Special Case: Can't break through

[Rocket3476stz]

Psyhedelic Veteran here but also a military Veteran with PTSD. Done LSD hundreds of times. Various other entheogens. Did what was allegedly DMT back in the late 70's definitely broke through. Now I'm on meds so I can deal. Weaned myself off Welbutrin and mostly off Cymbalta, just on 30 mg a day instead of 90mg, so I wouldn't go all serotonin syndrome. Don't expect that is stopping the breakthrough. However my sleep regimine is more problematic. I'm taking 10 mg Ambien to sleep and 300 mg of seroquel to knock back the nightmares AND sleep. Mostly the seroquel helps me sleep. I still have nightmares. I suspect Seroquel is the block. Eventhough I smoke DMT almost 24 hours after I take the seroquel. The DMT hits, I have some mild open eye hallucinations and good closed eye ones. DMT has already helped with my depression but I think a breakthrough will really knock my PTSD back. One weird thing about the way DMT effects me is I just hallucinate but my mind is totally clear while tripping. Not like LSD, psylocibin, peyote, etc. The others I was giggly, silly, like a child on the first day of the world. DMT is a trip with a lucid mind but no breakthrough. Any ideas? Thanks for listening to my ramblings.

 

[Varox]

1st, im no doctor so take all the below with due caution.

IMHO I really dont see how free base DMT would help you with your PTSD where LSD has failed... FB DMT just blows your mind and does not leave much room for conclusions and self improvement. AYA would be another matter... No access? Then throw in some harmalas to your mix. Search the forum for the proper way to do this and the possible interaction with your meds (which Im sure some you will have to refrain from taking due to the negative interaction with MAOIs). I CANT STRESS ENOUGH HOW CAREFUL YOU NEED TO BE.

That being said, I would try MDMA first rather than DMT for PTSD... Check: MDMA - Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies - MAPS

Cheers!

 

[Rocket3476stz]

LSD has been years ago and I wasn't using it properly. I have no access to LSD today. Now I know know my enemy (PTSD). I was diagnosed 3 or 4 years ago. Been in therapy longer than that. I think breakthrough will kill the beast. It's wounded now. DMT has helped my depression. They're using MMDA in PTSD therapy and I'm trying to get in a study. But DMT is all I have access to now. I'll try anything to get rid of these nightmares for good.

 

[Varox]

I would go with harmalas plus dmt in that case... Free base DMT is imho not an ideal candidate for your malady and im sure many people will agree. Syrian rue is very easy to get and it is legal almost everywhere in the world. And if you get the rue then look seriously into Pharmahuasca... that would be a good one for you as you can measure the right doses of harmalas and dmt for you, you ingest both and wont have any vaping tek issues.

Cheers!

 

[BongWizard]

Seroquel is definitely the block. As an anti-psychotic antagonist of the 5-HT 2A receptor (among others) it reduces the DMT's effects before they can really kick in. It has a bio half life of about 10 hours and the primary metabolite is similarly active. So you may need to stop using the seroquel for at least a few days if you really want to reach a breakthrough.


Much like varox, I'm no doctor, but unlike varox, I do believe DMT could help with your PTSD. It helped me with my addiction problems and helped in greatly reducing my cerebral aneurism, so in my mind DMT is a miracle, a gift from the universe created to enhance the lives of all those who inhabit it.

 

[Varox]

Just came across this article and though would be interesting to leave it here... cheers

How MDMA Could Piece Back Together Lives Shattered in Iraq

Whatever straw broke the camel's back for Chaplain Maj. Carlos C. Huerta broke hard in 2010, five years after he last left the battlefield. "Maybe it was the young soldier, a mother of two who was just redeployed, who I watched cut down after she…

mic.com

 

[anrchy]

Uhm... Smaolk Moar?

Careful mixing any maoi(harmalas) with meds.

You think maybe your smoalking method could be the culprit? I'm not suggesting that any meds your taking aren't causing the issue, just that usually skill is the issue. Also, Smaolk Moar.

 

[SyKaDeliX]

so in my mind DMT is a miracle, a gift from the universe created to enhance the lives of all those who inhabit it.

Beautifully stated...

Good luck on your Journey Rocket..

 

[Nathanial.Dread]

Seroquel blocks the receptors that DMT binds to. As long as it's in your system, you won't be able to get any real effects from any psychedelics.
Cymbalta, being an SSRI, probably isn't helping, as increasing synaptic serotonin also decreases the potency of psychedelics.

As long as these meds are knocking around your system, breaking through will probably impossible, certainly without a truly heroic dose.

With a disorder like PTSD, I would *strongly* recommend that you do not go self-medicating with psychedelics without the guidance of some kind of experienced teacher, be that a therapist, shaman, or other form the guide, ESPECIALLY if it requires going off your medications. Psychedelics have tremendous potential to heal, but most medicine works best when supervised, especially when working through something as complex and many-layered as PTSD from combat.

