs like meth, mdma and we dont even know it yet. yes mdma effects the brain much more so maybe a long term effect of heavy use is the user becomes highly susceptable to strokes? i guess only time will tell. same thing what meth, nobody knows what will happen later in life to the young people who chooose to use meth heavily in the 90's & 2000's.

 

[misteee]

very sad a true champion to me, and such an incredible chemist has made millions and millions of people happy through the years, thoughts are with him

 

[Bill]

So sad. I respect the Shulgins. They should certainly not be short on money if things were fair. They would be multi-millionaires.

Exactly this.

 

[indelibleface]

My best wishes go to Ann and Sasha.

 

[CaseFace]

this is what i wonder too, drugs are new theres nothing know of long term effects, look at what we just now find out about steroids, people who used steroids are HIGHLY HIGHLY susceptable to heart attacks. what if its the same for drugs like meth, mdma and we dont even know it yet. yes mdma effects the brain much more so maybe a long term effect of heavy use is the user becomes highly susceptable to strokes? i guess only time will tell. same thing what meth, nobody knows what will happen later in life to the young people who chooose to use meth heavily in the 90's & 2000's.

Bro it doesn't get much worse then meth, which is neurotoxic in theraputic doses. MDMA is not as bad at all......

And psychedelics, as far as i know, have little to no neurotoxicity. I wouldn't be surprised if same goes for most research chemicals. regardless, the man is 85?, he smoked heavily for a large portion of his life, and he just in general isn't the healthiest of humans. There is no reason to assume RC's played a role in his stroke. God bless him.


And thats coming from an athiest.

 

[jspun]

just wondering though, i know he tried out most of the things he created, i wonder if being the first one to try all thees research chemicals, contributed to his stroak, just a thought, not talking shit , this guy is one of my heros, up there with albert hoffman, and David E nichols,

I think the fact that he is in his 80s and is atleast a former or current smoker put him at risk for peripheral vascular disease and TIAs more so than self administration in any of the myriad of compounds he invented and self-administered.

It has come as suprise to many bluelighters that the Shulgins are having finacial difficulties. I think it might come as a suprise to a generation socialized in greed and filled with cynicism that both Ann and Sasha sacraficed a great deal in terms of social status, financial security, and freedom so the world can have the tools available for the social change we so desperately need.

What he has provided, in a world were the self-interested few control the apathetic, brainwashed, spiritually sick many the tools for enlightenment and increased awareness. Or maybe better put in the same way that a catalyst allows a chemical reaction that would occur anyway to occur much more rapidly, he has provided the catalysts that would take humankind centuries or many years of the heat and pressure of oppression and thought control to enact a higher conciousnesss which is a requisite for change for the good to occur on a societal level and for people to evolve into better human beings and better stewards of this planet.

In a world desperately in need of superman, the Shulgins have provided the tools and the contexts in which to use them. I see the recent increase in the supply of LSD as a deliberate counteraction against the greed, manipulation, and deceit that seems to plague mankind on many levels. My theory is that profit is less of a motive than the desire to bring about a needed change in conciousness- I could be wrong but that is my theory. There are some that might disagree, and again, I could be wrong.

Getting back to the Shulgins. There are few people in recent history that have done so much but have asked for so little.

Dr. Shulgin is deserving of the Noble Prize. His creations have served as tools for investigators in Neuroscience and peripheral disciplines to gain a much greater insights into the workings of the brain.

Both he and his wife should be nominated for the Noble Peace Prize. I think that Sasha forecasted it himself that people probably wont realize the true value of his work in exploring the frontiers of human conciousness until long after he is gone.

In time, through his work and sacrafice I am optimistic that we can be lifted from the dark ages we currently live in were users of mind altering compounds are proverbaly burnt at the stake.

In the meantime I'll keep him and his family in my prayers.

 

[slimsy]

Hopefully

Definitely very sad news. I wish all the best to the Shulgin family and hopefully everyone who has a chance to donate is doing so.

 

[Detrevni]

I wonder if Sasha may have diabetes. My aunt has a diabetic ulcer on her leg and had one on her boob. Although it did say because of circulatory problems. Either way as soon as I have enough money to buy phikal and tikal I will.

 

[CaseFace]

This is not uncommon for an 85 year old who was a heavy smoker for a large portion of his life. I don't know when he stopped but it was sometime before he wrote Pihkal, as he mentions why he stopped in the beginning of the book. This isn't even un common for an 85 year old who never smoked. So i say again, there is absolutely no reason to assume it was caused by the compounds.

Speculation as to the affects of the compounds he tried that were not found to be actively psychedelic, sure why not. But nothing more then speculation is warranted. Just wanted to clarify this. (again... Since clearly no one is reading the thread). Has anyone ever found any piece of literature connecting strokes to phenethylamines? I sure haven't, but i'll go do some googling right now.


Edit: Well, i'll be damned. Taken from our very own BlueLight:

This information is for those who experiment with phenethylamines as well as those with patients who use these compounds. Phenethylamines are a class of compounds chemically, and functionally, related to adrenaline -- the fight or flight neurotransmitter made from the amino acid tyrosine. Phenethylamines all contain a benzene (C6H6) ring linked to an ethylamine (-CH2-CH2-NH2) group, and include: amphetamine (a stimulant), ephedrine (a naturally-occurring decongestant), and methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, a psychotherapeutic agent that facilitates communication).

