Ayahuasca use has increased in the United States over recent decades. Ayahuasca has not been found to cause dependency, therefore withdrawal is not a component of ayahuasca use.
Ayahuasca is a psychoactive drug, usually brewed as a tea. In recent years the recreational use of ayahuasca increased. Its ingestion is associated with a four- to six-hour psychedelic experience which occurs as the active compounds in the drug leave the body (also known as the ayahuasca detox period).
Can You Have Withdrawal from Ayahuasca?
Evidence does not support that ayahuasca is associated with withdrawal. Mounting evidence indicates that neither compound poses a significant risk for abuse or addiction. Substantial research was dedicated to evaluating whether ayahuasca should be used as a therapeutic agent for mental health concerns.
Ayahuasca Withdrawal Symptoms
The active compounds in ayahuasca, DMT and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), have not been found to cause dependency. Clinically, a compound must cause dependency before it can cause withdrawal symptoms.
Ayahuasca side effects include physical effects like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, as well as psychological side effects such as fear-inducing hallucinations. While ayahuasca does not cause clinical withdrawal symptoms, some people report that the ayahuasca experience can bring up emotions or memories that may be recalled in the days or weeks following the trip.
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Related Topic: Can you overdose on DMT?
How is Ayahuasca Withdrawal Diagnosed?
The clinical definition of withdrawal depends on the previously established dependency on a drug. Ayahuasca has not been found to cause dependency, thus a diagnosis of ayahuasca withdrawal is clinically invalid.
What to Expect with Ayahuasca Detox
Detoxification is defined as a, “set of interventions aimed at managing acute intoxication and withdrawal.” Appreciable ayahuasca effects are relatively short-lasting (four to six hours), and acute intoxication and detoxification occur approximately simultaneously. Ayahuasca intoxication may include periods of discomfort or fear, but once the trip is over, detox is effectively over. Moreover, as DMT and MAOIs are endogenous chemicals that are actively produced in a healthy human, complete detox from either of these compounds can have negative health consequences.
Related Topic: Hallucinogen detox
Finding an Ayahuasca Detox or Rehab Center
There is no evidence indicating that ayahuasca detox and rehab are clinically valid does not exist. For people who are concerned that they or a loved one is struggling with any form of a substance use disorder, a rehab center with a multidisciplinary team can be a significant step towards recovery.
