Poppy Seed Tea for Detox? Bad Idea
Although poppy seeds have been around for years, I didn’t hear about the poppy seed tea recipe until late in my opiate using career. I had read on the internet that the seeds still have a tiny amount of morphine in them even if they’ve been washed. I was very sceptical, so like every other opiate fiend, I decided to try it out. At the time, I had been clean for months, so I had no tolerance whatsoever. I had been trying to stay clean for a little while, but the thought of getting high from a grocery store product was enough to get those wheels churning. So I made my way on down to the grocery store to pick up what would amount to something like a half pound of seeds. I can’t remember exactly, but it was a ridiculous amount.
Anyway, long story short, it worked!!! Boy did it ever! There are three things that I remember vividly about the experience; #1. I felt like I was on heroin, #2. I was afraid to go to sleep in fear that I would stop breathing and #3. I had the worst headache the next day.
I couldn’t believe that I was so high from something that I had bought from the grocery store, it blew me away. But, after that night, I vowed never to try it again, and I never did.
Not too long after, I found this website: http://poppyseedtea.com/. If you haven’t already read through it, please do. I don’t know these people personally, so I can’t vouch that the site is authentic, but after the experience that I had with the tea, I wouldn’t be surprised if someone hasn’t already overdosed on the stuff.
I contemplated including a few paragraphs on how poppy seed tea can help with opiate withdrawal, but It’s hard for me to recommend something that can be so dangerous. Some of you might be laughing right now, but you’ve got to believe me, that stuff had me flying. So, imagine if I was to tell you guys to try and detox with the poppy seed tea. What if you were to get a batch with really high morphine content? Combine that with the concentration of God knows what other materials are mixed in from the processing plants, and the risk gets to be too real.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this.
27 comments
Please don’t ever suggest to take poppyseed tea to help withdraw from vicodin. The reason I got into (then got addicted to), was because vicodin wasn’t ever enough. The morphine and other alkaloids are serious business. I did stop breathing in my sleep.
@puke,
You might want to read the post again. I’m not suggesting that anyone use the tea as a way to withdraw. But, thanks for the reiteration anyway.
I was browsing websites and i happened across yours. I just realized today that i am in fact addicted to Vicodin. I have been taking them for about 3 years to manage multiple abdominal conditions. I would usually only take them a few times a week, a half pill here and there to manage the pain. The past 2 months i have been in so much pain that the hospital (while waiting for my insurance to get a bunch of tests done) are just handing me them and telling me to manage my pain with them. I have been on them almost everyday for 2 months.
Today i didn’t feel that i needed to take any for the pain and now i’m sicker than a dog. Chills, aches, leg cramps etc.
I know now that it’s withdrawl because i didn’t need them one day about a month ago and i started feeling this way then. It started within 12 hours of my last pain killer and i’m just feeling terrible.
I just can’t believe that after taking them this much for a few months i am already having problems kicking this habit.
I have 2 in my purse and i’m refusing to take them no matter how bad i start feeling. I do feel that i’m going to win this on my own and that i will not take anymore.
I just wanted to go somewhere where i could admit it to myself and to others and say it out loud that i am addicted.
I really hope that since i have not been on them heavily for very long that i will feel better in a few days, i’m just scared i won’t.
Thanks for making this blog, it made me feel like i’m not alone right now.
I’m going to talk to my best friend tonight and tell her, she will be the only person who will know about it but i feel it’s important to tell someone.
Thank you for your blog
@Withdrawl today,
Thanks for your comments. I’m pretty sure you’ll back to the normal You very shortly. It doesn’t seem like your dependence is that heavy, so you should be good. I would definitely recommend you find someone to support you, but make sure that they are the understanding type. Most people will frown upon you when you admit your weakness to them, but then they’ll turn around and cater to their own bad habits like they’re fine and dandy. Don’t surround yourself with people like that. You need support, not criticism.
Thanks again, and good luck.
I have been using PPT (poppy pod tea) once a day for just over 18 months now and I am admittedly addicted to the stuff. I once went into accidental withdrawal when my regular package didn’t arrive in the mail and I went through the worst 72 hrs of my life. I felt as though I was on the verge of death the entire time. For such a seemingly benign drug the WD’s are god awful. I have been wanting to quit for the longest time but after experiencing the WD’s that one time I am now afraid to subject myself to that again. From what I’ve read there’s apparently nothing you can do to minimize the severity of the WD. Talk about being in a bad spot. Anyone have any advice for me? I’ve been considering following something called the Thomas Recipe (google it). Do you think this could be of any help? I am holding on to about 40mg of Lorazepam, 900 mg of Temazepam and about 80 mg of Sonata. I’m wondering if I could sleep the WD’s off. Do they really last several weeks? Anyway, I appreciate any advice.
