Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal da Fronteira Sul (UFFS), Passo Fundo, RS, Brazil.
Departamento de Neurociências e Ciências do Comportamento, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
Braz J Psychiatry. 2021 Jul-Aug;43(4):362-369. doi: 10.1590/1516-4446-2020-0913.
Whether for spiritual, recreational, or potential therapeutic use, interest in ayahuasca has grown remarkably. Ayahuasca's main active substances are N,N-dimethyltryptamine and certain monoamine oxidase inhibitor β-carbolines. Possible drug interactions are a major concern, and research is lacking in this area. The objective of this study was to evaluate the safety of ritual ayahuasca use regarding adverse effects and risk factors.
In this cross-sectional study, ayahuasca users from a religious institution answered an online questionnaire about its safety. Adverse effects, safety measures, and possible risk factors (psychiatric diagnosis and medications) were investigated.
The most frequent adverse effects among the 614 participants were transient gastrointestinal effects (nausea and vomiting). Fifty participants self-reported a psychiatric diagnosis (depression and anxiety were the most prevalent), and these participants experienced adverse effects more frequently. Psychiatric medication use was reported by 31 participants. No indication of increased adverse effects due to drug-drug interactions was found.
A minority of participants reported being very negatively affected by persistent adverse effects. Psychiatric medication use while participating in ayahuasca rituals was not associated with increased adverse effects. For the most part, the institution's practices seem sufficient to prevent exacerbated reactions. Future studies may focus on negatively affected users.
无论是出于精神、娱乐还是潜在的治疗目的，人们对死藤水的兴趣显著增长。死藤水的主要活性物质是 N,N-二甲基色胺和某些单胺氧化酶抑制剂β-咔啉。可能的药物相互作用是一个主要关注点，而这方面的研究还很缺乏。本研究的目的是评估仪式性死藤水使用的安全性，包括不良反应和危险因素。
在这项横断面研究中，来自宗教机构的死藤水使用者回答了一份关于其安全性的在线问卷。调查了不良反应、安全措施和可能的危险因素（精神科诊断和药物治疗）。
在 614 名参与者中，最常见的不良反应是短暂的胃肠道效应（恶心和呕吐）。50 名参与者自我报告了精神科诊断（最常见的是抑郁和焦虑），这些参与者更频繁地经历不良反应。31 名参与者报告了精神科药物治疗。没有发现药物相互作用导致不良反应增加的迹象。
少数参与者报告受到持续不良反应的严重影响。在参加死藤水仪式时使用精神科药物治疗与增加不良反应无关。在大多数情况下，该机构的做法似乎足以防止反应加剧。未来的研究可能集中在受负面影响的使用者身上。
