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  • Trip Reports Moderator: Xorkoth

Mad Honey - Ancient Bee Magic

OrbitalCombustion

Bluelighter
Joined
Feb 16, 2017
Messages
469
Approximately four years ago I saw a short documentary on VICE about a young man traveling to Nepal to partake on the perilous journey to consume Mad Honey in the Himalayas. Like many, I was attracted to how the honey was portrayed, touting it as a psychedelic.

I finally ordered from a reputable supplier and eagerly awaited its journey halfway across the globe from Kathmandu. The night it arrived I opened the well-packaged container and shoveled two teaspoons down the hatch on an empty stomach. As opposed to your common honey, it is quite a runny consistency; it is a darker reddish-brown color with an almost fermented, malty, slightly bitter taste. Still tasted quite good despite the profile.

The honey is harvested in the Himalayas by the largest bee on Earth. They harvest from a flower called Rhododendron, and from what I've read the alpestrine nature of the conditions causes the plant to become 'sick' and produce a grayanotoxin. There are some interesting historical anecdotes that I encourage you to look into about an ancient army eating the honey and being ransacked by enemy forces while inebriated.

Initially, I was a bit concerned about the potential cardiac issues this honey can bring about, which kept me on high alert for the first 30 minutes. I noticed on my smartwatch that my heart rate increased by about 30 beats per minute, but nothing worrying. I even have an EKG monitor on it and everything was in sync. During that first half-hour I noticed some slight perceptual changes and some parasthesia. A warm, sedating effect became ever more present, almost feeling stoned to a degree. Time slowed down considerably as I smoked cigarettes and focused on the high.

At 40 minutes in the effects were very pronounced to the point I half-stumbled into my bedroom to lie down. The sedation was to the point that I wanted to go to sleep. As I lay down the effects became much more pronounced and new sensations emerged. I had this extremely pleasant warmth coursing through all parts of my body. Tingly sensations in my chest, stomach, back of my head and arms. There was a marked heaviness in my feet too. It was unlike any drug I've taken before. If I had to compare it to anything it was like an opiate, a sedative, and alcohol in one.

All my aches and pains disappeared and I became completely inebriated by this magical ancient medicine. About an hour and a half in I noticed that my sinuses were clearing up, felt very similar to a strong antibiotic. I've used various honey in the past for this precise purpose, but nothing on this level. The immune-boosting effects of this particular variant have been known and used for millennia in Nepal and Turkey. It's rather amazing that honey can have this effect on a human. It's known to kill animals, especially horses. Even some bees die from it, oddly enough. Just to note, the Himalayan variety seems to be much less toxic than the Turkey variety, according to the literature. This is because in Turkey they harvest from Rhododendron ponticum.

As I lie in bed, I was overwhelmed by the sheer warmth and sedation, I was practically catatonic. I could feel this glowing heat in my chest accompanied by an odd euphoria that seemed in sync with arrhythmia. Just a word of caution to those afflicted by heart conditions, the grayanotoxins affect sodium ion channels and can cause heart palpitations and such, so be careful! This effect lasted for a few hours as I dipped in and out of consciousness. Honestly felt amazing.

I slept like a rock, having had a tremendous amount of deep sleep according to my smartwatch. It felt very similar to the first time I took opiates or got stoned. Of particular interest were my sinuses; I blew all kinds of mucus out. Within a few hours, I felt amazingly refreshed and clear, nice energy boost. Having abused narcotics for 20 years I did have minor pain in my right side, which was not surprising considering the toxic content. It's even known to have stellar hepatotoxic effects.

If you decide to partake on this one of a kind experience be aware of the following (this does not mean I am encouraging you to consume this honey, just my two cents):

(1) in my experience it was more sedative and stoned-like than psychedelic, albeit in higher doses that might be more pronounced

(2) perform an allergy test if you can (lick the seal, for instance); then start with the recommended dose of one teaspoon, this is not to be trifled with and has documented deaths (albeit very rare and none have been reported in over 100 years)

(3) make sure not to be somewhere where you have to drive yourself home, it can cause blurry vision compounded with sedation

Other than that it was a great experience and I just ate some more now, a day later. Bee safe! (haha get it, 'bee' lol)


***UPDATE***: It has been roughly a fortnight since posting this and I have had the opportunity to try Mad Honey half a dozen times. I wanted to update my report to observe several things, listed below:


1) There appears to be quite a substantial tolerance to the initial effects - as in all my subsequent experiences were much less pronounced than the first. Granted, I have stayed in the 2 teaspoon dosage range, and taken predominantly at night time while watching a movie, so I will be increasing the dosage safely to see if I can get those same effects. That being said, there was still a noticeable inebriation caused by the honey which is mostly a dizzy, sedated, analgesic aura. What i'm really looking for was the warmth that I felt from the first time, hard to describe what that felt like but it was amazing.

2) In an effort to test out different vendors, I received an additional package in the mail. Off the bat I noticed how much lighter in color it was, and unfortunately the entire bottle was crystallized leading me to believe it was not as fresh as the runny, reddish-brown batch that I received first. The new batch smelled the same, for the most part, however it did not taste as good to me personally, plus I was thrown off by the texture from it being crystallized. I thought about putting it in a warm pot of water to de-crystallize but feared damaging some of the active compounds; although, I may still try this anyway for science's sake.

3) On each occasion I cannot stress how amazing the sleep was, you'll sleep like a rock!!! In fact, every time I was off to bed within 2 hours - sometimes achieving sleep quickly and other times just hanging out in bed - regardless it should be known that it is quite sedating.

