20 replies to this topic

[thedevinroy]

Catuaba bark extract seems to be marketed solely for its sexual enhancing effects, and I think "stimulant". However, when I see it also used to treat ailments such as Dementia, I think "nootropic". I did a search on pubmed for "catuabine" (the tropane alkaloids unique to catuaba) and didn't come up with anything too significant.

Upon searching for "catuaba" on pubmed, I found this study: http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/15991001 . Which states that "Acute oral treatment with the extract of T. catigua produced antidepressant-like effects in the forced swimming model in both mice and rats. Anti-immobility actions of T. catigua extract in mice were significantly reversed by haloperidol or by chlorpromazine, but not by pimozide, ketanserin, spiroxatrine or p-chlorophenylalanine. In vitro, T. catigua extract concentration-dependently inhibited the uptake and increased the release of serotonin, and especially of dopamine, from rat brain synaptosomal preparations."

Additional Studies:
http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/21801825 (suggests antidepressant effect)
http://www.ncbi.nlm....les/PMC3095233/ (possible opoid, too)
http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/15798997 (safe)
http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/11507734 (does not raise cAMP levels)
http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/18020420 (contains epicatechins, powerful antioxidants)
http://www.ncbi.nlm....ichilia Catigua (general search)

It's alkaloids definitely contain catechol rings. Epichatechin (and its analogues) is a known substrate of COMT.

This leads me to believe Trichilia Catigua acts as a SDRA, SDRI, COMT inhibitor, and opoid... hard to say at what dose. That's why I need you, Longecity. Anyone have any experience with Catuaba? I'm interested in finding its effect on cognition, motivation, focus, ability to switch between tasks, memory, energy, wakefulness, pain inhibition, emotions/mood, sexual effects, and social effects.

[Lufega]

I would use for a while but only on the days I wanted intimacy. It did not feel sexually stimulating like yohimbe or maca. It was different. I felt more amorous and loving and stuff. The woman enoyed that effect.

[thedevinroy]

I would use for a while but only on the days I wanted intimacy. It did not feel sexually stimulating like yohimbe or maca. It was different. I felt more amorous and loving and stuff. The woman enoyed that effect.

Sounds like a good boost for a night out on the town. +1 Thanks for the description of your experience.

[MrHappy]

No, but as usual, I'm willing to guinea pig if you want to compare notes! :p

[longevitynow]

All I can say I noticed was subtly more energy, but will go back and experiment. I was given a free sample at a health show, and took it with more morning regimen, so it was difficult to pinpoint the effects.

[MrSpud]

I know some people who work for a company that distribute raw materials for a south american Pharmaceutical company who were really into Catuaba. They have an extract that they both use and sell. They said tat when they take it they don't feel it right away like you would with yohimbine or caffeine, rather they say it keeps them going but doesn't speed them up. They said that whenever they stop taking it they really miss the effects. In other words, they describe it being subtle yet worthwhile, kind of like some people describe ginseng. They gave me a sample of their extract but I haven't tried it yet. Rain Tree has a big monograph on it at http://www.rain-tree.com/catuaba.htm and no, the people I know aren't associated with Rain Tree.

[1kgcoffee]

Traditionally, catuaba is not taken alone, but left to soak overnight with muira puama. I experimented a few times with a strong decoction of catuaba, muira puama, cats claw and cinnamon. Didn't notice any effect over cats claw and cinnamon, but then I am fairly young and healthy. You'd probably have to be a bit older to notice the effect.

By the way, if anyone is interested in purchasing some, I can recommend these guys: http://mountainroseherbs.com

[Thorsten3]

There's a lot of junk out there so finding a good source seems to be the main problem. You also have to prepare it properly to get good effects from it. So just putting the bark into boiled water and drinking it isn't going to do much at all. You have to shread the bark until it becomes a powder and then boil it for 15-20mins so the alkaloids are released. It's also mixed with Muira Puama by the natives that use it.