There will come a time when you are ready to embark on voyages across the psychedelic seas. It's okay if that's not right now. If you feel like your running out of time and it must be right now, find someone you can talk to about it, in the flesh, (we're anons on the internet, you can't be sure we know our stuff).

It would be a journey, but many people have found that an Ayahuasca experience, with a trained shaman, is hugely therapeutic (almost certainly more therapeutic than vaped DMT, imo).

In the meantime, I've found meditation, especially compassion-based metta medications to be EXTREMELY useful for my own issues (OCD - both the symptoms of, and processing the traumas of growing up with such a disorder).

Blessings, and I hope you find what you need
~ND

 

[BongWizard]

It would be a journey, but many people have found that an Ayahuasca experience, with a trained shaman, is hugely therapeutic (almost certainly more therapeutic than vaped DMT, imo).

I agree, an ayahuasca experience (or perhaps shrooms) would likely be more therapeutic. It's much less overwhelming and allows much greater time and clarity for reflection and realisation.

 

[mnthn]

I agree, seroquel is the block.
300mg isn't the smallest dose either and I don't know about all psychedelics but I believe there aren't any left with the profile of receptor blocking which seroquel does.

DO NOT EVER stop taking the seroquel abruptedly!
People have seriously almost died coming off high doses seroquel in a too fast rate, so please do not stop taking them abruptedly.
The worst signs come after a few days so I must be honest there is an opening window when you wish to use DMT, but honestly it is a risk.
Within a week there will most likely be increased anxiety but worst of all a chance for deadly hypertensia.
So if you use DMT and think you can go without the meds afterwards, please keep this in mind.
I know DMT can heal, but when you do relapse, know what to go for and how to handle it without getting yourself in harm's way

be safe...

 

[Rocket3476stz]

I'm definitely going to wean myself off the seroquel. Have tranks if it gets freaky. But it shouln't. I'm good at weaning my self off meds. Weaned off prescription narcotics after a long period being prescribed them.
I do get light open eye hallucinations and decent closed eye ones even for the seroquel blocking me. I'm alittle scaerd of MAOI's for ayahuasca. I don't have anyone I could use as a sitter. I ate 5 grams of shrooms before I was on the seroquel and got decent results. I thought it was the seroquel stopping breakthrough and I guess I was right. Got a week's vacation coming out to get it straight. Thanks for all the great advice. I hope I get in the MMDA PTSD study.

 

[BongWizard]

I'm definitely going to wean myself off the seroquel. Have tranks if it gets freaky. But it shouln't. I'm good at weaning my self off meds. Weaned off prescription narcotics after a long period being prescribed them.
I do get light open eye hallucinations and decent closed eye ones even for the seroquel blocking me. I'm alittle scaerd of MAOI's for ayahuasca. I don't have anyone I could use as a sitter. I ate 5 grams of shrooms before I was on the seroquel and got decent results. I thought it was the seroquel stopping breakthrough and I guess I was right. Got a week's vacation coming out to get it straight. Thanks for all the great advice. I hope I get in the MMDA PTSD study.

You're right to be worried about the MAOIs. I wouldn't use them if I were using any prescription meds, the side effects can be rough enough as it is, let alone if you're on anything else that may interact with them (which I dare say both ambien and seroquel would).

Be careful and remember to be open to the experience. Because when you do reach that first breakthrough it can be rather overwhelming. And don't forget to keep us updated. I love nothing more than first hand accounts of the healing power of psychedelics.

 

[Varox]

I really hope you get into the MDMA study though you could also try to score some MDMA on your own. It shouldn't be that difficult and it is an experience you can have on your own. (Again check possible interactions).

DMT is probably the ferrari of the psychedelics... it goes really fast and it's powerful. But maybe what you need is not the ferrari but taking the train and stopping at each station to check it out... MDMA is not the spirit but the LOVE molecule and a positive experience is almost guaranteed (even if your problem does not go away). The good trip/bad trip ratio of DMT sucks in comparison to that of MDMA. Dont take me wrong, I love DMT, that's why i'm on the nexus, but I dont put it on the pedestal as the ultimate solution for all problems like I dont like drinking my soup with a fork. MDMA will make you reconcile with yourself, forgive yourself or others if need be and it will be VERY therapeutic even if you do it alone. Why do you think MAPS is using MDMA for PTSD and not DMT, AYA or Ibogaine for that matter, which are also being studied for other conditions. Again, im not saying DMT will not help. Im just saying that imho there are better options for your condition.

Much love

 

[BongWizard]

Well, they are using ibogaine and aya for addiction. In my mind there is certainly some correlation between the two. While I agree DMT isn't for everyone, nor is it for everything, I do believe it has extraordinary healing powers, even if it does just allow the mind to heal itself.

 

[Varox]

Well, they are using ibogaine and aya for addiction. In my mind there is certainly some correlation between the two. While I agree DMT isn't for everyone, nor is it for everything, I do believe it has extraordinary healing powers, even if it does just allow the mind to heal itself.

Seems like twisted logic to me. And again, I never said DMT lacks healing powers...

