Kambo frog medicine
Like any other treatment of its kind, the results are not guaranteed in Kambo. The results depend on the intentions, the patient, the therapist and many other things. Everything stated in this section is based on articles, studies and information available and open to all of us online.
I will be happy to help with clarifications and requests.
General
Kambo, also known as frog medicine, is the poisonous secretion of Phyllomedusa bicolor (giant leaf frog or monkey frog), a bright green tree frog native to the Amazon basin. It can be found in the rain forest areas of northern Brazil, eastern Peru, southeastern Colombia, and parts of Venezuela and Bolivia. In many areas outside of Brazil, both the frog and its excretion are known as Sapo (Kampo, Sapo, Vacina do sapo, Medicina da floresta, Medicine).
These frogs have a unique "courtship song" that can be imitated, in order to collect them at night. The frogs are tied by the legs and squeezed in a harmless way to cause the secretion of a wax-like substance, which is collected on wood shavings from the frog's back and legs. After drying, the kambo can be stored for over a year without losing its potency. There are several schools of thought for its use, usually the cambo is mixed with saliva or water or served as a powder, and applied directly to specially made skin burns.
Kambo has a variety of traditional and potential therapeutic applications, both medical and psycho-spiritual. The secretion, usually described as a "suffering medicine", is known for its strong cathartic or purgative effects. Despite the initial unpleasantness, the kambo is sought after as a way to revitalize the body and mind.
Personal growth
Kambo is a deep transformation tool. Kambo medicine is known to increase compassion, courage, emotional stability and personal sovereignty. Some users feel more "real" or "solid" after applying the combo - less in their head and more in their body. Frustration, anger and anxiety also tend to decrease or disappear completely. These positive changes may last a few days or a few months, depending on the intention and the person who received it.
Kambo is often suggested before the use of many traditional herbal remedies. According to the practitioners, the Kambo action "reboots" the body, not only by strengthening the immune system and cleansing the body (physically and energetically) but also through distinct psycho-spiritual benefits. These benefits are recognized and appreciated by the participant in the drug experience which is served afterwards.
Panema - an Arawak group term used by the Ashaninka as well as other tribes who practice the Kambo tradition - describes negative energy that accumulates over time. Traditionally the panama is described as a dense gray cloud or halo. Internalization is described as bad luck, depression, laziness, irritation, process breakdowns and other negative states. Naturally clearing this cloud is essential for indigenous groups that depend on hunting and community coherence. For many, the cambo serves this purpose.
Outside of traditional contexts, dispersal of internalization is framed in terms of "cleansing the pain body," "preparing the chakras," or reorganizing personal psychology. The cleansing itself may feel like an exorcism of bad thoughts, habits, negative personality traits or persistent life problems.
Therapeutic uses
One of the most fascinating potential medical applications of kambo is in the treatment of cancer. Dermceptin B2 has been shown to inhibit the growth of cancer cells (human prostate adenocarcinoma) by more than 90%. This peptide penetrates cells and acts by necrosis (active destruction) rather than apoptosis (normal or programmed cell death).
Other peptides in Kambo Dermaseptins and adenoregulin are powerful antibiotics, combined with their ability to cross the blood-brain barrier, they were found to be effective and fast against a variety of parasitic microorganisms and are completely non-toxic to mammalian cells.
Additional peptides in Kambo have been found to be particularly promising for conditions such as cryptococcal meningitis and among patients with HIV in developing stages. Among the pathogens that are destroyed by dermaseptin B2 can be found the filamentous fungi that photonistically infect AIDS patients. With the emergence and spread of highly resistant pathogenic bacteria, new kambo antibiotics are becoming critical.
Because Adenorogulin affects the binding of agonists to adenosine receptors - something that helps the permeability of the blood-brain barrier. Kambo may be useful in the development of treatments for Alzheimer's disease, depression and stroke. Anecdotal evidence supports the use of kambo in the treatment of depression, anxiety and addiction.
There is also compelling anecdotal evidence for the effectiveness of cambo in the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Evidence suggests that cambo completely eliminates CFS symptoms when taken regularly.
