Combating Nausea: Basic Psilocybin Risk Reduction

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Written by Justin Belko

Nausea is one of the most notorious side effects of psilocybin mushroom ingestion. In some unfortunate cases, vomiting, stomach pains, and GI distress can accompany nausea. Considering that mushrooms are largely made up of chitin, an indigestible polysaccharide known to trigger inflammation and immune response, its detrimental gastrointestinal effects are no surprise [1].

Cooking mushrooms breaks down chitin and eases digestion, but people rarely do this with magic mushrooms, for fear of degrading psychoactive compounds. Thankfully, there are various preparation methods you can add to your medicinal skill set to aid digestion and combat nausea.

The “Lemon Tek”

It seems unlikely that anyone will ever determine the original source of the Lemon Tek. From Reddit to Erowid, and even Quora, countless variations of this quick and effective method of mushroom preparation have been shared across the internet [2-4]. The process itself is straightforward: grind up dried mushrooms as fine as possible, let them soak in fresh lemon juice for roughly fifteen minutes, then drink the mixture. Countless anecdotal reports swear by this method to prevent mushroom-induced nausea, making it a favorite among many. While there are no direct research studies on the lemon tek itself and how it works, abundant anecdotal material and indirect studies can be used to make evidence-based inferences.

First and foremost, the mere act of grinding and powdering the dried mushrooms is akin to the mechanical breakdown our teeth would perform. By physically breaking up the chitinous mushroom flesh, the burden on our stomach is eased.

Then, soaking the mushrooms in lemon juice further mimics the digestion process, as lemon juice has a pH from 2-2.6, similar to the 1.5-3.5 pH of our stomach [5-6]. An acidic environment, supplied by either lemon juice or stomach acid, is partially responsible for the conversion of psilocybin to psilocin [7,8].

While both psilocybin and psilocin are naturally occurring in magic mushrooms, psilocybin is found in much higher quantities. Upon ingestion, psilocybin is rapidly dephosphorylated to psilocin by the acidic environment of the stomach and alkaline phosphatase, an enzyme primarily found in the liver and intestine [7, 9, 10]. Dephosphorylation is the process by which a functional phosphate group is removed from an organic compound, in this case converting psilocybin to psilocin. Psilocin is then responsible for the psychoactive effects caused by magic mushrooms [11]. It is speculated that this conversion process causes nausea, based on the fact that even individuals given pure isolate psilocybin still experienced nausea during clinical trials [12].

From the lemon tek method of preparation, one should expect very little nausea and a much quicker onset of effects but also a noticeably stronger and shorter experience. This is a combined result of the mushrooms being finely ground, resulting in more surface area for easy digestion and also the lemon juice jumpstarting the conversion of psilocybin to psilocin.

Mushroom Tea

The initial preparation of mushroom tea is similar to that of the lemon tek, with magic mushrooms being dried and then ground into a fine powder. This, of course, spares one’s body from a great deal of strain associated with the mechanical breakdown of chitin. The mushroom powder is then steeped in hot water for ten to twenty minutes, to bring psilocybin, which is water-soluble, into the solution [13, 14]. After this point, the powder can be strained out or left in the tea, with the latter being less optimal for those susceptible to nausea. From this method of preparation, one should expect a quicker onset of effects and less nausea when compared to simply chewing and ingesting magic mushrooms.

Long Mastication Process

Arguably, the simplest method of consuming magic mushrooms is the long mastication process. This involves taking your chosen dose of mushrooms and chewing them for at least thirty minutes before swallowing. The rationale behind this method is that, through chewing the mushrooms for as long as possible, its exposure to chitinase is maximized. Chitinase is a family of enzymes responsible for the breakdown of chitin, which is largely indigestible otherwise [15]. By utilizing the long mastication process, one should expect little to no nausea and a quicker onset of effects, when compared to just briefly chewing and ingesting these mushrooms.

Ginger 

Long prized for its medicinal effects, ginger is a potent antiemetic, a drug that combats nausea and vomiting. Ginger has been scientifically proven to be a safe and effective treatment for nausea and vomiting, even in pregnant women or individuals undergoing chemotherapy [16, 17].

Ginger’s antiemetic effect stems from the abundance of gingerol and shogaol found in raw and dried ginger root. These two phytochemicals act on the brain’s serotonergic 5-HT3 and 5-HT4 receptors as well as the cholinergic M receptors [18-20]. Unsurprisingly, interaction with the brain’s 5-HT3 receptors is also the method of action for pharmaceutical-grade anti-nausea drug Zofran (ondandestron). Keeping this in mind, one can incorporate raw or fresh ginger into any medicinal mushroom preparation method for further nausea reduction.

