Side effects - Possible food poisoning from peruvian torch?

[ThomasRM]

Before SWIM asks his question, he would like to give a summary of the events beforehand(sorry for the length, but please read it!).

Several months ago a friend of SWIM's purchased a quantity of peruvian torch, in the form of small dried chip like things. SWIM went ahead and consumed roughly 20g(about 200mg of mescaline?) of the dried cactus parts over a period of 5 hours(the taste was absolutely unbearable for SWIM so it took him a very very long time). SWIM had mild nausea but it did not bother him because he enjoyed the effects of the mescaline so much even though it was such a low dose. SWIM repeated this experiment two weeks later with roughly the same dose, and practically the same results.

SWIM decided not to use any for 2 months, during which time the cactus material was stored in the container it was shipped in(not airtight) and put in a dark closet, with no kind of light at all. SWIM repeated his experiment about 2 months later, only this time it turned out a lot different. SWIM consumed again roughly 20g of plant material over a period of 2-3 hours. Everything was normal for SWIM until he started to come up. He felt the same effects from the mescaline that he did before, but the nausea was much more intense. SWIM couldnt handle the nausea and threw up. He felt fine again for about 10 minutes, then the nausea returned and he threw up again. This process repeated itself for about an hour until SWIM managed to fall asleep.

SWIM tried this again about 2 weeks later with the same dosage and had the same results: unbearable nausea and a lot of vomitting, over and over. SWIM says the feeling of this was identical to the one time he had food poisoning from eating a 3 week old kiwi(it was still yummy).
So I suppose SWIM's question is: what are some of the reasons that could explain why SWIM responded to the plant material this way?

Is it possible that the plant material had "spoiled" or "gone bad"? The plant itself looks no different, even right now 8 months later. No mold or anything. SWIM also read things about allergic reactions to the plant, but SWIM was fine for the first two ingestions. Any ideas or input is appreciated!

[Potter]

Was it still dry? Was the color still the same? Any signs of mold?

Nausea is a part of cacti. It's not surprising that you would vomit. Repeated use of such things often makes vomiting worse, as the body recognizes it faster on subsequent occasions.

Ginger is a good way to relieve nausea without the negative effects of the drugs often recommended.

[ThomasRM]

It is still dry, the color is still the same, there are no signs of mold. SWIM understands it causes nausea, but SWIM could'nt help recognize how very much similar it was to his case of food poisoning. Is SWIY suggesting that is just a coincidence, and perhaps things such as ginger may help?

[Potter]

It seems unlikely that the material would be infected with no outward signs of contamination. Take it there weren't other symptoms, severe cramps or anything?

A friend of nobody has described repeated vomiting under the influence of cacti, more then just a typical purge.

Might be worth having some plain rice or manioc gruel early in the day, so as not to have a totally empty stomach.

Ginger is the best non-psychoactive cure for nausea, OTC pills can cause detachment and delirium, not to mention some physical effects, while THC has it's own set of properties, not all desirable all the time. Get the crystallized kind, it goes down the easiest, if not pickled ginger used in sushi can do good, nobody prefers the white over the pink.

[69Ron]

Originally Posted by Potter

Ginger is the best non-psychoactive cure for nausea, OTC pills can cause detachment and delirium, not to mention some physical effects, while THC has it's own set of properties, not all desirable all the time.

I second that. I have dried ginger in tablets (550 mg each), and if I ever feel nauseated, I take two of them. For me it works better than all the OTC medicines, and the best part is that it works without making you drowsy or cloudy headed at all. I definitely recommend having ginger around the house for this purpose. It’s surprisingly effective.

[ThomasRM]

Originally Posted by Potter

It seems unlikely that the material would be infected with no outward signs of contamination. Take it there weren't other symptoms, severe cramps or anything?

It is hard for SWIM to remember because it was almost a year ago, but he is pretty sure that he had some cramps from vomiting so much.

Would an extraction of the mescaline help with the nausea at all? SWIM will also keep ginger in mind, but that doesnt change that taste of the actual cactus

[readeadamie]

Pure mescaline would be less upsetting than peruvian torch because the peruvian torch contains quite a few other alkaloids in combination with the mescaline. SWIM hates the stuff. How can anyone enjoy tripping with such a massive body load? SWIM is convinced he has lost his sanity and is dying every time he has indulged in this poison. I am ALWAYS engulfed by the fear on this substance.

[ATWA]

No it is not "food poisoning". That would take longer to come on. All Swim can tell you is that when using mescaline cacti a couple of times he has gotten violently sick and then usually he had no problems. And this coming from basically the same material and it was fresh. So this may have to do with the body chemistry at the time of ingestion. One Peyote Church that Swim respects requires church members to fast and eat no junk, sugar, caffein or meat for a period of time before taking the sacrament. Swim also knows people who take Amanita Muscaria for shamanic reasons and they maintain that if you do not abstain from meat and other stuff for a time before ingestion one will have a bad experience. In theory also I guess that the dried cacti could contain an alkaloid that if stored could change on a molecular level into a structure that could make one sick.

Reputation Comments on this post:

right you are about food poisoning, good diagnosis.