How Does Ayahuasca Affect Your Heart
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Ayahuasca is a strong plant brew from the Amazon, and most of the talk about it focuses on the mind: the visions, the emotions, the sense that thinking changes for hours. The heart is talked about far less, but it is affected too, and for some people the heart effects are the most dangerous part of the experience. During ayahuasca, the heart usually beats faster, blood pressure usually rises, and the body is put under a strain that is similar to intense exercise, except that the person is not exercising. They are sitting or lying still, often feeling sick, vomiting, sweating and anxious, while their heart is working much harder than normal. For a healthy young person, that strain usually passes without lasting harm, but for a person with a heart problem, high blood pressure, or a medicine that affects the heart, it can be serious, and in rare cases it can be life-threatening.
This article explains, in plain words, how ayahuasca affects the heart: why the pulse rises, why blood pressure goes up, what can go wrong with heart rhythm, why chest pain and breathlessness should never be ignored, and who faces the highest risk. It is general information, not individual medical advice, and it does not give instructions for using ayahuasca. If you have a heart condition, or you take heart or blood pressure medicine, or you have ever had chest pain, a heart attack, a stroke or an irregular heartbeat, the message from health guidance is clear: do not take ayahuasca, and talk to a doctor if you are considering it, because the risk is not small and it is not easy to predict.
It is also important to say at the start that ayahuasca is not made to a standard strength. One brew can be much stronger than another, and the effect on the heart can be much stronger too. A person cannot know in advance how fast their heart will beat, how high their blood pressure will go, or how long the strain will last. The experience lasts for several hours, and during that time the heart is working hard, the body is losing fluid through vomiting and sweating, and the person may be frightened, which adds more strain. That combination is why doctors and public-health organisations warn about ayahuasca and the heart, even when the person feels well before they take it.
Why the Heart Has to Work Harder
The heart is a muscle that pumps blood around the body, and it works harder whenever the body needs more oxygen or is under stress. Ayahuasca puts the body under stress in several ways at once. The active compounds in the brew affect the nervous system, which is the system that controls heart rate, blood pressure and breathing without us having to think about it. During the experience, that system becomes more active, and it tells the heart to beat faster and to pump harder. At the same time, the person may feel anxious or frightened, and fear itself raises heart rate and blood pressure. The result is a heart that is working much harder than it would at rest, for hours at a time.
Vomiting and diarrhoea, which are very common during ayahuasca, add to the strain. When a person vomits repeatedly, they lose fluid and salts from the body, and the blood volume falls. The heart then has to work harder to pump a smaller amount of blood around the body, and blood pressure can become unstable. Sweating adds to the fluid loss, especially in a hot room, and a person who is vomiting may not be able to drink enough to replace what they have lost. That is why dehydration is a real risk during ayahuasca, and why it matters for the heart. A dehydrated heart has to work harder, and it is more likely to beat irregularly.
There is also the physical effort of the experience itself. A person may be restless, moving around, shaking, or feeling very hot, and all of that uses energy and oxygen. The heart has to supply that oxygen, and it does so by beating faster and harder. For a healthy heart, that is usually manageable, in the same way that a healthy heart can manage a hard run. But a heart that is already weakened, or narrowed arteries, or a heart that is already working hard because of high blood pressure, may not be able to manage the extra load. That is the difference between a strain that passes and a strain that causes harm, and it is a difference that a person cannot feel in advance.
A Faster Pulse and Higher Blood Pressure
One of the most consistent effects of ayahuasca on the heart is a faster pulse. Research studies that have measured heart rate during ayahuasca have found that it rises, often by a large amount, and stays raised for a long time. A resting pulse that is normally around seventy beats a minute may rise to well over a hundred, and it may stay high for hours. For a healthy person, a fast pulse is uncomfortable but usually not dangerous on its own. It can feel like the heart is pounding, or racing, or beating very hard in the chest, and that feeling can be frightening, especially when the person is already feeling anxious or confused.
Blood pressure also rises during ayahuasca, and that is important because high blood pressure puts extra strain on the heart and on the blood vessels. Blood pressure is the force of blood against the walls of the arteries, and when it rises sharply, the heart has to push harder with every beat. For a person whose blood pressure is already high, that extra rise can push it to a dangerous level. For a person with weak blood vessels, or a history of stroke, a sharp rise in blood pressure is a serious risk. The rise is not always steady either. Blood pressure can go up and down during the experience, and that change can be hard for the body to manage.
