Raw opium is pretty harsh on the guts when your body is not accustomed to it. Taking some diphenhydramine an hour before dosing will help quite a bit.
In my very early days of consuming opium, I found that the stomach discomfort was a barrier to the whole experience. But a couple of things helped to break through that barrier. First was the diphenhydramine I mentioned already, and second was to swallow a very small amount of the opium I was planning to take (e.g. one eighth of the total intended dose) and waiting around 30 minutes before then taking the full dose. This second part seemed to help prime the digestion system for what was coming and thereby prevent the shock of the full dose all hitting at once.
Later on as I build tolerance to the opium, these preparations were less necessary but I still take the diphenhydramine to help minimise histamine response. Once I was able to break through the barrier and take larger doses of opium, I had some of the best experiences of my life. It was really strong and very long lasting.
Nowdays I'm a pretty big fan of heroin, oxycodone, and hydromorphone, but to this day a good chunk of proper opium is still my favourite thing to take.
