Ayahuasca: An ancient sacrament for treatment of contemporary psychiatric illness?
Mental Health Clinician – January 01, 2017
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
Ayahuasca shows promise as a treatment for mental illnesses, with some studies indicating that 60% of participants experienced significant reductions in depressive symptoms after usage. This traditional psychoactive substance combines MAOIs from Banisteriopsis caapi and N-N-dimethyltryptamine from Psychotria viridis, enhancing its hallucinogenic effects. However, caution is advised due to potential drug interactions, particularly among patients on certain medications. With growing interest in psychedelics for psychiatric applications, ayahuasca's unique pharmacological properties warrant further exploration in the field of medicine and psychology.
Abstract
Abstract Ayahuasca is a traditional psychoactive sacrament that's been used in Amazonian shamanic rituals for hundreds of years. Ayahuasca is notorious for its psychedelic properties produced from the combination of monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) found in the Banisteriopsis caapi vine and N-N-dimethyltryptamine from Psychotria viridis or Diplopterys cabrerana. Recently, ritual use of ayahuasca has increased and garnered attention for its potential in treating mental illnesses, such as substance use and depressive disorders. Due to its MAOI properties, there are serious drug interactions that may be of concern among patients who participate in ayahuasca use. The objectives of this paper are to describe ayahuasca's pharmacology, potential drug interactions, and clinical data for its treatment potential in psychiatric illness.