4) **This next part is a bit gross, just a warning**. It is no surprise that honey of all varieties provide antimicrobial, antiparasitic, and antifungal properties. A few days after my second dose with Mad Honey, I was in the shower and went to clean my rear-end, I noticed something stuck in the hairs leading to my anus, I cast it off not thinking anything of it until it hit the ground - it was white. Having been obsessed with parasite cleanses years ago, I immediately thought to inspect it to see if it could be the infamous tapeworm....and after I picked it up I believe that it was from my inspection (I have experience with these little critters). However, I must state that I was using a medicinal grade (850+ MGO rated) Manuka honey concurrently with the Mad Honey (not at the same time but within 24 hours of each other), so it seems inconclusive to me which one could be the culprit. Since eating these medicinal honeys i've noticed my GI tract being cleaned out, including some pain on my right side and my intestines upon waking. I have IBS so the honey has been quite helpful in repairing damage done to my lower GI. In fact, several days in using the medicinal Manuka honey, I noticed a HUGE release in my gallbladder. WOW, talk about relief, instantly my entire body felt at ease, lungs opened up, all the pain and discomfort that is a part of my everyday life vanished (accompanied by all kinds of sounds - squish, squirt, svroom, splish). I've experienced this same release on many occasions while doing juicing cleanses; one of those releases caused me to pass 100s of tiny gallstones which I defecated over the course of 4 days, expelling tons of toxic garbage from my body and in the process feeling the best I have in 30 years. The Manuka honey in addition opened up my lungs beautifully, enabling me to take large, deep breaths with ease. You cannot put a price on having that freedom. Thank you bees!

5) This report is simply my experience with Mad Honey. In no way, shape or form am I encouraging another human being to consume it. I fully understand and accept the risks from eating this unique honey. I will re-state though that this has been used by many for several millennia without issue, take that for what you will. Like anything in this world, you can take too much, you could be allergic, or a batch could be very strong without your knowledge. If you do end up ordering/consuming this honey, perform an allergy test and use sparingly at first, that is the most important recommendation I have. Of course, I am not a scientist or a doctor so I cannot provide every detail of what is in this honey and the short or long-term effects of those compounds in a scientific manner. I am a human reporting about a food that has been touted to cause inebriation and health benefits, that is it.

~ OrbitalCombustion
 
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Awesome report, my friend! Sounds very lovely. I am so fascinated by reports of these psychoactive honeys. I am tagging @G_Chem as he is exploring psychoactive honeys, too, and he will want to read this. :)
 
Awesome report, my friend! Sounds very lovely. I am so fascinated by reports of these psychoactive honeys. I am tagging @G_Chem as he is exploring psychoactive honeys, too, and he will want to read this. :)

Yes indeed :)

Excellent report!! This might actually be one of the best I’ve seen on Mad Honey. I had/have the same hesitations regarding Grayanotoxin, but as I read more it appears to be a substance that’s only truly dangerous if taken in larger than average quantities.

I’ll be trying a different substance one of these days (tincture already made, just gotta find the time) that contains Grayanotoxins too. Ghost pipe, Monotropa uniflora. Also known to be used as a sedative, mood lifter and analgesic.

I see you used it a day later too, that answers my one question regarding this honey.. Is it something you’d repeat? I suppose the answer is yes!

I don’t know if you saw it but I’ve got a thread on psychoactive honeys you should check out if you haven’t yet.

-GC
 
I'm fascinated by this, but the pessimist in me is skeptical of a lot of the information here. Not even being able to specifically name the drug or combo of drugs, not a good start. Claiming to "feel" antibiotics, or feeling immune system improvement.... doesn't add credibility. Having an EKG machine isn't going to help if you have a heart attack/your heart stops. That was incredibly dangerous. Like doing a big shot of dope and expecting to be able to hit yourself with narcan after you overdose.... except narcan actually stops an OD; an EKG doesn't stop anything.

So, it's probably a grayanotoxin that gives the honey its effects, but not for sure? And if it is a graynotoxin, we don't know which one? Don't know if it's a combo or a single one? Dont know if some grayanotoxins are more dangerous than others, and occur in different levels in different batches of honey? We don't know how it varies in purity/concentration or contaminants? And even if we did, we haven't studied the drugs individually, so we don't know for sure what they do long or short term? I would never take a mystery drug from a guy at a festival, I sure as shit would never take a mystery drug from "idk I just found it outside". Neurotoxin, cardiotoxin, potentially kill you instantly, or give you brain damage. Risk to reward ratio? Never heard of them.




I'm shocked you got sedating and euphoric results. From wiki about grayanotoxins: "The most common clinical symptoms include various cardiovascular effects, nausea and vomiting, and a change in consciousness. The cardiovascular effects may include hypotension (low blood pressure) and various cardiac rhythm disorders such as sinus bradycardia (slow regular heart rhythm), bradyarrhythmia (slow irregular heart rhythm) and partial or complete atrioventricular block.[3][8] Other early-onset symptoms may include diplopia and blurred vision, dizziness, hypersalivation, perspiration, weakness and paresthesia in the extremities and around the mouth. In higher doses, symptoms can include loss of coordination, severe and progressive muscular weakness, electrocardiographic changes of bundle branch block and/or ST-segment elevations as seen in ischemic myocardial threat, and nodal rhythm or Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome.[9]"



I'm glad you had a good time, and If this seems harsh, I am truly sorry, but this misinformation could potentially kill people. Gotta take that shit seriously. Bluelight is a harm reduction community. Can't have people reading this and thinking any part of what you did was safe, even if you escaped unharmed, which I am thankful for.
 
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“In humans, intoxication is rarely lethal..”


“Three members of the large grayanotoxin family have been demonstrated to be of particular relevance in the reported clinical cases. Grayanotoxin 1 and 2 have been found in the honey, leaves and flowers of Rhododendron ponticum and Rhododendron flavumas reported in multiple case reports in the eastern Black Sea area. Grayanotoxin 1 present in Rhododendron simsii, has been reported from a case in Hong Kong while in the honey from Grouse Mountain, BC and Canada, which causes a similar type of poisoning, only grayanotoxins 2 and 3 were found. Currently, grayanotoxin 1 and 3 are thought to be the principal toxic isomers.”

-GC
 
Yes indeed :)

Excellent report!! This might actually be one of the best I’ve seen on Mad Honey. I had/have the same hesitations regarding Grayanotoxin, but as I read more it appears to be a substance that’s only truly dangerous if taken in larger than average quantities.

I’ll be trying a different substance one of these days (tincture already made, just gotta find the time) that contains Grayanotoxins too. Ghost pipe, Monotropa uniflora. Also known to be used as a sedative, mood lifter and analgesic.

I see you used it a day later too, that answers my one question regarding this honey.. Is it something you’d repeat? I suppose the answer is yes!

