Description

DMT Changa: What is Changa? The Truth About Smokeable Ayahuasca

DMT- Changa is fairly new compared to the centuries-old ayahuasca tradition—but both are ways to consume DMT.

In many ways, exploring psychedelics involves opening your mind to the one thing that human beings fear most: death. And while it may sound more than a tad dramatic, this statement is actually true—researchers are investigating similarities between psychedelic experiences and near-death experiences. The psychedelic of choice for these experiments? N-n-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), the main hallucinogen in ayahuasca and changa.

Ayahuasca and changa are both botanical preparations of DMT (although, the two have very different origins). Ayahuasca is both the common name of the Banisteriopsis caapi vine and the psychoactive drink traditionally prepared by some Amazonian tribes. It has a history of use that dates back at least 1,000 years.

Changa isn’t so traditional. The herbal blend was popularized in the early 2000s by an Australian man named Julian Palmer. To make changa, Palmer spiked dried caapi vine with isolated DMT and rolled it into a smokable joint. Yet, while Palmer is the man behind the name “changa”, he certainly wasn’t the first person to mix DMT with smokable herbs. Before Palmer, parsley and other plants were commonly used for this purpose.

What is Changa (a.k.a Changa DMT)?

Simply stated, changa refers to a blend of smokable herbs spiked with DMT. However, there is plenty of debate within the psychedelic community over what constitutes “true” changa. According to Palmer, true changa contains the ayahuasca vine. “Without ayahuasca in the changa,” he writes, “the ayahuasca will not truly activate the other herbs, the duration will not be the same, and the same smoothness will not be there.”

Other common changa herbs include Mimosa hostilis (jurema preta) and Peganum harmala (Syrian rue). But, changa sold illicitly can include mixes of just about anything. Sometimes the herbal mixture might consist of Banisteriopsis caapi, sometimes Syrian rue, sometimes parsley, or sometimes it might be something else entirely.

Changa: Risks

Let’s face it—unless you have an excellent source, buying changa can be risky. Various kinds of chemically treated “herbal mixes” are available in the illicit market. In some cases, consuming an unknown herbal mix can be quite harmful—just look to the example of synthetic cannabis.

Synthetic marijuana, often sold under names like spice and K2, looks a lot like changa. Unfortunately, these herbal blends can be treated with seemingly any sort of chemical compounds and then sold to unwitting consumers. The result can be dangerous; synthetic cannabis lands more people in the hospital than actual cannabis (marijuana itself has never caused any deaths). Synthetic weed, however, is far more fatal than the real deal—in 2018, contaminated synthetic cannabis caused multiple cases of fatal internal bleeding in Illinois.

Changa and synthetic cannabis are two very different things. However, the two herbal mixes have an important thing in common. To the untrained eye, they both look like baggies filled with dried potpourri. Given that changa is still an illicit substance, it’s the consumer that faces the burden of researching and ensuring the validity of what they’re buying.

What Does Smoking Changa Do?

DMT is dubbed “the spirit molecule” for a reason. It’s an entheogen. An entheogen is a plant or synthetic drug that can inspire feelings of intense spirituality. In traditional ceremonies, ayahuasca is used as a conduit to the spirit world. Although, how that spirit world manifests to you and how you understand it is likely influenced by culture and language.

In Western scientific terms, DMT may induce bodily processes that mimic those that occur during near-death experiences. In 2018, in fact, researchers at the Imperial College London decided to put DMT to the test. In a study, they compared the experiences described by patients given intravenous DMT with those commonly reported by people who have had a traumatic near-death experience.

Both DMT and near-death experiences can cause feelings of leaving the body. During these experiences, people report being aware of their death. Strong sensations of calmness and peace often accompany this awareness. Images of spirit beings are also common, although the forms these entities take may be unique to the individual. During a DMT experience, it’s not uncommon for participants to undergo ego death, a temporary process by which you transcend your mundane sense of self. “Ego death is like being awake and having no sense of personal identity,” study researcher Robin Carhart-Harris tells BBC. And while the experience may seem frightening to some, the ego may be replaced by feelings of oneness and connection with others and your surroundings. This type of connectedness may be a hallmark of spiritual experiences.

However, researchers are still trying to piece together precisely what DMT does to the human body, and why exactly it occasions these entheogenic experiences. The bottom line? The DMT in changa will likely make you hallucinate. But, the meaning and significance of that experience are for you to decide.

How is Changa Made?