BUT, DMT may also make you have the most horrible trip of your life, play around your greatest fears and instead of helping you, add an extra traumatic event for you to deal with. And this is especially true for someone with PTSD.

 

[BongWizard]

Seems like twisted logic to me. And again, I never said DMT lacks healing powers...

BUT, DMT may also make you have the most horrible trip of your life, play around your greatest fears and instead of helping you, add an extra traumatic event for you to deal with. And this is especially true for someone with PTSD.

Sorry, I had no intention of misrepresenting what you said. And I agree, DMT can and does lead to traumatic trips. I've seen it happen several times before, because of the context it was used in and the expectations (and, likely, past experiences) of the users, along with personal tuberous that led them to vastly overdo it. But it my experience, of those people, the ones who returned to the spice found personal revelations from theirs get experiences, and some even began to understand the reason for and find strength in that bad trip. But, as always, it has to be done right because of the power it holds.

That said, anrchy, if you do wean yourself off of the seroquel, please be careful and start slow, don't attempt a breakthrough dose on your first uninhibited journey, work up to it, because this is the main mistake I've seen people make.

As for the addiction/PTSD comment I made, I didn't mean to imply that they are the same, but I do believe there is some level of similarity. Having dealt with addiction for the better part of my life, I think this in itself can be quite traumatic, though it is obviously not the same level as the horrors associated with war.

And don't think, because I believe in the power of DMT, that I harbour any ill feelings for MDMA, it was the first drug I really loved and I still do (so much so that I've dreamt, on multiple occasions, of making my own:wink: ) MDMA has healing powers of its own, but I believe it requires more guided therapy in conjunction, whereas DMT can be very therapeutic in comfortable solitude.

 

[Varox]

Seems like twisted logic to me. And again, I never said DMT lacks healing powers...

BUT, DMT may also make you have the most horrible trip of your life, play around your greatest fears and instead of helping you, add an extra traumatic event for you to deal with. And this is especially true for someone with PTSD.

Sorry, I had no intention of misrepresenting what you said. And I agree, DMT can and does lead to traumatic trips. I've seen it happen several times before, because of the context it was used in and the expectations (and, likely, past experiences) of the users, along with personal tuberous that led them to vastly overdo it. But it my experience, of those people, the ones who returned to the spice found personal revelations from theirs get experiences, and some even began to understand the reason for and find strength in that bad trip. But, as always, it has to be done right because of the power it holds.

That said, anrchy, if you do wean yourself off of the seroquel, please be careful and start slow, don't attempt a breakthrough dose on your first uninhibited journey, work up to it, because this is the main mistake I've seen people make.

As for the addiction/PTSD comment I made, I didn't mean to imply that they are the same, but I do believe there is some level of similarity. Having dealt with addiction for the better part of my life, I think this in itself can be quite traumatic, though it is obviously not the same level as the horrors associated with war.

And don't think, because I believe in the power of DMT, that I harbour any ill feelings for MDMA, it was the first drug I really loved and I still do (so much so that I've dreamt, on multiple occasions, of making my own:wink: ) MDMA has healing powers of its own, but I believe it requires more guided therapy in conjunction, whereas DMT can be very therapeutic in comfortable solitude.

I agree with your last observations and I did not get the impression that you were harboring ill feelings for MDMA. Having said that, the power of DMT is not a matter of believing or not, ITS A STRAIGHT COLD FACT and that is why I think we should be waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay more careful when recommending DMT to someone. Especially if the person wants to blast off on FB DMTand even more so if it is someone who is already in psychological distress. I think this thread (which is a sticky) should actually be compulsory reading before being able to subscribe to the nexus and it probably is one of the best threads on the whole forum: Why you should NOT take DMT - Why you should NOT take DMT - First steps in Hyperspace - Welcome to the DMT-Nexus

 

[BongWizard]

^^ So true. We probably do recommend DMT as a therapeutic much too readily because of how central it is to this forum. Having said that, I don't believe people come here because they need to be convinced to use DMT, but more for advice on how best to do it and for help in understanding the experience. But you are right, we should probably take a lot more care in recommending its use. The problem for me is, I can't bring myself to tell someone "No, DMT is not for you." I can only explain the risks and the potential it has while trying not to bias the experience by detailing my own travels. In the end, it's up to the individual to decide if they are ready, we can only provide them with the tools and knowledge to make that decision well.

 

[Continuum]

Hi Rocket,

Sorry for what you're going through, and may you find peace and healing.

10 minutes before reading your thread I across a personal account from a veteran with PTSD who found healing in mushrooms. Maybe it could be of some value, especially since you can grow them yourself with a little research and relatively inexpensive supplies. There's all the info you need here at the Nexus to learn do a grow, and spore are legal to buy (except California, I think).

Here is that story.

This is an interesting link about a study that found that psilocybin helps repair brain damage associated with trauma.

Just googling mushrooms and PTSD returns tons of info. Maybe something worth looking into?

Other than that, just want to reiterate that Cymbalta and MAOI's are definitely contraindicated. Not sure about the other meds, but just that one is a big no-no.

Take care!