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M. Aixalá

Psychedelics and Personality.

October 17, 2018 / Anxiety Disorders / PTSD, Ayahuasca, Depressive Disorders, DMT, LSD, Mushrooms / Psilocybin, Papers, Psychology, Publications, Substance Use Disorder / By / , , ,

Abstract

In the past decade, an increasing number of clinical trials are reporting evidence that psychedelics or serotonergic hallucinogens (such as lysergic acid diethylamide, psilocybin, and ayahuasca/dimethyltryptamine) could be effective in the treatment of mood, anxiety, and substance use disorders. The mechanisms responsible for these effects are not fully understood but seem to involve changes in bran dynamics in areas rich in serotonergic 5-HT2A receptors and in personality. In the present text, we present a brief and critical overview of the current research in this field, pointing out both promises and limitations of these studies.
Aixalà, M., dos Santos, R. G., Hallak, J. E., & Bouso, J. C. (2018). Psychedelics and Personality., https://doi.org/10.1021/acschemneuro.8b00237
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Potential Use of Ayahuasca in Grief Therapy

May 30, 2017 / Ayahuasca, Papers, Psychology / By / , , , ,

Abstract

The death of a loved one is ultimately a universal experience. However, conventional interventions employed for people suffering with uncomplicated grief have gathered little empirical support. The present study aimed to explore the potential effects of ayahuasca on grief. We compared 30 people who had taken ayahuasca with 30 people who had attended peer-support groups, measuring level of grief and experiential avoidance. We also examined themes in participant responses to an open-ended question regarding their experiences with ayahuasca. The ayahuasca group presented a lower level of grief in the Present Feelings Scale of Texas Revised Inventory of Grief, showing benefits in some psychological and interpersonal dimensions. Qualitative responses described experiences of emotional release, biographical memories, and experiences of contact with the deceased. Additionally, some benefits were identified regarding the ayahuasca experiences. These results provide preliminary data about the potential of ayahuasca as a therapeutic tool in treatments for grief.
González, D., Carvalho, M., Cantillo, J., Aixalá, M., & Farré, M. (2017). Potential Use of Ayahuasca in Grief Therapy. OMEGA-Journal of Death and Dying, 0030222817710879.
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Detoxification from methadone using low, repeated, and increasing doses of ibogaine: A case report

April 28, 2017 / Iboga / Ibogaine, Papers, Psychology, Substance Use Disorder / By / , , , , , ,

Abstract

Background and aims

Ibogaine is a natural alkaloid that has been used in the last decades as an adjuvant for the treatment of opiate withdrawal. Despite the beneficial results suggested by animal studies and case series, there is a lack of clinical trials to assess the safety and efficacy of ibogaine. Moreover, the majority of reports described cases of heroin-dependent individuals, with and without concomitant use of methadone, using high doses of ibogaine. Therefore, it is not clear if ibogaine at low doses could be used therapeutically in people on methadone maintenance treatments (MMT).

Methods

Case report of a female on MMT for 17 years who performed a self-treatment with several low and cumulative doses of ibogaine over a 6-week period.

Results

The patient successfully eliminated her withdrawals from methadone with ibogaine. Each administration of ibogaine attenuated the withdrawal symptoms for several hours, and reduced the tolerance to methadone until all signs of withdrawal symptoms disappeared at the end of the treatment. No serious adverse effects were observed, and at no point did the QTc measures reach clinically significant scores. Twelve months after the treatment, she was no longer on MMT.

Conclusions

To our knowledge, this is the first case report describing an ibogaine treatment using low and cumulative doses in a person on MMT. Although preliminary, this case suggests that low and cumulative doses of ibogaine may reduce withdrawal symptoms in patients undergoing MMT.

Wilkins, C., dos Santos, R. G., Solá, J., Aixalá, M., Cura, P., Moreno, E., … & Bouso, J. C. (2017). Detoxification from methadone using low, repeated, and increasing doses of ibogaine: A case report. Journal of Psychedelic Studies, 1(1), 29-34. 10.1556/2054.01.2017.005
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