kambo frog medicine

Andrea's Sacred Earth Medicine Ceremonies are rooted with the spirit of each medicine, the Great Spirit/Creator, and Pachamama/Mother Earth with gratitude and reverence for the healing and learning each of these tools bring us. Though we recognize that we are indeed the medicine. And we allow you to have your own experience while remaining part of the sacred circle as we utilize energy healing, vibrational sound healing, and shamanic practices.

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WHAT IS KAMBO?

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Kambo, also known as frog medicine, is the venomous secretion of Phyllomedusa bicolor (the giant leaf or monkey frog), a bright green tree frog native to the Amazon basin. It can be found in the rain forest regions of northern Brazil, eastern Peru, southeastern Colombia, and parts of Venezuela, Bolivia, and the Guianas. In many regions outside Brazil, both the frog and its secretion are known as sapo (or ‘toad’).

Giant monkey frogs have a distinctive “song” that can be followed to collect them at night. Captive specimens are tied by the legs and harmlessly stressed to induce the secretion: a waxy substance scraped onto wooden splinters from the back and legs of the frog. Once dried, kambo can be stored for upwards of a year without losing its potency. For use, it’s mixed with saliva or water and directly applied to specially made skin burns.

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**Kambo has a range of traditional and potential therapeutic applications, both medical and psycho-spiritual. Commonly described as an ‘ordeal medicine’, the secretion is known for its powerful emetic or purgative effects. Despite its initial unpleasantness, kambo is widely sought out to revitalize body and mind.

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Kambo is legal in the United States and most, if not all, other countries.

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THERAPEUTIC USE

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One of kambo’s most exciting potential medical applications is the treatment of cancer. Dermaseptin B2 has been shown to inhibit cancer cell (human prostatic adenocarcinoma) growth by more than 90%. This peptide penetrates cells and works by necrosis (active destruction) and not apoptosis (normal or programmed cell death).

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Dermaseptins, including adenoregulin, are powerful antibiotics. Found to be rapidly and irreversibly effective against a range of parasitic microorganisms, they’re also entirely non-toxic to mammalian cells. Combined with their ability to cross the blood-brain barrier, peptides in kambo are especially promising for conditions like Cryptococcal meningitis in patients with late-stage HIV.  Among the pathogens killed by dermaseptin B2 are the filamentous fungi that opportunistically infect AIDS patients. With the emergence and spread of highly resistant pathogenic bacteria, novel antibiotics such as these are becoming critical.

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Since adenoregulin affects the binding of agonists to adenosine receptors—instrumental in the permeability of the blood-brain barrier—it may be useful in the development of treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, depression, and strokes. Anecdotal evidence supports kambo’s use in depression treatment, anxiety, and addiction.

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There’s also compelling anecdotal evidence for kambo’s effectiveness in the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). According to one sufferer, the secretion completely eliminates CFS symptoms when taken regularly. 

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The deltorphins and dermorphin present in kambo have analgesic effects comparable to the body’s own pain response of beta-endorphin release. They’re also stronger than morphine without the same level of respiratory depression, tolerance potential, and withdrawal symptoms.

Phyllokinin may be useful in the treatment of hypertension, having been shown to lower blood pressure more effectively than other polypeptides.

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Other conditions that may benefit from kambo include chronic pain, Parkinson’s disease, vascular problems, hepatitis, diabetes, rheumatism, arthritis, depression, anxiety, addictions, PTSD, grief, chronic inflammation, parasites, viruses, co-infections, and much more.

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KAMBO PREPARATION & POST CARE

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To prepare for your ceremony - The following is mandatory.

• 8-12 hours of fasting is required, only a small amount of water, non caffeinated herbal tea, or coconut water may be consumed during fasting time.

• Absolutely no caffeine or stimulants during fasting time. 

• For at least 2 weeks prior to the ceremony, it is advised to consume a clean diet with no sugar, heavy hot spices, caffeine, dairy, meat and other animal products, fatty foods, fried foods, and processed foods. 

• It is advised to refrain from sex to preserve your individual chi (energy), but not mandatory. 

• Alcohol, prescription medications, all supplements and any recreational drugs/substances MUST be avoided for at least 2 weeks days prior to ceremony. 

• These requirements are for everyone's safety as the things listed above can have serious interactions with Kambo and for you to have the most beneficial experience, it is very important to be honest and transparent about anything consumed.  

