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Psilocybin Mushrooms

Can You Overdose From Eating Too Many Magic Mushrooms?

We are certain that tons of people wonder if you can overdose on magic mushrooms. After all, overdosing on other substances can be lethal, so how about magic mushrooms? Well, because psilocybin mushrooms are relatively low in toxicity, physical injury and death from overdose are quite improbable. Mushrooms are also not linked to long-term mental health problems. Taking too much, however, increases the risk of a bad trip, which can be psychologically challenging while it lasts and, in a small number of cases, lead to self-harm. 

Psychedelics like magic mushrooms have gotten a bad rep over time, but is it deserved? Let’s bust some shrooms myths and find out if they are dangerous or not.

Can You Die From Ingesting Too Many Shrooms?

Psychedelic mushrooms have been depicted in the media as being exceedingly harmful, putting users at risk of self-harm, psychosis, and even death, ever since the backlash against the hippie movement in the 1960s. 

In truth, according to the 2016 Global Drug Survey, psilocybin mushrooms are the safest recreational drug. Only 0.2% of the 12,000 people who reported using magic mushrooms required emergency medical assistance, which is at least five times lower than the rates for cocaine, LSD, and MDMA. 

The most common symptoms among those who sought medical assistance after consuming magic mushrooms were anxiety and panic (68%), paranoia and suspiciousness (68%), and seeing and hearing things (42%), all of which were indications of a bad trip or the expected psychedelic effects of psilocybin. No ER visits resulted in death or long-term injury, and all but one patient recovered within 24 hours.

Psilocybin has very low levels of toxicity, and the concentration of psilocybin in mushrooms is modest (about 10-12mg per 1g of Psilocybe cubensis mushrooms), making overdose highly unlikely. In addition, despite urban tales and a few sensationalized cases, psychedelic-induced suicide is extremely uncommon.

People with underlying health concerns who consume psilocybin mushrooms alongside other substances, on the other hand, maybe more vulnerable to negative effects.

Psilocybin Toxicity

Psilocybin toxicity is extremely low, with the lethal dose calculated to be 1000 times the psychoactive amount. In comparison, the lethal dose of intravenous heroin is just five times the effective dose.

Even high doses capable of producing psychosis (30mg per 70kg body weight) only have a minor and temporary effect on heart rate and blood pressure in humans.

In humans, the lethal dose of psilocybin is unknown. In rats, the median lethal dose is 280mg per kilogram of body mass, which is one and a half times the caffeine lethal dose. To get such a concentration, a 60 kg (130 lb) person would need to ingest 37 lb of fresh mushrooms or 3.7 lb of dried mushrooms. [10] Given the vomiting and discomfort caused by psilocybin mushrooms, that is most certainly an impossible feat.

Psilocybin Overdose

Users occasionally report psilocybin overdoses, but these are usually very intense trips in which they experience full-fledged, and sometimes horrifying, hallucinations and ego death rather than merely the synesthesia of smaller dosages.

Overdoses with physiological effects are relatively uncommon. Only two deaths in the scientific literature have been attributable to psilocybin overdoses alone, with no other drugs used concurrently. However, scientists have questioned these accounts, suggesting that other variables may have had a role in the fatalities.

Shrooms Overdose Symptoms

Taking too many mushrooms or consuming a potent batch can result in overdose, which can create unpleasant physical and mental effects, some of which can be severe.

Some of the most common ones are:

  • Panic attacks
  • Anxiety
  • Diarrhoea and vomiting 
  • Paranoia
  • Mood swings
  • Psychosis
  • Seizures
  • Coma

An overdose usually lasts 6-8 hours, though some of the effects can last for several days.

In general, the effects of psilocybin are unpredictable and can be substantially influenced by the user’s thinking and the environment in which they take the drug. To reduce the risks of the drug, users should take it with someone they trust, consume it in a safe environment, avoid the drug if they are agitated or depressed, and refrain from taking more if they do not feel the effects straight away.

For dried mushrooms, a typical dose of psilocybin is 1.5 to 2 grams. However, the experience is unpredictable and depends on the individual.

Other Health Concerns

Eating the wrong kind of mushroom is one of the most dangerous risk factors of magic mushrooms. Toxic mushroom species are said to outweigh those containing psilocybin by a factor of ten. Some toxic mushrooms look like psilocybin mushrooms and have comparable hallucinogenic effects. 

The symptoms of mushroom poisoning differ depending on the species, but they can include:

  • Pain in the abdomen
  • Muscle pain
  • Mucus in lungs
  • Slower heart rate
  • Sweating profusely
  • Muscle spasms
  • Low blood sugar
  • Kidney failure

Mushrooms that produce symptoms within two hours are frequently less harmful than mushrooms that produce symptoms after six hours. Amanita, Gyromitra, and Cortinarius are the most harmful species.

Another risk is ingesting a drug that is not psilocybin. According to reports, medications advertised as mushrooms are actually store-bought mushrooms laced with LSD, PCP, or other narcotics. An 11-year study examined 886 psilocybin-containing samples. Only 28% of the samples tested positive for magic mushrooms. Thirty-five percent were other drugs, notably LSD or PCP, and 37% were completely devoid of psilocybin.

We at Get Magic Mushrooms always urge all our readers and customers to do as much research as possible before trying any new substance for the first time. As in almost all our other blog articles, we advise starting with the lowest dose available and slowly increasing the dose over time if you respond well to it. Microdosing is a great way to introduce your body to shrooms and benefit from all the therapeutic effects without experiencing the hallucinogenic and psychedelic effects. There are also tons of delicious shrooms edibles you can try to see if consuming shrooms in this form is better for you. Have a safe and happy trip!

 

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