Ayahuasca and the traveller: A scoping review of risks and possible benefits
Sherilyn K. D. Houle, Derek Evans, Caitlin Carter, Patricia Schlagenhauf
Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease November 1, 2021 DOI: 10.1016/j.tmaid.2021.102206 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review Open-label Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Recreational ayahuasca users |
| Intervention | Ayahuasca |
| Topics | Ayahuasca |
| Keywords | Hallucinogen Context archaeology |
| Citations | 19 |
| Key findings | Ayahuasca use is associated with both psychiatric and non-psychiatric harms, including five reported fatalities, while evidence for therapeutic benefits is mixed and often short-lived. |
Abstract
BackgroundAyahuasca is a psychotropic drink made from the Amazonian vine Banisteriopsis caapi. Active components include beta-carboline alkaloids and the hallucinogen N-N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT). This review aimed to identify and summarize the literature on the safety and effectiveness of ayahuasca among recreational users.MethodA comprehensive literature search was done on November 1, 2019 in the following six databases: PubMed(MEDLINE), Ovid Embase, Ovid International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, LILACS, Scopus, and Web of Science. Articles were included if they were original research published in English, Spanish, or Portuguese, among human participants using oral ayahuasca for neuropsychiatric effects. Chemical or pharmacological analyses, brain imaging studies, and studies examining the use of ayahuasca within a religious context were excluded.Results5750 unique titles were identified through the database searches, with an additional 19 titles identified through manual searches. Ultimately, 39 met all the criteria for inclusion. Articles were organized into 4 themes: (1) Case reports and case series; (2) The use of ayahuasca for depression or grief; (3) The use of ayahuasca and other psychiatric or neuropsychological outcomes; and (4) Studies examining ayahuasca use and physiologic outcomes. Ayahuasca use is associated with a risk of both psychiatric and non-psychiatric events including hallucinations, agitation or aggression, vomiting, seizure, and rhabdomyolysis. Five fatalities have been reported in the literature following ayahuasca use. Open-label studies assessing ayahuasca use in depression found favorable results persisting across 21 days. Ayahuasca was also found to influence the MINDSENS scale for mindfulness, with mixed results observed for impact of ayahuasca on cognitive function and creativity, and benefits observed for measures of self-acceptance and overall wellbeing.ConclusionsTo date, evidence on benefits for the management of depression, anxiety, and other mental health disorders is mixed, with some evidence suggesting improvements in mindfulness measures and creativity that are generally short-lived, and multiple case reports suggesting the potential for harm and interactions.
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on ayahuasca, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antidepressive, anxiolytic, and antiaddictive effects of ayahuasca, psilocybin and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD): a systematic review of clinical trials published in the last 25 years Patients from included clinical trials | 2016 | Systematic review | |
| Risk assessment of ritual use of oral dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and harmala alkaloids Humans (ritual ayahuasca use) | 2006 | Systematic review | |
| Default Mode Network Modulation by Psychedelics: A Systematic Review Participants from included studies | 2022 | Systematic review | |
| Ayahuasca, dimethyltryptamine, and psychosis: a systematic review of human studies | 2017 | Systematic review | |
| Psychedelic therapy for depressive symptoms: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Participants in studies of psychedelic therapy for depressive symptoms (Major... | 2023 | Systematic review with meta-analysis | n = 14 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 14
- Psychedelics in the treatment of unipolar and bipolar depression International Journal of Bipolar Disorders July 5, 2022
- Ayahuasca, a potentially rapid acting antidepressant: focus on safety and tolerability Expert Opinion on Drug Safety March 18, 2022
- The Clinical Potential of Dimethyltryptamine: Breakthroughs into the Other Side of Mental Illness, Neurodegeneration, and Consciousness Psychoactives February 26, 2024
- Do classic psychedelics increase the risk of seizures? A scoping review. European Neuropsychopharmacology August 1, 2024
- Evaluation of the In Vitro Wound-Healing Potential of Ayahuasca. Molecules September 6, 2022
and 9 more in the library
Cites 55
- Rapid antidepressant effects of the psychedelic ayahuasca in treatment-resistant depression: a randomized placebo-controlled trial Psychological Medicine June 15, 2018
- Antidepressant effects of a single dose of ayahuasca in patients with recurrent depression: a preliminary report Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry March 1, 2015
- Antidepressant Effects of a Single Dose of Ayahuasca in Patients With Recurrent Depression Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology December 11, 2015
- Antidepressive, anxiolytic, and antiaddictive effects of ayahuasca, psilocybin and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD): a systematic review of clinical trials published in the last 25 years Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology March 18, 2016
- Clinical investigations of the therapeutic potential of ayahuasca: rationale and regulatory challenges. Pharmacology & Therapeutics May 1, 2004
and 50 more in the library