This text was initially printed on Psychedelic Highlight and seems right here with permission.

At the present time of religious tourism, touring to a psychedelic retreat in Mexico, Jamaica or Peru has develop into a classy new behavior for explorers of altered states or for these in deep want of a psychological well being reset.

Whereas the media continues to report on the groundbreaking research demonstrating psilocybin’s capability to create neuroplasticity, break maladaptive behaviors and patterns and deal with a variety of psychiatric situations, there may be not a lot speak about some fairly destabilizing unwanted side effects which will happen in the course of the peak of the psychedelic expertise. Encountering issues can positively make one’s dive into their unconscious tougher and fairly disagreeable. Considered one of these opposed reactions is tetany. 

What iIs Tetany?

Tetany, often known as involuntary cramps or muscle contractions, is a quite common symptom when one’s peripheral nerves are overstimulated resulting from electrolyte imbalance and low blood calcium ranges. 

What Does Tetany Really feel Like?

An individual who has skilled tetany will possible describe feeling their arms all of the sudden contracting and stiffening uncontrollably, as if a drive past their management is tightening the muscle groups with an invisible vice. The feeling of your fingers involuntarily curling into an uncomfortable grip, resisting your instructions, may be fairly unsettling. The muscle groups develop into tense, creating an irritating feeling of stiffness and twitching. 

The spasms intensify, inflicting a collection of fast and repetitive contractions that disrupt the pure circulation of motion, making your arms really feel momentarily frozen in an unnatural place. In the event you’ve seen Edward Scissorhands, it’d as nicely appear like that, however with fingers as a substitute of shiny blades.

The expertise may be puzzling and at occasions even painful with none substance hitting your mind receptors. Nevertheless, being acutely conscious that you’ve got misplaced muscle management throughout a psychedelic expertise could make one really feel weak and might positively contribute to the frequent nervousness that many expertise in the course of the come-up. This lack of muscle management can simply rework into worry and resistance, significantly towards to the ego-death expertise, which is a key issue within the decision-making course of for a lot of people searching for to endure a psychedelic journey. 

Frequent Signs Of Tetany

Some frequent signs of tetany can embody:

Extreme indicators of tetany embody:

• Laryngospasm (the vocal cords freeze, jam or shut when taking in a breath.)
• Bronchospasms (when the muscle groups that line the airways contract).
• Painful, generalized muscle cramps.
• Vomiting.
• Seizures.
• Arrhythmia.

How To Stop Tetany Throughout A Psychedelic Journey?

Stopping tetany throughout a psychedelic journey will not be troublesome, and a facilitator or a visit sitter can simply put together for potential issues within the occasion that the person for whom they’re holding house reveals early signs.

Though many psychonauts and reddit customers decide to quick earlier than a psychedelic journey to extend the depth of their expertise, it will not be smart to deplete one’s storage of glucose proper earlier than consuming a reasonable or heroic dose of magic mushrooms as glucose is the physique’s important supply of power. In different phrases, these planning on sustaining an intermittent fasting routine on the day of a psychedelic expertise ought to keep away from doing so with out preparation, as our physique and mind require important vitamins and minerals to perform correctly. That’s the reason skilled keto dieters or intermittent fasters will usually drink loads of water, embody zero-sugar electrolyte components, and complement their routine with a major quantity of magnesium and calcium dietary supplements.  

To forestall potential tetany signs, one can take into account:

• A well being examine earlier than a psychedelic journey: Blood exams may be very useful in indicating whether or not there are calcium and magnesium deficiencies prior a visit, which may help in addressing these insufficiencies and keep away from disagreeable issues. 
• Correct diet: Many retreats put together wholesome meals that embody a balanced weight-reduction plan of nuts, seeds, dairy merchandise and leafy greens that would supply the required calcium, magnesium and vitamin D ranges for correct bodily features.
• Complement adherence: Follow taking your prescribed dietary supplements when you have been recognized with any of the aforementioned deficiencies.
• Hydration: Correct hydration is a key think about sustaining electrolyte stability. The final settlement amongst the psychedelic group is to keep away from consuming caffeine or alcohol previous to a psychedelic journey as they will forestall one’s physique from absorbing minerals and nutritional vitamins. If espresso is one thing you merely can’t exclude out of your weight-reduction plan, persist with the overall rule of thumb: for each cup of espresso, it’s best to drink at the least two cups of water to stability out your bodily features.
• Addressing stress ranges: Most retreats will usually embody yoga and therapeutic massage remedy periods earlier than dosing their attendees. This isn’t a easy worth add. Stress can have an effect on hormonal ranges which may not directly affect an individual’s calcium storage. The pre-trip preparation suggestions reminiscent of yoga, train and meditation may help in decreasing stress and nervousness ranges.

Within the occasion you start experiencing indicators of tetany throughout a visit and a easy bottle of water is not ample to scale back signs, it’s best to take into account:

• Replenishing your electrolytes immediately: The best, though not the healthiest resolution, will probably be a bottle or two of Gatorade. Nevertheless, within the occasion you have got forgotten to carry your electrolytes, you’ll be able to go for including ¼ tbsp salt and 1-2 tbsp of honey in a cup of water, coconut water and lemon juice. 
• Staying calm: Nervousness will solely worsen the signs. Contemplate respiration workout routines and altering your setting.
• Massaging and stretching your extremities: This can assist with blood circulation.
• Asking your journey sitter to examine your coronary heart charge: Most psychedelic retreats have an ENT on stand-by who can diagnose the necessity for medical help. Oftentimes, it’s not needed if you happen to’re in a position to replenish your electrolyte ranges. 

We frequently discover that the most important clichés maintain some reality. “You’re what you eat” – and presumably drink – completely exemplifies this, highlighting how the vitamins in your system earlier than and through a psychedelic journey can affect the standard of your expertise. Psychedelic substances like psilocybin, DMT, MDMA, and LSD can drain the nutrient reserves in your physique— particularly when present process a difficult journey and experiencing intense feelings. In case your physique is depleted from vital nutritional vitamins and minerals, chances are you’ll enhance the most likely of experiencing an anxious ego-dissolution, or on this case, tetany. To forestall an disagreeable psychedelic expertise, please seek the advice of Psychedelic Highlight‘s Information to Your Weight loss program Earlier than, Throughout, and After Your Psychedelic Journey.

This text is from an exterior unpaid contributor. It doesn’t signify Benzinga’s reporting and has not been edited for content material or accuracy.