Bufo is generally a safe substance to use. However, it is not for everyone. At Shangriballa, we carefully screen each person to ensure they are suitable for the retreat. This bufo safety guide will assist you in assessing if this is the right substance for you. You must disclose all the information on the “Client Intake Form.” We work with clients who are not suitable at the time of enquiring and, wherever possible, prepare them for a later date.
(If You Lie, You Might Die)
If you have or have ever had a medical condition, please check with your healthcare provider before attending any of our retreats. We are always happy to talk to you, so please reach out if you are unsure.
Who Should Not Be Taking Toad Medicine?
If you suffer from any of the following conditions, you should not take Bufo:
Heart Problems: Disclose any previous problems and investigations.
Kidney Disorders.
High Blood Pressure: You are medicated for the condition.
Schizophrenia. Let us know if there is a direct family history of Schizophrenia.
Bipolar Disorder.
Anyone with a history of psychosis or psychotic breaks.
Borderline Personality Disorder.
Dissociative Personality Disorder.
Additionally, asthmatics should know that inhalers cannot be used within at least 48 hours of a ceremony. If you are unable to get through an asthma attack without your inhaler, you should not do these ceremonies.
Sacred Toad is not recommended for people with severe asthma as it can cause Phlegm and exacerbate asthma. Please get in touch with us as there might be other options for administration.
If you have hypo-thyroid problems, we recommend bringing your medication with you but stop taking it a few days before your first ceremony. If your energy plummets, you can resume the medication.
With age, the risk of taking powerful psychedelics increases; Shangriballa always eliminates risk, and therefore, we ask people over the age of 65 to please get in touch with us first before booking for an assessment.
Why Are Medications Not Permitted?
Sacred Toad is dangerous when taken with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), which include most anti-depressants.
Medications that fall into these classes must be stopped 2-6 weeks before taking Sacred Toad, depending on the medication’s half-life. This is very important, as mixing these two types of substances can lead to potentially fatal serotonin syndrome.
Always work with your healthcare professional to assist you in safely tapering and coming off the medicine. We also require that any medication taken in the past year be disclosed on our intake form.
If you lie, you might DIE.
Drug-induced psychosis is fairly rare and is not limited to hallucinogens. There is a fairly long list of drugs known to have caused psychosis, including marijuana, commonly considered a very safe drug. While the risk is small, it does exist. Please study our Bufo Safety Guide.
Which Drugs & Supplements Interact with Sacred Toad?
The following classes of drugs are potentially dangerous when taken with Toad or any MAOIs. If you are taking medication, please research each drug’s half-life so you know how far in advance you need to stop.
Some medications require as much as 4-6 weeks.SSRIs and SNRis (Antidepressants)
Anti-hypertensives
Anti-psychotics
Asthma medications such as salbutamol
Opiates and opioids
Barbiturates
Amphetamines and stimulants such as cocaine
Cough medicines
Decongestants
Antibiotics
Additionally, the following herbs and supplements should not be taken before your retreat:
- St. Johns Wort
- Ginseng
- Kava
- Yohimbe
- Kanna
- Scotch Broom
- Kratom
- Ephedra
- Boswellia
- Nutmeg
Risk Stratification and Management of Substances with Serotonergic Properties, please review our Bufo Safety Guide.
| Medication Class | Risk Stratification | Effect | Management |
| MAOIs (e.g Harmala alkaloids, Syrian rue, Ayahuasca Moclobemide Tranylcypromine Phenelzine Isocarboxazid Selegiline Methylene blue Linezolid | Contraindicated due to risk of Serotonin Toxicity | Increased or toxic responses | Diminished effects, the potential for increased exposure |
| Lithium | Contraindicated due to risks of seizures | Increased or toxic responses | Taper, discontinue and wash out before use (time dependent on agent reversibility with MAO) |
| SSRIs (e.g., fluoxetine, paroxetine, escitalopram, fluvoxamine, citalopram, sertraline) | Caution due to increased synaptic 5HT and/or CYP2D6 inhibition | Weigh risks and benefits of discontinuation If stopping medication wash out for at least one week | Diminished effects, the potential for increased exposure |
| SNRIs (e.g., duloxetine, venlafaxine, desvenlafaxine) | |||
| SPARIs (e.g., vortioxetine, vilazodone) | Caution due to increased synaptic 5HT and/or competition at 5HT receptors | Diminished effects | |
| Buspirone | Caution due to potential competition at 5HT receptors | Diminished effects | Weigh risks and benefits of discontinuation If stopping medication wash out for at least two weeks although longer periods to observe |
| Mirtazapine | Caution due to potential competition/inhibition of 5HT receptors | Diminished effects | Weigh the risks and benefits of discontinuation. If stopping medication, wash out for at least one week. |
