My life story and some questions about a flood
This is the ultra important part that maybe we as a forum address... These questions will all be answered. It's quite good that you have been so thorough. Makes it easier for all of us when people ask such precise questions.
Welcome jane67 ! You have a lot of questions, hopefully you will get answers to most of them. I do think it is very important to be off all psyc meds for awhile before you consider Iboga. Iboga is the ultimate SSRI and mixed with pharmaceutical SSRI's could be dangerous. I am not sure two weeks is long enough to be off of them. Do you think it is possible to be off of all of these drugs for longer than two weeks and for how long? I would think that in your situation it would be wise to microdose with some RB before deciding on a flood, this alone could relive some anxiety and other things you are experiencing, so maybe if you could get off the meds for awhile the RB could help a lot. I am not sure I would reccomend a flood dose...yet. We know that Iboga can help with mental issues, but It could also make things worse, more likely if you haven't been off of the meds for long enough. I think that others will jump in on this, but this is my 2 cents for now. roxine
Yes, I want to "detox" from all the psych meds first. I just consider mirtazapine to make more issues in the process than the neuroleptics and also be the most important thing to detox from. I don't know how long I'll manage without. Last time I've managed for about 10 days and didn't feel too well in the end. Maybe microdosing RB in the process would make it more manageable. Ideally antidepressants should be phased out gently and not withdrawn from abruptly, but I've got no idea, how long it would take and, more importantly, how long should be waited after the last dose. Maybe my psychiatrist knows about the half-life. While searching the forum for mirtazapine, I found an experience from Yuki. He/she phased out from 45mg to 7.5mg, but only stopped taking them 3 days before the flood and still had a strong experience, and seemingly without freaking out. OK, I've just read the wiki article about mirtazapine. It's claimed that it has a half-life of 20-40 hours and that MAOI shouldn't be used within 2 weeks of discontinuation. I believe, "the rules" for MAOI after AD are stricter than for Iboga after AD, if it makes any sense. And it's not a SSRI, it's a tetracyclic/NaSSA (noradrenergic and specific serotonergic antidepressant).
Personally I would steer clear of anything that affects your serotonin levels at all, for quite some time. This could be dangerous. One person may have had some luck, but that may not be the case every time. I would try to be off it for a month. As far as the asthma medicine, I just don't know. Someone else may jump in and be able to answer or perhaps you could call a medical provider and ask their opinion. As far as caffeine, I would stay away for maybe 24 hrs, the tobacco I don't think matters so much. I don't think 1gr (P)TA would be enough for a full experience, but this is just my opinion. If you are just looking to break threshold then maybe... but I don't see the point in that especially for a first flood... I would want a good head cracking. entheo_newbie has been doing a ton of research and his advice is pretty solid. hope this helps a little bit anyway, roxine
Hmmh. Still waiting for the answers to the questions. Two remarks: 1. I probably won't be able to quit symbicort, which I use every day for asthma. I hope, there are no contraindications. 2. I've read more about said TPA. Quote: "Purity: 95% TPA (total purified alkaloids) (70% Ibogaine, 30% Voacangine, Voaphylinne, Tabernanthine, Ibogamine, Coronaridine, etc) and 5% inert plant matter.". So, 1g (like I planned) would only contain 700mg Ibogaine. Wouldn't it be too little for a first flood, for a 70-75kg male? Or do the other alkaloids potentiate the effects?
Hi jane67 I haven't flooded...yet so can't address most of your questions but I hope you find the following of some use at least do a search for sitter - many threads have good information on what your sitter needs to do The flood experience is going to keep you awake for a long time and you will have difficulty sleeping for a few days once the flood is over. So, the last thing you want to do is drink coffee to further stimulate your system. Smoking is bad for you at anytime but if you're going to flood then you should take good care of your body before during and after so I would advise against it. EKG and liver tests seem to be the standard (you want to be sure that your liver can metabolize the Iboga) so these tests should come back as normal A lot of people find it difficult to flood on root bark due the the sheer amount you have to take - it also can cause more nausea than purified TA. Some take a few grams of root bark to supplement the purified TA. there's a thread in the iboga talk section that has advice on keeping the glow post flood. Eat well (i.e. good healthy food, not junk), avoid alcohol, exercise and get plenty of sleep before and after.