Mushroom Consumption: Is Your Kid At Risk?

If you suspect that your child is under the influence of mushrooms, it is important to remain calm and seek immediate medical attention. Mushrooms, particularly those containing psilocybin and psilocin, can cause hallucinations, anxiety, paranoia, and nervousness, with higher doses leading to severe hallucinations, seizures, and even death. Early symptoms of mushroom poisoning include nausea, excessive yawning, stomach cramps, vomiting, and diarrhea. If you can, collect the mushroom your child consumed to aid healthcare providers in identifying the type and providing specific treatment. It is crucial to focus on your child's health and well-being, creating a safe space for open and honest conversations without judgment.

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Symptoms of mushroom poisoning

If you suspect your child has eaten a poisonous mushroom, don't wait for symptoms to occur—seek medical attention immediately. Poisonous mushrooms can be extremely dangerous, and there is no home test to distinguish between edible and poisonous varieties.

If your child is exhibiting any of these symptoms, call your healthcare provider or go to the nearest emergency room right away. It is important to collect the mushroom your child was eating, if possible, to help with identification. Bring the mushroom to the emergency room if you go. The healthcare provider may also talk with a mushroom expert to help figure out what type of mushroom your child ate.

There are specific treatments and antidotes for certain mushrooms, so being able to identify the mushroom is crucial. If you are in the US, you can call the poison control number at 800-222-1222 for help.

Identifying poisonous mushrooms

It is challenging to identify poisonous mushrooms, and toxicologists and experts often have trouble distinguishing them. There are between 50 and 100 species of mushrooms that may be toxic to humans, and many of them look alike. It is important to learn how to identify them effectively to avoid accidental poisoning. Here are some ways to identify poisonous mushrooms:

Visual Characteristics

Amanita mushrooms, for instance, have white gills and dry, umbrella-like caps. The Destroying Angel, Death Cap, and Funeral Bell are some of the deadly poisonous species within this genus. The Jack-O-Lantern, a poisonous mushroom, has fine gills under its cap and grows on wood. It can be mistaken for the Chanterelle, which has folds instead of gills. The False Morel, or Gyromitra spp., has a wavy and crumpled cap, while the true morel has a pitted cap and a smooth, hollow stem.

Spore Print

Take a spore print of the mushroom by cutting the stem away from the cap and pressing the gills onto a dark piece of paper. Check the colour of the spores the next day. Amanita mushrooms will produce a white spore print.

Red Colour and Staining Blue

If there is any red colour on the mushroom, including the cap, stem, or pores, treat it as poisonous. If the flesh of the mushroom stains blue when cut in half, it is also likely to be poisonous.

Milky Substance

Milkcaps from the Lactarius family exude a milky substance from the gills when touched or damaged. Most of them are toxic, so it is best to avoid any fungi that "lactate" from the gills unless you are an expert.

Avoid Common Look-alikes

Some edible mushrooms have toxic look-alikes. For example, the Giant Puffball is edible when fresh, but it has deadly toxic look-alikes, including Amanita virosa and Amanita bisporigera. The Hen-of-the-Woods and Chicken-of-the-Woods are edible mushrooms without dangerous doppelgangers.

Smell

Some mushrooms in the Agaric family are toxic and smell chemically or like Indian ink or iodine, while the edible ones smell pleasantly of mushrooms, with hints of aniseed or almond.

It is crucial to follow safety guidelines when foraging for mushrooms. Always consult an expert or join a local mycological group to learn about the mushrooms in your area. Do not consume any mushrooms unless you are 100% sure of their identification.

Treatment for mushroom poisoning

If you suspect mushroom poisoning, it is important to act quickly and contact Poison Control immediately. You can do this online or by phone. In the United States, the number to call is 800-222-1222.

While waiting for professional help, there are some first aid measures that can be taken. If the poisoning has occurred within the past hour, gut decontamination may be necessary. This can include whole-bowel irrigation and the administration of activated charcoal to limit the absorption of toxins. However, beyond the first hour, orogastric lavage is not recommended due to its questionable efficacy. If silymarin is given, it should be administered halfway between charcoal doses.