Making changa requires some basic knowledge of herbalism. Two biochemical elements make changa effective: DMT and an enzyme called an MAOI (monoamine oxidase inhibitor). Changa is made using herbs that work synergistically with DMT. In it’s smoked form, pure DMT does trigger a hallucinogenic experience. But it doesn’t last long. DMT is quickly broken down in the human body by MAO enzymes. This enzyme is usually responsible for breaking down neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine.

An MAO inhibitor can be a synthetic or naturally occurring chemical compound that blocks the activity of the MAO enzyme. Thus, it prevents the rapid breakdown of DMT and allows more DMT to interact with your system. So, to make changa, herbalists carefully choose plants that naturally contain DMT and botanical MAO inhibitors. The ayahuasca vine naturally contains MAO inhibitors, as does Syrian rue. (Note that when the ayahuasca vine is combined with the DMT-containing chacruna plant, the vine elongates the DMT experience.)

Once herbalists select their base plants, it’s time to infuse them with extracted DMT. Good herbalists will use naturally sourced DMT that has been extracted from plants (such as chacruna, with which ayahuasca is made) using a solvent. Then, herbalists infuse this isolated DMT among new herbs by mixing the hallucinogen and the dried herbs in alcohol. The alcohol is left to evaporate, leaving behind only dried herbs laced with DMT.

And there you have it—changa is a blend of carefully selected herbs laced with DMT.

Changa vs. DMT vs. Ayahuasca

Changa may contain the ayahuasca vine, but the changa experience is a far cry from that of traditionally prepared ayahuasca. The most significant difference between the two is how they are consumed. You smoke changa, but you drink ceremonial ayahuasca. When you smoke changa, the resulting psychoactive experience lasts for 10 to 15 minutes with up to 40 minutes of “afterglow.”

In contrast, the traditional ayahuasca experience can last between two and six hours, depending on the dose. In some ways, changa is like a meaningful hike, whereas ayahuasca is a pilgrimage. Both of these forms are different from freebasing DMT, which lasts a mere 10 to 20 minutes—a short trip around the hallucinogenic block.

The human body processes each of these three consumption methods differently. The active compounds in the ayahuasca plants take the longest to leave your system when ingested orally. Changa offers the second-longest experience due to its herbal blend; while it often contains the same plants as traditional ayahuasca, they’re not ingested orally. Instead, the active compounds make their way into the bloodstream through the lungs, which gives them faster access to the brain.

Finally, freebase DMT contains DMT only. That means that there are no synergistic MAO inhibitors that would otherwise amplify the effects of the hallucinogen. As such, freebasing DMT provides the shortest possible experience. However, the afterglow can also last upwards of 40 minutes.

Changa: DMT Experience

As with any psychedelic, everyone’s experience on changa is different—and will also be different each time they do it. Visuals are common on changa: colors, patterns, and distortion of light. Many also report that changa makes them feel more aware of their body—aches and pains that they’ve been feeling, but perhaps haven’t been paying attention to; an awareness of the temperature of their body; or the blood moving through their veins. Many also report that they feel “the spirit of the ayahuasca vine” or “grandmother ayahuasca” while on changa, and that it can be a helpful way to reconnect with that spirit, for the purposes of integration, without committing to a full night’s journey.

How to Smoke Changa: How Much Changa Should You Consume?

As with any mind-altering substance, the adage “start low, go slow” applies to changa. The biggest risk factor with changa is not knowing what you’re buying. Without protection from the law, the likelihood of being sold a contaminated or downright fake product are high. So, it’s of vital importance to test any changa you consume with a testing kit ahead of time. It’s also important to start with just a small amount of changa to hedge against potential bad reactions.

If made using the Julian Palmer method, changa contains roughly 25 percent DMT. That means there are roughly 250 milligrams of DMT per gram of dried herbs. Palmer suggests that this “equates to 30 light experiences, 20 pretty decent experiences, ten much stronger experiences, and five very strong experiences.” So, stay safe by starting small. In the worst-case scenario, medical professionals are concerned that psychedelics like DMT may exaggerate mental health issues. Additionally, they may cause severe adverse reactions when used in an uncontrolled way, especially if the material is contaminated.

Long Lasting Analgesic effect of the psychedelic drug DMT Changa

Abstract

Background and aims

Pain is the most prevalent symptom of a health condition, and it is inappropriately treated in many cases. Here, we present a case report in which we observe a long-lasting analgesic effect produced by changa, a psychedelic drug that contains the psychoactive N,N-dimethyltryptamine and ground seeds of Peganum harmala, which are rich in β-carbolines.

