Topic: Microdosing journal

[riverhaven]

My other thread seems to have taken a life of it's own and so I want one that is just mine-- mainly so dummy here can follow what I am doing.  When it gets beyond 5 pages I can't keep track of what the heck I am doing LOL.  I am now on day 2 off iboga.  I built up to 500 mg at the end and I think that was a perfect level.  I felt really good, not wired, but remember, I take so much stuff to sleep, I wouldn't know if I can't sleep LOL...  I hope that when I start back in another 2-3 days that I can re-start at 500 mg.  Do you more experienced people here find that is true?  Or do I need to build back up again?  My main problem was nausea-- but as Nobu pointed out I've been being treated for the sphenoid sinusitis/brain abcess all along and so the antibiotics and steroids complicated how I felt a lot.  I am thinking to be safe go back to 350 mg on day one back on and then up to 450.  I'd like to try an every other day regimen and see how that goes -- if I get too wired to keep it up etc.  But I was thinking 450 mg rb from Iboga World-- the light colored easy on the tummy stuff every other day.  I just don't like the idea of more than 4-5 days off.  Yes, you build up drugs in your fat, but 10 days clears you out completely.  Why do that?  I just want to minimize ups and downs and definitely not get wired. 

Thoughts are appreciated? 

[roy d]

Hi River,

I built up to 500 mg at the end and I think that was a perfect level.  I felt really good, not wired,

Well it seems that you found your right dose.  You want to go back in a few days, sure go ahead.  Half a gram of the bark every day is kind of expensive depending on circumstances.  You may do just as well taking it every other day and maybe take the weekends off.  It looks like you got the right dose, just refine or tweak it a little and your all set.

Antibiotics never gave me a hard time except for eurethamycin sp. which, well you know what it does - it turns your stomach inside out.

Best of Luck,

 Roy

[riverhaven]

Thanks Roy-- but what the study subjects did was 500 every other day.  I can afford that-- remember I am a retired doc.  And my tummy after my flood in January has been VERY sensitive.  I know it's only 6 months since that-- but I still have troubles tolerating medications I used to do fine with.  This latest bout with the steroid pack didn't go over so well either....

[riverhaven]

Starting to miss the mood elevation from the iboga.  I pulled my back doing something stupid and also the fat cat tripped me and I broke my finger.  So, yep-- back on narcotics and I am thinking it's time to add back in the ibogaine.  I guess that's another good thing about taking a break- it gives you a chance to see what the difference is-- on it and off it.  You get used to feeling that good LOL.... 

[niceboat]

Good journalling :d

[riverhaven]

OK we are now trying 600 mg every other day.  I put my rb in capsules of 300 mg each.  I took both this morning-- and so far I am not too ill-- I'd rather do it that way in case I do get wired at night-- plus I have such a sucky memory I often forget a second pill LOL.  I am hoping this works for me so that I don't have to go thru days without it.  I tell you-- once you do ibogaine in mini-doses-- and you feel so a part of the bigger world and it's all good--- you MISS it bad as the ibogaine wears off.  I think that's what I started feeling in Feb-- about 6 weeks after my flood. 

[calaquendi]

Yeah six weeks after a flood is getting in to prime territory for a boost. Everyone is different as we all know, but  think anywhere from six to twelve weeks out a boost comes in real handy!

[usagolden]

hobbies are a great way to bring stimulation into your life in a way other than with an alkaloid
something to stimulate you, to bring happiness chems of your own making into your brain when you arn't microdosing
exercise is something people to do get a natural high
i enjoy growing plants and exploring science
im sure you already have an appreciation for science, doc, but there's always further distances to be sought!
get a buzz on some info

i am responding mostly to your post where you said you were missing the iboga buzz

marijuana has been accused of being a gateway drug
but i also think it has value as an exit drug as well
some chemical stimulation with less damaging effects on one's life an wellbeing
and learning to love a pot plant,
learning to grow the organic dankess
is a great hobby

keep us posted!

[GratefulDad]

Great advice usagolden!  Hobbies are there to enrich our lives, give us enjoyment, and purpose.  They are a key step in overcoming addictive behaviors for many people.  They give us something to do, instead of seeking drugs to fill the void. 

[calaquendi]

Nice post usagolden, thank you! I'm glad to see advice that doesn't necessarily include taking something...many of us here are or have been addicts of one form or another and I know (for myself) that it is easy to become obsessed with taking something, even if that something isn't your primary drug of choice. I gotta watch myself sometimes, even with shit like supplements I can get overly 'interested' in them. It's just refreshing to see your advice, things like that - hobbies and exercise - are so important to our overall well being  and yet they can easily be overlooked in lieu of old habits - even if those habits are technically better than before. Thanks man...