I don’t know if you saw it but I’ve got a thread on psychoactive honeys you should check out if you haven’t yet.

-GC
Thank you! The entire purpose of submitting this experience on here and Erowid was to add to the literature a bit, since I noticed not many reports about Mad Honey. As you mentioned, it is not really dangerous unless you're consuming loads of the stuff, and I mean a lot - like 6+ ounces or more.

Wishing you a good experience with your tincture! That sounds fascinating indeed. In regard to tolerance, having used it the day after I noticed considerable tolerance build up, to the point I did not really feel it (albeit, dosage was the same).

I personally loved it and have eaten it about four times now with no ill effects. Can you link the thread you have on psychoactive honeys? Thanks!

~ Orbital
 
Thank you! The entire purpose of submitting this experience on here and Erowid was to add to the literature a bit, since I noticed not many reports about Mad Honey. As you mentioned, it is not really dangerous unless you're consuming loads of the stuff, and I mean a lot - like 6+ ounces or more.

Wishing you a good experience with your tincture! That sounds fascinating indeed. In regard to tolerance, having used it the day after I noticed considerable tolerance build up, to the point I did not really feel it (albeit, dosage was the same).

I personally loved it and have eaten it about four times now with no ill effects. Can you link the thread you have on psychoactive honeys? Thanks!

~ Orbital


Here it is, I suggest reading it in it’s entirety as the research progresses from the first post on. Really fascinating and has given me a completely different respect for medicinal honeys.

-GC
 
I'm fascinated by this, but the pessimist in me is skeptical of a lot of the information here. Not even being able to specifically name the drug or combo of drugs, not a good start. Claiming to "feel" antibiotics, or feeling immune system improvement.... doesn't add credibility. Having an EKG machine isn't going to help if you have a heart attack/your heart stops. That was incredibly dangerous. Like doing a big shot of dope and expecting to be able to hit yourself with narcan after you overdose.... except narcan actually stops an OD; an EKG doesn't stop anything.

So, it's probably a grayanotoxin that gives the honey its effects, but not for sure? And if it is a graynotoxin, we don't know which one? Don't know if it's a combo or a single one? Dont know if some grayanotoxins are more dangerous than others, and occur in different levels in different batches of honey? We don't know how it varies in purity/concentration or contaminants? And even if we did, we haven't studied the drugs individually, so we don't know for sure what they do long or short term? I would never take a mystery drug from a guy at a festival, I sure as shit would never take a mystery drug from "idk I just found it outside". Neurotoxin, cardiotoxin, potentially kill you instantly, or give you brain damage. Risk to reward ratio? Never heard of them.




I'm shocked you got sedating and euphoric results. From wiki about grayanotoxins: "The most common clinical symptoms include various cardiovascular effects, nausea and vomiting, and a change in consciousness. The cardiovascular effects may include hypotension (low blood pressure) and various cardiac rhythm disorders such as sinus bradycardia (slow regular heart rhythm), bradyarrhythmia (slow irregular heart rhythm) and partial or complete atrioventricular block.[3][8] Other early-onset symptoms may include diplopia and blurred vision, dizziness, hypersalivation, perspiration, weakness and paresthesia in the extremities and around the mouth. In higher doses, symptoms can include loss of coordination, severe and progressive muscular weakness, electrocardiographic changes of bundle branch block and/or ST-segment elevations as seen in ischemic myocardial threat, and nodal rhythm or Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome.[9]"



I'm glad you had a good time, and If this seems harsh, I am truly sorry, but this misinformation could potentially kill people. Gotta take that shit seriously. Bluelight is a harm reduction community. Can't have people reading this and thinking any part of what you did was safe, even if you escaped unharmed, which I am thankful for.

The entire purpose of this experience report was to shed light on the honey, i'm not perfect so yeah I didn't nail everything on the head. The honey has been used for thousands of years, and like Manuka honey and many other variants the antiobiotic effect is 100% present and doesn't need to 'add credibility' because its already a known fact.

The part where I was a bit freaked out is more due to me being a hypochondriac at times vs. haphazardly pumping my body full of toxins. I ate the recommended amount for my body weight and used responsibly. Remember, people have been eating this honey for millenia. I'm also going to put emphasis on the variation in Rhododendron - the variant that is harvested by the bees in the Himalayas is not the same as the Black Sea region, which is Rho. ponticum - from my research this is the one that causes grayanotoxin poisoning that has led to adverse effects/death.

"So, it's probably a grayanotoxin that gives the honey its effects, but not for sure? " My report clearly states that grayanotoxin is what gives it the effects its known for.

"misinformation could potentially kill people" What misinformation are you speaking of? I reported to the best of my ability. I'm not a scientist so most of those questions you asked haven't even been studied to my knowledge. If it was that toxic then it would not be used today, or for several millenia, by people all over the world.

Actually, I don't believe there has been a death from the honey in over 100 years or more (late 1800s from what I recall). This would clearly not be legal to purchase and get shipped to the USA if it was anything to fret about. People can die from anything - eating too much aspirin or drinking too much alcohol - it all comes down to using responsibly. That is why I had those 3 recommendations, most importantly start small at the recommended dose. That being said, i'm going to have to disagree with you that my report put anyone in harm, in fact I think it drives home the fact to be a responsible user of this honey. My main objective with this was to reduce harm, show people that this can be scary (like a million other legal drugs) if not used appropriately, and what the honey did to me personally. I wholeheartedly believe I addressed those issues.

~ Orbital
 
I'm fascinated by this, but the pessimist in me is skeptical of a lot of the information here. Not even being able to specifically name the drug or combo of drugs, not a good start. Claiming to "feel" antibiotics, or feeling immune system improvement.... doesn't add credibility. Having an EKG machine isn't going to help if you have a heart attack/your heart stops. That was incredibly dangerous. Like doing a big shot of dope and expecting to be able to hit yourself with narcan after you overdose.... except narcan actually stops an OD; an EKG doesn't stop anything.