| Trazodone, Nefazodone | |||
| Atypical antipsychotics | Caution due to potential inhibition of 5HT receptors or underlying illness | Diminished effects | Weigh the risks and benefits of discontinuation. If stopping medication, wash out for at least one week. |
| TCAs with potent SRI properties (e.g., Chlorpheniramine, clomipramine, imipramine) | |||
| Weigh the risks and benefits of discontinuation. If stopping medication, wash out for at least 2 weeks | Caution due to increased synaptic 5HT | Diminished effects | TCAs with potent SRI properties (e.g., Chlorpheniramine, clomipramine, imipramine) |
| SRAs (e.g., MDMA, mephedrone, 2Cx, Dox, NBOMe, Mescaline) | Caution due to increased synaptic 5HT | Intensified effects | Weigh risks and benefits of discontinuation If stopping wash out for at least 1 week. |
| St. John’s Wort | Caution due to increased 5HT neurotransmission | Intensified effects? | May be combined if indication is present to treat nausea/vomiting |
| Stimulants with SRI properties (e.g., cocaine, ephedra, weight loss agents, pseudoephedrine, methamphetamine) | Caution due to increased 5HT neurotransmission or cardiovascular effects | Intensified effects? | Avoid at least 5 half-lives before and after toad |
| TCAs with lower SRI properties (e.g., amitriptyline, nortriptyline, desipramine) | Caution due to increased synaptic 5HT | Intensified effects? | Avoid at least 3 half lives before toad or combine cautiously using a titrated sequence of toad (start low, go very slow) |
| Triptans (e.g., sumatriptan, rizatriptan) | Caution additive vasoconstriction | Intensified cardiovascular responses | Avoid at least 12 hours before and 3 hours after |
| Ergotamines (e.g., dihydroergotamine) | Caution additive vasoconstriction | Intensified cardiovascular responses | Avoid at least 5 half-lives before and after |
| Serotonin 3 receptor antagonists (e.g., ondansetron) | Little risk in combination | Decreased emetic responses | May be combined if the indication is present to treat nausea/vomiting |
| Analgesics (e.g., meperidine, methadone, tapentadol, tramadol, propoxyphene) | Caution due to increased synaptic 5HT | Diminished effects | Consider skipping or reducing doses around the time of use |
Spiritpharmacist.com”
If you are unsure about medication, please contact me for more information. The Bufo Safety Guide might not list all medicines and makes.
There is also a small risk of “drug-induced psychosis”. Some of the classic signs of psychosis are bizarre behaviour, delusions, disorganized thinking, hallucinations, and catatonia. These symptoms may last hours, days, or weeks and require professional intervention.
Anyone with a family history of poor psychological health, especially schizophrenic, bipolar or psychotic disorders, should be cautious about taking ayahuasca, bufo, or any other psychoactive substance.
What are the Psychological Risks of Bufo?
Since the LSD culture of the 1960s, it has been known that hallucinogens can trigger latent tendencies toward psychiatric and emotional disorders. In a small percentage of cases, people with no prior history of problems have exhibited symptoms of anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, psychosis, or schizophrenia after taking hallucinogenic or psychoactive substances. The mechanisms of this are not understood. However, those with a family history of mental health issues are more at risk.
Additional Safety Precautions with Sacred Toad
Toad is not advisable if you have had a concussion within the last year. People who take bufo after a concussion frequently have very unpleasant experiences, often ‘reliving’ the event that caused the injury in highly distorted and frightening ways or feeling as though they’ve ‘gone crazy’ while under the effects of the medicine. If you have a head injury, please check with your doctor before taking bufo.
Non-prescription medicines, such as amphetamines and their derivatives, antihistamines, dietary aids, and herbal remedies containing ephedrine, high levels of caffeine, or other stimulants, should be discontinued for at least a week before and following toad use. Please check with your herbalist or homoeopath as even innocuous remedies, such as St John’s Wort/hypericum, may not be suitable in combination with toad.
Avoid all chemically-based recreational drugs, particularly MDMA (ecstasy), cocaine, speed, and heroin.
Marijuana does not seem to affect Sacred Toad; however, we ask that participants stop using it for at least 24 hours before the retreat. Please disclose your use of marijuana on the intake form so we can plan your dose accordingly for an optimal experience.
Download the full bufo safety guide / FIVE GUIDE Pharmacology and Drug Interactions of Sacred Toad Medicine.
The Bufo Safety Guide is comprehensive but not a substitute for medical advice. If you are taking medication, ask your healthcare professional for advice. The Bufo Safety Guide is not designed to encourage medication discontinuation; speak to your health provider about stopping medications.
Bufo Safety Guide
Bufo Safety Guide
Bufo Safety Guide