The delorphins and dermomorphine found in kambo have an analgesic effect similar to the body's pain response of beta endorphin release. They are also more potent than morphine without the same level of respiratory depression, tolerance potential and withdrawal symptoms.
Phylokinin may be useful in the treatment of hypertension, having been shown to lower blood pressure more effectively than other polypeptides.
Other conditions that may benefit from cambo include chronic pain, Parkinson's disease, blood vessel problems, hepatitis, diabetes, rheumatism, and arthritis.
Legality
Kambo is legal in Israel, the United States and most, if not all other countries. The only limitation seems to be the Brazilian government's 2004 ban on the commercialization of kambo.
Pharmacology
ויטוריוErspemer described the species Filumosa, the kambo frog, as a "treasure trove" of bioactive peptides, short chains of amino acids that bind to human cell receptors. The kambo secretion contains dozens of peptides, the most significant of which include phyllocairolin, phyllomodosin, phyllokinin, swagin, dermaseptin B2, adenoregulin, deltorphins, and dermorphin.
Receptor binding
Philoceroline is a hypopensive neuropeptide that stimulates the adrenal cortex and pituitary gland. It is found in kambo in a concentration of about 32 micrograms per milligram, it has a role in the pain and saturation effects of the drug.
Filomodosin interacts with tachykinin receptors - which has been shown to regulate the functions of dopamine, serotonin and other neurotransmitters. Phylokinin targets bradykinin receptors, filomodosin contracts smooth muscles while phyllokinin relaxes them. Both are strong blood thinners, increasing the permeability of the blood-brain barrier. They are found in kambo in a concentration of about 22 and 18 micrograms per milligram, respectively.
Saubinin, found in kambo at a concentration of about 3 micrograms per milligram, functions as a hormone. It interacts with the pituitary-adrenal axis and with cortical releasing receptors associated with feelings of stress, anxiety, depression and addictive behavior.
Adrenorgulin stimulates the binding of agonists to adenosine A1 receptors and is shown to cause behavioral depression in mice.
Deltorphins and dermorphine are both opioid receptor agonists. Deltorphins in particular have the highest binding affinity and selectivity for delta opioid receptors of any natural compound. Dermorphin is highly selective for mu opioid receptors today, found in kambo at a concentration of about 5.2 and 0.25-0.33 micrograms per milligram. These peptides are several times more powerful than endogenous endorphin.
Safety and toxicity
The International Association of Kambo Practitioners (IAKP) states that deaths are rare and can almost always be attributed to some pre-existing condition. Common contraindications include hypertension or high blood pressure, bleeding in the brain, aneurysm or blood clots, Addison's disease, epilepsy, heart problems, and pregnancy.
Little is known about the long-term safety of the combo. Evidence suggests that deltorphine and dermomorphine may cause respiratory depression and lead to high dependence with frequent use. Toxins found in kambo may affect the cardiovascular system, kidneys, pancreas and liver.
Anecdotal reports warn of "frog disease", an incurable condition resulting from the non-traditional use of kambo (e.g. oral consumption or smoking). "Frog diseases" are characterized by weak muscles, cardiac arrest and death. The condition is probably caused by parasitic microorganisms. In traditional treatment, this condition is eliminated by the body's immune response to skin burns.
History
Kambo is supposedly named after the legendary pajé (or medicine man) Kampu. This ancient shaman is said to have learned of the medicine from a forest spirit, after exhausting all other means to cure his diseased tribe. According to the Kaxinawá, Kampo's spirit lives on in the giant monkey frog, continuing to heal anyone who asks for it.
Regardless of the origin of the name, kambo medicine has long been used by Pano-speaking indigenous groups in the Amazon, including the Katokina, Eshininka, Yaminawa, and Matsas. It may also have been used by the Classic Maya, whose art depicted tree frogs alongside mushrooms. Traditional uses of the kambo include eliminating toxins, increasing strength and endurance, controlling pregnancy (or inducing abortion) and dispersing negative energy, or panama. In the rain forest, the kambo is used as a hunting aid, reducing the need for food and water and minimizing the human smell.
