16 year visitor. Looking for some help

[Kindness]

Hi fellow travellers,
Firstly I’d like to say thank the moderators and hosts for creating and maintaining this place. It’s been a source of so much information and I have learned so much from this place and the posts of members.

My work has been with Acacias largely and has progressed from early days of yellow or orange oil/goo that needed mixing with tobacco to now some very nice white stuff. I’ve moved on to meeting the harmalas and watching those beautiful long crystal matrices form using the Manske process…

I’ve grown and loved many entheobotanicals, a relationship going on for some 29 years now.

I have been changed by the medicine contained within the Acacias. They have been a blessing and I’m very grateful for all I’ve been shown to date.

I have been wanting to, ‘move to the next step’ as it were and start working with Ayahusca. I have a two year old plant growing and many A.acuminata growing. The problem I face is I had a short problem with opiates and have been on replacement therapy (ORT) for that for some time now. The form of ORT I am on is a time release injection that lasts for a month at a time and has an incredibly long half life. Soooo my question is, would it be safe for me to drink Ayahusca with that long lasting substance, (buperenorphine) in my system?

I have sublingually used the harmala alkaloids from rue seeds a few times when vaping the Acacias medicine with great effect and not too many side effects… slight headache but that’s about it.

Anyhow, hello all, thanks again for your help so far on my journey and look forward to contributing/talking more.

Love and light

Kindness

 

[sweys]

Hello,

Disclaimer : I am not a medical professional and nothing here can be taken as medical advice. Please check with your physician.

----

Perhaps the following can help you:

Concerning MAOIs:

This source seems to indicate that it 'may' be OK but does not refer to any scientific research:

"Purely opiate-acting analgesics, such as morphine and buprenorphine may be used safely with MAOIs, but may require a dosage adjustment." source

The following source does refer to research but is very old, concerns rabbits and is performed with a specific MAOI: Phenelzine (non-selective and irreversible MAOI). (PDF available)

"In the model used buprenorphine, in contrast to pethidine, showed no interaction with the MAO inhibitor phenelzine." source

This research here below is more recent and seems more relevant (PDF available):

"Morphine, codeine, oxycodone and buprenorphine are known not to be SRIs, and do not precipitate serotonin toxicity with MAOIs." source

The following explains it nicely:

There are two types of dangerous reactions that can occur with an MAOI and certain other drugs. The first is Serotonin Toxicity or Syndrome (ST or SS). This is the result of using a serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SRI) and an MAOI concurrently. [...] The second dangerous reaction is a sudden rise of blood pressure, [...]

Analgesics such as aspirin, tylenol, NSAIDS and the COX2 drugs are safe as are codeine, oxycodone, buprenorphine and morphine. [...]
Again, analgesics that lack serotonin reuptake properties are thus safe and include aspirin, acetaminophen, nonsteroidal anti-imflammatory drugs, codeine, oxycodone buprenorphine, morphine, and the aforementioned fentanyl.
source

Concerning DMT

"I have been taking 8mg suboxone (buprenorphine) for 1 year. Through-out this year I have also done DMT on many occasions both at the very beginning of my suboxone taking period as well as recently. I have also taken DMT on many occasions without the use of any opiates. I have noticed no alterations in the subjective effects of DMT when an opiate is ingested. Nothing is potentiated nor is anything attenuated." source

Concerning brewing with A. Acuminata and P. Harmala

This can help:

Acacia Acuminata leaf and stem brew - advice? - Ayahuasca - Welcome to the DMT-Nexus

----

Considering a slow start with ONLY Peganum harmala (or maybe Banisteriopsis caapi)

Since I see no problems with DMT itself, only possibly with MAOIs concerning buprenorphine, it might be interesting to consider to start the work with Syrian rue (P. harmala) by itself before you dive in with a full ayahuasca brew. This might seem weird but :

...even if i really love dmt, i feel that the neo-shamanic practice in the west sometime exaggerate its [DMT] importance in relation with the β-Carboline alkaloids, that are often thought about just as a way to metabolize the dmt, when for me they are a very important part, a crucial part of the magic of ayahuasca. source

You probably know what beta-carboline alkaloids are, but to be sure :

Harmaline, harmine, harmalol, harmol and tetrahydroharmine were identified and quantified as the main beta-carboline alkaloids in P. harmala extracts. source

And here is an indication that Harmaline itself already could help you:

Peganum harmala is characterized as one of the monoamine oxidase and serotonin inhibitors. The alkaloid harmaline plays an important role in eliminating some of the withdrawal symptoms by influencing the opioid circuits, receptors, limbic system and autonomic nervous system in the brain. Studies have found that oral administration of Peganum harmala powder can reduce the incidence of withdrawal symptom 30.
source

More generally, the following links ayahuasca with buprenorphine.

Buprenorphine, ketamine, or ayahuasca can reduce the level of depression or anxiety.

An Amazonian botanical hallucinogenic substance - Ayahuasca - includes dimethyltryptamine, which is an agonist of 5-HT2A receptor, and also harmine, which is a monoamine-oxidase A inhibitor. Ayahuasca lower the severity of depression and anxiety. A single dose of ayahuasca lessens the level of depression and anxiety very promptly.[11,12]

Likewise, buprenorphine medication can reduce the level of anxiety and depression straightaway.[13,14]
source

----

Personal note


It seems ayahuasca might be of specific interest for you to pursue. It might be able to help you with your 'opiate problem', wean you off of buprenorhpine and simultaneously take you to 'move to the next step'.

This being said, again, I am not a medical professional! The above is not exhaustive and I might have overlooked some important variable(s). Perhaps you can print this material, go to your doctor and let him/her give you some advice.

In any case, if you go through with it, be careful and go slow! From your post, I derive that you would be travelling without 'supervision'. Not merely buprenorphine itself but also thoughts and feelings of insecurity or fears concerning buprenorphine might be a bit of an obstacle here despite your long experience with entheobotanicals. Working with P. harmala or B. caapi beforehand by gradually increasing dosage might help dissolve some of those issues and give you the confidence to allow ayahuasca to guide you fully.

If you are able to, I recommend you search for someone with experience to guide you optimally, but speaking from personal experience, this might not be 'absolutely' necessary. It depends in part on who you are, the problems you are dealing with and how you approach it. Follow your gut with care.

However, at the very least, take all necessary precautions described HERE, and make sure someone is around that is sober, makes you feel safe and can help you if any problems arise. If you live remotely (I suspect you live in Australia), I advise you to ensure you have access to medical facilities in case something goes sideways.


I wish you all the best in your journey.
May the Verse be with you...