Cimi

You aren't RC it feels like nobody is there and has for some time (as you can see from the topics in this forum). Guys we need u please come back!

I'm intrigued. What do you mean? Why would they think this?

Yeah I was also wondering this.

This reagent colour chart should be stickied. If you have all those reagents you can usually work out some semblance of wtf you have. Winner. This reminds me I also no longer have these.

Edit: links fixed

That's so true. The fentanyl stuff is crazy. Me too. Thanks everyone for showing me the gaps in my understanding. I think I had decent "entry-level" education about many plants and drugs at uni but not very in-depth. I've seen a massive SSRI overdose where the acute symptoms went on for 4 days but the person still survived unharmed. The ageing thing is so true as well - the way things affect us can really change throughout our lifetime. I loved having a testing kit when my friends and I were doing pingers, really gave me peace of mind: https://ez-test.com.au/

Adulteration would make sense. Having a testing kit on-hand could be helpful. Yeah the food stuff doesn't apply in this case, not sure why it was brought up.

Yes I did think that psilocybin with an MAOI would carry that possibility for some people to some extent, but that's true about its similarity to DMT so maybe that one doesn't belong there. When MAOIs are combined with DMT they do produce a myriad of unpleasant effects which include symptoms / sensations which could be indicative of some level of SS (eg., sweats / chills; fear / paranoia / confusion). I don't know if a mild form of SS may comprise part of the experience for some people. As I've said, mild-moderate SS is not really dangerous and I kind of just assume that some level of it is probably quite a common experience while tripping. I know I have experienced some of the signs while on hallucinogens and just considered it part of the experience. I don't think it's a big deal. I thought all that's really needed for SS is high levels of serotonergic activity which most hallucinogens produce in high doses or especially in combination with other agents. I'm not really thinking of it as a "risk" unless it's an insane quantity or heaps of different substances at once. It's not completely predictable. This Erowid page on Ayahuasca states that there are dietary and drug concerns while using rue, but it could be out of date: https://www.erowid.org/chemicals/ayahuasca/ayahuasca_effects.shtml "There are health concerns about some foods and drugs consumed in combination with the monoamine oxidase inhibiting harmala alkaloids" Yes, RIMAs are a lot safer than irreversible MAOIs. I just agree that it was weird that Acacia got SS of all things with this combo and maybe there's some susceptibility there in conjunction with that prescription medication.

Most of the time when people get SS they don't actually die from it, so it's quite possible for it to be commonly caused by drugs without high death rates. It usually occurs in the presence of an MAOI or an SSRI, and another serotonergic drug(s). So if you don't want those feelings it wouldn't be advisable to trip on a serotonergic halluncinogen while regularly taking an MAOI, especially if it's already happened to you before on said MAOI. DMT is a bit different obviously. Well according to the article SS has indeed been described with LSD. I agree it's not really a huge concern and rarely dangerous but people can definitely get it from combining different serotonergic drugs, and particularly when an MAOI or SSRI is present. SS is poorly understood. It's just a collection of clinical signs. Really any serotonergic drug could be implicated in causing it in some drug combinations for some individuals, especially when MAOIs or SSRIs are involved..

This table includes LSD as a drug which can cause SS: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serotonin_syndrome#Cause Attached is the full-text article cited. Link: http://www.njmonline.nl/getpdf.php?id=245 It goes into the different ways SS can be triggered. The other cited resource is a textbook. Yes, that's what Psilocybin does. Mimicking serotonin is also what mescaline (and LSD) does too, so why mescaline but not psilocybin (or LSD - which is incorrect as shown above)? Anything that stimulates the serotonin receptors can increase the likelihood of SS. SS article.pdf

RIMAs are a type of MAOI. Moclobemide is technically a RIMA, and mescaline, MDMA & opioids appear on the list of "unsafe" combinations with RIMAs including moclobemide here: https://psychonautwiki.org/wiki/RIMA What point are you trying to make? Are you saying Moclobemide isn't "technically" an MAOI, or are you saying that other MAOIs are safe to use with psychedelics, or are you saying that psychedelics are safe with moclobemide?