After the experience, heart rate and blood pressure usually return to normal over hours, but they do not always do so quickly, and a person may feel their heart pounding or feel dizzy for a while afterwards. That is a sign that the body is still recovering, and it is a reason to rest, to drink fluids if the person can keep them down, and to seek medical help if the fast heartbeat, dizziness or chest discomfort does not settle. A person who already takes medicine for blood pressure or heart rhythm should be especially careful, because ayahuasca can interfere with how those medicines work, and the combination can be dangerous. Health guidance is clear on this point: if you take heart medicine, do not take ayahuasca.
Heart Rhythm Problems to Watch
The heart normally beats in a steady rhythm, with each beat following the last in a regular pattern. That rhythm is controlled by electrical signals in the heart, and ayahuasca can disturb those signals. When the rhythm is disturbed, the heart may beat too fast, too slowly, or irregularly, and that is called an arrhythmia. Some arrhythmias are mild and pass quickly, but others are serious and need urgent medical care. A person may feel their heart skipping beats, fluttering, or beating in a way that feels wrong, and they may feel dizzy, faint, breathless or anxious at the same time. Those feelings should never be ignored.
The risk of rhythm problems is higher when the body is dehydrated, when salts in the blood are out of balance after vomiting, when the person is very anxious, or when the person takes other substances or medicines at the same time. Ayahuasca also affects serotonin, and some medicines that affect serotonin, including many antidepressants, can interact with it in a dangerous way. That interaction, which can cause a condition called serotonin syndrome, affects the whole body, including the heart, and it can cause a very fast heartbeat, high temperature, confusion and muscle stiffness. It is a medical emergency, and it needs hospital care. This is one of the main reasons doctors warn people who take antidepressants or other psychiatric medicines not to take ayahuasca.
People with a history of irregular heartbeat, or a family history of sudden heart problems, face a higher risk as well. They may not know they have a rhythm problem until ayahuasca brings it out, and that is a frightening way to find out. A heart that has a hidden electrical problem may cope well in everyday life, but may not cope when it is pushed hard for hours by a strong substance, dehydration and fear. That is why a person who has ever been told they have an irregular heartbeat, or who has fainted without a clear reason, should not take ayahuasca, and should talk to a doctor about the risk before considering anything that puts extra strain on the heart.
Chest Pain, Breathlessness and Warning Signs
Chest pain during or after ayahuasca is a warning sign that should always be taken seriously. Chest pain can mean that the heart muscle is not getting enough oxygen, because it is working too hard, or because the arteries that supply it are narrowed, or because blood pressure has risen too high. It can feel like pressure, tightness, heaviness or pain in the centre of the chest, and it may spread to the arm, jaw, back or stomach. It may come with sweating, nausea, breathlessness or a feeling of dread. These are the same symptoms that doctors warn about for a heart attack, and they should be treated as an emergency, even if the person thinks the pain is just from vomiting or anxiety.
Breathlessness is another warning sign. A person may feel that they cannot get enough air, or that breathing is hard, or that they are breathing very fast and cannot slow down. Some breathlessness during ayahuasca is caused by anxiety or by vomiting, but breathlessness that is severe, or that does not settle, or that comes with chest pain, blue lips, or a very fast heartbeat, needs urgent medical help. The heart and the lungs work together, and when one is struggling, the other often struggles too. A person who is breathless and has chest pain should not wait to see if it gets better. They should get help right away.
Other warning signs include fainting, severe dizziness, a very fast or very slow heartbeat that does not settle, confusion, a high temperature, or vomiting that does not stop and prevents the person from drinking fluids. Any of these can be a sign that the heart or the body is in trouble, and they are all reasons to call for emergency help. In a retreat setting, far from a hospital, that help may take time to arrive, and that delay can make a serious problem worse. That is one of the practical risks of taking ayahuasca in a remote place: if something goes wrong with the heart, the time it takes to get to a hospital matters, and a delay can be dangerous.