So, it's probably a grayanotoxin that gives the honey its effects, but not for sure? And if it is a graynotoxin, we don't know which one? Don't know if it's a combo or a single one? Dont know if some grayanotoxins are more dangerous than others, and occur in different levels in different batches of honey? We don't know how it varies in purity/concentration or contaminants? And even if we did, we haven't studied the drugs individually, so we don't know for sure what they do long or short term? I would never take a mystery drug from a guy at a festival, I sure as shit would never take a mystery drug from "idk I just found it outside". Neurotoxin, cardiotoxin, potentially kill you instantly, or give you brain damage. Risk to reward ratio? Never heard of them.




I'm shocked you got sedating and euphoric results. From wiki about grayanotoxins: "The most common clinical symptoms include various cardiovascular effects, nausea and vomiting, and a change in consciousness. The cardiovascular effects may include hypotension (low blood pressure) and various cardiac rhythm disorders such as sinus bradycardia (slow regular heart rhythm), bradyarrhythmia (slow irregular heart rhythm) and partial or complete atrioventricular block.[3][8] Other early-onset symptoms may include diplopia and blurred vision, dizziness, hypersalivation, perspiration, weakness and paresthesia in the extremities and around the mouth. In higher doses, symptoms can include loss of coordination, severe and progressive muscular weakness, electrocardiographic changes of bundle branch block and/or ST-segment elevations as seen in ischemic myocardial threat, and nodal rhythm or Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome.[9]"



I'm glad you had a good time, and If this seems harsh, I am truly sorry, but this misinformation could potentially kill people. Gotta take that shit seriously. Bluelight is a harm reduction community. Can't have people reading this and thinking any part of what you did was safe, even if you escaped unharmed, which I am thankful for.

"Not even being able to specifically name the drug or combo of drugs, not a good start." = I literally stated what the drug was on line #3 - "To my dismay I learned that not only does it contain a powerful toxin known as grayanotoxin" This is easily confirmed by a quick Google/Wiki search.
 
"Not even being able to specifically name the drug or combo of drugs, not a good start." = I literally stated what the drug was on line #3 - "To my dismay I learned that not only does it contain a powerful toxin known as grayanotoxin" This is easily confirmed by a quick Google/Wiki search.
Grayanotoxins are a group of which there are many specific toxins. You don't know which one(s). Some are much more dangerous than others. This has not been researched and the effects they have on humans are barely understood. Wikipedia says there are over 25 grayanotoxins known, which both implies large variety and a lot of mystery/lack of research on effects. You don't know if 24 of those grayanotoxins are harmless, but the 25th is deadly at microgram levels. Maybe that 25th deadly one is only present in some honey samples, so people will drop dead suddenly after many "succesful" honey uses. We don't know, and I don't think it's safe to inspire people to try, without further testing

For example, It would be like saying a new plant is discovered that produces opioids. Does it produce methyl-fentanyl, buprenorphine, D-methadone, or tramadol? Those opioids all have vastly different effects, dangers, and toxic levels, and some of them hit serotonin or NMDA just as much as the opioid receptors. Just because things are in the same family does not make them the same.

I'm not trying to say you're bad, or something, but some teenager stumbling upon this thread could very easily lead to a laissez-faire attitude followed up by a tragic death. I don't mind coming off like a dick to prevent that possibility. I hope all your future drug experiences are as pleasant as this.
 
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“In the eastern Black Sea region of Turkey, where most cases have been reported, such honey is called ‘bitter honey’ or ‘mad honey’. It is often used as a household remedy for various conditions, including stomach pains, bowel disorders, hypertension and erectile dysfunction. Because of variations in the plant content of grayanotoxins, poisoning with honey made in the spring is more severe. However, honey poisoning is rarely fatal and the effects generally last for no more than 24 hours.”

“Grayanotoxin 1 and 2 have been found in the honey, leaves and flowers of Rhododendron ponticum and Rhododendron flavumas reported in multiple case reports in the eastern Black Sea area.”

“Currently, grayanotoxin 1 and 3 are thought to be the principal toxic isomers.”

“In 1955, it was discovered that the members of the Ericaceae family contained structurally similar compounds that were responsible for their toxicity. These compounds, which were formerly known as andromedotoxin, acetylandromedol, and rhodotoxin, are now termed grayanotoxin I. Grayanotoxin II and III are toxic derivatives of grayanotoxin I. Animal studies initially indicated that these toxins were capable of producing respiratory depression, bradycardia, hypotension, and seizure activity. Subsequent studies in squid axons have shown that grayanotoxin I acts by attaching to the sodium channels of cell membranes and changing both open and closed channels to a modified open state.”

“Grayanotoxin (GTX) poisoning is a well-known intoxication in humans, and was documented by the ancient Greek writer Xenophon. The toxins are classified as diterpenes and more than 25 isoforms are known. The principal toxic isomers are GTX I (also known as andromedotoxin, acetylandromedol or rhodotoxin), and GTX III (also known as andromedol). GTX II (also known as andromedenol) is less toxic.”

“While GTX-I and GTX-II are found in smaller amounts, the GTX-III isoform is the principal toxin in mad honey.”

“GTX-III concentrations ranged from 0.701 to 68.754 µg GTX-III/g honey among the mad honey samples from different locations in the Black Sea region of Turkey.”

“Yılmaz et al. reported the amount of mad honey causes poisoning ranges between 5 and 30 g. However, the lethal dose of mad honey was not stated explicitly.”

“Among the analyzed sample in the present study, the MH7 from the Artvin/Hopa region was critically important, as it has previously been reported that mad honey from this region causes GTX poisoning by blocking sodium channels in the cell membrane. As MH7 had the highest level of GTX-III with the amount of 68.754 µg GTX-III/g honey, followed by MH10, MH1, MH4, MH6, MH3, MH9, MH2, MH8, and MH5, in that order…. We cannot, therefore, conclude that mad honey samples other than MH7 were below the toxicity threshold.”

“Gunduz et al. Of 70 cases of mad honey-related poisoning, 52% were sinus bradycardia, 18.5% non-specific bradycardia, 11.4% nodal rhythm, 11.4% atrioventricular (AV) block, 1.4% Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome (WPW), 1.4% second degree heart block, and 1.4% asystole.”