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Post care from your Kambo ceremony

• It is very important to not drive if you feel light headed or weak.

• Do not operate heavy machinery, move furniture or engage in physically stressful situations within 24 hours after your ceremony.

• Re-mineralize with mineral water or coconut water to restore vital nutrients and electrolytes. 

• Drink at least 8-10 glasses of clean water per day. 

• Refrain from difficult to digest or energetically dense foods (dairy, meat) for at least 24 hours (or longer). It is best to manatin the preparation diet for as long as possible to support your new vibrational frequency. 

• Do not drink alcohol or do drugs at least 7 days after your ceremony.

• Integrate, tune in, and take note of any vibrational shifts.  

• Be conscious of your consumption of certain foods, energies, media, people etc.

• Stay on the preparation diet as long as possible. Eat organic, non processed whole foods when possible. 

• Develop patience with yourself and your journey. 

• Give yourself space to process your Kambo work. 

• Take time for you, in nature, and community. 

• Get good rest and be grateful for your many blessings.  

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Please bring the following items with you to your ceremony:

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• Gallon of purified or spring water

• Any sacred items you would like to add to the altar

• A bucket deep enough for getting well/purging

• Hair tie for long hair to be pulled back

• Toothpaste and toothbrush

• Change of clothes, just in case

• Yoga mat or mat for your sacred space

• Blanket/Pillow for your comfort

• Any food you would like to eat after your ceremony​

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KAMBO CEREMONY

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Kambo can be done in one single ceremony, though it is known that many tribes and practitioners have found that doing 3-5 ceremonies of Kambo within a moon cycle can provide the most benefits. This can be done in any variation such as 3 days in a row, once every few days, or once per week etc. This is to assist the different mental, emotional, physical and spiritual layers to be cleansed and worked through thoroughly.  

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Kambo treatments are held in a “Circle,” which is a space set up for the process of clearing physical and emotional blocks during your ceremony. Great care is taken to ensure the Kambo Circle is safe, welcoming, clean and energetically balanced. All ceremony participants and circle spaces will be ‘smudged’ with Sage and/or Palo Santo, two medicinal plants that are burned to cleanse and protect. The option to utilize Rapé (rapeh) and/or Sananga is available to assist deeper clarity and grounding prior to receiving Kambo.  

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Kambo ceremonies may be in a private 1-on-1 or group setting. They begin with prayers/intentions to open the space, focus the mind and welcome everyone to the healing of the sacred medicine. Each participant will have a private consultation regarding their treatment, health history, and intentions, and there will be time to answer any questions you might have. We will develop a specific treatment based on your intention, goals, physical/emotional condition and previous experience with Kambo. We will then go into detail about what you can expect during and after your Kambo treatment.

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To prepare the kambo, the dried resin is combined with a little water or saliva to form a paste like “green mustard.” It is then divided into dots for application.  Aided by kambo’s vasodilating peptides and pro-inflammatory agents, they are absorbed into the bloodstream within seconds.

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If it is your 1st Kambo treatment, or you’ve had Kambo before but taken some time off, you will receive a test point. A single Kambo dot is placed on 1 of the burn points and your reaction to the medicine will be observed with careful attention given to your breathing, heart rate, blood pressure and skin reaction. Assuming the test point goes well, the rest of your remaining points will be added and your full treatment will commence.

Songs, rattles and drums may be used to aid in the removal of blockages and guide the energy of the healing process. The healing properties of sound and vibration are well-known and used throughout cultures around the world.

 

When it is your turn to receive Kambo, a series of small burns (the size of the tip of an incense stick; about 3-5mm in diameter) will be made on your skin with a smoldering piece of titica vine (Heteropsis flexuosa) or an incense stick.  The purpose of these burns is to allow the medicine direct access to your lymphatic system. Once the skin has been removed from the burns—as painlessly as from a blister. (Only the top surface layer of skin is removed and no blood is drawn.) The burning process is quick, just a split second per point, and I take care to make sure the pain is as minimal as possible. The location of these points will be based on the type of treatment with consideration for tattoos, aesthetics and scars.  In the 15 minutes leading up to the application of Kambo you will drink 1.5-2 liters of water to aid in the removal of toxins. Then, the kambo dots are applied and your experience with Kambo will begin.

