Opioids Poppy seed tea - What the hell is actually in it?

[Sleepdust]

Guys, I've more or less read every post about PST and can't find any conclusive answers regarding the contents of PST? Lately I've been getting stomach cramps/general discomfort in the lower right quadrant 20 - 30 minutes after consuming ~1-2 lb "B'sRM" seeds that makes me nervous. How possible is it that PST could actually have a real negative impact on health? What could cause the discomfort?

I use a minimal amount of water so it's not that, and I pee frequently and regularly take other opioids, so morphine/codeine/etc can be ruled out as perpetrators.

I found ONE research article from 1979 concerning the levels of fertilizer in poppy seeds post-process which is really of no help as it's so dated.

Call me a hypochondriac (I am), but some reassurance that the seeds are "relatively" (I know, to what?) harmless (in terms of biological safety, not opioid contamination) would be just amazing. I have a very reliable local supply of these little guys so it would be disappointing if I found out I'd have to face withdrawal with loperamide alone (which has a questionable safety profile, anyway).

Here is a list of what 100 grams of p. somniferum seeds contains nutrients-wise. I wonder how much of the nutritional content of the seeds comes out with the wash? The fat content could do a number on your stomach and I imagine the "tea" has a significant amount, but I'm speculating. Thanks for reading, guys.

Principle	Nutrient Value	Percentage of RDA
Energy	525 Kcal	26%
Carbohydrates	28.13 g	22%
Protein	17.99 g	32%
Total Fat	41.56 g	139%
Cholesterol	0 mg	0%
Dietary Fiber	19.5 g	51%
Vitamins
Folates	82 µg	20%
Niacin	0.896 mg	5.5%
Pantothenic acid	0.324 mg	65%
Pyridoxine	0.247 mg	19%
Riboflavin	0.100 mg	8%
Thiamin	0.854 mg	71%
Vitamin A	0 IU	0%
Vitamin C	1 mg	2%
Vitamin E	1.77 mg	12%
Vitamin K	0 mg	0%
Electrolytes
Sodium	26 mg	2%
Potassium	719 mg	15%
Minerals
Calcium	1438 mg	144%
Copper	01.627 mg	181%
Iron	9.76 mg	122%
Magnesium	347 mg	87%
Manganese	6.707 mg	292%
Phosphorus	870 mg	124%
Selenium	13.5 µg	24%
Zinc	7.9 mg	72%

 

[sekio]

The morphine in poppy plants reduces gut motility, I'd chalk it up to that.

Eastern European cultures do things like make desserts that consist largely of poppyseeds. They're biologically pretty inert - just another oil seed. They're not really consumed for narcotic effect though.

The high fibre and oil content will counteract some of the morphine's effects, but not all of them.

 

[Sleepdust]

Thanks sekio, that relieves much of my anxiety. My curiosity about the actual process of harvesting and then packing seeds for shipment made me feel a bit uneasy. For instance, one of the biggest culprits for opiate residue on seeds is insects chewing through the hull. I'm not sure if that's relevant at all, but it was interesting. (Source: http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/2405.htm)

I guess I'll just monitor my discomfort and if it continues over the next few trials, I'll move on to something else. That would be a shame!

 

[Wonka]

Agree with sekio...wisdom in a few words

 

[pinpoint]

I myself would be concerned about possibly consuming high levels of toxic fertilizers, insecticides, heavy metals, etc. I've frequently thought about this when it came to Kratom, however the area of the world that Kratom comes from (SE Asia) is of a much greater concern since they are still using some pretty nasty stuff such as DDT and several other organochlorine insecticides. If you are sourcing your poppy seeds locally and know what they are using to harvest them then I wouldn't worry about it as much. Just figured I'd throw this out there as sekio had covered your primary issue (stomach issues), but this is still an aspect that you may consider as well.

 

[Sleepdust]

Thanks, pinpoint. I'm also considering constipation as a culprit, and anxiety can never be ruled out. I was just curious if there are any case reports of medical issues stemming from chronic poppy seed tea use, but it's never been brought up. Only fatal ODs are mentioned.

 

[Sleepdust]

Pain is in URQ now, near liver? Tender to the touch. I had a liver panel last week with no immediate problems, same with kidneys. Maybe I'm just freaking out.

 

[xivixive]

i've been drinking PST made with 1.5 lbs of seeds everyday for about 3 years. always a lot of sediment floating around in there, so i've been in the same boat as you - wondering if i am ingesting something horrible on a daily basis. i also have only 1 kidney so i got a full blood work check up the other week.... kidney and liver functioning as they should, and no signs of anything bad happening in my body (aside from high cholesterol which is unrelated to PST consumption). but i get seeds from an Amish owned organic food store - so i feel pretty safe with them. however, who knows where your seeds are from and what has been done to them... due to a wide variety of source posibilities, the best course of action for you is to get a blood test to make sure you're staying healthy... if you've been drinking PST long term and something shows up that makes the doc wonder, perhaps tell him and see if its possible that what the problem is could be attributed to the tea.

 

[Sleepdust]

I've used PST maybe two dozen times and I've only had problems with one brand which makes me wonder if there are accidental adulterants on these seeds specifically. The conspiracy is that a natural deterrent is added somewhere before or during processing, but that seems unlikely. I tried a half pound this morning and after two big gulps of it I got the same symptoms as yesterday. Very odd and possibly dangerous. The brand I've been having problems with is the most popular brand found online. I'm going to take a break and just go through withdrawal. I'd rather be dope sick than actually dying.

 

[sekio]

Nobody adds any "deterrents" to food grade poppy seeds. Otherwise they wouldn't be food grade.

 

[keeping]

Nobody adds any "deterrents" to food grade poppy seeds. Otherwise they wouldn't be food grade.

logical

 

[Sleepdust]

In that case, could it be accidental? If going by FDA guidelines, I'm sure maybe a few micrograms of something that shouldn't be there is OK, just like in other processed foods, but since the doses we use are hundreds of times what is recommended, those micrograms of "something" could become milligrams. Just my thought.

To update, I still feel pretty shitty. Stabbing pain in my head that comes out of nowhere, wretched feeling in gut, just generally feeling bad and anxious, the opposite of what opioids have done for me in the past (thousands upon thousands of times).

If it continues I'll have to go to the hospital I suppose.

 

[keeping]

To update, I still feel pretty shitty. Stabbing pain in my head that comes out of nowhere, wretched feeling in gut, just generally feeling bad and anxious, the opposite of what opioids have done for me in the past (thousands upon thousands of times).

If it continues I'll have to go to the hospital I suppose.

While i can't comment on any sort of contamination, what you are describing sounds like classic rebound symptoms, and that you are becoming more and more tolerant.
maybe consider taking a bio-break? at least to get you're levels back down to functional? here's a really good guide on coping with w/ds,
http://www.bluelight.org/vb/threads/626474-Opiate-Withdrawal-Resources-amp-Helpful-Tips

 

[Sleepdust]

Thanks, keeping. I'm not really sure what it is but it's very frightening and it's not going away. Taking a break is certainly what I plan on doing.

I just can't shake this feeling of being "poisoned" by the PST. I've been looking over everything and I can't understand why I'm getting splitting headaches when I've only had one or two headaches in my entire life. It's been 10 hours since ingestion so hopefully if I can make it through tonight, I'll be okay.

Thanks for the replies, guys. It's comforting to know at least there are people out there who sympathize with and offer advice to a complete stranger.