Preparation & Safety Guidelines

Please consider…

A retreat initiates a much longer commitment to healing, integration, and increasing awareness. After transitioning back home, it is necessary to process and integrate the lessons learned during the retreat into day-to-day life.

You are not a passive recipient of healing but an active and willing partner. The significant healing that can come from a retreat is the beginning of a much longer process, one that can accelerate your spiritual development and re-awakening. Before booking, it is essential that you are fully and passionately dedicated to changing your life. You will typically return with a heightened level of awareness, and it is important that you understand what this entails.

A heightened level of consciousness means you become more aware of patterns and beliefs that no longer serve you. You will be presented with ongoing choices to change aspects of your life with greater awareness, moving away from charged reactions and towards consciously responding to life. You must be prepared to commit over the long term to your integration process after the retreat.

When working with ayahuasca, it is important not to hold on to expectations. Healing and transformation often unfold differently from what we imagine. Our tendency is to avoid experiences we think of as negative, to shy away from what may be hurtful, and to suppress our real feelings. When we accept the unacceptable instead of pushing it away, we discover that the flip side of psychological and emotional pain is personal growth, and that our pain is simply our healing wanting to break through.

Physical Safety

If you have any heart, liver, kidney, or other serious medical condition, you must inform us before booking and discuss your situation with a doctor who is aware of the issues that may be raised.

If you have a serious cardiovascular disorder, you should not take ayahuasca, as it slightly raises blood pressure. No alterations in liver function or other biochemical parameters have been observed after the administration of ayahuasca in laboratory settings. Only a temporary modulation of the immune system has been detected, without clear effects on health.

If you take any medication regularly, or if you would need to take medication during the retreat, it is essential that you consult a physician. Antidepressants and other psychotropic drugs may be contraindicated, as may any drug metabolised by certain cytochromes. Beyond psychotropics, any drug capable of interacting with monoamine oxidase (MAO) may be contraindicated. Please consult a specialist.

If you have a chronic illness, it may be dangerous to stop your medication in order to take ayahuasca. Speak with your prescribing physician before making any change to your pharmacological protocol, and tell us what you are taking so that we can check for contraindications.

The beta-carbolines in ayahuasca (harmine, harmaline, and tetrahydroharmine) inhibit the MAO enzyme, which breaks down serotonin and other neurotransmitters. This is why so many medications and substances become dangerous in combination. The two central risks are serotonin syndrome (too much serotonin) and hypertensive crisis (a dangerous rise in blood pressure). Both can be life-threatening.

Psychological Safety

Psychological safety matters as much as physical safety. People with personality disorders or a history of mental illness (such as borderline personality disorder, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia) are at risk when using ayahuasca. A controlled setting, adequate integration during and after the retreat, and working with highly experienced curanderas and guides who can hold difficult material in a careful, professional way are all critical to reducing that risk. We treat the safety of our guests as a matter of the utmost importance.

Medications and Substances to Avoid

The list below is grouped by how each substance interacts with ayahuasca, followed by a full alphabetical reference. It is thorough but cannot be exhaustive. New medications reach the market constantly.

If you take anything at all, including over-the-counter remedies, supplements, or herbal products, tell us and consult your prescribing physician. We do not give guidance on when or how to discontinue medication. That is a matter between you and your doctor, and some medications cause serious effects if stopped abruptly or without supervision.

1. Serotonergic substances

This is the largest and most dangerous group.