[thedevinroy]

Ptychopetalum (Muira Puama) is anxiogenic, meaning that it creates a stimulating effect and an increase in anxiety. It is probably anxiogenic due to its inhibition of AChE (http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/20833520). It is a slight adaptogen (http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/19682881). It is a Beta Adrenergic and D1 Dopaminergic agonist (http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/19067380), though no activity at D2 Dopaminergic receptor which is misleading since it is considered an aphrodisiac. It's also great for NGF-related nerve growth (http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/18821798).

I think yall are correct. You should include this herb with Catuaba. The anxiogenic effects from AChE inhibition are probably offset by Catuaba's serotonergic effects, resulting in an adaptogenic and nootropic effect from what I gather.

[thedevinroy]

Finally got some Catuaba. It's a 4:1 extract powder, and it doesn't specify the species or blend used. However, it does state that it is a bark extract.

Like expected, it is slightly stimulating and a slight antidepressant. I took 500mg to 1000mg of powder in water with and orange juice chaser. It felt good, like Ashwagandha or a little Kratom but the body buzz wore off quick. After a half hour, I decided to try it again, but as a tea. The tea didn't do anything... guess I should have boiled it for 15-20 minutes instead of steaped it for 3. Finally, I took three "0" capsules full with some blue Mountain Dew. I feel slightly stimulated now... more motivation and ability to focus. Nothing crazy... just a good mood.

Is there anything stronger? 4:1 powder is nice for a tea, but forget popping pills or even smoking it. Not that I smoke, but I know someone who would want to lace it with cannabis if it was stronger.

[abelard lindsay]

Catauaba is good stuff. I take the Solaray pills from time to time when I need some dopamine.

[rdza]

I'am almost 30. For past 2 years I had a parkinson-like symptoms, apathy, anhedonia, lack of emotions and motivation, low libido, joint pain, dizziness, etc. It was getting worse and worse, finally I had difficulties walking stairs while sleeping 12h-14h/day. I visited endocrinologists, neurologists, done MRI and all possible blood test, all results were perfectly fine.
When I was prescribed MAOB-i (although I was never diagnosed), some somatic symptoms were gone. So I done my research (also at Longecity ), and took tyrosine and dlpa, again I felt a little better. But when I started drinking catuaba regularly everything is normal again, all symptoms are gone or strongly reduced.
If you'd ask me, for dopamine a strong catuaba tea is better than MAO-i's.

[Thorsten3]

I'm about to experiment again with catuaba, but this time I plan to follow this recipe for maximising its effects;

http://www.mindandmu...3882#post663882

[deeptrance]

I'm about to experiment again with catuaba, but this time I plan to follow this recipe for maximising its effects;

http://www.mindandmu...3882#post663882

Wow, that's a lot of boiling, but it's apparently a recipe for dealing with the bark, not powder. Also, I wonder if one buys a standardized extract powder, would all that work be necessary? For standardized extracts they pull out the active ingredient and then add that back to whatever amount of the raw powder is required in order to get the end product to equal the standardized level they seek. I would much prefer using this to buying unprocessed product with unknown potency and then boiling it for many hours.

Edited by deeptrance, 13 June 2013 - 12:55 AM.

[bugasman]

Something I find by accident and needs to be studied...

Last month I took 1-3g ,almost daily, of powdered Catuaba. The real one is Trichillia catigua. Don't worry about which species to buy. All are the same. In the exception of online vendors that may be selling you a completely different herb. Anemopaegma arvense or Erythroxylum catuaba are mislabeled as real catuaba. Anemopaegma is impossible to find because is a endangered specie and Erythroxylum catuaba maybe be a fake or inexistent specie. If you buy one of those I bet 99% chance that you are buying Trichillia catigua. Good news because what you want is Trichillia, the one backed with scientific papers.

So I bought Anemopaegma arvense powdered, sorry, in reality they selled me Trichillia. After making a tea using 1g and drinking it, 30 minutes later I felt a litlle tingle in the area and elevated mood. Libido increased. But this is not what I found.

After 4 days using it I started to had symptons resembling serotonin syndrome and benzodiazepine withdrawal. Muscle spasms, pain, accelerated heart beat and feeling like I would die due heart failure. The strange of all I did not felt mental panic or anxiety, I was calm while my body was a mess. Later my cravings to clonazepam started to fade. I was using 0.25 mg daily of klonopin in the last 8 months. Catuaba made stop using benzos. I had one month of withdrawal in May and in June no more benzos.