“Grayanotoxin I is reported to be accountable for cardiac manifestations, affecting both atrioventricular conduction and the sinoatrial node. Grayanotoxin II is less toxic as compared to grayanotoxin I and grayanotoxin III, and it leads to suppression of the natural beating of the sinoatrial node; grayanotoxin II inhibits electrical activity of the sinoatrial node cells via elevating permeability of the membrane to sodium ions and consequently hyperpolarizing cells, ultimately inactivating slow inward currents, followed by a reduction in activation of outward currents. Grayanotoxin III leads to arrhythmia.”


During all my reading I’ve looked hard and have yet to see reports on the lethality of mad honey. I mean whole armies were poisoned with the stuff. Grayanotoxins are much more lethal to other species than they are humans. On top of that, it appears from millennia of harvesting this honey humans likely have figured out ways to avoid the more toxic isoforms based on location, times of year, etc.

My personal conclusion is that, while this drug could be potentially dangerous, the likelihood of poisoning being lethal for humans is extremely low. Especially if one cautiously experiments. I would avoid chronic consumption though as there are cases of people having issues with that, but the problems resolve upon cessation of mad honey.

-GC
 
“In the eastern Black Sea region of Turkey, where most cases have been reported, such honey is called ‘bitter honey’ or ‘mad honey’. It is often used as a household remedy for various conditions, including stomach pains, bowel disorders, hypertension and erectile dysfunction. Because of variations in the plant content of grayanotoxins, poisoning with honey made in the spring is more severe. However, honey poisoning is rarely fatal and the effects generally last for no more than 24 hours.”

“Grayanotoxin 1 and 2 have been found in the honey, leaves and flowers of Rhododendron ponticum and Rhododendron flavumas reported in multiple case reports in the eastern Black Sea area.”

“Currently, grayanotoxin 1 and 3 are thought to be the principal toxic isomers.”

“In 1955, it was discovered that the members of the Ericaceae family contained structurally similar compounds that were responsible for their toxicity. These compounds, which were formerly known as andromedotoxin, acetylandromedol, and rhodotoxin, are now termed grayanotoxin I. Grayanotoxin II and III are toxic derivatives of grayanotoxin I. Animal studies initially indicated that these toxins were capable of producing respiratory depression, bradycardia, hypotension, and seizure activity. Subsequent studies in squid axons have shown that grayanotoxin I acts by attaching to the sodium channels of cell membranes and changing both open and closed channels to a modified open state.”

“Grayanotoxin (GTX) poisoning is a well-known intoxication in humans, and was documented by the ancient Greek writer Xenophon. The toxins are classified as diterpenes and more than 25 isoforms are known. The principal toxic isomers are GTX I (also known as andromedotoxin, acetylandromedol or rhodotoxin), and GTX III (also known as andromedol). GTX II (also known as andromedenol) is less toxic.”

“While GTX-I and GTX-II are found in smaller amounts, the GTX-III isoform is the principal toxin in mad honey.”

“GTX-III concentrations ranged from 0.701 to 68.754 µg GTX-III/g honey among the mad honey samples from different locations in the Black Sea region of Turkey.”

“Yılmaz et al. reported the amount of mad honey causes poisoning ranges between 5 and 30 g. However, the lethal dose of mad honey was not stated explicitly.”

“Among the analyzed sample in the present study, the MH7 from the Artvin/Hopa region was critically important, as it has previously been reported that mad honey from this region causes GTX poisoning by blocking sodium channels in the cell membrane. As MH7 had the highest level of GTX-III with the amount of 68.754 µg GTX-III/g honey, followed by MH10, MH1, MH4, MH6, MH3, MH9, MH2, MH8, and MH5, in that order…. We cannot, therefore, conclude that mad honey samples other than MH7 were below the toxicity threshold.”

“Gunduz et al. Of 70 cases of mad honey-related poisoning, 52% were sinus bradycardia, 18.5% non-specific bradycardia, 11.4% nodal rhythm, 11.4% atrioventricular (AV) block, 1.4% Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome (WPW), 1.4% second degree heart block, and 1.4% asystole.”

“Grayanotoxin I is reported to be accountable for cardiac manifestations, affecting both atrioventricular conduction and the sinoatrial node. Grayanotoxin II is less toxic as compared to grayanotoxin I and grayanotoxin III, and it leads to suppression of the natural beating of the sinoatrial node; grayanotoxin II inhibits electrical activity of the sinoatrial node cells via elevating permeability of the membrane to sodium ions and consequently hyperpolarizing cells, ultimately inactivating slow inward currents, followed by a reduction in activation of outward currents. Grayanotoxin III leads to arrhythmia.”


During all my reading I’ve looked hard and have yet to see reports on the lethality of mad honey. I mean whole armies were poisoned with the stuff. Grayanotoxins are much more lethal to other species than they are humans. On top of that, it appears from millennia of harvesting this honey humans likely have figured out ways to avoid the more toxic isoforms based on location, times of year, etc.

My personal conclusion is that, while this drug could be potentially dangerous, the likelihood of poisoning being lethal for humans is extremely low. Especially if one cautiously experiments. I would avoid chronic consumption though as there are cases of people having issues with that, but the problems resolve upon cessation of mad honey.

-GC
Thank you for providing an intelligent response with facts instead of just trolling like the other guy. Also, like I mentioned in my previous posts, the really toxic variety seems to stem from Turkey/Black Sea region and not the Himalayan variants - of which I consumed. I actually received a new batch of the honey in today, from a different vendor. Surprisingly, this batch looks much lighter in color, thicker consistency, however it smells the same as the darker batch I initially received. I'm eager to try it tomorrow. I'm letting the effects of this 850+ rated Manuka honey wear off before trying it - that stuff is no joke!
 
“In the eastern Black Sea region of Turkey, where most cases have been reported, such honey is called ‘bitter honey’ or ‘mad honey’. It is often used as a household remedy for various conditions, including stomach pains, bowel disorders, hypertension and erectile dysfunction. Because of variations in the plant content of grayanotoxins, poisoning with honey made in the spring is more severe. However, honey poisoning is rarely fatal and the effects generally last for no more than 24 hours.”

“Grayanotoxin 1 and 2 have been found in the honey, leaves and flowers of Rhododendron ponticum and Rhododendron flavumas reported in multiple case reports in the eastern Black Sea area.”

“Currently, grayanotoxin 1 and 3 are thought to be the principal toxic isomers.”