Antidepressants

• SSRIs: fluoxetine (Prozac), sertraline (Zoloft), paroxetine (Paxil), citalopram, escitalopram (Lexapro), fluvoxamine

• SNRIs: venlafaxine (Effexor), duloxetine (Cymbalta), desvenlafaxine (Pristiq), levomilnacipran (Fetzima), milnacipran

• Tricyclics (TCAs): amitriptyline (Elavil), clomipramine (Anafranil), imipramine (Tofranil), nortriptyline, doxepin, and others

• SARIs: trazodone, nefazodone

• Newer agents: vortioxetine (Trintellix / Brintellix), vilazodone (Viibryd), mirtazapine (Remeron), bupropion (Wellbutrin), dextromethorphan-bupropion (Auvelity)

• St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum), the herbal antidepressant, is serotonergic and must be avoided

Other MAO inhibitors (absolute contraindication)

• phenelzine (Nardil), tranylcypromine (Parnate), isocarboxazid (Marplan), selegiline (Emsam / Eldepryl), moclobemide, rasagiline (Azilect)

• linezolid (Zyvox), an antibiotic with MAO-inhibiting activity that is easily overlooked

Ketamine therapies

• esketamine (Spravato) and therapeutic ketamine. Increasingly relevant, as many guests arrive from treatment-resistant depression protocols.

Opioids and pain medications with serotonergic activity

• tramadol, pethidine / meperidine (Demerol, with deaths reported after a single dose), fentanyl, methadone, codeine, dextromethorphan (DXM, found in many over-the-counter cough medicines)

Others

• triptans for migraine (sumatriptan and others)

• lithium

• 5-HTP, L-tryptophan (supplements)

• ondansetron (Zofran)

2. Sympathomimetics and stimulants

• amphetamines, dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine), methamphetamine

• methylphenidate (Ritalin), lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse / Elvanse), atomoxetine

• appetite suppressants and diet pills (phentermine, diethylpropion, and others)

• pseudoephedrine, ephedrine, phenylephrine, oxymetazoline (decongestants and many cold, sinus, hay-fever, and allergy remedies)

• beta-adrenergic bronchodilators (some asthma inhalers: salbutamol / albuterol, salmeterol, metaproterenol)

3. Central nervous system depressants

• benzodiazepines (Xanax, Valium, Ativan)

• barbiturates (phenobarbital)

• sleeping pills and tranquillisers

These can deepen sedation and potentiate the effects of ayahuasca unpredictably.

4. Further classes to avoid

• Antipsychotics: risperidone, quetiapine (Seroquel), aripiprazole, ziprasidone (Geodon)

• Antihistamines, especially sedating ones and any cold or cough product containing DXM (look for "DM" or "Tuss" in the name)

• Blood pressure medications: beta blockers, alpha blockers, calcium channel blockers, ACE inhibitors, diuretics

• Anticonvulsants: carbamazepine (Tegretol) and others

• Anaesthetics (relevant if you have surgery planned around your retreat)

Illegal and recreational drugs (never combine with an MAOI)

Combining these with ayahuasca can be fatal.

• cocaine

• amphetamines (meth-, dex-, amphetamine), MDMA (ecstasy), MDA, MDEA, PMA

• dextromethorphan (DXM)

• kratom

• kava

Herbs to avoid

• St. John's Wort

• Kava

• Kratom

• Ephedra

Respecting the Diet: Before and After a Retreat

The most fundamental restrictions before and after a retreat are street drugs (cocaine, ecstasy, heroin, and so on), cannabis, alcohol, and pork.

For the safety and well-being of everyone present, if we suspect that street drugs have been taken, or if it is clear that alcohol has been consumed immediately before arrival, we reserve the right to refuse admission.

Pre-Retreat Guidelines

8 days before, abstain from:

• Pork

• Alcohol

• Cannabis

• All street drugs (cocaine, MDMA, amphetamines, and so on). This is obligatory, both for your safety and for the possible energetic impact on other guests.

• Sexual activity of any kind, including masturbation

3 days before, abstain from:

• Refined sugars

• Red meat

• Junk food

Additional guidelines:

• Please contact us if you are currently taking any medication or supplements.

• Ayahuasca is not compatible with pregnancy.

• Avoid synthetic soaps, perfumes, and toiletries.

By removing the above from your diet, you prepare your body for the journey and may reduce the amount of purging needed to cleanse it.