[riverhaven]

I like exercise-- I am big into hiking and biking but too debilitated after the last year and a half of this vasculitis/autoimmune/gosh knows what it is-- Dr. House please see me!!!  But whenever I have a good day-- you find me at the Pilates studio or the gym.  I am soooo happy I can still make my own endorphins and FEEL them.  That was an exciting finding for me.  I actually cried.  I thought I'd messed myself up so badly I wouldn't ever feel those again.

As for the every other day dosing-- it doesn't work for me.  I do best on just the 300 mg in the morning with some sauteed plantains.  More than that and I risk a day on the sofa, nauseous.  I just don't know what to do-- I can't build to what is a proper microdose-- but I feel great on the piddly 300 mg dose.  I've been told to just go with my body. maybe try to build slowly and to stick with the chronic pain protocol of on for 3 weeks, off for 10 days.  I still feel 10 days is too long.... LOL the brain is always thinking of ways to sabatoge things....    I'd again appreciate any thoughts. 

[riverhaven]

I am starting to think that something koko said on our ladies board is true-- iboga and kratom don't play well together.  I am having nothing but trouble with both since dropping darvocets for my pain and using just the kratom while microdosing.  I am pretty darn non-functional right now.  I decided today to either just switch over to darvocets which ibogaine does detox or just accept I am a chronic pain patient, take the damn kratom and keep my doses low with low dose clonidine.    My goal is to be functional.  So I skipped the ibogaine rb today, I took just enough SEK to feel good but not high and I had a darn good day.  I am using a quarter of a clonidine 3 times a day too.  I am going on vacation with my two sons-- age 16 and 22 next week with all sorts of active plans- so I think that withdrawing narcotics is just not a good idea for this 2 weeks coming up.  I'm going to do as I did today-- use the kratom to function , use the clonidine to keep my tolerance down and worry about this whole damn thing when I get back Aug 20th.  I really don't care if I am a chronic pain patient who stays on a stable dose of kratom-- it's the ever increasing dose requirements, the withdrawing and the feeling that I am on a ball and chain.... Appreciate your thoughts please.

BTW-- I'll have the laptop with me so I will be checking in for sure.  LOL I am internet addicted too.

[roy d]

Hi River,

Have you thought of quitting the Kratom and Darvocets and going with a simple SAO like vikes or  Tylenol 4 and stick with the mu receptors?

Just an idea,

 Roy

[calaquendi]

River - if you have chronic pain, you have chronic pain my friend...this is nothing to do with your character. It sounds to me - if I may make so bold - that you are being harsh on yourself, for no good reason. I know you don't want to take kratom, but hell there are plenty of alternatives for pain...even good natural ones. Have you tried poppy pods? They are easy to break down from, one of the easiest I think, and they work great for pain management. I'd say don't be too hard on yourself - I realize you want to get well and be healthy - all of us do - but sometimes people have different courses in their respective journeys and it can take a winding road for some of us. I'm grateful you're here and I hear your honest desire to take care of yourself. That's a good thing. Just do not rush yourself in to goals. Some of these may take more time than you'd like. Give yourself that time! Hope I don't come off patronizing, I just got a strong sense of urgency from you, which is super common by the way, but I'd like to see you enjoy your vacation with the family, and maybe let it all go for a few days. Start fresh when you come back - re energized. Have fun doc, you're allowed to and deserve it! 

PS Roy may be on to something!

[riverhaven]

Thanks guys...  I did poppy pods once-- OMG are those ever addicting to me.  I went from 3 pods to 15 in about 2 weeks.  LOL and I was using them to get off kratom-- boy did I ever get off kratom-- straight to a major pod flower arranging addiction LOL...

Roy-- I have access to kratom and darvocets-- that's it-- I don't have a doc that will write for vikes and I worry over too much tylenol too-- yes I know I can do a cwe but that's why I haven't asked for Tylenol with codeine from my doc-- that's on the level of darvocets so I am sure she'd give me that. 

You are right- I am down on myself and I want to be normal yesterday.  I am sick of being sick, sick of being a chronic pain patient and now I am sick of constantly withdrawing.  Every time I get off the narcs-- which takes a good week or two-- I flare and am back on them again and the whole process starts again.  I am set to go be seen at Hopkins autoimmune research center and I just saw a neurologist who thinks I may be having seizures-- oh joy, bye bye drivers license......