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        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2003 >> Re: shrooms and meds
        
(Message started by: dberg99 on Oct 7^th, 2003, 3:13pm)

Title: Re: shrooms and meds
Post by dberg99 on Oct 7^th, 2003, 3:13pm

When people say get off meds for week or so before trying mushrroms, do they mean painkillers, too? Or just the beta-blocker-type drugs like immitrex, verapimil, topomax, etc.

Title: Re: shrooms and meds
Post by dberg99 on Oct 7^th, 2003, 4:06pm

Further reading, I guess people mean everything but oxygen... that's tough.

Title: Re: shrooms and meds
Post by tommyD on Oct 8^th, 2003, 8:19am

dberg -

It's not all that hopeless.

The problem is that, for many cluster drugs, we just don't know.

It seems that Imitrex and the other triptans probably interfere, as do sansert and the ergotamines. They affect the same neuro receptors/transmitters. Reports of those who tried seem to indicate the triptans do interfere, and may even interfere when taken AFTER a shroom treatment. However, there are also a few reports of success with shrooms and Imitrex.

Lithium will enhance the psychedelic effecs of the indole-ring hallucinogens (LSD, shrooms, etc.) Does it enhance the clusterbusting properties of these drugs? We don't know but it doesn't seem to interfere. Lithium and shrooms may have you talking to God, but we've found that's not really necessary.

Calcium-channel blockers like verapamil, in my opinion, do NOT USUALLY interfere with shrooms, tho some shroom gurus disagree. Some have successfully used both, but there are a few cases when shooms did not work, and the only reason anyone could think of was that the subject was also taking verap.

Steroids? Again, don't know. Seems like it might interfere. We need carefully compiled evidence. But remember, prednisone is only a temporary treatment, and there are lots of reasons not to use the stuff.

Opiates probably interfere. Capsaicin? Don't know. NSAIDS and other OTC pain remedies? Probably not, but who cares...unless you happen also to have a toothache or something.

So you're left with verapamil, oxygen, and all those non-med treatments we use to cope - ice, heat, exercise, water, Charlie's blood flow redirection, the Vulcan nerve pinch...

Hardest thing about the shroom treatment has gotta be giving up the Imitrex for three or so days...but there is still an arsenal of weapons to use on the Beast. Also note that the few attacks that often come after the shroom treatment seem to be much more easily treatable with O2 and the like.

For a good take on drug interactions with shrooms, see PinkSharkMark's notes on the subject:
http://www.clusterbusters.com/Importantnotes1.html

-tommyD

Title: Re: shrooms and meds
Post by Flash on Oct 8^th, 2003, 11:56am

There was a time when Imitrex didn't exist. How did we manage? How do you think?

OTC painkillers will make you headaches more intense and more frequent in the medium term so best not to use them anyway.

Stick to regular eating, sleeping patterns, avoid alcohol, drink green tea at the first sign of an attack, an breathe O2 if that don't work.

Flash