Banisteriopsis caapi is often abbreviated as caapi. This plant is used in ayahuasca brews to make DMT orally active. Caapi is not necessary to make psilocybin from truffles or magic mushrooms orally active, but it is increasingly added to reduce the need for psilocybin because it slows down its breakdown. However, adding Caapi does increase the risk of interactions with medication and potentially dangerous situations. We list here the contraindications for the use of Banisteriopsis caapi, and consequently also psilohuasca, ayahuasca, and chocobliss (because Banisteriopsis caapi is present in them). Incidentally, most of the contraindications for this Caapi stem from the MAO-inhibiting effects of harmine and harmaline.

The contraindications for the use of caapi are:

• Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as fluoxetine (Prozac), sertraline (Zoloft), and paroxetine (Paxil).
• Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) such as Venlafaxine (Effexor), Duloxetine (Cymbalta), Desvenlafaxine (Pristiq) and Levomilnacipran (Fetzima).
• Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) such as amitriptyline, nortriptyline, and imipramine.
• atypical antidepressants such as Bupropion (Wellbutrin, Zyban, Mirtazapine (Remeron), Trazodone (Desyrel), Vortioxetine (Trintellix), Vilazodone (Viibryd) and Agomelatine (Valdoxan).
• Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAO inhibitors) such as phenelzine (Nardil), tranylcypromine (Parnate), and selegiline (Emsam).
• Antipsychotics such as Chlorpromazine (Thorazine), Haloperidol (Haldol), Flupentixol (Fluanxol), Thioridazine (Mellaril), Perphenazine (Trilafon), Olanzapine (Zyprexa), Risperidone (Risperdal), Quetiapine (Seroquel), Aripiprazole (Abilify), Clozapine (Clozaril), Ziprasidone (Geodon), Paliperidone (Invega), Lurasidone (Latuda) and Asenapine (Saphris).
• Dopamine agonists such as Pramipexole (Mirapex), Ropinirole (Requip), Rotigotine (Neupro), Apomorphine (Apokyn) and Bromocriptine.
• Cholinesterase inhibitors such as Rivastigmine and galantamine.
  
• Benzodiazepines such as Diazepam (Valium), Alprazolam (Xanax), Lorazepam (Ativan), Clonazepam (Klonopin), Temazepam (Restoril), Oxazepam (Serax), Chlordiazepoxide (Librium), Clorazepate (Tranxene), Midazolam (Versed) and Triazolam (Halcion).
• Z-drugs such as zolpidem, zopiclone and eszopiclone.
• Antihistamines such as Diphenhydramine (Benadryl), Loratadine (Claritin), Cetirizine (Zyrtec), Fexofenadine (Allegra), Desloratadine (Clarinex), Levocetirizine (Xyzal), Brompheniramine (Dimetapp), Chlorpheniramine (Chlor-Trimeton), Clemastine (Tavist), and Hydroxyzine (Atarax, Vistaril).
• ACE inhibitors (Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme inhibitors) such as Enalapril (Vasotec), Lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril) and Ramipril (Altace).
• ARBs (Angiotensin Receptor Blockers) such as Losartan (Cozaar), Valsartan (Diovan) and Irbesartan (Avapro).
• Calcium channel blockers such as Amlodipine (Norvasc), Diltiazem (Cardizem) and Verapamil (Calan).
• Diuretics (water pills) such as Hydrochlorothiazide (Microzide), Chlorthalidone (Hygroton) and Furosemide (Lasix).
• Beta-blockers such as Metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol XL), Atenolol (Tenormin) and Propranolol (Inderal).
• Alpha blockers such as Doxazosin (Cardura), Prazosin (Minipress) and Terazosin (Hytrin)
• Direct renin inhibitors like Aliskiren (Tekturna).
• Centrally acting antihypertensives such as Methyldopa (Aldomet), Clonidine (Catapres) and Guanfacine (Intuniv).
• Anesthetics such as barbiturates (thiopental and phenobarbital).
• Painkillers such as Meperidine (pethidine), morphine, fentanyl and Tramadol.
• Triptans such as sumatriptan, rizatriptan, eletriptan and zolmitriptan.
• Cold remedies such as Dextromethorphan.
• Drugs such as cocaine, heroin, amphetamine (speed) and MDMA (XTC).
• Mescaline cacti (peyote and San Pedro).
• Alcohol
• Ephedra
• Pregnancy
• Kidney diseases
• Diabetes
• Epilepsy
• Neurological disorders
• High blood pressure
• Cardiovascular diseases
• Brain hemorrhages
• Adrenal gland complaints
• Abnormal blood cells
• Schizophrenia
• Psychosis susceptibility
• Borderline

