*** The health and safety guidelines DO NOT apply to Sacred Site Retreat guests. They only apply to Master Medicine Retreat guests.
Pre-Retreat Diet
Mandatory Medical Requirements
1 month before the retreat abstain from:
- Cannabis (suggested) In case of strong habit or addiction; lower dosage and abstain completely 10 days prior to the retreat. It is important to abstain from cannabis in order to obtain a clear mind and enhance the ability to focus and concentrate during the retreat. Also, cannabis is a powerful Master Plant and it is paramount to give the energetic space to the treatment you will receive during your retreat.
- Processed foods including fast foods
- Self-medicated pharmaceuticals including excessive doses of aspirin and ibuprofen
Decrease consumption of:
- Coffee (no more than 2 cups a day)
- Industrial sugars Suggested replacements: honey, stevia, dates, organic maple syrup, panela, agave
10 days before the retreat abstain from:
- Hot spicy foods and heavily seasoned foods
- Dairy products (including yogurt)
- Raw seafood, shellfish, and seafood with strong odor
- Industrial cooking oils like canola, vegetable, soy
- Suggested replacements: olive oil, avocado oil
- Cannabis and all drugs including self-medicated pharmaceuticals
- All forms of sex including masturbation
Prohibited
All hard drugs including cocaine, heroin, crystal meth, crack, and prescription opiates
In the case that this cannot be realized, contact us at least 1-month before the retreat. The treatment for those who use the substances is distinct and requires a deeper cleansing process prior to the initial Ayahuasca Ceremony.
- For the majority of people, master plant medicines such as Ayahuasca and San Pedro are completely safe. However, there are rare occasions when it’s not so safe due to certain medical conditions and pharmaceutical medication interactions that can occur.
- It is necessary that you agree to disclose any known medical conditions and/or use of any medication during the pre-screening questionnaire and virtual call with our health professional. Withholding any information that can place a risk on your own safety as well as others in the retreat. This information will remain strictly confidential and will only be used in order to ensure the safest possible experience for you and others in the retreat.
Certain drugs and medications have been found to be non-compatible with Ayahuasca and San Pedro. It is essential to stop taking the following substances at the required time frame prior to attending a retreat with Seven. This will give your body sufficient time to remove them from your system before attending the retreat.
It is important to clarify you should not discontinue any prescribed medications (including antidepressants) without consulting your physician or medical provider. Suddenly stopping certain prescribed medications without the supervision of a medical provider can be life-threatening. We at the retreat center, Seven, take your safety seriously and are here to support you in your healing process.
From an Amazonian plant healer’s perspective, when one is working with sacred plant medicine, it is preferable to avoid taking any other substances or medicines. This may interfere with the plant’s energy and provoke unwanted reactions.
It is not safe to drink Ayahuasca or San Pedro if you take the following medications:
- Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOIs): Ayahuasca is a potent natural MAOI and should not be used with other MAOIs. Combining MAOIs with Ayahuasca can lead to complications such as fever, hypertensive crisis, convulsive seizures, delirium, coma, and circulatory collapse. It is crucial to stop using MAOIs under the supervision of your physician 4 to 6 weeks prior to the retreat and allow plenty of time for your system to be cleared of these substances.
- Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) or any medication which has an effect on the serotonin system: SSRI medications combined with Ayahuasca or San Pedro can induce serotonin syndrome. This can be more severe than with foods containing tryptophan leading to potentially fatal results. Ayahuasca or San Pedro, which is an excess and/or overload of serotonergic activity in the central nervous system and peripheral serotonin receptors. With most SSRIs you should stop under the supervision of your physician 6 weeks before the start of the retreat, but with Prozac you should stop 8 weeks under the supervision of your phsycian before the start of the retreat because of its longer half-life. Again, you should not abruptly stop taking them without discussing the matter with your doctor or medical provider.
- Antidepressants other than SSRIs: These drugs can cause serious complications when combined with drinking Ayahuasca or San Pedro. These antidepressants include serotonin-norepinephrine inhibitors (SNRI), serotonin antagonist and reuptake inhibitors (SARI), norepinephrine inhibitors (NRI), norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake inhibitors (NDRI), tricyclic antidepressants (TCA), tetracyclic antidepressants (TeCA), noradrenergic and specific serotonergic antidepressants (NaSSA), and serotonin modulators and stimulators (SMS). Stop taking these medications under the supervision of your physician 6 weeks prior to attending the retreat and at least 4 weeks after. As with all medications, it is crucial to give antidepressants ample time to leave your system to avoid unpleasant side effects.
- Benzodiazepines, Central Nervous System Drugs & Sleeping Pills: Drugs that suppress the central nervous system (CNS) (benzodiazepines, sedatives, and barbiturates) such as certain anti-anxiety drugs and sleeping pills, should not be used in combination with Ayahuasca or San Pedro. Ayahuasca or San Pedro pose a serious health risk as they can intensify the effects of these drugs, leading to slower brain activity, heart rhythm and labored breathing. Remember to be mindful, dependence on CNS depressants can develop easily, thus withdrawal symptoms may occur when discontinuing the medication. Stop taking these medications under the supervision of your physician 3-4 weeks prior to attending the retreat. Give yourself enough time to avoid unwanted side effects before attending the retreat.