“In 1955, it was discovered that the members of the Ericaceae family contained structurally similar compounds that were responsible for their toxicity. These compounds, which were formerly known as andromedotoxin, acetylandromedol, and rhodotoxin, are now termed grayanotoxin I. Grayanotoxin II and III are toxic derivatives of grayanotoxin I. Animal studies initially indicated that these toxins were capable of producing respiratory depression, bradycardia, hypotension, and seizure activity. Subsequent studies in squid axons have shown that grayanotoxin I acts by attaching to the sodium channels of cell membranes and changing both open and closed channels to a modified open state.”

“Grayanotoxin (GTX) poisoning is a well-known intoxication in humans, and was documented by the ancient Greek writer Xenophon. The toxins are classified as diterpenes and more than 25 isoforms are known. The principal toxic isomers are GTX I (also known as andromedotoxin, acetylandromedol or rhodotoxin), and GTX III (also known as andromedol). GTX II (also known as andromedenol) is less toxic.”

“While GTX-I and GTX-II are found in smaller amounts, the GTX-III isoform is the principal toxin in mad honey.”

“GTX-III concentrations ranged from 0.701 to 68.754 µg GTX-III/g honey among the mad honey samples from different locations in the Black Sea region of Turkey.”

“Yılmaz et al. reported the amount of mad honey causes poisoning ranges between 5 and 30 g. However, the lethal dose of mad honey was not stated explicitly.”

“Among the analyzed sample in the present study, the MH7 from the Artvin/Hopa region was critically important, as it has previously been reported that mad honey from this region causes GTX poisoning by blocking sodium channels in the cell membrane. As MH7 had the highest level of GTX-III with the amount of 68.754 µg GTX-III/g honey, followed by MH10, MH1, MH4, MH6, MH3, MH9, MH2, MH8, and MH5, in that order…. We cannot, therefore, conclude that mad honey samples other than MH7 were below the toxicity threshold.”

“Gunduz et al. Of 70 cases of mad honey-related poisoning, 52% were sinus bradycardia, 18.5% non-specific bradycardia, 11.4% nodal rhythm, 11.4% atrioventricular (AV) block, 1.4% Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome (WPW), 1.4% second degree heart block, and 1.4% asystole.”

“Grayanotoxin I is reported to be accountable for cardiac manifestations, affecting both atrioventricular conduction and the sinoatrial node. Grayanotoxin II is less toxic as compared to grayanotoxin I and grayanotoxin III, and it leads to suppression of the natural beating of the sinoatrial node; grayanotoxin II inhibits electrical activity of the sinoatrial node cells via elevating permeability of the membrane to sodium ions and consequently hyperpolarizing cells, ultimately inactivating slow inward currents, followed by a reduction in activation of outward currents. Grayanotoxin III leads to arrhythmia.”


During all my reading I’ve looked hard and have yet to see reports on the lethality of mad honey. I mean whole armies were poisoned with the stuff. Grayanotoxins are much more lethal to other species than they are humans. On top of that, it appears from millennia of harvesting this honey humans likely have figured out ways to avoid the more toxic isoforms based on location, times of year, etc.

My personal conclusion is that, while this drug could be potentially dangerous, the likelihood of poisoning being lethal for humans is extremely low. Especially if one cautiously experiments. I would avoid chronic consumption though as there are cases of people having issues with that, but the problems resolve upon cessation of mad honey.

-GC
I'll make sure to report on any differences I notice from this other vendor. What's funny is it looks COMPLETELY different. It is hard to say which one is more fresh or potent by looks alone. I'm eager to see what happens.

Admittedly, i've gone on a bit of a honey-craze lately, spent about $400 on various honies. I love the taste of Clover honey, its what I use in a shake or mostly just squirt some into my mouth a few times a week. No lie that Clover honey has not crystallized in like 6+ months in my pantry, which is insane because its raw and unfilitered. Not sure if that is due to the clover or what, but i'd be interested in knowing why it stays so fresh for so long (you have any ideas?). Also, I purchased two different Manuka honies from different vendors, one with a 16+ K-factor rating and another with an 850+ MG rating (20+ K-factor equivalent), and both are seriously medicinal quality honies.

For about a decade I have experimented with many ancient remedies and superfoods found all over the Earth, many of them helping to change my life. When I set out to forever cure my allergies, of course I turned to honey. I used local raw/unfilitered honey and bee pollen to do so and I kid you not, I cured a lifelong bout with allergies; it's truly amazing that it was able to do that. My life was plagued with at least 2-3 SEVERE allergy attacks per year, sometimes rendering me unable to do anything but sneeze in agony 100+ times a day. I'm so glad I don't have to live that misery anymore thanks to bees! :)

If you have any honey you'd recommend, i'd love to try some. What are your favorites?

~ Orbital
 
I'll make sure to report on any differences I notice from this other vendor. What's funny is it looks COMPLETELY different. It is hard to say which one is more fresh or potent by looks alone. I'm eager to see what happens.

Admittedly, i've gone on a bit of a honey-craze lately, spent about $400 on various honies. I love the taste of Clover honey, its what I use in a shake or mostly just squirt some into my mouth a few times a week. No lie that Clover honey has not crystallized in like 6+ months in my pantry, which is insane because its raw and unfilitered. Not sure if that is due to the clover or what, but i'd be interested in knowing why it stays so fresh for so long (you have any ideas?). Also, I purchased two different Manuka honies from different vendors, one with a 16+ K-factor rating and another with an 850+ MG rating (20+ K-factor equivalent), and both are seriously medicinal quality honies.

For about a decade I have experimented with many ancient remedies and superfoods found all over the Earth, many of them helping to change my life. When I set out to forever cure my allergies, of course I turned to honey. I used local raw/unfilitered honey and bee pollen to do so and I kid you not, I cured a lifelong bout with allergies; it's truly amazing that it was able to do that. My life was plagued with at least 2-3 SEVERE allergy attacks per year, sometimes rendering me unable to do anything but sneeze in agony 100+ times a day. I'm so glad I don't have to live that misery anymore thanks to bees! :)

If you have any honey you'd recommend, i'd love to try some. What are your favorites?

