Harm Reduction Any experience with Catuaba ?

[kleinerkiffer]

Catuaba seems to be a mixture of different plants, mostly Trichilia catigua, Anemopaegma arvense and Erythroxylon-species (same family as Erythroxylum coca=cocaine)
It's sold as a stimulant and aphrodisiac. I found a few trip reports with people making a tea with 1-3 gram and experiencing a stimulating effect, better than coffee etc.
Any of you ever tried it ?
I ordered 100grams because it's insanely cheap and will most likely start with 0.5 gram as a tea and work my way up in 0.5gram steps.

Trip report from erowid:

After some tries with long periods of time between them, I finally went to consume Catuaba bark tea almost everyday. I searched the internet for info.

At lower dosage (1g approx.) the effects are not noticeable but there's a light increase in well being. Stronger dosage gives a long lasting energy, with a lower heart rate increase than the one of caffeine. Also, it lasts longer: 7 hours most of the time. Effects come on quick (1/4 hour) and then very slowly reach a peak after 2 or 3 hours, but that part of the curve is very gentle.

Beside being mildly stimulated, I also feel calmed. It gives a feeling of emotional stability. Used with pot, it seems to reduce paranoia. The first times I used it, I was sometimes easily irritated, but it could have been not totally related to the catuaba, as it doesnt happen anymore. It also seems to have an aperitive effect, as well as a diuretic one.

The emotional stability (which is not unlike Valerian) seems to last after the comedown, which is almost unoticeable.

Catuaba is useful and pleasurable. Like a light Ephedra/Caffeine mix, but lasts longer and is more friendly for the stomach lining. I didnt try high dosages and I'll probably will not.

A few alkaloids of those plants

Edit: Found an interessting study http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15991001 about anti-depressant effects of Trichilia catigua extract

 

[kleinerkiffer]

^sounds awesome, what dosage would you recommend for the first time?

 

[Tryptamite]

Sounds great never heard of it before. Where is it used traditionally?

I've tried coca tea and like it.

What's the story with yerba mate? I didn't think it had any psychoactive properties.

 

[kleinerkiffer]

^how did you prepare it?

 

[kleinerkiffer]

Bump

 

[Mycophile]

Is Catuaba the same thing is Yerba Mate?

I thought Yerba Mate was just another caffeine containing drink and so how is it really that special or different from tea or coffee??

If Catuaba is something different though it sounds promising.

If it's the same thing, then maybe I need to explore Yerba Mate further...

I've never tried AUTHENTIC Yerba Mate, just bought off the shelves at super markets and I'm guessing that there's a difference in quality.

 

[kleinerkiffer]

^^Thanks
^no its not the same

 

[Mycophile]

Can this be used safely while on an SSRI?

How does the stimulation it gives compare to Kratom?

I'm assuming it's weaker?

What happens if you combine it with Kratom?

 

[Mycophile]

Yo Myco:

°Don't know about ssris. Wouldnt take a hefty dose if you're on them.

°Much more stimulating than kratom this is more like a low dose of Ritalin or a little ephdrine or some coca tea.

°Red vein kratom mixes very well with catuaba especially after the peak and during the come down. Green Bali or other mildly stimulating greens are decent but I would avoid mixing with white strains.

Wow, it really surprises me that some supplement you can buy at a drug store is more stimulating than Kratom.

I just realized they sell this stuff at most health food stores but usually those supplements don't have legit drug effects like Kratom.

Is this stuff an MAOI or serotonin releaser??

If not I should be good to try it I think.

Also, I drink TONS of coffee, like 7 or 8 cups a day, so would I have a heart attack or stroke if I mixed this stuff with my daily coffee??

LOL

I mean I also have a MASSIVE caffeine tolerance, so that amount isn't what it would be for many people.

 

[kleinerkiffer]

I think nobody knows exactly how it works, it will most likely act on dopamine, but I don't know if it has affinity to Serotonin receptors.
I would say, don't try it, until we know more about it, just to be safe.

 

[kleinerkiffer]

Alright, had a few trials and have to say I'm disappointed.
I tried a few dosages, ranging from 0.5gram to 3grams and nothing happened, except I was feeling dizzy right after drinking the tea, but I subsided pretty quick and it could have been a placebo, I even fell asleep after taking 3.
Maybe I got the wrong plant?
New trials will follow

 

[PriestTheyCalledHim]

I've never used it but I buy and drink yerba mate, and a lot of the places where I buy the mate from sell mate blended with Catuaba. I personally would not use Catuaba as I don't need help with having a high sex drive, sleeping, and I'm not sure how safe it is to consume Catuaba? Mate stimulates me enough as it is, and I have a tolerance to it since I drink it a few times a week and make it strong in a gourd or as terere over ice.

 

[Mycophile]

I have some of this and tried to make tea as strong as I could with it and it did ABSOLUTELY NOTHING so I don't know how people have said they prefer this to Kratom.

I mean I still have a bunch of it so if I prepared it wrong let me know but I steeped a few tea bags in boiling water and drank it and felt nothing.

PreisttheyCalledHim: You'd be that concerned over the safety of some over the counter herb??


I mean maybe I'm naive, but I tend to be pretty quick to try things of that nature without usually fearing that they will hurt me.

I do do my research in general, but my gut hasn't really let me astray too many times in the past when it comes to things of this nature.

 

[Slow_Mobius]

There are plenty of natural, organic things that will kill you quite easily. I always find it funny that people think just because something is found in nature, it must be safer to consume than many of the things that have undergone extensive clinical trials. I would evaluate natural drugs more critically than pharmaceuticals honestly. But maybe thats because I'm too biased.

Of course, things like cannabis are amazing alternatives to addictive pharmaceuticals, but natural psychoactives can pretty easily be more harmful than pharmaceuticals. Often, psychoactive plants will have a lot of different chemicals that can create a dirty effect.

But I digress. Im pretty curious about this plant and will have to do some reading. I also really enjoy yerba mate. It's a great natural stim to take instead of coffee. Similar levels of stimulation, but I feel more clear headed and a little less jittery drinking good mate.