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Bloated and Immobile
Damiana
Citation:   Clover Honey. "Bloated and Immobile: An Experience with Damiana (exp116109)". Erowid.org. Feb 16, 2022. erowid.org/exp/116109

 
DOSE:
2 Tbsp oral Damiana (tea)
    Tbsp vaporized delta-8-THC  
BODY WEIGHT: 120 lb
I’m a physically average 21 year old male, about 5’11” in height, and weigh about 120 or so pounds. I’ve been diagnosed with major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and recently ADD, though I’ve not been taking medication for any of these conditions. I have prior experience with a considerable range of substances, including but not limited to cannabis, LSD, cocaine, DXM, Kratom, and psilocybin mushrooms.

Recently I’ve taken up an interest in herbal remedies and natural, legal highs, seeking relief after having been overwhelmed with dark thoughts, atypical anxieties and a general listlessness in my daily life. I’m generally distrustful of pharmaceuticals, so looking for alternatives, I began studying experience reports for various psychoactive plants. Of these, I took a particular interest in Kanna, and upon finding out from a friend that a nearby occult goods shop carried it, set off down the street and paid a visit. This search proved fruitless but I did come across a bag each of Damiana and Passionflower, for a total of about $7.

"A satisfactory haul," I thought to myself as I walked back home, grinning ear to ear, picking daisies and clicking my heels. When I got home I did some mild research on this mild substance, and ran into mild testimonies on how Damiana is mildly psychoactive, especially when mixed with passionflower or other herbs. It’s supposed to induce a calming sedative effect if smoked or brewed in tea. I decided to go the tea route.

I set some water to boil and grabbed a wire mesh strainer from the cupboard. While I was waiting, I decided to inspect the crushed leaf up close in the bag, because I was curious. The leaves are fluffy and small, resembling something between mint leaf and cannabis. The mix also contained a few yellow stems.
The leaves are fluffy and small, resembling something between mint leaf and cannabis. The mix also contained a few yellow stems.
The appearance seemed to match up with images online of what it should look like, which made me a bit more confident that I hadn’t been sold bunk. The smell was very pleasant, earthy and calming, without any offensive or obscene character, which made me more eager to see what it tasted like.

When the water started to boil, it went immediately from the stove to the mug, in which I’d placed about 2 heaping teaspoons of the herb, and as per some directions I found online let it steep for about 20 minutes before straining it into another, smaller mug. I even scooped the leftover plant matter out of the first cup, stuck it in with what the strainer caught, and squeezed the remaining goodness into the fresh mug.

By this time it was cool enough to drink. The end product resembled, well, tea. Some particles of the plant had fallen through the strainer and sunk to the bottom which didn’t bother me. The liquid was of a greenish-brown hue. Aromatic up close, but not noticeable unless I stuck my nose directly over it. I braced myself for the bitter taste described by others but found that it was relatively similar in flavor to, say, unsweetened black tea. Not really interesting, too subtle for my taste buds to pick up on, but going down it made my tongue feel a bit fuzzy.

I downed it over the course of a minute since it was beginning to cool off, and afterwards felt extremely bloated and needed to go lie down. I tried to use my phone, but everything felt heavy, it was too much effort. Stretching felt nice and cathartic, and I seemed to be glued to the bed. When I got up to eat about 10 minutes later, I noticed my lethargy had increased just beyond the limits of normalcy. I felt like I had to drag myself to the kitchen, and walked very lazily, having to throw my feet forward to get anywhere, letting my arms dangle out of laziness.

I was only able to finish three tacos, and at this point I felt like I was probably going to die. I hadn’t felt this bloated in eons, I thought I was about to give birth, so I lied down again in my bedroom. Wanting to explore the dubious aphrodisiac properties some say Damiana possesses, I engaged in some horizontal private time, and while I found I was more easily excitable at first, I lost interest quickly and decided not to finish. No increased tactile sensations were detected, but I found my body was more cooperative than normal. Having grown bored, I tried to vape some delta-8 THC, but the meager amount of vapor I was able to draw from the near-empty disposable was not enough to produce any noticeable effect or synergy.

I’m writing now about an hour and a half after ingesting the tea. My bloated stomach and the extreme sedation have left me, and I no longer feel even a semblance of alteration. Surprisingly enough, it would be hard for me to deny that it worked on me, although to an extremely subtle, almost subliminal degree.

Exp Year: 2022ExpID: 116109
Gender: Male 
Age at time of experience: 21
Published: Feb 16, 2022Views: 886
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Damiana (107) : Alone (16), Therapeutic Intent or Outcome (49), Depression (15), Combinations (3), First Times (2)

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