Ayahuasca, a potentially rapid acting antidepressant: focus on safety and tolerability
Expert Opinion on Drug Safety March 18, 2022 Giordano Novak Rossi, Isabella Caroline Da Silva Dias, Glen B. Baker et al. 17 citations
In controlled settings, ayahuasca administration appears relatively safe, with no serious adverse events reported. Common side effects include nausea, vomiting, headaches, and temporary increases in heart rate and blood pressure. Research on ayahuasca's antidepressant effects is still early, lacking large, robust clinical trials. Major obstacles to its therapeutic use include dose standardization, legal prohibition of its alkaloids, and questions about compensating traditional communities if ayahuasca becomes an approved medicine.