- Anti-hypertensive medications: There are a handful of anti-hypertensives used, however the most important and widely used are thiazide diuretics, ACE inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, beta blockers and angiotensin II receptor antagonists. We advise these medications to be stopped with the supervision of your physician up to 2-6 weeks prior to attending the retreat. Other anti-hypertensives not listed above can be discontinued with the supervision of your physician for at least 1 week prior to attending the retreat and 1 week afterwards.
- Other medications: It is not safe to drink ayahuasca or San Pedro in conjunction with decongestants, cold medications, allergy medications, antihistamines, anti-seizure medications, tranquilizers, amphetamines (including Adderall), sympathomimetic amines ( e.g. pseudoephedrine and ephedrine), carbamazipine, methylphemidate (Ritalin), macromerine, phenelanine, tyrosine, tryptophan, asarone/calamus, asthma inhalers and diet pills. These must be stopped under the supervision of your physician 1 week prior to attending the retreat and 1 week afterwards.
- Herbal antidepressant St. John’s Wort (Hypericum Perforatum): This herb must not be taken directly prior to drinking Ayahuasca. We advise to allow 2 weeks after you stop taking this herb before attending the retreat.
- Marijuana (THC): This plant must be stopped 1 month before the start of the retreat. If this is not possible, lower the dose and try your best to abstain completely 15 days before the start of the retreat. In case of very strong habit, abstain at least 5-7 days before retreat. The use of marijuana before an ayahuasca ceremony may stupefy and darken the overall experience, acting as a blockage for the sacred plant to manifest in its fullest form.
- It is not safe to drink Ayahuasca or San Pedro if you have been diagnoses with the following:
- Although Ayahuasca or San Pedro haven’t been shown to cause psychosis or other psychiatric disturbances, there can be some with a very extensive history of psychological problems to find it difficult to process the experience. If you have psychosis, mania, bipolar disorder, dissociative state, or schitzophrenia you cannot be accepted on the retreat. Please inform us about any history of mental health problems.
- If you have a family history of mental illness, specifically, schizophrenia or bipolar, the individual must present a signed doctors note stating that it is safe for the individual to consume the ancestral medicines like Ayahuasca and San Pedro
- If you have a heart condition, chronic high blood pressure, chronic uncontrolled diabetes, pacemaker, organ failure, heart murmur, severe asthma, gastric or intestinal ulcers, or tachycardia you cannot be accepted on the retreat. MAOIs may change the amount of insulin or oral anti-diabetic medication that you need as a diabetic.
- During archeological visits, it will require walking in high altitudes and long distances. If you have any conditions (e.g. unstable blood clots, severe heart conditions, severe lung conditions, asthma, etc.) that can be exacerbated during long distance walks, hikes, or high altitudes please consult with your health provider before attending the retreat.
- Although most indigenous believe partaking in sacred plant medicines while pregnant gives “force”to the fetus, we cannot offer you any plant medicines while pregnant at our retreat at this time. However, those who are pregnant (less than 28 weeks pregnant) are welcome to still join the retreat to participate in the archeological visits. Please consult with a healthcare professional before attending the retreat. Archeological visits involve high altitudes, long walks, and hikes.
Recreational drugs that are very dangerous to combine with Ayahuasca or San Pedro include but are not limited to:
- Alcohol
- Amphetamines (meth-, dex-, amphetamine, aderral, etc.) Barbituraten
- Barbituates
- Cocaine
- Dextromethorphan (DXM)
- Ephedrine
- Ketamine
- MDA, MDEA, MDMA (ecstasy), PMA
- Opiates (heroin, morphine, codeine, opium)
- 5-MEO-DMT
Natural Medicines & Herbs/Botanicals can be unsafe to combine Ayahuasca or San Pedro include but are not limited to:
he following should be stopped at least 2 weeks before taking any sacred plant medicine such as Ayahuasca and San Pedro. Please, inform The Community Garden organization of all natural medicines, supplements, herbs, and botanicals you are taking.
Specific contraindicated drugs/substances include but are not limited to:
- Albuterol (Proventil, Ventolin)
- Amantadine hydrochloride (Symmetrel)
- Carbamazepine (Tegretol, Epitol)
- Cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril)
- Desipramine (Pertofrane, Norpramin)
- Dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine)
- Dienolide kavapyrone desmethoxyyangonine
- Flavoxaathydrochloride (Urispas)
- 5 Hydroxytryptofaan (5HTP)
- Iproniazide (Marsilid, Iprozid, Ipronid, Rivivol, Propilniazida)
- Isoniazid (Laniazid, Nydrazid)
- Isoniazide rifampin (Rifamaat, Rimactane)
- Levodopa (Dopar, Larodopa)
- Linezolid (Zyvox, Zyvoxid)
- Metaproterenol (Alupent, Metaprel)
- Oxybutyninechloride (Ditropan)
- Phendimetrazine (Plegiline)
- Fenylefrine (Dimetane, Dristan decongestivum, Neo Synephrine)
- Fenylpropanolamine (in veel verkoudheidsmedicijnen)
- Tranylcypromine (Parnate)
- Tricyclische antidepressiva (Amitriptyline, Elavil)
- Vanoxerine Venlafaxine (Effexor)
- Zimelidine Ziprasidone (Geodon)
Reasons behind contraindications listed includes but not limited to the following:
- Adderral Can lead to high body temperature, seizures and, in some cases, coma with MAOIs.