The first westerner to notice the use of kambo in the Amazon was the French missionary Constantin Tastevin, who stayed with the Kaxinawá tribe in 1925.
Kambo was discovered "again" in the 1980s by journalist Peter Gorman and anthropologist Katharine Milton, who spent a long time with the Mets and Mayurona tribes in northeastern Peru, southwestern Brazil. Each provided Kambo samples to biochemists John Daly and Vittorio Erspermer. who analyzed the peptide content of the kambo and saw great medical potential. Pharmaceutical companies have made efforts to synthesize and patent Kambo peptides, but most have struggled with drug development.
Until 1994, kambo was almost never applied to non-natives from South America. Kambo was first proposed as a treatment by Francisco Gomes, a half-catokina average who lived in Sao Paulo. Around 1999, he was joined by Santo Diem and acupuncturist Sonia Maria Menezes and other Kambo practitioners, including holistic therapists, doctors, and clergy.
In 2004, the Brazilian government banned all advertising of the medicinal and therapeutic benefits of cambo, effectively banning urban cambo providers. In part, this action was a legal response to the Katokina tribe's demand to protect their "intellectual property".
Current use
International awareness of kambo therapy continues to grow, around the mid-2000s. Today, Kambo presenters who studied in the West, perform Kambo ceremonies all over the world. You can also purchase combo sticks online.
Among the Kambo community there is concern that the commercial supply chains may exploit indigenous tribes. Mass production of kambo sticks may also pose a threat to the frog in the wild.
Common Questions
Can kambo cause psychological trauma?
The unpleasant effects of the Kambo can feel endless to those who experience them. There can also be a feeling of intoxication or dissociation. But for the most part, Kambo is not psychoactive.
What are the risks?
Kambo is relatively safe when properly applied to healthy people. However, it is probably less safe for children, pregnant or breastfeeding women, people with heart problems, and patients recovering from surgery or taking immunosuppressants for organ transplants. Cambo should also be avoided by chemotherapy and radiation patients, including those planning to start treatment within four weeks.
Will it leave scars?
Yes - although the Kambo scars fade over time, it is possible that they will not disappear completely. An ointment such as Dragon's Blood can be applied after treatment, may help improve their appearance. Alternatively, the same points can be used within 2-3 months from the day of the previous application (less recommended, may bleed).
Can I keep the frogs at home?
Kambo frogs can be kept as pets, but they are not amphibians for beginners. In addition, it seems that the Kambo frogs in captivity do not secrete the same type of venom as those in the wild, possibly due to nutritional differences.
What is the safest way to take Kambo?
The only safe way to get kababo is through skin burns, but the specifics tend to vary between recipients. At the Caboclo Kambo Institute, for example, the kambo is traditionally given on the new moon for three consecutive months, increasing the dose every month. The combo may also be in a double or triple dose in a single session.
Can I use Kambo to microdose(micro-dosing)?
There is very little information on microdosing with Kambo, but some consider it dangerous. The complete purification (that is, in large and full doses) and going through the process in its entirety is considered essential for the release of toxins.
Does it produce tolerance?
Frequent users build a physical tolerance to Kambo. Some of the men in the Baktokina clan take more than a hundred points at a time. Anecdotal reports claim that using Sananga and Ibogaine can reverse the tolerance effect. the user's physiology.
Can the Kambo be mixed with other medications?
Kambo is often used in combination with Ayahuasca or San Pedro because purifying the kambo in advance helps to optimize the absorption of the medicine. The vasodilatory peptides filomodosin and filokinin are also used to increase the permeability of the blood-brain barrier.
Kambo can also be taken before using psychoactive substances delivered through the nose, such as nu-nu, rape and ibogaine.
It should be noted, the safety of combining the combo with other substances is not completely known. Before treatment alcohol should be avoided, it is recommended to avoid soft drugs for at least three days after the application of the Kambo.
Who is the treatment not suitable for?
People after a stroke, people taking immunosuppressants for organ transplants, severe epilepsy patients, children under 18, women who are pregnant or in the first six months of breastfeeding, people with severe heart problems, treated with low blood pressure medications, Addison's disease patients, recovering from major surgery.