Ayahuasca, a potentially rapid acting antidepressant: focus on safety and tolerability
Giordano Novak Rossi, Isabella Caroline Da Silva Dias, Glen B. Baker, José Carlos Bouso, Serdar Dursun, Jaime E. C. Hallak, Rafael G. Dos Santos
Expert Opinion on Drug Safety March 18, 2022 DOI: 10.1080/14740338.2022.2054988 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Humans in controlled settings |
| Intervention | Ayahuasca |
| Topics | Ayahuasca |
| Keywords | Tolerability Clinical trial Adverse effect Context archaeology Placebo Hallucinogen Antidepressant Headaches Observational study Nausea Pharmacology Intensive care medicine Alternative medicine Anesthesia |
| Citations | 17 |
| Key findings | Ayahuasca administration in controlled settings shows relative safety with no serious adverse events, but faces obstacles including lack of large clinical trials, dose standardization, legal issues, and compensation for traditional communities. |
Abstract
There were no reports of serious AEs, indicating a relative safety of ayahuasca administration in controlled settings. Most common AEs included nausea, vomiting, headaches, and transient increases in cardiovascular measurements. Ayahuasca research is still in its infancy, especially concerning the absence of large and robust clinical trials to verify its antidepressant effects. Dose standardization, legal prohibition of the possession of its alkaloids and how traditional communities will be compensated if ayahuasca becomes an approved medicine are the biggest obstacles to overcome for its future use in the therapeutic context.