Heat, Vomiting, Dehydration and Extra Strain
Heat is an important part of the heart risk from ayahuasca, because the experience often takes place in a warm room, or in a hot climate, and the person may be sweating, vomiting and feeling very hot. When the body gets too hot, the heart has to work harder to cool it down, by pumping more blood to the skin. At the same time, sweating and vomiting cause fluid loss, which makes the blood thicker and harder to pump. That combination, heat plus fluid loss plus a fast heartbeat, is hard on the heart, and it is harder still for a person who is older, or who has a heart condition, or who is taking medicine that affects fluid balance.
Vomiting is often described as a normal part of ayahuasca, and in traditional use it is sometimes called purging, but from a medical point of view, repeated vomiting is a strain on the body. It causes loss of fluid and salts, it irritates the throat and stomach, and it can cause a sudden change in blood pressure when a person stands up or moves. A person who vomits many times may feel weak, dizzy and shaky, and their heart may beat faster to try to make up for the fluid loss. If they cannot drink and keep fluids down, the dehydration gets worse, and the heart has to work harder still. That is why, after ayahuasca, resting and slowly replacing fluids matters, and why a person who cannot keep fluids down should seek medical help.
There is also the strain of not eating or drinking properly before the experience. Many retreats ask people to fast, or to eat very little, before taking ayahuasca, and that can leave the body low on energy and fluid before the strain even starts. A person who is already tired, dehydrated or low on blood sugar is more vulnerable to dizziness, fainting and heart rhythm problems. That is not a reason to eat a large meal just before taking ayahuasca, which would make vomiting worse, but it is a reason to understand that the body is already under strain before the brew takes effect, and that the heart will be asked to do more with less. Health professionals advise people to be honest about their health before any such experience, and to avoid it if they have a condition that makes the strain dangerous.
Who Faces Higher Risk From Ayahuasca
Some people face a much higher risk from ayahuasca and the heart than others, and it is important to name them clearly. People with heart disease, including coronary artery disease, heart failure, or a previous heart attack, face a high risk, because their heart is already working harder than normal and may not cope with hours of extra strain. People with high blood pressure face a high risk, because ayahuasca raises blood pressure further. People with an irregular heartbeat, or a history of fainting, face a high risk, because ayahuasca can disturb heart rhythm. People who have had a stroke, or who have narrowed arteries, face a high risk, because a sharp rise in blood pressure can damage blood vessels in the brain.
Age matters too. Older people are more likely to have heart disease, high blood pressure or narrowed arteries, even if they feel well, and their hearts are less able to cope with sudden strain. They are also more likely to take medicines that interact with ayahuasca, including blood pressure medicines, heart medicines and antidepressants. A person who is older and thinking about ayahuasca should talk to a doctor first, and should be honest about their health and their medicines, because the doctor can explain the risk in a way that is specific to them. That conversation is not a formality. It can prevent a serious problem.
Medicines are one of the biggest risks, and they are often overlooked. Many antidepressants, especially a group called SSRIs, and a group called MAOIs, can interact dangerously with ayahuasca. So can some medicines for migraine, some painkillers, some cold medicines, and some herbal products. The interaction can cause serotonin syndrome, which affects the heart, the brain and the body temperature, and can be life-threatening. People who take any regular medicine should check with a doctor or pharmacist before considering ayahuasca, and should not stop their medicine suddenly in order to take it, because stopping medicine suddenly can also be dangerous. The safest choice, if you take regular medicine, is to avoid ayahuasca altogether.
Another group that needs a clear warning is people who use other substances at the same time as ayahuasca, including alcohol, stimulants, or other drugs. Each of those substances puts its own strain on the heart, and when they are combined, the strain adds up in a way that is hard to predict. Alcohol, for example, can worsen dehydration and disturb heart rhythm, while stimulants can raise heart rate and blood pressure even further. A person who has used alcohol or another drug before ayahuasca may already have a fast heartbeat or raised blood pressure before the brew even takes effect, and that makes the hours that follow more dangerous. Retreats often ask people to avoid alcohol and other drugs before a ceremony, and that rule exists for a reason, but it only helps if people follow it honestly, and if they tell the people in charge what they have taken.
It is also important to think about fitness and everyday heart health, because a heart that is already under strain in daily life is less able to cope with a sudden extra load. A person who gets breathless climbing stairs, who has swelling in their ankles, who wakes at night feeling short of breath, or who has been told their cholesterol is high, may already have a heart that is working harder than it should. Those signs are easy to ignore, because they build up slowly, but they matter when a person is considering something as demanding as ayahuasca. A simple check with a doctor, including a blood pressure reading and a talk about symptoms, can reveal a risk that the person did not know they had, and that check is far easier than dealing with a heart emergency far from help.