Methods

We describe the case and offer a brief review of supportive findings.

Results

A long-lasting analgesic effect after the use of changa was reported. Possible analgesic mechanisms are discussed. We suggest that both pharmacological and non-pharmacological factors could be involved.

Conclusion

These findings offer preliminary evidence of the analgesic effect of changa, but due to its complex pharmacological actions, involving many neurotransmitter systems, further research is needed in order to establish the specific mechanisms at work.

Introduction

The treatment of pain is one of the most significant challenges in the history of medicine. At present, there are still many challenges that hamper pain’s appropriate treatment, as recently stated by American Pain Society . Paradoxically, while we are presented with analgesic undertreatment, the abuse of opioid medications has led to the current opioid crisis that many countries are facing.

Pain has several psychological and physical consequences. It is the most prevalent symptom of an underlying health problem, affecting 100 million people in the United States  and 95 million people in Europe . It is also the most underrecognized and undertreated medical problem of the 21st century .

Changa is a smoking mixture that contains N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT; generally extracted from Mimosa hostilis) and β-carbolines (extracted from Banisteriopsis caapi or Peganum harmala). The mechanisms of action for these compounds are quite similar to those found in the ayahuasca beverage , with possible differences in constituents if P. harmala is used instead of B. caapi. In the case of P. harmala, as mentioned below, ground seeds were used in the case reported. The compounds found in seeds of this plant are β-carbolines (harmaline, harmine, harmalol, tetrahydroharmine, and harmol; and quinazolines (mainly vasicine; . The psychoactive effects of ayahuasca usually last between 3 and 5 hr , but the effects of smoked changa last about 15–30 min.

Case Description

JM is a 57-year-old adult male who works as a doctor at a public hospital in Spain. He developed some signs of musculoskeletal pain, especially in his limbs, and fatigue 10 years ago. These symptoms slowly increased and became more extensive until they reached disabling levels. The muscular pain limited him to moderate exercise, as it took him almost 1 week to completely recover from performing physical activity. JM also developed sleep disorders, waking up in the night due to pain. After working a night shift in the hospital’s emergency services, he again needed 1 week to recover physically and in terms of his sleep rhythm. Regarding his sexual life, it took a lot of effort for him to even caress his spouse because of the muscular pain in his arms. After intercourse, he also needed 1 week to recover, and ejaculation was painful, so he experienced decreased sexual desire. Other symptoms included an inability to lift heavy weights, decreased attentiveness, and vision with muted colors.

He decided to visit a rheumatologist 3 years ago and was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue. In the following months, JM was prescribed ibuprofen, diclofenac, and dexketoprofen. However, taking these drugs resulted in little or no improvement. His rheumatologist recommended that he attend a workshop that was taking place in an ambulatory clinic setting. The workshop consisted of 2 months of training in cognitive therapy for fibromyalgia patients. JM completed the training, after which his level of pain decreased from 8 to 3 on the numerical rating scale (which ranges from 0 to 10). However, a couple of weeks later, the pain and fatigue had increased again. He was then prescribed ozone therapy and fluoxetine. Ozone therapy relieved his pain but only for a couple of days. Fluoxetine, however, was effective for both pain and fatigue, assisting JM to attain a rating of 3–4 on the pain scale again. Nevertheless, after 6 weeks of treatment, he decided to stop taking fluoxetine, because he developed autolytic ideation and annoying rumination, the symptoms that he had not previously experienced.

His drug history includes only one instance of consuming ayahuasca 5 years ago. JM decided to take changa with an underground therapist 3 months ago. The changa session involves an evening meeting. Approximately 30 min of meditation precedes consumption. Then, each individual presented (generally four or five people participated) smokes one previously prepared cigarette that contains freebase DMT and ground seeds of P. harmala (the content of the cigarette was confirmed through a harm-reduction organization that analyzed a sample using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry). JM has attended five changa sessions so far. In the first session, he was only able to relax, because he did not know how to smoke. In the second session, 1 week later, he could smoke correctly and felt intense psychoactive effects. After this session, his pain disappeared almost completely for a period of 2 weeks. After the third session, which further took place after 2 weeks, his mood had also improved. The autolytic ideation disappeared and he felt much better. According to him, he was able to see colors brightly again. He had the same results after his fourth session, which took place 15 days after the previous one. After that session, he reported greater emotional stability, pain relief, and a slight decrease in fatigue as well. He participated in another changasession 1 month later, after which he confirmed the decrease in pain that lasted up to 15 days.