They are pretty much all serotonin agonists, even moreso than opiate substances. To be clear, I'm talking primarily about hallucinogens - LSD, psilocybin, mescaline and MDMA I guess. They all act primarily on serotonin receptors. LSD can definitely cause SS. Actually a lot of things can cause it. Being on a regular MAOI certainly increases sensitivity. It's unpredictable. I'm sure some people would be ok but it doesn't mean its advisable.

Phew. Thanks for letting us know. Serotonin syndrome can certainly go on for a while but is rarely fatal. Of course it depends on what has been taken and yeah taking MAOIs certainly rules out a lot of recreational substances unfortunately. EDIT: Including most psychedelics which would have also probably triggered serotonin syndrome in this situation.

Don't freak out. Usually in hospital they just treat it by waiting and observation anyway. Unfortunately there's not a lot you can do. You might just have to ride it out, but you will be ok. The prognosis is good. It will subside in time. Maybe take your temperature? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serotonin_syndrome#Management

Hey mates. Let's share stories of how COVID / isolation has impacted us, and ideas of things which have helped. I've been enjoying hermit life, getting into my cooking more. All round good times for connecting with the garden more, dressing like a dag and not caring, fixing my shoes, living frugal. Living by life's natural rhythms rather than having to be here or there at a certain time, no deadlines, no man-made shit. Just kind of getting used to the idea that coasting and taking time to do nothing is ok, and reinforcing that we have just been conditioned to think and feel the opposite. Feeling content with what is, appreciating that I have a home, food and warmth, caring for animals. It's sometimes nice just staying home all the time is now ok to do.

I mean anyone worth their salt should also know that "diagnosis" of mental health conditions is highly culture-bound - eg., as DJ said, the significant changes to what's in the diagnostic manual (eg., being gay was in there up until 1987). The idea of what is psychologically "abnormal" is governed by the social norms in which we live and so is changing all the time and can't be generalised universally. With increasing globalisation and exposure to different cultures in our current times we need to be all the more flexible and open in our thinking. Online communities have also created such a massive variety of 'sub-cultures' now. It's reductionist to simply focus on what is normal or abnormal. Labels can help descriptively as a shorthand measure but people with the same "diagnosis" can be very different, and often different things will work for them. I think the kind of pigeonholing behaviour you are describing from MH professionals can also come from burnout or fear - it allows them to stay disengaged because maybe aspects of the client's presentation are threatening in some way, or they fear that genuinely engaging will make them vulnerable. It's a shame so may of them seem to have such weak egos! They certainly need more exposure to different people, cultures and practices. I think there is a lot of attachment to the 'expert' role and they are often uncomfortable with breaking this down in any way.

Fun times. Used to play LoL! Sorry I'm posting this again I'm blaming u Halcyon Daze for waking up my Tame Impala jive again

Yeah I had this issue too. Right-click the desired page and choose "open link in new tab". That worked for me. Another user told me that in a recent thread. Edit: It was ZooL who suggested this to me.

That really sucks Acacia. In my opinion, good assessment and treatment require an understanding for each client's core strengths, values and own goals. I was always taught that treatment should be a collaborative process between therapist and client. Tbh I think a lot of MH professionals just have their own egos so wrapped up in what they are doing. Many are on power trips and downright unethical in how they approach client issues. In my opinion, the cornerstone of effective treatment is the therapeutic triad - warmth, empathy and genuineness. If you aren't seeing these in your treating practitioner, move on and find someone who does show these but unfortunately it can be hard to find.

Awesome. Might need to talk to Torsten (is he still around?) or one of the other mods to organise it?

Yeah this is a long-standing issue which has definitely been raised in the past but apparently was too difficult to implement or something. It's a shame that there seems to be a lack of attention to many long-standing problems with the site. When others have brought it up they have been told that people have other commitments, which is true but I still think we should be working out ways to address things. The SSL thing should definitely be right up there in terms of priorities.