How the Heart Recovers, and When to Seek Help
For most healthy people, the heart recovers from ayahuasca within hours, as the brew wears off and the body rests. Heart rate slows, blood pressure falls, and the pounding feeling fades. The person may feel tired, weak and shaky for a day or two, especially if they vomited a lot, and they may need rest, fluids and sleep before they feel normal again. That recovery is usually complete, and there is no clear evidence that a single use of ayahuasca causes permanent heart damage in a healthy person. But recovery is not guaranteed for everyone, and a person who had chest pain, a very fast heartbeat, fainting, or breathlessness during the experience should not assume that they are fine just because the experience is over. They should seek medical help and tell the doctor what happened.
The heart can also be affected in the days after ayahuasca, especially if the person is still dehydrated, still anxious, or still not sleeping well. A person may notice that their heart feels as if it is beating faster than normal when they climb stairs, or that they feel dizzy when they stand up, or that they feel tired more quickly than usual. These feelings usually settle with rest and fluids, but if they do not settle within a day or two, or if they get worse, the person should seek medical help. It is better to ask and be told that everything is fine than to ignore a warning sign and find out later that it was serious.
If you are with someone who is taking ayahuasca and they develop chest pain, severe breathlessness, fainting, a very fast or irregular heartbeat, confusion, a high temperature, or vomiting that does not stop, call for emergency help right away. Stay with them, keep them as calm and as comfortable as you can, and tell the medical team what they took and when. That information helps the team to give the right care quickly, and it can make a real difference. Do not try to treat a heart problem yourself, and do not wait to see if it gets better on its own. Heart problems can get worse quickly, and early help is the best help.
My Take:
I will be honest with you. When I first started reading about ayahuasca, I thought the main risk was to the mind, because that is what most people talk about. The visions, the fear, the confusion, the chance of a lasting mental health problem. All of that is real, and all of it matters. But the more I read about the heart, the more I realised that the heart risk is the part that gets missed, and that missing it is dangerous, because a heart problem can kill a person in hours, while a mental health problem usually takes longer to show its full harm. A person can be sitting in a ceremony, feeling frightened and sick, and not realise that their heart is in trouble, because the fear and the sickness feel like the main problem, when in fact the heart is the problem that needs help first.
What stays with me is how hard the heart has to work during ayahuasca, and how little people know about that before they take it. A person who has never had a heart problem may think their heart is fine, because they feel well in everyday life, but everyday life does not ask the heart to beat at over a hundred beats a minute for hours, while blood pressure is high, while the body is losing fluid, while the person is frightened and vomiting. That is not everyday life. That is a major strain, and it is a strain that a heart with a hidden problem may not be able to handle. I think people should be told that plainly before they decide, not after they have taken the brew and their heart is already racing.
I also think about the people who are most at risk, because they are often the people who are least likely to be warned. An older person who has high blood pressure and takes medicine for it may go to a retreat hoping for healing, and may not tell the retreat leaders about their medicine, because they are embarrassed, or because they do not think it matters, or because they were told not to worry. A person who takes antidepressants may stop them for a few days before the retreat, because they were told to, and may not realise that stopping suddenly can be dangerous, or that the interaction can still happen. These are not careless people. They are people who were not given clear, honest information, and I think that is unfair. If you are running a retreat, you have a duty to ask about heart problems and medicines, and to turn away people who should not take ayahuasca, even if it means losing money.
The chest pain warning is the one I feel most strongly about, because chest pain is so often ignored or explained away. A person who feels chest pain during ayahuasca may think it is just anxiety, or just the effect of vomiting, or just the brew working, and they may wait, hoping it will pass. But chest pain is the body’s way of saying that the heart is not getting enough oxygen, and it should never be ignored, especially when the heart is already under strain. I would rather a person call for help and be told it was anxiety than wait and find out it was a heart attack. The cost of calling for help is embarrassment. The cost of waiting can be a life. That is not a difficult choice, but it is a choice that is harder to make when you are confused, frightened and far from a hospital.