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Once purging begins to fade, the Kambo will be removed from the points and liquid Dragon's Blood is applied to the points.  Dragons' Blood is mother nature's wound healing accelerator. The rapid anti-inflammatory & antimicrobial healing properties of the crimson red Dracaena Cinnabari tree resin has been used for centuries to kill pathogens like bacteria, fungi, and viruses. ​

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WHAT TO EXPECT

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The Kambo experience can be uncomfortable and is known as an ‘active’ healing process. It is a difficult but potentially more rewarding method of healing compared to most ‘passive’ pharmaceutical treatments. Plus, it has almost no negative side-effects! While the medicine is working its way through your body it is quite common to feel a temporary worsening of symptoms. You may also feel Kambo’s innate "intelligence" as it goes directly to the areas of your body and mind that need attention.

 

The immediate effects of kambo medicine are intense and unpleasant but short-lived, usually lasting no more than 30-60 minutes. They include a feverish rise in temperature, sweating, shivers, and dizziness and/or fainting as the heart rate becomes rapid—possibly reaching more than 190 beats per minute, all of which is common. The blood pressure may rise or fall dramatically, accompanied by an increased awareness of the veins and arteries.  Many people report a tingling or burning sensation like electricity that starts from the points and spreads through the body, especially in the extremities. Some may also feel a dissociative or drunken high.

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Overwhelming nausea is generally unavoidable with kambo and purging is likely—either by vomiting, defecation, shaking, chills, coughing, excess mucus production, sweating, and/or crying. Other effects include a feeling of pressure in the head, neck, and torso, stomach pain, inflammation of the throat, dry mouth, blurred vision (or temporary blindness), difficulty moving, and numb, swollen lips and tongue. This is the body’s physical reaction to Kambo.

After these initial effects have worn off and the heart rate has returned to normal, it is necessary to rest. Some fall into a dreamless sleep, while others make strange animal noises.

Your experience may feel enhanced following the kambo purge. You may feel great physical strength, sharpened senses, and heightened mental alertness. Desirable after-effects like these may take a day or two to materialize or they could be immediate. They also tend to include a consistently elevated mood, increased physical and mental energy, decreased stress, and enhanced focus.

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You may experience:

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• Increased heart rate

• Increased blood pressure for several minutes

• Pounding sensation in the heart and head

• Flushed skin

• Sweating and increased temperature 

• Minor swelling in the extremities and face

• Shaking, tingling, buzzing or vibrating sensations

• Nausea and stomach discomfort

• Fainting, low blood pressure

• Vomiting and the urge to defecate​

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PERSONAL GROWTH

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According to practitioners, the secretion “resets” the body, not only by strengthening the immune system but also through distinct psycho-spiritual benefits.

 

Panema—an Arawak term used by the Ashaninka and others—describes a negative energy that gathers over time. Traditionally visualized as a kind of dense grey cloud or aura, panema is blamed for bad luck, depression, laziness, irritation, and other adverse states. Naturally, clearing this cloud is vital for indigenous groups that depend on hunting and community coherence. For many, kambo serves this purpose.

Outside of traditional contexts, the dissipation of panema is framed in terms of “clearing the pain body,” “realigning the chakras,” or reorganizing personal psychology.  The purge itself may be felt as an expulsion of bad thoughts, habits, negative personality traits, or persistent life problems.

A profoundly transformational tool, kambo medicine is known to increase compassion, courage, emotional stability, and personal sovereignty.  Some users feel more “real” or “solid” after kambo application—less in their heads and more in their bodies. Frustration, anger, and anxiety also tend to reduce or dissipate entirely. These positive changes may last several days or several months, depending on the application and the person receiving it.

Kambo may also help to overcome a fear of dying. According to one practitioner, terminally ill patients have claimed to see “the other side” during their experience, returning with a newfound serenity about death.

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PHARMACOLOGY
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Science has shown that the Kambo secretion has a unique and complex blend of Bioactive Peptides. The beneficial nature of these peptides has led to over 70 patents being lodged by scientists and pharmaceutical companies, all in the hope that they can replicate the benefits of Kambo.

 

So what is a peptide? A peptide is a short chain of amino acids, that when bonded performs a function in the human body. Insulin, Oxytocin, Growth hormone, Antibiotics, and Enzymes are all examples of peptides. Peptides affect mood, energy, cognitive reasoning, blood sugar, digestion, blood pressure and immune system regulation. They can help with inflammation and even stop the growth of microorganisms in the body.

