IntroductionTexas has approximately 200 species of wild mushrooms, including toxic and hallucinogenic varieties. Mushroom ingestions in Texas were studied for 2005-2006.MethodsData was obtained via Texas Poison Control Centers and retrospectively reviewed. Case notes were reviewed individually regarding initial reporting, age, signs and symptoms, toxic effec...
ObjectiveThe purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the current research on hallucinogen induced psychiatric disorders. In addition to LSD and psilocybin hallucinogens of biologic origin are increasingly used by adolescents and young adults.MethodsRelevant literature and related articles were identified by means of a computerized MEDLINE search...
Consumption of natural hallucinogenic substances continues to be a problem. In this case we report from a young male patient presenting with an acute coronary syndrome with significant ST-elevation after the abuse of psychoactive fungi, commonly referred to as "magic mushrooms". Coronary angiography excludes relevant coronary artery disease. In ventriculogra...
Simultaneous polysubstance use (SPU) is a common phenomenon, yet little is known about how various substances are used with one another. In the present study 149 drug-using university students completed structured interviews about their use of various substances. For each substance ever used, participants provided details about the type, order and amount of ...
The recurrence of flashbacks without acute or chronic hallucinogen consumption has been recognized in the DSM IV criteria as the hallucinogen persisting perception disorder (HPPD). Perceptual disturbances may last for 5 years or more and represent a real psychosocial distress. We reported here a case of a 18-year-old young man presenting HPPD after a mixed i...
To assess the reliability of drug use reports by young respondents, this study examined the extent of recanting previous drug use reports within an ongoing longitudinal survey of adolescent drug use. Here, recanting was defined as a positive report of life-time drug use that was subsequently denied 1 year later. The covariates of recanting were also studied....
In order to develop a sensitive and reliable analytical method for psilocin (PC) in urine samples, the hydrolysis conditions including the acid, alkaline and enzymatic hydrolyses have been investigated by monitoring not only PC but also psilocin glucuronide (PCG) by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS); PCG was initially identified in a ...
This study was performed on a representative sample of the Danish population in order to investigate the connection to the use of psychoactive drugs and quality of life (QOL) by way of a questionnaire-based survey. The questionnaire was mailed in February 1993 to 2,460 persons aged between 18 and 88, randomly selected from the CPR (Danish Central Register), ...
AimsTo describe the patterns of drug use at dance (rave) events in terms of prevalence, frequency, type of drugs used, patterns of use, access and risk-associated behaviours.DesignSelf-selecting participant-completed survey.SettingThree dance events in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.ParticipantsOne hundred and twenty-two drug users (57% males, 43% females), 90% of ...
BackgroundDuring the 1990s, rates of nonmedical drug use among adolescents escalated. We assessed data from 5 cycles of the Ontario Student Drug Use Survey for overall trends in the proportion of students reporting illegal drug use between 1991 and 1999.MethodsThe survey is a repeated, cross-sectional, 2-stage cluster-design survey of students enrolled in gr...
BackgroundEvery 2 years, the Addiction Research Foundation of Ontario, a division of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, sponsors the Ontario Student Drug Use Survey. The results of the surveys conducted in 1995 and 1997 are presented here and compared with results from the early 1990s.MethodsQuestionnaires were completed by 3870 and 3990 Ontario pub...
Case reportIntentional intoxication with natural hallucinogenic substances such as hallucinogenic mushrooms continues to be a major problem in the US and Europe, particularly in the harbor complex of northwest Poland (Pomerania). A case is described of Psilocybe intoxication in an 18-year-old man resulting in Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, arrhythmia, and m...
The aim of this questionnaire survey was to investigate the extent of hallucinogenic mushroom consumption among students from a high school in the county of Aarhus, Denmark and among students at the University of Aarhus and students from the Danish school of journalism in Aarhus, Denmark. 3% of the high school students had used psilocybine-containing mushroo...
As part of a larger survey of health-related behaviours, 2239 15-16-year-olds in Wales provided information on their use of eight different types of drugs. Key findings indicate that just over a fifth of this age group report to having tried drugs at some time, while a tenth say they have done so within the past month. The most frequently reported substances...
Ingestion of mushrooms containing psilocybin produces hallucinogenic effects and has become a popular form of substance abuse among some adolescents and young adults. We have reviewed the medical literature on psilocybin mushrooms and describe current patterns of use, provide background material on the botony and pharmacology of these crude drugs, and report...
New trends in drug use in the United States of America have usually started in populations of young users in California. The use of hallucinogenic drugs (psychedelics), phencyclidine (PCP) and the smoking of cocaine free base were all first detected in populations of young Californian users. Five patterns of youthful drug use are described: experimental, soc...
1 We have reviewed the clinical features and management of 44 consecutive patients presenting to hospital over a 5 week period during an outbreak of ingestion of psilocybin containing mushrooms. 2 Patients presented to hospital usually because of dysphoric effects an average of 3.8 h after ingesting mushrooms. 3 Mydriasis was present in 40 patients but fewer...
Psychotic states are mimicked by the use of many drugs including amphetamines, cannabis, lysergic acid diethylamide, psilocybin, mescaline, isoniazid, and L-dopa. A paranoid psychotic picture in a clear sensorium is characteristic of amphetamine psychosis. In developing countries, malaria among other diseases is a frequent indicator of chloroquine administra...
A radioimmunoassay procedure has been developed to monitor patients suspected of phencyclidine (PCP) intoxication. Symptoms in 11 patients suspected of phencyclidine intoxication included violent, aggressive behavior with delusions, hallucinations, agitation, and other signs of toxic psychosis. In five subjects serum concentrations of PCP ranged between 0.5 ...