Discussion

We can suggest various mechanisms through which changa may exert an analgesic effect. In this case, freebase DMT extracted from M. hostilis was used. DMT is an indole alkaloid widely found in plants and in mammals, including humans. It is a partial agonist of serotonin (5-HT) receptors (1A,2A and 2C; and also an agonist of sigma-1 receptors (σ1R; Fontanilla et al., 2009). It interacts with other receptors indirectly as well (for a review.

Regarding the agonism on 5-HT receptors, the relationship between mood and pain is well known , so an elevation of mood produced by DMT could partially explain its analgesic effect. This is also relevant regarding the efficacy of fluoxetine, as was observed in this case. It has been observed that anti-depressant drugs have an analgesic effect that is independent of their effect on mood . However, it seems that tricyclic anti-depressants and serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors are more effective than selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors for the treatment of pain. This suggests that noradrenergic pathways are highly relevant to the management of pain.

Concerning σ1R, this orphan receptor is distributed throughout the central nervous system, heart, liver, and lungs , and it has been observed to play a role in several conditions, such as addiction, depression, amnesia, cancer, and pain. At the endoplasmic reticulum, it acts as a ligand-operated chaperone protein, regulating the flow of Ca2+ via inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate receptors. In the plasma membrane, it can modulate the activity of opioid and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors, as well as K+ and Ca2+ channels . Its activity can be modulated by σ1R ligands, which are expressed in areas associated with pain control, such as dorsal root ganglion neurons, dorsal spinal cord, the thalamus, the periaqueductal gray, and the rostroventral medulla . There are various genetic and pharmacological findings that provide sufficient evidence to consider σ1R antagonists as part of an innovative approach for the treatment of pain . In fact, the first phase II, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial in which a σ1R antagonist (MR309) was used reported encouraging results . However, other studies also reported an analgesic effect of σ1R agonists in terms of neuropathic pain . Thus, the underlying mechanism for the analgesic effects of the agonism/antagonism of σ1R has not yet been fully clarified. Ohsawa et al. (2010) suggested that the anti-nociceptive effect of the σ1R agonist that was used in their study (pentazocine) involves the lowering of nitric oxide metabolites. The effect was likely produced due to a dose effect (the peripheral application of pentazocine may produce the nociceptive response at a lower dose, whereas higher doses, such as those used in the study, produce an inverse effect;. Tomohisa et al. (2015) used σ1R agonist SA-4503 in their study. Interestingly, SA-4503 and not NE-100 (a σ1R antagonist) produced anti-nociceptive effects in terms of chemotherapeutic-induced neuropathic pain. To explain this finding, the authors mention the cytoprotective and neuroprotective effects of σ1R agonists , which may influence the anti-neuropathic effects. Furthermore, DMT also reduces inflammation via σ1R . It has been observed that inflammation response can induce pain, and that inflammatory signals can induce changes in neurotransmitter metabolism, neuroendocrine function, and neuroplasticity. In this respect, DMT can also induce neuronal plasticity 2009), which can play a vital role in the treatment of pain

The ground seeds of P. harmala are the other constituent of changa. They contain many β-carbolines and quinazolines, with harmaline being the major alkaloid. It has been observed that these β-carbolines bind with modest affinity to 5-HT2A receptors , except in the case of harmine, which expresses high affinity with these receptors . They also show affinity for 5-HT2C, 1A, dopamine, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA; imidazoline (I2; , and adrenergic (α2) receptors . These β-carbolines can also interact with opioid receptors . However, the most remarkable is their ability to inhibit the enzyme monoamine oxidase (MAO) at concentrations in the micromolar and nanomolar range (2003). These substances appear to be more effective at inhibiting MAO-A than at inhibiting MAO-B.

The seeds of P. harmala have been traditionally used  for the treatment of various types of pain . Recent studies have verified the analgesic potential of P. harmala seeds using three different extracts and pain models, showing that the butanolic extract had the maximum effect in the writhing test. Pretreatment with naloxone prevented the extracts from having a nociceptive effect, so it was concluded that an opioid-modulated mechanism is involved.

Apart from the possible synergy with DMT’s effects on 5-HT release, and therefore the aforementioned potential analgesic effect, β-carbolines also interact with receptors closely related to pain modulation, such as GABA , I2 , α2 , and opioid receptors. Complex interactions between these receptors are also possible, since I2 can potentiate analgesic actions produced by opioid receptor ligands. Furthermore, two studies demonstrated the neuroprotective effects of the alkaloids of P. harmala, which could also be related to their analgesic effects.

