Pharmahuasca

Pharmahuasca is a pharmaceutical version of ayahuasca, a psychoactive decoction used by Indigenous cultures in South America as part of traditional medicine and shamanism. Traditional ayahuasca is made by brewing the MAOI-containing Banisteriopsis caapi vine with a DMT-containing plant, such as Psychotria viridis. Pharmahuasca refers to a similar combination that uses a pharmaceutical MAOI instead of a plant.

N,N-DMT and harmaline or harmine are typically used as components of pharmahuasca.^[1] One study tested a formulation of 100 mg buccal harmine with 100 mg intranasal DMT, which produced an effect lasting 2-3 hours.^[1] As a rule, the fewer the β-carbolines, the less nausea; the more DMT, the more spectacular the visions.^{[citation needed]} The constituents are put into separate gelatin capsules. The capsules with harmaline/harmine are swallowed first and the capsules containing DMT are taken 15 to 20 minutes later. A synthetic MAOI can be used in place of harmaline and harmine, although caution must be taken when choosing an MAOI.^[2] The use of moclobemide, a reversible inhibitor of monoamine oxidase-A (RIMA), has been recorded and is safer than older irreversible MAOIs (such as isocarboxazid) due to its significantly shorter and more selective effects (although it still exhibits a wide range of dangerous drug-drug interactions).^[3][4]

Interactions

See also: Psychedelic drug § Interactions, and Trip killer § Serotonergic psychedelic antidotes

See also

• Alkaloid
• Entheogen
• Dimethyltryptamine/harmine

External links

• Erowid: Ayahuasca
• A General Introduction to Ayahuasca Archived 2015-10-13 at the Wayback Machine