Is Oud Actually Addictive?

[Larry K.]

When people say they're addicted to oud I always thought it was just a figure of speech. Kind of like "being addicted to chocolate." Not really addicted, you just like it a whole lot.

But as I read more I start to wonder if there's an actual addiction. For instance Taha says that the sesquiturpenes in oud cross the blood-brain barrier. He also says he goes through an ml or more in a day. An expensive habit for sure. People constantly talk about the psychoactive qualities of this or that oud. There's also frequent reference to oud's soothing, hypnotic or stimulating qualities.

I personally just had some surgery and I didn't bring any oud with me to the hospital, so I've been without oud for two days and I miss it. Am I experiencing withdrawal?

So what do you guys think? Is there some neurotransmitter homologue in oud? Is it inhibiting serotonin reuptake in the synapses of the brain? Or is it like chocolate or pizza? Does anybody know?

 

[Philip]

I have never caught myself thinking, "Ok, I have enough Oud" or "Ok, I don't need another bottle." I always want more. What's curious is that I can't same the same for other things I love, like nicely tailored shirts or foie gras. In fact, if my house were to go down in devouring flames, the only item I would take with me is my box of Oud - passports be damned, legal papers be damned.
I cannot speak to your scientific inquiry, but perhaps the more learned leaders can chime in. I look forward to learning about my subconscious addiction to Oud and how more to feed it

 

[Larry K.]

I have never caught myself thinking, "Ok, I have enough Oud" or "Ok, I don't need another bottle." I always want more. What's curious is that I can't same the same for other things I love, like nicely tailored shirts or foie gras. In fact, if my house were to go down in devouring flames, the only item I would take with me is my box of Oud - passports be damned, legal papers be damned.
I cannot speak to your scientific inquiry, but perhaps the more learned leaders can chime in. I look forward to learning about my subconscious addiction to Oud and how more to feed it

Thanks for your reply, OudforLife. I'm pretty sure oud is a want, not a need. But sometimes I can feel something similar to smelling an organic solvent when I smell some ouds, drilling into my brain. I guess that's those pesky sesquiterpenes.

 

[RobertOne]

Welcome to the forum, Cousin Larry!

You might find this informative:

http://gaharu.com/index.php?threads/is-oud-addictive.312/

 

[Oudamberlove]

I think Oud is Mentally Addicting, but not Physically Addicting

 

[Larry K.]

Hey RobertOne, thanks for the welcome and the link. Evidently people have thought about this before. I got the idea to search "agarwood" on PubMed. Six pages of studies came up. Considering the stress on Aquilaria spp., I shudder to report that many titles indicate various anti-inflammatory properties of oud. A few report CNS effects, including possible use of oud in treating MS.
Uh-oh! If neurons have receptors for substances in oud, it's not inconceivable that oud could be physically addictive.