I think about the setting too, because it matters more for the heart than people realise. A retreat in a remote part of the jungle, hours from a hospital, is a beautiful place, but it is a dangerous place to have a heart problem. If a person develops chest pain, a serious rhythm problem, or a dangerous interaction with medicine, the time it takes to get to a hospital can be the difference between a scare and a tragedy. A person who is thinking about a retreat should ask where the nearest hospital is, how long it takes to get there, and what medical help is available on site. If the answer is vague, or if there is no medical help on site, that is a warning sign, and it should be taken seriously. A beautiful setting does not make a heart problem safe.
I am also troubled by the way ayahuasca is sometimes described as natural and therefore safe for the heart. Natural does not mean safe, and it certainly does not mean safe for a heart that is already weak, or for a person who takes heart medicine. Many natural substances affect the heart strongly, and ayahuasca is one of them. The fact that it comes from plants does not change the fact that it raises heart rate, raises blood pressure, disturbs rhythm, and causes fluid loss. I think the word natural is used to make people feel safe, and that worries me, because it stops people from asking the questions they should ask: do I have a heart problem, do I take medicine that interacts, and what will happen if my heart gets into trouble.
The stories that stay with me are the ones where a person had a heart problem during ayahuasca and did not get help in time, or where a person with a known heart condition took ayahuasca anyway, because they believed it would heal them, and they suffered a serious event. Those stories are not common, but they are real, and they are a reminder that the heart risk is not theoretical. It is a risk that has harmed real people, and it is a risk that could have been avoided if the person had been told clearly, and if they had listened. I do not share those stories to frighten you. I share them because I think you deserve to know the full picture, not just the part about visions and healing.
If someone I cared about asked me about ayahuasca and their heart, I would ask them a few simple questions first. Have you ever had chest pain, a heart attack, a stroke, or an irregular heartbeat. Do you have high blood pressure. Do you take any regular medicine, especially for your heart, your blood pressure, or your mood. Have you ever fainted without a clear reason. If the answer to any of those is yes, I would say please do not take ayahuasca, and please talk to a doctor first. I would say it kindly, and I would listen to why they want to take it, but I would not pretend that the risk is small, because for them, it is not small. And if they are healthy and still want to take it, I would say please understand that your heart will be under strain for hours, that chest pain and breathlessness are emergencies, and that you should be near medical help, not far from it.
Money is part of this as well, and I think it should be named. Retreats are expensive, and the people who run them have a reason to tell you that the experience is safe, because if they told you the full risk, fewer people would come. That does not mean every retreat leader is dishonest, but it does mean you should be careful about who you trust for medical information. A retreat leader is not a doctor, and they cannot tell you whether your heart can handle ayahuasca. Only a doctor who knows your health and your medicines can do that, and that conversation should happen before you book a flight, not after you arrive. If a retreat tells you not to bother with a doctor, that is a warning sign, and you should listen to it.
I also think about how easy it is to feel embarrassed about asking for help when your heart is racing. A person in a ceremony may not want to disturb others, or may worry that they are overreacting, or may be told to breathe and wait for it to pass. But a fast heartbeat with chest pain is not a time to be polite or patient. It is a time to speak up, to ask for help, and to insist on being checked. The people around you would rather be disturbed for a few minutes than watch you become seriously ill, and a good guide will understand that. If you ever feel that your heart is wrong during ayahuasca, please say so loudly and clearly, and please do not let anyone talk you out of getting medical help.
The point I want to leave you with is simple, and it is the same point I would make to anyone I care about. Ayahuasca puts a real strain on the heart. It raises heart rate, it raises blood pressure, it can disturb heart rhythm, and it can cause chest pain and breathlessness that need urgent help. For a healthy person, that strain usually passes, but for a person with a heart problem, high blood pressure, or a medicine that interacts, it can be serious, and in rare cases it can be life-threatening. Please do not ignore your heart when you are thinking about ayahuasca. Talk to a doctor, be honest about your health and your medicines, and if you have a heart condition, please choose a safer path. Your heart works for you every minute of every day, without a break. It deserves to be protected, not put under hours of strain for one night, however promising that night sounds.
Finally, I want to say something to anyone who has already taken ayahuasca and felt chest pain, a very fast heartbeat, fainting, or breathlessness, and is still worried about it now. Please do not ignore that worry. Tell a doctor what happened, and tell them when it happened, and let them check your heart. You are not overreacting, and you are not weak for asking. A heart check is quick, it is painless, and it can give you peace of mind, or it can catch a problem early, when it is easiest to treat. The brave step is not to take a powerful brew and hope for the best. The brave step is to look after your heart, to ask for help when you need it, and to keep asking until you get a clear answer. That is the step I would want for anyone I care about, and it is the step I would want for you.
