Mushrooms: The Good, Bad And Ugly Truth

Mushrooms are a fun and nutritious food to incorporate into your diet, but they can also be dangerous. Even edible mushrooms can cause illness if not handled properly, and some mushrooms are toxic and can cause severe illness or even death. Poisonous mushrooms are often referred to as backyard mushrooms or field mushrooms and can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach pain. Diarrhea after mushroom ingestion can be caused by mycotoxins in mushrooms, which cause gastrointestinal symptoms within six hours of ingestion. Amanita phalloides, or death caps, are responsible for 95% of mushroom poisoning deaths and can cause vomiting and diarrhea within 6 to 12 hours of ingestion. Gyromitra mushrooms can also cause diarrhea, along with low blood sugar levels, seizures, and liver and kidney failure. It is important to properly identify mushrooms before consuming them and to cook wild mushrooms thoroughly to prevent illness.

Poisonous mushrooms can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea

Even mushrooms that are considered edible can make you sick if they are not handled or cooked properly. For example, true morels are generally safe to eat when cooked thoroughly, but eating them raw can cause gastric upset. If you are consuming wild mushrooms, it is always best to cook them and to only eat a small amount of a new mushroom at a time. This way, if you do have an adverse reaction, you will know which mushroom caused it.

The most commonly ingested poisonous mushrooms are gastrointestinal irritants, often called "backyard mushrooms" or "field mushrooms". These mushrooms cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, and stomach pain. Symptoms can start 30 minutes to three hours after ingestion and usually last one to two days. However, in some cases, symptoms may progress to blood disorders, seizures, and liver and kidney damage.

Amanita phalloides, also known as "'death caps', cause 95% of mushroom poisoning deaths. Vomiting and diarrhoea start within 6 to 12 hours of ingestion. After a few days, people may develop liver failure and sometimes kidney failure. Other poisonous mushrooms include Gyromitra mushrooms, which can cause diarrhoea, vomiting, low blood sugar, and, in some cases, liver and kidney failure.

Amatoxin poisoning from mushrooms can lead to hepatorenal failure

The toxin acts by inhibiting RNA polymerase, disrupting the transcription of mRNA. This disruption prevents hepatocytes from synthesizing key protein-coding genes, leading to the disintegration of nucleoli and centrilobular hepatic necrosis. As a result, liver failure occurs insidiously over a period of 48 hours.

Symptoms of amatoxin poisoning typically appear 6 to 24 hours after ingestion and include severe stomach pain, vomiting, and watery diarrhoea. These gastrointestinal symptoms may be followed by blood disorders, seizures, and liver and kidney damage. In some cases, the progression of symptoms can lead to hepatorenal syndrome, requiring intensive care and, in severe cases, a liver transplant.

It is important to note that the onset of symptoms may vary depending on the type of mushroom ingested. For example, symptoms of Amanita smithiana poisoning may arise within 6 hours, while Cortinarius mushrooms may cause gastrointestinal symptoms to appear 12 hours to 14 days after consumption.

The treatment for Amatoxin poisoning is primarily supportive care, as there is no specific antidote. Management includes normalizing fluid loss, electrolyte deficiency, and glucose levels, as well as addressing nausea and vomiting. In cases of suspected Amatoxin poisoning, it is crucial to seek medical attention early and consult a regional poison control center or medical toxicologist.

Even 'edible' mushrooms can cause illness if not handled properly

Even edible mushrooms can cause illness if not handled properly. Of the 2,500 large, fleshy mushroom species in Michigan, only 60-100 are generally regarded as safe to eat. However, even these "edible" mushrooms can cause illness if not handled properly. For example, true morels (Morchella spp.) are generally safe to eat as long as they have been cooked thoroughly. Eating raw morels can cause gastric upset.

Mushrooms can be toxic, and poisonous mushrooms are referred to as "backyard mushrooms" or "field mushrooms." Poisonous mushrooms can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach pain. The symptoms can start 30 minutes to three hours after ingestion and usually last one to two days. The most common poisonous mushrooms are members of the Psilocybe genus, which contains psilocybin, a hallucinogen. Amanita phalloides, or "death caps," are responsible for 95% of mushroom poisoning deaths. They can cause abdominal cramps, vomiting, and profuse watery diarrhea, and symptoms typically appear more than six hours after ingestion.

It is important to properly identify mushrooms before consuming them. Many poisonings occur due to misidentification or accidental ingestion by children. It is recommended to only eat wild mushrooms that have been cooked, and to avoid breathing vapors while cooking mushrooms like morels. It is also a good idea to only eat a small amount of a new mushroom and to only try one new species at a time. This way, if there is an adverse reaction, it will be easier to identify the cause.