If the mushroom poisoning has caused gastroenteritis, N-acetylcysteine (NAC) therapy can be administered. This involves giving 150 mg/kg IV over 1 hour, followed by 12.5 mg/kg/hr over 4 hours, and then 6.25 mg/kg/hr until recovery. Other antidotes that may be used include benzylpenicillin, ceftazidime, silybin, pyridoxine, methylene blue, atropine, and glycopyrrolate. These should be administered per toxicologist recommendations.

In cases of severe agitation, which is commonly observed with hallucinogenic mushrooms, benzodiazepines can be used for treatment. Anticholinergic poisoning may also be treated with benzodiazepines, although in rare cases, physostigmine may be required. For severe muscarinic symptoms, small doses of atropine can be infused.

If liver injury occurs, therapies should be continued until clear evidence of liver recovery is documented, including decreasing serum aminotransferases and improving hepatic synthetic function. Patients with evidence of hepatic synthesis dysfunction should be managed by an experienced hepatologist at a facility with liver transplantation capabilities.

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Preventing mushroom poisoning

Mushroom poisoning occurs when someone ingests a mushroom that contains toxins. While very few mushrooms are poisonous, those that are can be quite dangerous and even deadly. Poisonous mushrooms can cause vomiting, watery or bloody diarrhea, stomach cramps, hallucinations, euphoria, and in some cases, severe liver damage.

To prevent mushroom poisoning, it is important to educate yourself and your children about the dangers of eating wild mushrooms. Teach your children never to eat any mushrooms or plants while playing outdoors. Explain that mushrooms found outside may look pretty or tasty but could make them very sick.

When foraging for mushrooms, it is best to only eat commercially cultivated mushrooms purchased from a store. Even experts have difficulty distinguishing poisonous mushrooms from non-poisonous ones, and misidentification can be deadly. If you choose to forage for wild mushrooms, familiarize yourself with the mushrooms you intend to collect, as well as any similar-looking toxic species. Always cut the fruiting bodies of suspected puffballs in half, as this can reveal the outline of a developing Amanita, a deadly variety of mushroom. Only eat one type of mushroom at a time, and save a sample in a dry paper bag for later identification if needed.

If you suspect that your child has eaten a wild mushroom, call the poison control number (800-222-1222) right away. If possible, collect a sample of the mushroom your child was eating, including the roots, to help with identification. Bring the sample with you to the doctor or emergency room.

Magic mushrooms and their effects

Magic mushrooms contain psilocybin, a hallucinogenic chemical that occurs in certain mushroom varieties. When ingested, psilocybin binds to and activates serotonin receptors in parts of the brain that affect mood, cognition, and perception. The hallucinogenic effects of psilocybin usually occur within 30 minutes after ingestion and can last between four and six hours. The effects of magic mushrooms can vary widely, ranging from euphoria and sensory distortion to hallucinations, anxiety, paranoia, and nervousness. Higher doses or stronger mushrooms can lead to a distorted sense of time, place, and reality, and too large a dose can even result in a long-term mental health condition known as psychosis.

The effects of magic mushrooms are unpredictable and can depend on various factors such as the quantity consumed, past experiences, expectations, mood, and the environment in which they are consumed. While some people may have enjoyable experiences, others may suffer from terrifying thoughts of losing control, intense paranoia, panic attacks, and fears of death. Additionally, magic mushrooms can impair judgment and alter one's sense of reality, making activities like driving while under the influence particularly dangerous.

The only way to eliminate the risk of a bad trip is by not taking magic mushrooms. However, if one chooses to consume them, being in a good state of mind, surrounded by trusted friends in a safe and familiar environment can reduce the risk of a negative experience. It is also important to note that magic mushrooms should not be taken with certain psychiatric medications as they may worsen the condition or lead to a relapse.

While physical dependence on magic mushrooms is unlikely, there may be some mild psychological withdrawal effects or feelings of tiredness. Additionally, regular users may experience flashbacks involving previous magic mushroom experiences. Although rare, large amounts or strong batches of magic mushrooms can lead to severe side effects and even death. It is crucial to identify the type of mushroom consumed, as some mushrooms are extremely poisonous and can cause serious illness or death. If you suspect your child has ingested wild mushrooms, seek immediate medical attention and, if possible, bring a sample of the mushroom for identification.

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