What makes Kambo peptides special? Kambo contains Bioactive Peptides, which means that each one performs a specific and beneficial function in the human body. Most importantly, the peptides in Kambo are completely natural, so the body recognizes them and unlocks cells to the benefits of the medicine. This is not true for pharmaceutical drugs, which often have to break into cells – generally leaving behind a residue and causing some stress in the body. Kambo is a natural substance that the human body recognizes, so it’s receptive to the medicine with no stress to the cells. Kambo even helps clean out the residue left by drugs.

What are the Peptides in Kambo? There are 11 well-known peptides that have been isolated in Kambo secretion. It is a blend that is completely unique to the frog medicine. These peptides are:

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• Phyllocaerulein – a neuropeptide (a special type of peptide that helps neurons communicate in the brain) that reduces blood pressure, modifies satiety (stomach fullness), and manages sedation and thermoregulation. It’s also a potent pain killer.

• Phyllokinin – a peptide that reduces blood pressure in the long-term, and crosses the blood-brain barrier to help take Kambo’s benefits to the brain.

• Phyllomedusin – a neuropeptide (unique to Kambo) that acts as a powerful vasodilator, widening and relaxing blood vessels, veins, and arteries.

• Dermorphin – a chain that acts on opioid receptors to reduce pain. It is 30-40 times more potent than morphine.

• Deltorphin – another peptide that interacts with opioid receptors, showing higher selectivity for them than any compound known to man. There are 2 Deltorphins in Kambo, adding to its pain-killing properties.

• Dermaseptin – a peptide with potent antimicrobial effects against bacteria, yeast, fungi, protozoa, and even enveloped viruses.

• Adenoregulin – a peptide that has been shown to be very effective in killing cancer cells, effectively turning off their fuel supply.

• Tryptophyllin – a peptide that been shown to be highly potent against the yeast Candida Albicans.

• Phyllolitorin, [Leu8] Phyllolitorin, Rohdei-Litorin – 3 neuropeptides that stimulate gastric acid secretion and smooth muscle contraction.

From this list, you can see why Kambo has been so beneficial to people looking to manage pain and illness, and why it differs from any other medicine in the world!

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RECEPTOR BINDING 

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Phyllocaerulein is a hypotensive neuropeptide that stimulates the adrenal cortex and pituitary gland. Present in kambo at around 32 micrograms per milligram, it has a role in the medicine’s analgesic and satiety effects.

Phyllomedusin interacts with tachykinin receptors—shown to regulate the functions of dopamine, serotonin, and other neurotransmitters—while phyllokinin targets the bradykinin receptors. Phyllomedusin contracts smooth muscles while phyllokinin relaxes them. Both are potent vasodilators, increasing the permeability of the blood-brain barrier. They are present in kambo at around 22 and 18 micrograms per milligram, respectively.

Sauvagine, present at 3 micrograms per milligram, functions like a hormone. It interacts with the pituitary-adrenal axis and corticotropin-releasing receptors—involved in stress, anxiety, depression, and addictive behavior.

Adenoregulin stimulates the binding of agonists to A1 adenosine receptors and is shown to cause behavioral depression in mice.

Deltorphins and dermorphin are both powerful opioid receptor agonists. Deltorphins in particular have among the highest binding affinity and selectivity to delta opioid receptors of any natural compound. Dermorphin is highly selective for mu opioid receptors. Present at 5.2 and 0.25-0.33 micrograms per milligram, respectively, these peptides are many times more potent than endogenous beta-endorphin.

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BRIEF HISTORY OF KAMBO

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Kambo is supposedly named for the legendary pajé (or medicine man) Kampu. This ancestral shaman is said to have learned about the medicine from a forest spirit, having exhausted all other means to heal his sickly tribe. According to the Kaxinawá, the spirit of Kampu lives on in the giant monkey frog, continuing to heal any who seek it.

Whatever the mythical origin, kambo medicine has long been used by indigenous Pano-speaking groups in the Amazon, including the Katukina, Asháninka, Yaminawá, and Matsés (or Mayoruna). It may also have been used by the classical Maya, whose art depicted tree frogs next to mushrooms.  Traditional uses include eliminating toxins, increasing strength and stamina, monitoring pregnancy (or inducing abortion), and dispersing negative energy, or panema.

In the rainforest, kambo is used as a hunting aid, reducing the need for food and water and minimizing the human scent. Fortified by the “vaccine,” hunters are also thought to emit a strange green light that draws their prey near.