If someone experiences mushroom poisoning, it is important to seek medical attention. Treatment is primarily supportive, with antiemetics and analgesics used to manage symptoms. It is also important to note that antidiarrhoeals are not recommended as the toxin is eliminated in feces. If the mushroom species is known or symptoms fit a specific toxidrome, management can be tailored to the specific toxin ingested. For example, atropine can be used to treat cholinergic symptoms, while N-acetylcysteine and silibinin can be used for poisoning related to amatoxin.

Amanita phalloides, or death caps, cause 95% of mushroom poisoning deaths

Ingesting certain types of mushrooms can cause diarrhea, nausea, abdominal pain, and vomiting. The symptoms can start within 30 minutes to six hours of ingestion and usually last one to two days. The most commonly ingested poisonous mushrooms are "gastrointestinal irritants", also known as "backyard mushrooms" or "field mushrooms".

Amanita phalloides, commonly known as the "death cap", is a deadly poisonous basidiomycete fungus and mushroom. It is the most poisonous of all known mushrooms and is responsible for most mushroom-related deaths worldwide. It is estimated that as little as half a mushroom contains enough toxin to kill an adult human. The death cap is not unique in appearance and can easily be mistaken for non-poisonous species. They do not have a distinct taste or smell, and the toxin is not destroyed by cooking.

The major toxic mechanism of Amanita phalloides is the inhibition of RNA polymerase II, a vital enzyme in the synthesis of messenger RNA (mRNA), microRNA, and small nuclear RNA (snRNA). Without mRNA, essential protein synthesis and hence cell metabolism stop, leading to cell death. The liver is the principal organ affected, as it is the organ first encountered after absorption in the gastrointestinal tract, though other organs, especially the kidneys, are susceptible.

Amanita phalloides contains three main groups of toxins: amatoxins, phallotoxins, and virotoxins. Amatoxins, especially α-amanitin, are the main toxins responsible for the toxic effects in humans. Amatoxins cause cell injury by halting protein synthesis. Phallotoxins consist of at least seven compounds, all of which have seven similar peptide rings. Although phallotoxins are highly toxic to liver cells, they have been found to add little to the death cap's toxicity as they are not absorbed through the gut.

Symptoms of Amanita phalloides poisoning usually appear after a latent period and may include gastrointestinal disorders followed by jaundice, seizures, and coma, culminating in death. Treatment consists of supportive measures, gastric decontamination, drug therapy, and, in severe cases, liver transplantation. A possible antidote, intravenous silibinin, is licensed in most of Europe and is undergoing evaluation by clinical trial in the United States.

Gyromitra mushrooms cause diarrhoea, vomiting, low blood sugar, and liver and kidney failure

Many different species of mushrooms are poisonous and contain a variety of different toxins that cause different types of harm. The most common toxin that causes severe poisoning is amatoxin, found in various mushroom species that cause the most fatalities every year. Amatoxin blocks the replication of DNA, which leads to cell death. This can affect cells that replicate frequently, such as kidney and liver cells, and even the central nervous system.

The false morel mushroom or Gyromitra esculenta is a species often mistaken for true morels that belong to the Morchella species. "Esculenta" is Latin for "edible", but this mushroom poses a significant health risk when ingested. Gyromitra esculenta produces gyromitrin, which the body can metabolize into the more potent toxin, monomethylhydrazine (MMH).

Gyromitrin affects multiple body systems. It blocks the important neurotransmitter GABA, leading to stupor, delirium, muscle cramps, loss of coordination, tremors, and/or seizures. It causes severe gastrointestinal irritation, leading to vomiting and diarrhea. In some cases, liver failure has been reported. It can also cause red blood cells to break down, leading to jaundice, kidney failure, and signs of anemia.

The initial symptoms of Gyromitra poisoning are mainly gastrointestinal, developing within a few hours of mushroom consumption. Late manifestations include liver, kidney, and CNS signs. MMH and MFH are gastrointestinal irritants. Liver involvement occurs due to direct toxic MMH exposure. Renal symptoms are secondary to MMH cytotoxicity, volume depletion, and electrolyte imbalance. CNS injury is due to MMH-induced pyridoxine depletion and consequent GABA depletion.

The diagnosis of Gyromitra syndrome is clinical, relying on associating the patient’s liver, renal, and CNS findings with a history of Gyromitra mushroom ingestion. Common laboratory findings in patients with gyromitrin toxicity include elevated transaminases, lactate dehydrogenase, and total bilirubin within 1 to 2 days of ingestion.

Treatment should be initiated as early as possible, especially if seizure development is likely. Initial treatment is primarily supportive, with close attention to fluid and electrolyte balance. Daily laboratory testing should include liver and kidney function tests.

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