Post-Retreat Guidelines

3 days after, abstain from:

• Spicy foods

• Ice, ice cream, ice-cold drinks

• Carbonated drinks (including diet sodas, energy drinks, and non-alcoholic beer)

• Red meat

• Dairy products

• Fermented foods

• Men: sexual activity of any kind, including masturbation

8 days after, abstain from:

• Alcohol

• Pork

• Cannabis and all plant medicines

• All street drugs (cocaine, LSD, MDMA, amphetamines, and so on)

• Refined sugars

• Junk food

• Women: sexual activity of any kind, including masturbation

The most important restrictions after a retreat are street drugs, alcohol, cannabis, and pork. If a guest chooses not to follow this advice after leaving, we cannot be held responsible for the consequences, which can include serious psychological and energetic harm.

A note on cannabis: smoking cannabis before an ayahuasca session may dull and darken the overall experience, acting as a blockage for the medicine to work fully.

Full Alphabetical Reference

Some of these carry a mild risk, others a serious one. When in doubt, contact us and consult your physician.

Actifed, Adderall, albuterol (Proventil, Ventolin), amantadine (Symmetrel), amitriptyline, amoxapine (Asendin), atomoxetine (Strattera), Benadryl, Benylin, benzphetamine (Didrex), bupropion (Wellbutrin), buspirone (BuSpar), carbamazepine (Tegretol, Epitol), chlorpheniramine, Chlor-Trimeton, citalopram, clomipramine (Anafranil), codeine, cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril), cyclizine (Marezine), dapoxetine, desipramine (Norpramin), desvenlafaxine (Pristiq), dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine), dextromethorphan (DXM), dextromethorphan-bupropion (Auvelity), diethylpropion, disopyramide (Norpace), disulfiram (Antabuse), dopamine (Intropin), dosulepin, doxepin (Sinequan), duloxetine (Cymbalta), ephedrine, epinephrine (Adrenalin), escitalopram (Lexapro), esketamine (Spravato), fenfluramine (Fintepla), fentanyl, flavoxate (Urispas), fluoxetine (Prozac), fluvoxamine, furazolidone (Furoxone), guanadrel (Hylorel), guanethidine, hydralazine (Apresoline), 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), imipramine (Tofranil), isocarboxazid (Marplan), isoniazid (Laniazid, Nydrazid), isoproterenol (Isuprel), ketamine, levodopa (Sinemet, Larodopa), levomilnacipran (Fetzima), linezolid (Zyvox), lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse, Elvanse), lithium (Eskalith), lofepramine, loratadine (Claritin), maprotiline (Ludiomil), melitracen, meperidine / pethidine (Demerol), metaproterenol (Alupent), metaraminol (Aramine), methadone, methamphetamine (Desoxyn), methyldopa (Aldomet), methylphenidate (Ritalin), mianserin, milnacipran, mirtazapine (Remeron), moclobemide, montelukast (Singulair), nefazodone, norepinephrine (Levophed), nortriptyline (Aventyl), ondansetron (Zofran), orphenadrine (Norflex), oxybutynin (Ditropan), oxymetazoline (Afrin), paroxetine (Paxil), Percocet, phendimetrazine, phentermine, phenylephrine (Neo-Synephrine), phenelzine (Nardil), procarbazine (Matulane), procainamide (Pronestyl), protriptyline (Vivactil), pseudoephedrine, quetiapine (Seroquel), quinidine, rasagiline (Azilect), reboxetine, reserpine (Serpasil), risperidone, salbutamol, salmeterol, selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam), sertraline (Zoloft), sumatriptan (Imitrex), Temaril, theophylline (Theo-Dur), tianeptine, tramadol, tranylcypromine (Parnate), trazodone, tricyclic antidepressants (amitriptyline, Elavil, and others), trimipramine (Surmontil), triptans, venlafaxine (Effexor), viloxazine (Qelbree), vilazodone (Viibryd), vortioxetine (Trintellix, Brintellix), yohimbine, ziprasidone (Geodon).