Ryan,
The worst thing about poppy tea is that your dose can’t be measured. So, you’re not really sure what you’re getting, and that can be dangerous. Not only from an overdose perspective, but also for withdrawals. That’s why it was such a surprise to you. I think the little benzo and sedative hypnotic stock up you have going will probably help you get through this, but please be careful. Always take the least amount you need to feel comfortable. Try not to mix them all at once, and seek medical help if you feel like you’re in trouble.
Best of luck to ya.
Ryan,
I was in the same spot as you, taking poppy seed tea everyday several times for about 14months. 2 weeks ago I quit for a second time and here’s what I learned. First time I quit I went cold turkey without aid and was an insomniac wreck for 7 days before it became bearable 2 exist. This time however, I did some more research and found out a few tricks. First off, it does help to ween off the stuff for about 2 weeks. Hold off until you start getting wd symptoms then take just enough to push it back and get some rest. Secondly, eat lots of eggs or other nutrient rich protein foods because your body needs the protein to rebuild the feel good chemicals that the opiates replace causing the body to stop producing them. I would make a batch of 24 hard boiled deviled eggs and just keep eating them throughout the day, this helped tremendously and seemed to cut down on recovery time to 4 days before I could start to feel ok. Lastly, either add a teaspoon of epsom salt to some lemon water 2 drink or take an epsom salt bath. The magnesium in it stops the leg cramps which is a godsend when your twitching around all night. One last thing, if you’d like some herbal remedies, both bacopa and ashwagandha have been shown to reduce opiate tolerance.
good luck
Cheshire Cat
I have a friend that told me yesterday that she thinks she is addicted to the poppy seed tea, she said she coundn’t sleep and her skin felt like it was burning I have never dealt with this kind of addiction but I am very frightened because of the fact on how she deals with these symptoms. She took multiple sleeping pills and drank excessive alcohol because she couldn’t sleep…
I’m at a loss on how to break the news to her that she is addicted to this tea. bacopa and ashwagandha are those just herbal teas? can I get them anywhere? Where did you find help to kick this habit? where can I find more information I need to help her before it is too late and its sad to say but her significant other has been addicted longer than her, I want to help them. Any advise would help and I know that before I can help them they have to want to quit or else i’ll drive myself crazy but I feel the need to educate myself if I have to go to extremes to get her off of this. Thank you!
Concerned Friend,
Bacopa and Ashwagandha aren’t anything to worry about. It’s the poppy seed tea that’s the issue. Where do you live? PM me if you’re not comfortable telling me here. They say that you have to want to quit, in order to get help, but sometimes we’re so deep into it, that the only way out is some sort of extreme intervention. At some point the addict begins to operate on the basic animal level, so all rationality goes out the window, and even if it is there, it becomes overpowered by the need to get a fix. First thing that needs to be done is she needs to get clean, so her rational mind has a say in things. Usually that takes jail or some other form of extreme intervention.
Good news for those kicking Vicodin is don’t belive all the negative stuff you read. It’s not that bad. Yes there will be leg cramps and a few sleepless nights but after a few days all is good. I’ve been on 6 10/325 vicodins a day for 2 years and had surgery to fix the problem in March. I quit the meds cold turkey in May. I basically felt like I had the flu for 4 days and after 4 days I progressively got better and after about 7 days I was all good. From my experience (and I have allot of experience w/pain and pain meds) it’s more in your head then anything. Withdrawls are real but I believe the severity of the withdrawl is mostly dependent on you. The one advice I will give is anytime while withdrawling you feel any anxiety or muscle aches just jump in a hot bath or shower. The bath or shower is your best friend. Also shower or bath right before trying to sleep. Other than that I say buck up and get through it. Forget the high priced detox BS. It’s not needed for vicodin.
After reading Dan’s post… I have to agree. I’ve been prescribed vicodin for over 3 years now and in increasing doses. I have a degenerative disc disease and had surgery on my spine to find that 2 more discs are already herniated. I am 24. I know my tolerance goes up because I find the medication not helping me anymore. I have recently decided to stop taking the medication and take the matter into my own hands. I am in pain. I have WD symptoms. But, it is truly amazing how you can overpower it. Just knowing that no matter what you are going through right now… your life is still happening. Personally, I would rather be a part of it than dealing with this. Just think like that and it will get you through it. I am still working on it but that is the most helpful thing for me.
