so, i was involved in another thread here on the nexus talking about SSRI use and it's horrendously damaging effects on the noodle as well as the magical seratonin platelets/receptor site effects of Caapi vine....

it is put forth by some members that daily intake of caapi can stimulate the development of seratonin platelets...REALLY?? as someone who was on an SSRI (lexapro) for nearly 5 years, i can't help but think that i did some damage to my seratonin receptors....if caapi can help me undo this damage and, better still, IMPROVE these parts of my brain i would be ALL OVER IT!!!

that being said, what would be the best way to "give us this day our daily caapi"? ...and in what amount would i see the most benefit?

these are the questions that keep me up at night...

MUCH LOVE AND GRATITUDE!!

I am sure that would be useful knowledge for many of us .
Here is the "Caapi Alone" Sticky on the Ayahuasca Forums.
Maybe freeze Tea , or cold water extraction in small serving sized bottles.

EDIT// http://forums.ayahuasca....pbb/viewtopic.php?t=6570 Therapeutic Caapi Tea , Materials and Method

There is no conclusive evidence that B. caapi consumption increases the expression of seretonin receptors in the central nervous system. There is limited evidence that it increases expression on seretonin receptors found on blood platelets. However as reversable MAOI's the alkaloids certaintly have anti depressant qualities.

What all this means no one knows for sure. Although frequent consumption of B. caapi does not appear to have any obvious negative consequences daily use for long periods of time may not be safe depending on the dose, your diet, if you are taking any other medications (especially anything that interacts with seretonin or other monoaminergic systems), and your overall health. Shamans and bi weekly to weekly users of ayahuasca have no apparent problems from using these substances but its still a good idea to not over do it and start and stick with lowest dose necessary for beneficial effects. Also taking breaks is probably a good idea too. Although you sound like a healthy person who takes care of themself so just be careful and watch your dose and pay attention to your body.

Preserving in a frozen tea is probably best bet on good storage with no fungal growth. Or just extract the alkaloids and store them.

I use very small amounts of caapi tea when i feel any depression or anxiety coming on. I use 5-10 grams and boil for about 15 minutes in a cup of water.It dosnt taste bad at all and with a little honey it can be good.I save the caapi from the boil and use it the next day.It just requires a little more boiling the second time.

This seems to work really well,my mood is immediately lifted and this last through the next day.I have noticed a reverse tolerance effect.The more i use caapi the less i need,as with another certain medicine.

I have recently thought about a changa blend with caapi leaves and damiana.A mixture heavy in "strength" and easy on "the light" would be smokeable daily(or more) and easy to store.As soon as my package arrives ill try it out.

I recommend taking Bacopa monnieri as well, if you are wanting to regenerate your neural stuff.


Take a look at part 1.7(medicinal uses) in this dissertation on bacopa micropropagation.

Micropropagation of Bacopa monneiri L. Penn.
- an important medicinal plant


Ayurvedic info sheet on bacopa:

http://www.herbalayurveda.com/downloads/brahmi.pdf


For me, caapi and bacopa is a wonderful combination. Bacopa is great...and so is Caapi... and Ashwagandha. I take these three on a daily basis...though sometimes I don't take the caapi as consistently.

Bacopa really turns everything back on in the brain. If I take it and relax in observation mode, I can actually perceive the electrical currents healing what needs healing. It's great! I HIGHLY recommend it to anyone needing some brain re'groov'enation.

awesome guys...thanks a ton. i recently made a wonderful changa blend with 30% caapi, 10% lavender, 10% peppermint and 50% spice.....wasn't sure if you technically get any real amount of caapi when vaporizing such a small amount...

...although i will say that the journey is UNEQUIVOCALLY influenced by the addition of the vine...without question.....such a soulful plant...

thanks again for any and all of your help on this one!

LOVE AND GRATITUDE!!

I have the same question. Did some bio-assays of one gulp per day, for a few days in a row. Results are promising but inconclusive, more work needed to see if it was placebo or not.
Anyway, it's a nice way to get acquainted with a plant, I even at these low doses (no full MAO inhibition) I have a feeling it enhances mushrooms and smoked DMT.

I know several people who have been on prescription antidepressants for years and frankly, they aren't doing too well. It's not healing, at best it keeps things manageable perpetually without progress... and all the time, money is being made by big pharma.

