We categorize conflicts based on two criteria: (1) whether they present a safety concern and (2) whether they affect the quality of the psychedelic experience. You can read more about common interactions in this article. It is recommended that guests discuss their medication list with their healthcare provider for their personal safety and wellbeing. We are happy to point out specific interactions we are familiar with, but your healthcare provider should be the ultimate authority and source on these matters. Psilocybin is generally known as an extremely safe substance. It is less toxic than alcohol by several orders of magnitude, though it does have rather dramatic effects on perception and consciousness. However, mixing psilocybin with some medications can create a dangerous combination. Lithium is the single most notable medication that should not be mixed with psilocybin. If used in conjunction with lithium, psilocybin could cause serious complications such as seizures or even heart failure. Another possible complication you may have heard about is a condition called serotonin syndrome. Psilocybin alone or even in conjunction with most antidepressants has next to a zero chance of causing serotonin syndrome. However, when taken in combination with an MAOI (monoamine oxidase inhibitor), a class of medication often used as an antidepressant, that risk is slightly elevated. We do not believe in taking even these slight risks and therefore request our guests to avoid any MAOIs. In fact, you might have read in one of our other articles that this retreat does not promote the use of ayahuasca, despite its common use in other retreats, because all ayahuasca brews contain a natural MAOI. With respect to item # 2 above, the medications that could affect the quality of a psychedelic experience are a much larger category. SSRIs and SNRIs are all classes of medications that work on serotonin receptors. They are often prescribed as antidepressants or nerve pain medication. Many people report a muted psychedelic experience if they take psilocybin while taking these medications or within a short period of having tapered off of them. This muted/dulling effect is especially pronounced if they have taken SSRIs and/or SNRIs for an extended period of time. Eleusinia Retreat is a retreat designed to teach visitors how to incorporate psilocybin into a long term wellness plan. We don’t advocate for placing too much pressure on yourself for a singular psilocybin experience. This is a process, and the goal of the retreat is to learn to use these tools in an effective manner. For some it can take up to two months for your response to psilocybin to mimic the general population after completely transitioning off some of these medications. As a result, it is important to adjust expectations and not dwell on what you believe the experience “should be like” or “is like for others”. Part of your intake process will be discussing your current medication list with us. Use of any medication that works on the serotonin system during the retreat is discouraged, since it could potentially contribute to uncomfortable symptoms or affect the quality of the psychedelic experience (ie. dulling effect). Many sleep aids, nerve pain medications, mood stabilizers, and antidepressants work on the serotonin system, so be sure to be thorough when the subject comes up for discussion.