The Takeaway

The mitigation of nausea is a key component in risk reduction, yet often overlooked when establishing a positive set and setting. While nausea may seem like a somewhat benign side effect, one should keep in mind how detrimental a bout of nausea and vomiting can be to the overall tone of a psychedelic experience. Fortunately, through proper mushroom preparation and utilizing natural antiemetics, one can mitigate this side effect and greatly improve their relationship with psilocybin as a tool for healing and growth. 

References  

1. Elieh Ali Komi, D., Sharma, L., & Dela Cruz, C. S. (2017). Chitin and Its Effects on Inflammatory and Immune Responses. Clinical Reviews in Allergy & Immunology, 54(2), 213–223. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12016-017-8600-0

2. ‌Reddit. (2021). reddit. Reddit. https://www.reddit.com/

3. ‌Erowid. (2019). Erowid.org. https://www.erowid.org/

4. ‌Quora - A place to share knowledge and better understand the world. (2014). Quora.com. https://www.quora.com

5. pH Values of Common Foods and Ingredients. (n.d.). https://www.clemson.edu/extension/food/food2market/documents/ph_of_common_foods.pdf

6. ‌Beasley, D. E., Koltz, A. M., Lambert, J. E., Fierer, N., & Dunn, R. R. (2015). The Evolution of Stomach Acidity and Its Relevance to the Human Microbiome. PLOS ONE, 10(7), e0134116. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0134116

7. ‌Dinis-Oliveira, R. J. (2017). Metabolism of psilocybin and psilocin: clinical and forensic toxicological relevance. Drug Metabolism Reviews, 49(1), 84–91. https://doi.org/10.1080/03602532.2016.1278228

8. ‌Horita, A., & Weber, L. J. (1962). Dephosphorylation of psilocybin in the intact mouse. Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology, 4(6), 730–737. https://doi.org/10.1016/0041-008x(62)90102-3

9. ‌Horita, A., & Weber, L. J. (1961). Dephosphorylation of Psilocybin to Psilocin by Alkaline Phosphatase. Experimental Biology and Medicine, 106(1), 32–34. https://doi.org/10.3181/00379727-106-26228

10. ‌Horita, A., & Weber, L. J. (1961b). The enzymic dephosphorylation and oxidation of psilocybin and pscilocin by mammalian tissue homogenates. Biochemical Pharmacology, 7(1), 47–54. https://doi.org/10.1016/0006-2952(61)90124-1

11. ‌Goldfrank, L. R. (2002). Goldfrank’s toxicologic emergencies (7th ed., p. 1121). Mcgraw-Hill.

12. ‌Griffiths, R. R., Johnson, M. W., Carducci, M. A., Umbricht, A., Richards, W. A., Richards, B. D., Cosimano, M. P., & Klinedinst, M. A. (2016). Psilocybin produces substantial and sustained decreases in depression and anxiety in patients with life-threatening cancer: A randomized double-blind trial. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 30(12), 1181–1197. https://doi.org/10.1177/0269881116675513

13. ‌Monographs. (n.d.). Www.swgdrug.org. https://www.swgdrug.org/monographs.htm

14. ‌Cole, S. M. (2006). New research on street drugs. Nova Science Publishers.

15. ‌Kumar, A., & Zhang, K. Y. J. (2019). Human Chitinases: Structure, Function, and Inhibitor Discovery. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, 221–251. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-7318-3_11

16. ‌Smith, H. S., Cox, L. R., & Smith, E. J. (2012). 5-HT3 receptor antagonists for the treatment of nausea/vomiting. Annals of Palliative Medicine, 1(2), 115–120. https://doi.org/10.3978/j.issn.2224-5820.2012.07.07

17. ‌Lete, I., & Alluέ, J. (2016). The Effectiveness of Ginger in the Prevention of Nausea and Vomiting during Pregnancy and Chemotherapy. Integrative Medicine Insights, 11, IMI.S36273. https://doi.org/10.4137/imi.s36273

18. ‌Walstab, J., Krüger, D., Stark, T., Hofmann, T., Demir, I. E., Ceyhan, G. O., Feistel, B., Schemann, M., & Niesler, B. (2013). Ginger and its pungent constituents non-competitively inhibit activation of human recombinant and native 5-HT3receptors of enteric neurons. Neurogastroenterology & Motility, 25(5), 439-e302. https://doi.org/10.1111/nmo.12107

19. ‌Jin, Z., Lee, G., Kim, S., Park, C.-S., Park, Y. S., & Jin, Y.-H. (2014). Ginger and Its Pungent Constituents Non-Competitively Inhibit Serotonin Currents on Visceral Afferent Neurons. The Korean Journal of Physiology & Pharmacology, 18(2), 149. https://doi.org/10.4196/kjpp.2014.18.2.149

20. ‌Pertz, H., Lehmann, J., Roth-Ehrang, R., & Elz, S. (2011). Effects of Ginger Constituents on the Gastrointestinal Tract: Role of Cholinergic M3and Serotonergic 5-HT3and 5-HT4Receptors. Planta Medica, 77(10), 973–978. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0030-1270747