There is one thing I don't understand: people complaining about the taste of Caapi tea. It's wonderful, bitter, earthy and refreshing, I love it and no nausea so far! Cold extracted Mimosa tea is far worse, almost like a dry powdery liquid.

I've only smoked Rue so far, no Caapi, but this is also highly effective, especially when basified with lime. Poor Rue is bashed too often!

"There is one thing I don't understand: people complaining about the taste of Caapi tea. It's wonderful, bitter, earthy and refreshing, I love it and no nausea so far! Cold extracted Mimosa tea is far worse, almost like a dry powdery liquid."

I agree..people go on and on about ayahuasca as tasting horrible..I just dont get it..I dont think it tastes bad at all..even full brews..unless you use mimosa or ure..then it tastes gross.

Weak teas that only contain like 2-5 grams caapi I think actaully taste good..especially with some cocoa and honey.

Also, for those who uses mdma or just as a preventive measure - use L-Dopa.
Good source of L-DOPA is Mucuna Pruriens.
It also has anti-depressive properties.
Maya has Mucuna extracts.

few drops caapi spagyric
few grams caapi tea
few pinches caapi changuana
etc.

Over use of L-dopa can lead to dyskinesia (the movements people make who had parkinsons who took it for too long). Combination of l-dopa and MAOI could be very dangerous and should seriously be avoided.

MAOI and MDMA also could equal death. I am not sure what the purpose of your post was nadir but I just want to make others aware that these are dangerous combinations.

I would be taking 5htp as a preventative measure against MDMA the morning after..not L-Dopa..
Better yet just dont overdo it with MDMA..

Caapi does a lot more than inhibiting MAO. The MAO inhibiting effects don't last that long, while people familiar with it know that it's effects on mood etc. can last for more than a day.
Harmala's can also be used to treat parkinsonism, because it has effects on dopamin as well.

People who use ayahuasca frequently are basically happier than those who don't, research shows.

This can not be atributed to it's MAOI properties, since that would require daily use over a period of months to get the same results: all anti-depressants that are based on MAOI activity take at least two weeks of daily use before any anti-depressant effect becomes apparent and take at least three months of daily use for it to be sustained.

It's true :]

alright- i've got a bag with 114 gr. shredded caapi vine.....i've taken a few pinches out here and there to grind up into my changas....i have a little over 100gr. now.

somebody throw me a recipe of what to do, how much to take, how to store, etc... my appreciation for this favor is infinite!

L&G!!

just steep like 10g with hibiscus, honey, and a dash of lemon for 30 minutes before a journey or sleep.

feels so good.

this tea bag can obviously be reused.

I think acolon_5 has posted something about this subject.
All i know is that you need less than the amount required for full MAOI effect, if you want to use it as a supplement for daily use.

Yes its kinda like a long lasting mild afterglow. Who knows whats causing it. No one has conclusively proven it has to do with upregulation of seretonin receptors is all I am saying. The reason I am saying it is because sometimes one report comes up that indicates something might be going on with some medicine or drug and then it spreads throughout the internet and then everyone believes it but if you look at the studies you'll find they were not conclusive. More research needs to be done is all. But I do think Caapi and the alkaloids in it are useful for depression more then just treating symptoms maybe a cure for some people.



This is true. But combining with L dopa without medical supervision is a good way to overdo it and get nasty side effects. Thats what I was warning about. Its the same reason why would shouldn't combine MAOI's with SSRI's its too much seretonin and can cause seretonin syndrome which can be fatal.



Yes and they also belong to a tight nit church group. You could find the same kind of statistical correlation with many churches. But I do think something more is going on with ayahuasca. Making a medical claim that it can cure depression based on the current evidence is going to far right now. Although I think it can I just don't think anyone has proven it in a way that should be done to consider it a medicine (in the western sense).



SSRI's often take a few weeks before there effects start too. Can we then say that it has nothing to do with seretonin uptake inhibition? No not really. That inhibition probably leads to another effect such as changes in gene expression etc, the same is probably true for B. caapi except a different mechanism.

I didn't offer combining maoi's with L-dopa or mdma. Sorry, probably wrong place to post

I took bacopa for a short stint, until the bottle ran out...Just the pills from the health food store. Wondering your opinion on the best way to go about using it (tincture, juice, pill, etc) or a good place/brand to buy?