I think that Dan is being a little glib about other people’s difficulties during Vicodin withdrawals. It has a lot to do with how much you have been taking and for how long. Everyone’s body is different and everyone responds to situations in different ways. I’m very glad for Dan’s sake that he didn’t have a very difficult time with his withdrawal but not everyone will respond the same. I think that it’s always best to give positive reinforcement to others. I don’t think I would ever suggest to someone going through this to just “suck it up”. That NEVER makes anything better. For me withdrawal from Vicodin, and I have been through it several times, leaves me in excruciating pain and writhing on the bed for hours at a time with restless legs. All in all it is an extremely miserable experience and usually lasts for about 4-7 days for me. Please don’t ever assume that you know the pain or difficulty that someone else is having. I think this site is more for supporting others on the same journey rather than practicing “tough love”. I think we all could use a little more compassion in our lives. Thanks.
Neonurse,
Thanks for the great post.
You’re absolutely right. I consider myself a pretty tough guy, and there were times when I wanted to cry like a baby. This stuff is no joke, and encouragement always worked well for me.
wow, i’ve never heard of someone od’ing on poppyseed tea. is that possible? i’ve been addicted to all painkillers including heroine for about 5 years now, and i’m only 22. i just ran out today. My boyfriend sort of overlooks my problem til now. he sad if i re-up it’s over. i’m not doing it for just him. i am walking around with a ball and chain and i’m sick of it. i’ve lost everything, but its not enough. i’ve qut before for roughly a month, and i never felt greater after getting over the 7is day hump. don’t know why i even picked up again after that. but i did. but i’m so sick of hurting everyone and stealing, lying. I once slammed my hand in the car door to get a script. i can’t wait til i get over this 7 day hump. when i did it the first time after about a month sober i had a clear head and my life before that was kind of a blur. which it is now. wish me luck.
I had a physical dependancy on pulverized poppy pods,I would grind anywhere from 30-50 small pods(some can be tiny) to about 15-20 golfball sized .i would grind them to a fine powder than mix with hot vinigar/water to a gruel(i never strained them)i would choke this nasty mix down and get quite a dose,since the plant material is digested it is longer acting than thge strained tea and this drags out the cold turkey.My method of detox……I would get my paws on 3-4 suboxone 8 mg(look like little orange stop signs) and idealy about ten clondidine(catapress)The low dose ones…..when i started to feel withdraw symptoms(Never Before or while still under influence) I WOULD GUT IT OUT for a s long as i could,usually not long than i would take a suboxone breask it in haslf and take the slightly smaller half.in an hour i would be able to eat clean up what ever.i then would try to go 2 days before another half(suboxone IS long acting.if the haqlf didnt relive withdrawel take the big half and bvreak in two an taske a quarter.dothis 3times with the halves and then go to quarters taking the larger quarters every 36 hours or so till you are down to the last 2 quarters stretch the time in between doses.when subs are gone and if you are have healthy syatem 1 clondidine 2-3 times a day(lowest dose))it kind of rags you out.no withdrawel can be completely discomfort free.i am not as doctor andf ideally this should be done under supervision,it has worked well for me and am no longer in the hamsterwheel of pod addiction.i have 38 years of off and on opiate addiction.if i stumble i always pick myself up,life is too good to givce in too addiction….good luck
I’ve just had a horrible experience withdrawing from Vicodin. I thought I would just stop cold turkey. The first 48 hours were pretty bad, but the hot baths and showers did help. I was handling the nausea, diarrhea and vomitting OK but I started having clonic seizures. Everyone withdraws differently but I found out yesterday at the hospital that the best course is to advise your doctor you want to stop and do it under their supervision. I’m currently doing the slow tapering withdrawal. It’s still not pleasant but I’m not afraid of having a seizure anymore while withdrawing. I’m not worried about the psyhological addiction much, I’m sick and tired of taking the vicodin even though it is valid because of herniated discs. So please just be careful during withdrawal, some people do need medical help to do it.