Another find. It reduces amphetamine craving. Not a good feeling combining the two because both cancels each other. I mean, Catuaba cancels the amphetamine effects and the later the catuaba. So, when I combine the two I get a terrible depression and desire to do nothing. Maybe catuaba acts like Iboga and have a great potential to be a anti adiction drug. It needs more research. Another problem, the combination of amphe and catu made my heart almost explode, dangerous combo...

I'm still deciding about catuaba or amphet. If I use only catuaba my focus will change to more hedonistic stuff. It's a good dopaminergic but lacks adrenaline. Maybe this is the reason the tupis (natives) combine Catuaba with Muira Puama and Guarana.

Some research:

http://www.researchg...f934ca4f436.pdf

Morphological, chemical and functional analysis of catuaba preparations.Kletter C, Glasl S, Presser A, Werner I, Reznicek G, Narantuya S, Cellek S, Haslinger E, Jurenitsch J.
Institute of Pharmacognosy, University of Vienna, PharmaCenterVienna, Vienna, Austria. Christa.Kletter@univie.ac.at

Fourteen commercial samples of the popular Brazilian aphrodisiac Catuaba specified as bark drugs of Anemopaegma, Erythroxylum and Trichilia species were examined for identity and purity. Only a minority of the examined Catuaba samples contained the crude drugs claimed on the labels. More than half of the products were adulterated with different crude drugs. The majority of the samples contained a bark originating from Trichilia catigua. The TLC fingerprints confirmed the heterogeneity, in 50% of the samples tropane alkaloids of various concentrations were detected. TLC and HPLC methods for separation and identification of the tropane alkaloids were developed and their analytical data (RF values, retention times, ESI-MS) given. The structure elucidation of the two main alkaloids, catuabine D and its hydroxymethyl derivative, is presented. The 1H- and 13C-NMR assignments of these alkaloids are discussed with regard to literature data. Neither aqueous nor methanolic extracts of the Trichilia catigua reference material nor alkaloid-enriched fractions of commercial samples showed any effect on the rabbit corpus cavernosum in an in vitro test.

Edited by bugasman, 25 June 2013 - 06:48 PM.

[bugasman]

I'm still using Catuaba and everyday it convices me to drop Vyvanse. This herb is very zen, relaxing and focusing. It can be compared with Desoxyn without the adrenergic rush. Catu is the best anxiolytic and antidepressant I have found. I wonder if others are experiencing the same effects.

Edited by bugasman, 14 August 2013 - 10:23 PM.

[mrd1]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3095233/#!po=5.17241 the article regarding possible opioid and dopamine seems to use 200mg mg/kg in rats which converts by my estimates 2,500mg? That sounds like it is unreasonable and the other study reguarding dopamine doesn't list any doses atless you buy the article.

Anyone? Perhaps I did the math wrong or didn't read enough of the paper.

[Kepel]

Catuaba is known here in Brazil as an alcoholic beverage. Seems like its aphrodisiac properties go well with alcohol for some reason...

Spoiler: mildly NWS (apparently not by Brazil standards)

Spoiler

Spoiler

This one is as stereotypical as can be, but you get the idea...

Anyway, catuaba being nootropic is news to me, but its traditional use suggest that sexual side effects should be... expected. (I won't judge you, though)

[Galaxyshock]

I took 2 tablespoons of powdered Catuaba but not having noticeable effects.

 

I want to be happy god damn it!

[John250]

I took 2 tablespoons of powdered Catuaba but not having noticeable effects.

I want to be happy god damn it!

Lol that’s how I felt when I read about the guy on here who got amazing results from Babchi. Took like three weeks for it to arrive and after taking it I felt absolutely nothing.

[Galaxyshock]

Lol that’s how I felt when I read about the guy on here who got amazing results from Babchi. Took like three weeks for it to arrive and after taking it I felt absolutely nothing.

 

Yeah with some random herbals it sometimes makes you wonder if they just put some useless plant matter there to make a buck.

 

Some report the aphrodisiac effects of Catuaba take couple of days to become apparent so maybe I'll take it anyways to see if something happens.