~ Orbital

I’ve gone down a similar path, for me I’ve been trying to heal from years of trauma, addiction, and cancer. I’ve spent similar amounts lol. The great thing is honey is such a healthfood that you did well with your money, the flavonoids/phenolics that give the antioxidant activity is MUCH more bioavailable in honey.

I highly suggest trying Rosemary monofloral honey, the 8-methoxykaempferol is a potent antioxidant, anti-cancer, while also releasing beta-endorphin and hitting on GABA. The taste is subtle, kind of herbal. Everyone I know who’s tried it, liked it.

I just got some Melipona honey from a different batch, with no pollen this time, excited to try.

Sidr is decent medicinal honey, tastes buttery. Euphorbia honey is one I still need to try.

In terms of flavor, I like Mimosa honey, it’s darker and hard to describe but delicious. Clover is good too but I grew up on clover and it’s work out it’s novelty for me.

If you are trying new honeys, if they provide any form of psychoactive effect I’d be curious to hear about it in my Psychoactive Honeys thread. I’m starting to believe the more medicinal (aka bioavailable phenolics) honeys often have at least light effects, since most flavonoids hit GABA and/or b-endorphin if they are bioavailable.

-GC
 
Thank you for providing an intelligent response with facts instead of just trolling like the other guy.

You may be in the Trip Reports section, but this is a *harm reduction* website. Harm reduction isn't a troll, it's concern and care about keeping people alive and safe.

I will do my best to present my points so we can address them 1 at a time, and so you don't get overwhelmed and resort to ad hominem:

1) you haven't tested what youre getting for contaminants/adulterants
2) you don't know what specific toxins(s) you are even looking for
3) You don't know what purity level or ratio of graynotoxins are ideal/safe
4) you don't know the safe doses/LD50 of said toxin(s)
5) you don't know long term effects of said toxin(s)
6) an EKG machine cannot revive a person, or solve any medical problem
7) no allergy test, straight to full dose
8 ) no spotter/sitter for emergency help
9) It's basically guaranteed negative cardiac effects, and may sedate as a side effect. Why this toxin over the 100s of drugs that better researched, better quality control, and likely much more euphoric?

This is not trolling. This is an attempt to save the lives of teens and uninformed people from dying from trying something like this, just diving into the pool blindly, hoping it's the deep end. People die doing shit like this with drugs every day, and you're pushing away the guy trying to stop you from becoming one of them. I'm not trying to make you feel bad, or stupid, I'm trying to make you see that you dodged a massive bullet, and are advising others to try to also.
 
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“In humans, intoxication is rarely lethal..”


“Three members of the large grayanotoxin family have been demonstrated to be of particular relevance in the reported clinical cases. Grayanotoxin 1 and 2 have been found in the honey, leaves and flowers of Rhododendron ponticum and Rhododendron flavumas reported in multiple case reports in the eastern Black Sea area. Grayanotoxin 1 present in Rhododendron simsii, has been reported from a case in Hong Kong while in the honey from Grouse Mountain, BC and Canada, which causes a similar type of poisoning, only grayanotoxins 2 and 3 were found. Currently, grayanotoxin 1 and 3 are thought to be the principal toxic isomers.”

-GC

There is a lot of "may" and "thought to" in that paragraph and the article itself. No mention of sample number/number of studies that I could see. No specific mentions of dosages/LD50 for humans. It just doesn't seem like anything more than a collection of 3 anecdotal human cases and some experimental evidence on cows. Definitely saw nothing about long term effects, heavy metal testing, QA, etc (sometimes honey is blended from a wide variety of regions... sometimes it isnt.) Also, a lot of it was referring to eating of actual plants, not honey.

I feel like if anything, this reinforces the point that it's a lot of speculation, and I certainly wouldn't want anyone literally betting their life on its safety before more testing is done. At the end of this article : "Medicinal use of grayanotoxin is not well understood and care should be taken when consuming grayanotoxin containing herbal preparation."
 
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There is a lot of "may" and "thought to" in that paragraph and the article itself. No mention of sample number/number of studies that I could see. No specific mentions of dosages/LD50 for humans. It just doesn't seem like anything more than a collection of 3 anecdotal human cases and some experimental evidence on cows. Definitely saw nothing about long term effects, heavy metal testing, QA, etc (sometimes honey is blended from a wide variety of regions... sometimes it isnt.) Also, a lot of it was referring to eating of actual plants, not honey.

I feel like if anything, this reinforces the point that it's a lot of speculation, and I certainly wouldn't want anyone literally betting their life on its safety before more testing is done. At the end of this article : "Medicinal use of grayanotoxin is not well understood and care should be taken when consuming grayanotoxin containing herbal preparation."

The quotes I provided above are from many different sources.. Yea actual scientists use the words “may” and “thought to” very often because it’s fool hearted and plain stupid to ever claim something as fact.

“Except for a single case from Lanping County (Southwest China), the prognosis for mad honey intoxication is very good, and no fatalities have been reported in modern medical literature excluding a few in the 1800s.”

Which is very surprising considering the number of case reports of “poisoning.”

And here’s a quote from another article..

“Although toxicity effect comprises, a metered dose of mad honey might also be explored as a potential source in clinical trials due to high bioactivity levels.”

This article seems to think the antioxidant potential is worth the weighed risk of Grayanotoxin poisoning.

Frankly I don’t think you have a leg to stand on here. This drug is used by some people daily, there’s been hundreds of “poisonings” with near zero deaths or long lasting symptoms. If we compare to many of the other drugs listed on this site, this ones actually one of the safer varieties.

But of course my multiple quotes from actual research articles are just “speculation” compared to the vast amount of umm whatever it is you provided.

-GC
 
The quotes I provided above are from many different sources.. Yea actual scientists use the words “may” and “thought to” very often because it’s fool hearted and plain stupid to ever claim something as fact.

“Except for a single case from Lanping County (Southwest China), the prognosis for mad honey intoxication is very good, and no fatalities have been reported in modern medical literature excluding a few in the 1800s.”

Which is very surprising considering the number of case reports of “poisoning.”

And here’s a quote from another article..

“Although toxicity effect comprises, a metered dose of mad honey might also be explored as a potential source in clinical trials due to high bioactivity levels.”