- Alcohol May cause side effects such as angina (chest pain) or headache with MAOIs. The headache may mask or be confused with a hypertensive crisis caused by the interaction with MAOIs. MAOIs can also enhance the sedative effect of alcohol.
- Anaesthetics May enhance the anaesthetic effect with MAOIs.
- Bupropion (Wellbutrin) Use of Bupropion within two weeks of using MAOIs can cause serious side effects, such as seizures.
- Buspiron (Buspar) can cause high blood pressure and increased sedative effects with MAOIs.
- Carbamazepine (Tegretol) May cause fever and increase seizures, especially in epileptics with MAOIs.
- Clomipramine May cause high fever (hyperpyrexic crisis) and seizures with MAOIs.
- CNS depressants May potentiate depressive effects with MAOIs.
- Desipramine (Norpramin, Pertofrane) May lead to a hypertensive crisis with MAOIs.
- Dextromethorphan May cause agitation, hypertension and fever, or brief episodes of psychosis with MAOIs.
- Diuretics May cause a greater than normal drop in blood pressure and an increase in MAOI blood levels with MAOIs.
- Fenfluramine May cause fever (hyperpyrexic crisis) with MAOIs.
- Lithium May cause fever and serotonin syndrome with MAOIs.
- MAOIs Using stimulants with MAOIs is extremely dangerous and can cause fatality.
- Meperidine (Demerol) Has led to deaths after a single dose with pharmaceutical MAOIs.
- Metaproterenol or Beta-adrenergic bronchodilators May cause blood pressure elevation and rapid heart rate with MAOIs.
- Mirtazapine (Remeron) May lead to hypertensive crisis with MAOIs.
- Nephazodone (Serzone) May lead to high fever with MAOIs.
- Opiates Carries a risk of respiratory depression with MAOIs.
- Other medications The use of Benzedrine, Benzphetamine, Desipramine, Desoxyn, Dexedrine, Dopamine, Ephedrine (contained in Marax, Quadrinal, and other asthma drugs), Epinephrine, Guanadrel, Guanethidine, Hydralazine, Isoproterenol, L-dopa, Metaraminol, Methyldopa, Mirtazamine, Norepinephrine Oxymetazoline, Phendimetrazine, Phentermine, Phenylephrine, Phenylpropanolamine, Pseudoephedrine, Ritalin, or Venlafaxine with MAOIs can cause a hypertensive crisis (severe blood pressure spike).
- Prozac Use of Fluoxetine (Prozac) within five weeks of using MAOIs can cause high fever, rigidity, high blood pressure, mental changes, confusion and hypomania.
- Sleeping pills, sedatives (major or minor) or barbiturates May enhance the sedative effect with MAOIs.
- SSRIs Can lead to serotonin syndrome with an MAOI. The main symptom of serotonin syndrome may be severe and prolonged headache and/or fever (up to 40 °C / 104 °F or more). Other symptoms of serotonin syndrome may include sweating, rapid heartbeat, shivering, dilated pupils, intermittent tremor or convulsions, overactive or overreacting reflexes, hyperactive bowel sounds, and/or high blood pressure. Severe serotonin syndrome can cause agitated delirium, muscle rigidity, high muscle tension, and shock. renal failure, seizures, and can be life-threatening.
- Stimulants The use of cocaine, amphetamines or MDMA with MAOIs can lead to severe increase in blood pressure, resulting in increased risk of stroke and cerebral hemorrhage. This combination can also lead to an overdose of a small amount of cocaine possible.
- Temaril May increase the risk of side effects with MAOIs.
- Terfenadine May cause an increase in MAOI blood levels with MAOIs.
- Theophylline May cause rapid heart rate and anxiety with MAOIs
- Trazodone (Desyrel) May cause high fever with MAOIs.
- Tricyclic antidepressants Using tricyclic antidepressants within two weeks of using MAOIs can result in serious side effects, such as sudden fever, extremely high blood pressure, convulsions and death.
- Tryptophan or L-tryptophan May cause disorientation, confusion, amnesia, delirium, agitation, memory impairment, hypomania and chills with MAOIs.
- Venlafaxine (Effexor) Can lead to a hypertensive crisis with MAOIs.
- Ziprasidone (Geodon) May cause serotonin syndrome with MAOIs