Today is my first day off of vicodin and norcos I have been taking vicodin regularly for 2 years my adiction is getting so bad its getting on the way of my family I’ve withdrawed before and gotten over it and gone right back to taking them again I’m going to try it cold turkey but this website had given me hope reading everybodys stories I ready hope everyone success getting off opiots
I have been on Vicodin for 4 years. I started by taking 4 7.5-750 a day and recently reached my pinnacle by taking my last script of 120 in 7 days. There were times when I would run out and find a connection for percs (cheaper than Vic). This kept me going until just this past week when my connection wound up in jail. Without a fall back plan, I have no choice but to go cold turkey. I am on day 2. Last night my arms twitched uncontrollably and could not sleep even after taking 3 klonopins and 2 melatonin. Today I went out and did some yard work and drank close to 4 gallons of water which definitely helps. Cleansing the liver is a good thing! I am a bit achy; however, the worst part is wanting another fix. even considered faking a back injury and going to another doctor for a script. Decided against it. Let’s see what day 3 brings. Good luck to everyone trying to get the monkey off of their back.
I just feel the need to share. I am on day #2 of no pain killers. I have been taking them off and on for about 2 years now. I never thought I could be addicted to something. But here as I lay in bed this morning, after having no sleep last night, and feeling the leg cramps, the back aches etc. I now know how badly addicted I have become. I am kicking myself in the a## right now! I want’ to get through this, so I never have to do this again. But I’ll tell you what, I really want to go get some pk’s to end these withdrawals right now! I’m scared to death to try and sleep again tonight. I don’t even want that to come. I have a few advil p.m’s though to try and get me some sleep. It’s the nights that are the worse. I hope this ends soon. I wish like hell I would have never picked up the 1st pain killer. How could something so addicting be legal? I just don’t get it. Anyways, wish me luck and those who believe please pray for me.
Just wanted to share my story. First off prepare!!! While your on if you have a valid script? Talk to your Doc, I did he gave me the low down and a script for clonidine and librium for when I either ran out or wanted to stop. If your Doc is cool they know the stuff is addictive and know you will suffer and they do not want that!!! Get a script of tramadol off the internet or your Doc. I was taking 90mg a day of oxy and this is what I do when I have to withdrawal from taking it all before my next script. Start with 100mg of tamadol 3x a day no more!!!!! You will be sick but man it helps. Only use clonidine and librium as needed for sleep or if you are really tweaking out. After day 3 taper down on tramadol it is addictive also!!!! Trust me this method works great and you will be able to function and go to work or whatever. But like I said go to your Doc!!!!! They will help they know you need it and the addictive dangers of opiates. If you truly need it like myself and are totally honest with your Doc they will do what ever to help. But they will not give you more opiates so don’t ask!!!!! Then they just think you are drug seeking!!!! Hope this helps any of you.
I’ve been taking vicodin for about 7 to 8 mos. as I had shoulder surgery. I has become clear to me that I am already dependent on them. I am really surprised. I after about 8 to 10 hours, I start feeling sick to my stomach and my body hurts really bad. I’m just surprised that it happened so quickly! Anyway, thank goodness I found this site because I have gotten some good ideas for how to get through getting off of this stuff. One thing for sure is-I’m gonna talk to my doctor. Do you think that because I have had a dependency once, there is a better chance of getting addicted quicker again? I can’t say I would never take it again if I were to need them, but I haven’t gone through the worst yet either. Thanks again for all the info.
Rachael
i am no doctor; but i would think that yes you would have a greater chance of getting hooked it you get off of em and take em again. i also think telling your doctor is a great idea. don’t forget once you take that step; normally most docs will not give em to you again anyways; so make sure you are ready. glad you found this site. most of us post on the “about” page or late the the thomas recipe cuz about has been slow. good luck to you andhope to hear good progress from you
neesip
Just so everyone knowes addiction is not the same as dependicy if your taking meds for pain from a doc you will become dependent nothing wrong with that if your taking any drugs to just feel good and its cousing problems or harm and you dont or cant stop thats addiction
I’ve been in and out of the hospital with many surgeries in the past 6 years due to motorcycle racing. I get addicted to vicodin/norco every time. My first time I was prescribed so many pills that the bottle was about the size of a coke can. Being a drug addict or even talking about it is frowned upon in the racing world but I spoke up to a trusted member of my team. At first he just told me not to worry about it and to take the pills if you are in pain, which I was. But after the surgery/injury pain was gone the only time I would hurt was when I would quit taking pills. I took a big risk talking about it but I talked to other injured riders and they began to come forward after I did and share their stories of post injury pain killer addiction. I would say all of us racers have addictive personalities, so these drugs are really dangerous without the proper mindset. For me, weaning was difficult because when I stayed doped up I felt better, stayed loose, and could finish all my tasks. I felt energized. I did eventually have to discipline myself and got down to 1 1/2 pills a day and then ran out. In the back of my mind I know I can get more but using some self discipline has helped me out. Withdrawals for me has always been body pain that mimics having a bad case of the flu. My body gradually returns to normal over the course of approx. two weeks. Its a tough two weeks, especially the first week, but it has to be done. My two points are this: 1. Talk to someone that you TRUST about not wanting to be addicted to pain killers if you get prescribed them. I wouldn’t tell your ortho Dr. you are an addict or that you have been addicted. I have been told that you don’t want that on your record as it could affect your future health insurance. Not sure if that is true but it is worth noting.