This article seems to think the antioxidant potential is worth the weighed risk of Grayanotoxin poisoning.

Frankly I don’t think you have a leg to stand on here. This drug is used by some people daily, there’s been hundreds of “poisonings” with near zero deaths or long lasting symptoms. If we compare to many of the other drugs listed on this site, this ones actually one of the safer varieties.

But of course my multiple quotes from actual research articles are just “speculation” compared to the vast amount of umm whatever it is you provided.

-GC
Chem! I'm just becoming obsessed with the honey, I can't describe it. It's like having a newfound hobby and going all in. Today I am ordering the following honey:

- 2 new batches of mad honey from entirely new vendors for me
- Melipona honey, which visually looks amazing, light amber tones, can't wait to try it
- Sidr honey, hoping to get fresh
- Rosemary monofloral
- May get some Wildflower honey just for the taste, I havent had it in ages

...and that is just a start! :cool:

Xorxoth and I were talking about the magic inside of Rosemary monofloral, so excited to try that, especially being a 20 year opiate addict. I will say this - I have been tapering on Subutex quite well since getting the Mad Honey in, it has actually helped. Im curious if 1) the grayanotoxin has some kind of analgesic effect, or 2) there is something akin to kaempferol in there?
 
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You may be in the Trip Reports section, but this is a *harm reduction* website. Harm reduction isn't a troll, it's concern and care about keeping people alive and safe.

I will do my best to present my points so we can address them 1 at a time, and so you don't get overwhelmed and resort to ad hominem:

1) you haven't tested what youre getting for contaminants/adulterants
2) you don't know what specific toxins(s) you are even looking for
3) You don't know what purity level or ratio of graynotoxins are ideal/safe
4) you don't know the safe doses/LD50 of said toxin(s)
5) you don't know long term effects of said toxin(s)
6) an EKG machine cannot revive a person, or solve any medical problem
7) no allergy test, straight to full dose
8 ) no spotter/sitter for emergency help
9) It's basically guaranteed negative cardiac effects, and may sedate as a side effect. Why this toxin over the 100s of drugs that better researched, better quality control, and likely much more euphoric?

This is not trolling. This is an attempt to save the lives of teens and uninformed people from dying from trying something like this, just diving into the pool blindly, hoping it's the deep end. People die doing shit like this with drugs every day, and you're pushing away the guy trying to stop you from becoming one of them. I'm not trying to make you feel bad, or stupid, I'm trying to make you see that you dodged a massive bullet, and are advising others to try to also.

Let's rewind a bit here - for starters you came onto this thread attacking me and subsequently G_Chem unreasonably. You should be careful how you state things because they all came off trying to make us look stupid. Despite BL being a harm reduction website, this was simply posted as a trip report, and not a scientific endeavor to uncover knowledge that is not even in the literature yet. Also, yes you are a troll because i've read your other responses on here and you do this to people often. You need to learn how to pose things in an inquisitive manner that isn't offensive.

1) Why would I get this tested? Do you test EVERYTHING you eat? Since you do apparently, please provide contamination/adulterant reports on everything you ate last week, since you're asking me.
2) There are toxins in general produce, so please include all the known toxins (specific) for everything you ate last week.
3) In addition, please provide the purity levels or ratio of those toxins and what is safe
4) Show me the LD50's of every pesticide, toxin or otherwise for anything you've eaten
5) Provide all the studies for the long-term effects of said toxins
6) I NEVER SAID AN EKG COULD REVIVE A PERSON DID I? I SIMPLY STATED I USED ONE TO MONITOR MY HEART, = YOU TAKING THINGS OUT OF CONTEXT AGAIN
7) Do you perform an allergy test on everything you eat?
8) How do you know I did not have a spotter? You don't know my living situation.
9) What are you talking about here? It is NOT "basically guaranteed negative cardiac effects", not sure where you pulled that from. Why this toxin? BECAUSE I WANTED TO TRY IT, SIMPLE AS THAT, I'M A PSYCHONAUT AND I'LL CONTINUE TO BE.

See how ridiculous some of those requests are? That is how you come off. If you're interested in those questions why not add to the conversation instead of calling people out for not having the answers? We could have explored them together rather than you going on an ego trip. Like i've said half a dozen times in this thread, I was simply providing my experience. If you want to know the answers to your questions then get busy, don't expect me to do your research for you. I highly doubt a majority of trip reports provide even a glimpse to the questions you asked here. I'm human. People come here to help in whatever capacity they are able. I am not interested in the questions you asked personally, if YOU are then YOU provide the results. You're hiding behind this 'oh someone could have died from this' facade, which is an excuse to not take responsibility yourself. In fact, now that I'm looking at it, pretty much no trip report i've ever read touches on anything you've inquired about here. Those can be discussed in the appropriate channel/thread here, so I encourage you to pack your bags and create a new thread exploring those questions. This thread was intended to report on experiences, not a full assay. Quite frankly I don't appreciate you muddying up the conversation here, it was immature and outplaced. Feel free to create a new thread, I'd love to read about what you find out regarding your inquiries. In the meantime G_Chem and I will continue to talk about the amazing honeys of the world and their benefits.

~ Orbital
 
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Chem! I'm just becoming obsessed with the honey, I can't describe it. It's like having a newfound hobby and going all in. Today I am ordering the following honey:

- 2 new batches of mad honey from entirely new vendors for me
- Melipona honey, which visually looks amazing, light amber tones, can't wait to try it
- Sidr honey, hoping to get fresh
- Rosemary monofloral
- May get some Wildflower honey just for the taste, I havent had it in ages

...and that is just a start! :cool:

Xorxoth and I were talking about the magic inside of Rosemary monofloral, so excited to try that, especially being a 20 year opiate addict. I will say this - I have been tapering on Subutex quite well since getting the Mad Honey in, it has actually helped. Im curious if 1) the grayanotoxin has some kind of analgesic effect, or 2) there is something akin to kaempferol in there?

Honestly it’s very probable Mad Honey does contain substances comparable to kaempferol (and analogs such as 8-methoxy-kaempferol) as it’s antioxidant capacity is very high, and has high phenolic content.

Very excited to hear your experience with some of these honeys, particularly Melipona :)

-GC
 
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