Studies in the last few years have established that phenethylamines can undergo redox cycling, a ping pong-like process that liberates copious quantities of oxygen free radicals. Free radicals are substances with extra, unpaired electrons, whose characteristic is reactivity, and whose hallmark is cell biochemical and cellular damage. Indeed, oxygen radicals are linked to a wide variety of diseases and conditions, including: heart disease, stroke, cancer, emphysema, and neurologic disorders. While our body has mechanisms to protect against the steady-state levels of radicals, excessive amounts overwhelm the protective systems and damage ensues.2 Incidentally, free radicals are not always the bad guys; our white blood cells produce, and use, free radicals as the primary means of killing bacteria, viruses, and other microbial invaders.

Phenethylamines are stored in highest concentrations in the brain and nervous system. Not surprisingly, these tissues are at the greatest risk for being harmed by free radicals (and associated oxidants) formed during the redox cycling of phenethylamines. Moderate intakes appear to be handled well. Excessive quantities of phenethylamines, however, may cause oxidative damage as the protective mechanisms just can t handle the load. It is the overproduction of radicals that causes, in large part, the fatigue and mental dysfunction associated with sustained amphetamine abuse.
...

http://www.bluelight.ru/vb/showthread.php?t=167471


However it does say moderate intake seems to be handled well, which leads me to believe still only speculation is warranted. Shulgin was absolutely NOT an abuser of these compounds. This is why i don't think it is alright to jump on the "Phenethylamines caused his stroke" Bandwagon, Hes eighty five years old. Like seriously.

 

[brutus]

I will keep him and his family in my prayers.

 

[rant*N*rave]

I wish him the best. I got in serious, serious trouble when I donated quite a large sum of money to Erowid in return for signed copies of PiHKaL and TiHKaL, and it was well worth it. It's a fucking travesty that such a hero is struggling to pay for medical care.

 

[CaseFace]

Why did you get in trouble for that?

 

[JackARoe]

My theory is that profit is less of a motive than the desire to bring about a needed change in conciousness- I could be wrong but that is my theory. There are some that might disagree, and again, I could be wrong.

I agree, and there is no right or wrong perception of the situation you presented.
Nice write up jspun. I consider it required reading. It was a nice tribute to a very important historical figure.

Most people that eat health foods, jog every day, and take care of their health should be so lucky as to live to 85. (and past that as we hope for AS)

Blessings to the Shulgins, who have handed out blessings in many ways all their life. Get well Sasha.

 

[wtblife]

Why did you get in trouble for that?

I'm assuming he means financial trouble.

 

[HerrSchnaufer]

Update through Sasha's facebook profile:

To the facebook:
Dearest Friends – I’m sorry to have let a couple of days go by without telling you what’s been happening, but I’m sure you understand.
Sasha has, of course, two entirely different problems, one North (head) and the other South (foot). The effects of the (relatively) small stroke have been getting most attention, but the left foot, with its buildup of necrotic – dead – tissue, and the possibility of infection getting into the blood stream, which increases with every day, is keeping the doctors busy with plans, counter-plans and risk-benefit concerns. Sasha underwent a CAT scan and an MRI of the foot, and the day before yesterday (whatever that was), he was put on a strict fast from midnight on, in preparation for the Great Angiogram (which is the procedure we were driving him to when the stroke happened). Instead of getting him into the surgery room in the morning, which had been the intention, he had to wait (other patients, emergencies, whatever) until around 4:30 p.m., when they finally got him into the surgery. He’d been sedated, but despite that, he couldn’t keep his legs still enough for the photography to happen, and they postponed it until Tuesday. By that time, of course, I was beginning to get angry at the idea of my beloved man going without liquid of some kind, not to speak of food, for so many hours, although actually it didn’t seem to bother him; I was projecting my own hatred of thirst and dryness of mouth onto him, I admit.

Yesterday, Sasha was pretty sleepy, from the various pain-killers and perhaps the stroke itself, but he slept very soundly and woke up hungry this morning. He was more wide-awake and demolished a full breakfast plus a fresh banana that happened to wander into the room. One of the after-effects of the stroke (an ischemic stroke in the middle area of the pons, in medical language) is the danger of food going down into his windpipe, so all his food is being thickened slightly, which seems to avoid the problem. His speech is still hard to understand, but if he’s told to “enunciate clearly,” he can make himself understood pretty well, so a speech therapist is going to help train him in getting back to normal speaking, and it will simply be a matter of time. There is real hope that most of the stroke-effects will disappear, although no one knows exactly how long it will take, and we just tackle these problems each day, and do our best, and what will be will be, to coin a phrase. Thank heaven there’s no paralysis apparent.

On Tuesday, the doctor will put Sasha under general anaesthetic, just enough to ensure non-movement of his body, and during that procedure, once they see the angiogram picture and know where the blockages are in his circulation, unless there is no possibility of sufficient blood flow to the foot, they will proceed to take out all dead tissue, and probably the remains of the Achilles tendon, and put his foot into some kind of suction device for a few days (or weeks – I’m not sure of that detail), but they plan to send him home after that, on Wednesday, and I’ll report in full on all the rest of this situation as soon as I think I know what I’m talking about!

Thanks to all of you for your wonderful expressions of love and caring. It helps all of us to know that so many good people are concerned and want to help. Sasha is aware of what’s happening and sends his love back to you.
Blessings -- Ann

 

[LSDMDMA&AMP]

sasha hold on nao.
plz dont die.

 

[Shpongledd]

Sasha,

Without you, I wouldn't be half the man I am today. Sending all my profit from the last month off of the chemicals you invited/re-invented (~$400).