More about: Ayahuasca diet | ayahuasca | psilohuasca

Banisteriopsis caapi, also known as Caapi, is a plant that is often used in ayahuasca brews. The active ingredients, harmala alkaloids (such as harmine and harmaline), work as reversible MAO-A inhibitors. This can lead to strong interactions with certain substances and conditions.

⚠️ Important interactions

💊 Medicines

❌ Antidepressants (SSRIs, SNRIs, tricyclic antidepressants, atypical antidepressants, MAO inhibitors) → Can cause serotonin syndrome
❌ Antipsychotics → Unpredictable reactions possible
❌ Dopamine agonists (e.g. Pramipexole, Ropinirole, Bromocriptine) → May enhance neurological side effects
❌ Cholinesterase inhibitors (e.g. Rivastigmine, Galantamine) → Possible interactions with the nervous system
❌ Benzodiazepines and Z-drugs (e.g. Diazepam, Alprazolam, Zolpidem, Zopiclone) → May enhance or reduce sedative effects
❌ Antihistamines (e.g. Diphenhydramine, Loratadine, Cetirizine) → Unpredictable reactions of the nervous system
❌ Heart and blood pressure medication (ACE inhibitors, ARBs, calcium channel blockers, diuretics, beta-blockers, alpha-blockers, direct renin inhibitors, centrally acting antihypertensives) → Can lead to dangerous blood pressure fluctuations
❌ Painkillers (e.g. morphine, fentanyl, tramadol) → May cause respiratory depression or other adverse effects
❌ Triptans (e.g. sumatriptan, rizatriptan) → Risk of serotonin syndrome
❌ Anesthetics (e.g. barbiturates) → Unpredictable sedative effects

🧪 Recreational drugs & substances

❌ Cocaine, heroin, amphetamine (speed), MDMA (XTC) → Risk of hypertensive crisis and serotonin syndrome
❌ Mescaline cacti (peyote, San Pedro) → Unpredictable interactions
❌ Dextromethorphan (cold medicine) → Increased risk of serotonin syndrome
❌ Ephedra → Can cause an extreme increase in blood pressure
❌ Alcohol → May unpredictably affect the functioning of Caapi

🍽️ Foods rich in tyramine

❌ Aged cheese, smoked meat, fermented products, certain alcoholic beverages
💡 Why? Caapi slows it down MAO enzyme, causing tyramine not to be broken down properly. This can lead to dangerous blood pressure increases.

🔗 More about MAO inhibitors and nutrition

🚫 Contraindications

🧠 Mental health

❌ Psychotic disorders (schizophrenia, psychosis susceptibility, borderline) → Risk of worsening of symptoms
❌ Bipolar disorder → Can trigger manic episodes

❤️ Physical health

❌ Cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure, cerebral hemorrhages → Blood pressure fluctuations can be dangerous
❌ Kidney diseases, diabetes → Can affect metabolism
❌ Epilepsy, neurological disorders → Can lower the seizure threshold
❌ Adrenal gland complaints, abnormal blood cells → Risk of complications

🤰 Other contraindications

❌ Pregnancy → Potentially harmful to mother and baby

✅ Conclusion

💡 Due to the complex interactions and potential risks, it is crucial to seek professional medical advice before using Caapi.