2. Wean with self discipline and reason. Not with macho toughness.
Hope this helps someone because I got into motorcycle racing to get away from things like drugs. Now I’m not sure which one is truly more dangerous! :0
Something I have just got to put out there guys. Vicodin is a hard withdrawal, WD from any opiate based pill including the less powerful ones like Darvocet and tramadol is always tough.. I started out with Vicodin like most people who got hooked through legit scripts.
What I am trying to get around to here is this, if you are currently using Vicodin, and only vicodin, tthen please take the opportunity to tough this out now. My very first crack on detox was from Vicodin, and I was successful. However, I fell off the wagon several months after and started using again, by then my regular dealer switched almost exclusively to percocet 30’s and 15’s as well as Fentanyl and opana’s. I am now trying to detox from a cocktail of all of those, plus Suboxone. Looking back at my Vicodin detox (been using about 70 MG’s a day for 2 years with no more then maybe three to four days without for that whole duration) it seems like a joke..
It isn’t a joke though, it is extremely hard. Remember that everything you feel is relative to what you know and what you have to compare it to. At the time Vicodin was all I had ever WD from, so mentally I was a wreck, I was in hell.. Now days, I would lop off my left testicle for a Vicodin detox over what I am dealing with. Quit NOW! Today, use whatever it takes, and I mean it. If it means filling up your cars gas tank to full and driving 2 states away so that you have at least a day or two drive before you can get to your dealer, then do it. I wish I would have.
If I have not gotten the point across to you guys thus far, then hear this : Today I feel that I have few options… Suicide has crossed my mind more times then I would like to admit, possibly a rapid detox… I am stuck in a cage that can’t be gotten out of, please guys don’t get stuck in it with me. I just want to fucking die most days.
it should be noted many many people use seed/pod tea safely. there are rules to it, just like any other drug. blue or black seeds are an indication of potentially strong batches, strong smell, bits or flakes of pod material in the seeds, seeds slightly clumping together and/or sticking to the inside of the bag, the darkness of your tea (ie darker and yellower is more potent, as well as the more bitter), etc.
and at the end of the day you must always consume tea slowly and monitor the effects, i mean you literally must sip it as if you were depressed and nursing a jack and coke at a bar for an hour or more, it wont hurt your ultimate high much, but this how you prevent OD problems…the people who died from tea ignored the signs of tea potency and also most likely gulped down their tea like a sports drink or something, that is basically suicide.
I am so glad I ended up on this site…
I went looking for WD relief from a Vicodin addiction & am so relieved to read all of your stories, knowing I am not alone. I am willing to try almost anything to make it easier, with the exception of taking more painkillers.
Vicodin WD is no joke – it’s like your body is your own personal prison, & is a fight every second of every day between mind & body. I first started taking them as prescribed by my doctor, just one every 4-6 hours if needed. Then that wasn’t enough to control the pain, so it escalated. By the time my body had healed & the pain from the original surgery that started this whole thing, I was taking 130 mgs of Vicodin everyday.
If someone tells you that opiate WD is 72 hours, please understand that that’s an estimate. & everyone is different. I’m on day 4 & haven’t slept for 3 strait days now. Everyone above who said that hot baths help is right. I’ve spent more time in a bathtub the past 4 days than I normally would in a month. For me, Xanax has not helped the opiate WD restless legs, but I can’t speak for the rest of the benzo family… All that did was make me even more tired, but still unable to sleep. The blood pressure med, clonidine, however has been a godsend. They sometimes use this in rehabs for opiate WD, & it’s the only thing that’s been effective for me.
I hope no one ever goes back to this drug, or has to experience this again. Best of luck to all of you who read this for the same reason I did.
I’m not going back & I hope none of you do either.
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