The first Westerner to witness kambo use in the Amazon was the French missionary Constantin Tastevin, who stayed with the Kaxinawá in 1925. According to his informants, the ritual of self-envenomation originated with the neighboring Yaminawá.

Kambo was rediscovered in the 1980s by journalist Peter Gorman and anthropologist Katharine Milton —both of whom spent time living with the Matsés/Mayoruna of northeastern Peru/southwestern Brazil. They each supplied kambo samples to the biochemists John Daly and Vittorio Erspamer , who analyzed the secretion’s peptide content and saw great medical potential. Pharmaceutical companies have made efforts to synthesize and patent kambo peptides, but have largely struggled to develop medications. 

Until 1994, kambo was rarely applied to non-Indians. It was first offered as a therapy by Francisco Gomes, a half-Katukina caboclo living in São Paulo. From around 1999, he was joined by Santo Daime practitioner and acupuncturist Sonia Maria Valença Menezes  and other non-Indian kambo applicators, including holistic therapists, doctors, and members of the União do Vegetal religion.

In 2004, the Brazilian government prohibited all advertising of kambo’s medical or therapeutic benefits, effectively shutting down the new urban applicators. In part, this was a legal response to the Katukina’s demand to protect their ‘intellectual property’. 

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MYTHS

“Kambo is hallucinogenic” This is false, Kambo is not psychoactive.
P. bicolor is occasionally referred to as an “hallucinogenic tree frog”, with some users reporting visions of varying intensity. However, none of the peptides present in kambo are known to produce these effects. Hallucinations are far more likely due to other, psychoactive substances that are sometimes taken with kambo.

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PRECAUTIONS, SAFETY & TOXICITY

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Kambo is best taken on an empty stomach, bladder, and bowels. It’s advisable to avoid solid food, and especially salt, for 8-10 hours beforehand. Alcohol, specific prescription medications, and recreational drugs/substances should also be avoided for at least 1-2 weeks before application.

It’s a good idea to test a small amount of kambo on the skin before administering it to subsequent burns. Many practitioners wait several minutes to gauge negative reactions. It is highly advised not to try this on your own, but to find an experienced kambo-giver or guide, due to the possibility of adverse effects or medical contraindications that could have severe or fatal consequences.  Also keep in mind that kambo could be habit-forming. 12 applications per year is a good upper limit. 

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Little is known about the long-term safety of kambo, but evidence suggests that deltorphin and dermorphin may cause respiratory depression and lead to heavy reliance with frequent use. Kambo-related deaths have also been linked to the secretion’s depressive effects on the central nervous system. Toxins present in kambo may affect the cardiovascular system, kidneys, pancreas, and liver.

The International Association of Kambo Practitioners (IAKP) insists that deaths are rare and almost always attributable to some pre-existing condition. Common contraindications include hyper- or hypotension, brain hemorrhage, aneurysm or blood clots, Addison’s disease, epilepsy, heart problems, and pregnancy.

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It is essential that you read this list and disclose to us any known conditions and medications prior to receiving Kambo. Anyone in these categories cannot, under any circumstance, receive Kambo – it is for your own safety and well-being! Kambo is NOT safe for those:

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• With serious heart problems (heart surgery, valve replacement, fluid around heart, pacemaker)  :Note: Kambo is OK for people with stents, arrhythmia and murmurs.

• Who have had or at risk of a stroke and/or blood clot

• Who is on blood thinners

• On medication for low or high blood pressure or have high blood pressure  *Note: Kambo is OK for people with low blood pressure, as long as they’re not on medication for it.

• Who have had a brain hemorrhage

• Who have had aneurysms and/or blood clots

• Who have Addison's Disease

• On medication for a mental health condition

• With serious mental health problems (Schizophrenia, Borderline Personality Disorder, Psychosis, Dissociative Disorder, Serious Bipolar)  *Note: Kambo is OK for people suffering from depression, anxiety and PTSD.

• Who have hyponatremia (low blood sodium)

• Undergoing chemotherapy, or for 4-6 weeks afterwards

• Taking immunosupressants 

• Pregnant or potentially pregnant

• Breast-feeding a child under 6 months old

• Under 18 years old (no exceptions, even with parental consent)

• Fasting or using colonics/enemas/liver flushes in the 7 days before and after treatment

• Has taken Bufo or 5MEO DMT in the previous 8 weeks prior to a Kambo ceremony