The 'mad honey' that can cause hallucinations and poison you
Anish Vij
Featured Image Credit: TikTok/@cliff_mad_honey
A natural psychedelic known as 'mad honey' has been used for thousands of years but it's not without its risks.
Different from traditional honey, the grayanotoxin-infused substance is one of the most expensive in the world - it can also be pretty harmful.
Watch below to see the effects of 'mad honey':
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Produced in the likes of Nepal and the Black Sea region of Turkey, it is being advertised as having supposed medicinal benefits.
Along with the perceived hallucinogenic properties it can be an extremely dangerous substance to use.
According to a 2018 study 'Mad honey: uses, intoxicating/poisoning effects, diagnosis, and treatment', the substance has been used since 2100 BC.
The study reads: "Mad honey has been commonly used as an aphrodisiac (sexual stimulant), in alternative therapy for gastrointestinal disorders (peptic ulcer disease, dyspepsia, and gastritis), and for hypertension for a long time. Grayanotoxin acts on sodium ion channels and muscarinic receptors, leading to cardiac disorders (hypotension and different rhythm disorders including bradycardia, bradydysrhythmias, atrial fibrillation, nodal rhythm, atrioventricular block, and complete atrioventricular block) and respiratory depression."
However, most notably, mad honey can cause some major issues.
The study adds: "Patients may also exhibit any one symptom out of or combination of dizziness, blurred vision, diplopia, nausea, vomiting, vertigo, headache, sweating/excessive perspiration, extremity paresthesia, impaired consciousness, convulsion, hypersalivation, ataxia, inability to stand, and general weakness.
"Although fatalities are very rare, mad honey ingestion may still lead to arrhythmias, which can be life-threatening and hard to recognize.
"Consumption of honey containing toxins can lead to poisoning/intoxication. There are two types of honey intoxication/poisoning.
"Consumption of honey containing grayanotoxins (from Rhododendron species of plants) is termed as mad honey poisoning, and it is mostly reported in Turkey, Korea, and Nepal, whereas the consumption of honey containing tutin (a neurotoxin from Coraria species of shrubs) is termed tutin honey poisoning, and it has been reported in New Zealand."
The study concludes: "The symptoms of mad honey intoxication last for a day, due to rapid metabolism and excretion of grayanotoxins.
"The signs and symptoms of mad honey intoxication/poisoning may seem life-threatening; however, no fatality has been reported in recent medical literature.
"For treating mad honey intoxication/poisoning, symptomatic treatment and close surveillance are carried out.
"To ensure recovery, cardiac monitoring with supportive care, intravenous infusion of atropine sulfate, and intravenous saline infusion are used; in case of complete atrioventricular block, a temporary pacemaker is used."
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