I also want to be fair about what the evidence does and does not show. I am not saying that every healthy person who takes ayahuasca will damage their heart, because the research does not say that, and I do not want to replace one exaggeration with another. Many healthy people go through the experience, feel their heart pounding for a few hours, and then recover fully. I believe those accounts. What I am saying is that the strain is real, that it lasts for hours, that it can be dangerous for people with a hidden or known heart problem, and that no one can know in advance how their heart will respond. That uncertainty, combined with a setting far from a hospital, is what makes the risk serious, and it is what makes me want people to hear the heart story as clearly as they hear the mind story.
If you take one idea from this article, I hope it is this: your heart does not get a night off, and it does not get to choose whether to work harder. When you take something as strong as ayahuasca, you are asking it to beat faster, pump harder, and cope with less fluid, higher pressure and more fear, all at the same time, for hours. A healthy heart can usually manage that, but a heart that is already weak, or narrowed, or irregular, or affected by medicine, may not. Please do not gamble with that. Talk to a doctor, be honest about your health, and if there is any doubt, choose the safer path. Your heart has carried you through every day of your life so far. It deserves to be protected, not put under strain for one night, however promising that night sounds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Ayahuasca damage your heart?
Ayahuasca can put a serious strain on the heart, and for some people that strain can cause harm. It raises heart rate and blood pressure, can disturb heart rhythm, and can cause chest pain, especially in people with heart disease, high blood pressure, or an irregular heartbeat. For most healthy people, the strain passes without lasting damage, but there is no clear evidence that it is harmless for everyone, and in rare cases it has been linked with serious heart events. People with a heart condition or heart medicine should avoid ayahuasca and talk to a doctor.
Why does Ayahuasca make the heart race?
Ayahuasca makes the heart race because it affects the nervous system that controls heart rate, and it also causes anxiety and fear, which raise heart rate further. The active compounds tell the heart to beat faster and harder, and vomiting, sweating and dehydration add to the strain by reducing fluid in the body. The fast heartbeat can last for hours, and it can feel like pounding or racing in the chest. A fast heartbeat that does not settle, or that comes with chest pain, dizziness or breathlessness, needs medical help.
Who is most at risk from Ayahuasca heart effects?
People with heart disease, a previous heart attack, heart failure, high blood pressure, an irregular heartbeat, or a history of stroke face the highest risk from ayahuasca. Older people face a higher risk because heart problems are more common with age. People who take heart medicines, blood pressure medicines, or antidepressants also face a higher risk, because ayahuasca can interact with those medicines in dangerous ways. Pregnant people should also avoid ayahuasca. If you are in any of these groups, talk to a doctor before considering it.
Can Ayahuasca cause a heart attack?
Ayahuasca can increase the risk of a heart attack in people who already have heart disease or narrowed arteries, because it raises heart rate and blood pressure and puts extra strain on the heart muscle. A heart attack happens when the heart muscle does not get enough oxygen, and that is more likely when the heart is working very hard for hours. The risk is low for a healthy young person, but it is real for a person with a heart condition, and chest pain during ayahuasca should always be treated as an emergency.
Is chest pain after Ayahuasca dangerous?
Yes, chest pain after ayahuasca should always be treated as dangerous until a doctor says otherwise. Chest pain can be a sign that the heart muscle is not getting enough oxygen, and it can be an early sign of a heart attack, especially when it comes with sweating, nausea, breathlessness, or pain spreading to the arm or jaw. Even if the pain turns out to be caused by anxiety or vomiting, it is better to seek urgent help and be checked than to wait and risk missing a serious problem. Do not ignore chest pain.
Does Ayahuasca raise blood pressure?
Yes, ayahuasca raises blood pressure during the experience, often by a large amount, and the rise can last for hours. That is because it affects the nervous system, raises heart rate, and causes anxiety and physical strain, all of which increase blood pressure. For a person whose blood pressure is already high, that extra rise can push it to a dangerous level, and it can increase the risk of stroke or heart strain. Blood pressure usually returns to normal afterwards, but a person with high blood pressure should avoid ayahuasca and talk to a doctor.
