Intoxication Associated with Ayahuasca Consumption, Characterization, and Comparative Analysis of the Beverage's Components: A Case Report.
Edgar A Estrella-Parra, José G. Avila-Acevedo, Ana M García-bores, José C. Rivera-Cabrera, Edgar F. Alarcón-villaseñor, Ivone Alejandre-García, Francisco J Alarcón-aguilar
Revista Colombiana de psiquiatria 2025 DOI: 10.1016/j.rcpeng.2025.10.009 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1 |
| Population | A 24-year-old Mexican man, habitual ayahuasca user |
| Topics | Ayahuasca DMT |
| Keywords | Alcaloides psicotrópicos Intoxicación Intoxication Psychotropic alkaloids Β-carbolinas Β-carbolines |
| Key findings | Ayahuasca consumption, in combination with other drugs, can lead to severe poisoning with cognitive decline and fluctuating consciousness. |
Abstract
Ayahuasca is a psychotropic beverage from South America, derived from Banisteriopsis caapi and Psychotria viridis. The beverage contains alkaloids such as β-carbolines and dimethyltryptamine (DMT), which alter the psychoactive functions associated with perception and thought processes. Its consumption in the countries of origin, such as Brazil, Colombia, and Peru, is prevalent. Its use has been popularized worldwide, especially in the European Union and North America, where the ayahuasca samples are introduced from South America. This article presents the case report of a Mexican ayahuasca user with clinical symptoms of poisoning. A 24-year-old man, habitual consumer of ayahuasca, arrived at emergency room presenting cognitive decline and a fluctuating course of delirium, stupor, and disorientation. The patient's blood samples were compared using HPLC/ESI-MS/MS with the extract consumed, with other traditional Colombian ayahuasca samples, and with standard chemicals, aiming to determine whether the components of ayahuasca were present in the patient's blood. The same blood sample was subjected to a bioinformatics analysis (KNIME 4.4.2-version, based on OpenMS) to detect other drugs probably consumed by the patient. The principal components of ayahuasca in the blood sample were identified: DMT, harmaline, harmine, harmol, bufotenine, and tetrahydro harmine. In addition, other narcotic drugs, such as 11-nor-9-carboxy-Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol, amphetamine, and norcocaine, were also detected. The poisoning can be associated with ayahuasca consumption and its interaction with other drugs.
Comparable studies
Other case reports and case series on ayahuasca, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| A fatal intoxication following the ingestion of 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine in an ayahuasca preparation. 25-year-old white male | 2005 | Case study | n = 1 |
| The Diaspora of Brazilian Religions | 2013 | Ethnographic case studies | |
| EEG Gamma Coherence and Other Correlates of Subjective Reports During Ayahuasca Experiences Experienced ayahuasca users | 2005 | Exploratory case series | n = 2 |
| Reply to “Ayahuasca turned on my mind’s eye”: A case of acquired versus congenital aphantasia, as evidenced with DMT use? Individual with apparent congenital aphantasia | 2018 | Case study | n = 1 |
| “Ayahuasca turned on my mind’s eye”: Enhanced visual imagery after ayahuasca intake in a man with “blind imagination” (aphantasia) A man self-diagnosed with long-lasting aphantasia | 2018 | Case study | n = 1 |
Citations in the library
Cites 16
- Human Pharmacology of Ayahuasca: Subjective and Cardiovascular Effects, Monoamine Metabolite Excretion, and Pharmacokinetics Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics June 18, 2003
- Subjective effects and tolerability of the South American psychoactive beverage Ayahuasca in healthy volunteers Psychopharmacology February 22, 2001
- Clinical investigations of the therapeutic potential of ayahuasca: rationale and regulatory challenges. Pharmacology & Therapeutics May 1, 2004
- Risk assessment of ritual use of oral dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and harmala alkaloids Addiction December 20, 2006
- The Therapeutic Potentials of Ayahuasca: Possible Effects against Various Diseases of Civilization. Frontiers in Pharmacology March 2, 2016
and 11 more in the library