Regarding the ability of β-carbolines to inhibit the MAO-A enzyme, although some authors indicate that MAO inhibitors should not be used in the treatment of pain, MAO inhibitors like phenelzine have been shown to be effective for treating pain associated with depression . Moreover, specific MAO-A inhibitors could have greater analgesic effects, since these specific inhibitors increase norepinephrine, DA, and 5-HT levels in the tissues .

The major quinazoline present in P. harmala seeds is vasicine, which has been shown to produce significant anti-inflammatory effects, which can also be related to its analgesic effects.

As discussed above, we cannot dismiss the possibility that the active constituents in changa produce a direct analgesic effect. However, those compounds have short half-lives (t½λz = 260–532 min;  that are insufficient to explain the pattern that can be clearly observed in the case: an analgesic effect that endured for over 2 weeks. It is well known that a single administration of a psychedelic drug, such as psilocybin, can produce long-lasting effects . The mechanisms underlying these long-lasting effects are not well understood, but they have been correlated with psychological factors like peak experiences 2011) or an enhancement of the placebo effect. Regarding the latter, it is well known that psychedelics can increase suggestibility in human subjects , so it is reasonable to think that the variables found in the ritualistic setting in which changa was provided, like expectancy or attentive and respectful listening by caregivers, together with the fact that there could be a real, short-term analgesic effect, probably exert a magnified placebo effect. Furthermore, a recently published review suggests that psychedelic drugs like lysergic acid diethylamide and psilocybin may alleviate malignant and neuropathic pain . The authors argue that this effect could be related to the psychedelic experience itself, which can modify the metacognitive interpretation of pain. Some authors have suggested that epigenetic modifications, as well as neuroplasticity and neurogenesis , could trigger long-lasting responses.

Due to the complexity of the pharmacological effects produced by changa’s constituents, more research will be needed in order to clarify the specific mechanisms through which long-lasting analgesic effects can be produced. It will also be significant to describe other indirectly affected systems, such as modifications of opioid receptor density or alterations of 5-HT binding sites, among many other systems that are hypothesized to be affected by changa’s constituents. In addition, the analgesic effect of ayahuasca was reported suggesting similar mechanisms of action.

Conclusions

The intense psychedelic effects of changa limit its application in clinical contexts. However, the case reported here suggests that changa can produce a long-lasting analgesic effect, involving a combination of mood-enhancing effects; other psychological factors; an interaction with several neurotransmitter systems; and anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, and plasticity-promoting actions. Remarkably, changa could offer pain treatment that targets multiple monoamine neurotransmitters.

Further research on the bioavailability of changa constituents based on the smoking procedure that is used is also warranted.

Buy  DMT

Dimethyltryptamine ( Buy n-n dmt or N, N – DMT ) is a chemical substance that occurs in many plants and is a structural analog of tryptamine. This can be consumed as a psychedelic drug and has historically been prepared by various cultures for ritual purposes. It is a powerful psychedelic drug, and a type of tryptamine alkaloid. It is a naturally occurring substance, observe in various plants and animals, and in small quantities in the human brain. Dmt is famous for its power. Though the psychedelic trip it creates only lasts 5 to 30 minutes when smoke, the effect is profound and remarkable. Moreover giving the feeling that the user is lift to a completely different place, immersed in kaleidoscopic sounds and images. In its pure form, the drug is a white to yellow crystalline solid

Buy  DMT drug

Dimethyltryptamine is found in several plants and in mammalian brain, blood, and urine. It apparently acts as an agonist at some types of serotonin receptors and an antagonist at others. DMT in solution degrades relatively fast and should be stored protected from air and light in a freezer. Highly pure DMT crystals, when evaporated out of a solvent and depositing upon glass, often produce small but highly defined white crystalline needles which when viewed under intense light will sparkle, and appear colorless under high magnification. In labs, it is observe to be explosive under a certain degree of heat.

Recomendations

A trip sitter is on recommendation to assist the drug user in staying physically and mentally healthy, and, in the case of smoked DMT, to catch the pipe if the user loses awareness of it. It is one of the main active constituents of snuffs like yopo and of the drink ayahuasca.

Oral ingestion: The drug is broken down by the digestive enzymes. It is practically inactive if taken orally, unless combined with an inhibitor.

how long does DMT  last in the body