Light microscopical examination of plant and fungal remains in the post mortem gut may be capable of demonstrating the ingestion of unexpected natural psychotropic materials. This is demonstrated here in a case in which a 'shaman' was accused of causing the death of a young man. The deceased had participated in a ceremony which involved the drinking of ayahu...
Psilocybin/psilocin from so-called psychoactive mushrooms causes hallucinogenic effects. Especially for people with mental or psychiatric disorders ingestion of magic mushrooms may result in horror trips combined with the intention of self-destruction and suicidal thoughts. Automutilation after consumption of hallucinogenic mushrooms has already been describ...
Case report. We report a case of psilocybin toxicity, causing an anticholinergic syndrome, after the consumption of Psilocybe Mexicana, a serotonergic mushroom. The patient was unconscious on admission to hospital, with mydriasis, hyperthermia, tachycardia, hypotension and respiratory failure after using cannabis all day and a portion of 'magic mushrooms' in...
IntroductionProblems associated with the increasing abuse of plant-derived psychoactive substances have recently attracted attention. This study involved bioanalytical and clinical examinations of intoxication cases suspected to be linked to such plant materials.MethodsUrine samples were collected at emergency wards in Sweden from patients who either admitte...
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...
Most mushroom intoxications become evident within 12 hours with vomiting and diarrhea. They can be divided into incidents with a short latency (less than four hours) and incidents with a long latency (longer than four hours). As a rule of thumb amatoxin poisonings must be considered in case of symptoms appearing with a long latency (8-12-18 h), especially af...
Two topics, related to mushroom poisoning of recent interest in Japan, have been presented. In autumn 2004, 59 cases of acute encephalopathy were reported across 9 prefectures in Japan (24 from Akita Prefecture with 8 deaths; age 48-93, average 70; female 14, male 10). Of 24 cases, 20 had kidney dysfunction. Four poisoned subjects showed no kidney trouble. O...
Two young men, 25 and 32 years old, presented with severe automutilation by knife wounds after consumption of hallucinogenic mushrooms. The first patient had also used cocaine, cannabis and alcohol, while the second patient had only used the hallucinogenic mushrooms. Both patients were treated symptomatically and survived despite their severe stab wounds. Ps...
BackgroundAnecdotal reports suggest that psychedelic agents may relieve symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This modified double-blind study investigated the safety, tolerability, and clinical effects of psilocybin, a potent 5-HT(1A) and 5-HT(2A/2C) agonist, in patients with OCD.MethodNine subjects with DSM-IV-defined OCD and no other current ma...
We report the case of a 25-year-old, hepatitis C-infected man, who presented with severe rhabdomyolysis and acute renal failure, and later developed posterior encephalopathy with cortical blindness after the ingestion of magic mushrooms. Conventional respiratory and cardiovascular support including mechanical ventilation, continuous veno-venous hemodialysis ...
It is usually believed that drugs of abuse are smuggled into the United States or are clandestinely produced for illicit distribution. Less well known is that many hallucinogens and dissociative agents can be obtained from plants and fungi growing wild or in gardens. Some of these botanical sources can be located throughout the United States; others have a m...
ObjectiveThis paper describes two cases with khat- and two with psilocybin-induced psychoses and draws attention to the medical and social consequences of the use of these drugs.MethodTwo male patients are presented who developed relapsing and short-lasting psychotic episodes after chewing kath leaves. In addition, two male patients are reported who showed a...
IntroductionA wide range of fungi and medicinal herbs, rich in hallucinogenic substances and widely used for mystic and medicinal purposes, can give rise to neurotoxic symptoms.DevelopmentWe review the toxic syndromes that can arise from the ingestion of hallucinogenic fungi, cacti and plants, together with descriptions of cases of acute poisoning resulting ...
Hallucinogenic drug-induced states are considered as models for acute schizophrenic disorders (experimental psychoses). In a double-blind study with healthy volunteers we investigated the influence of the serotonergic hallucinogen psilocybin, the ecstasy-like drug 3,4-methylenedioxyethylamphetamine (MDE), the stimulant d- methamphetamine and placebo on cover...
Substances capable of changing the functions of the central nervous system are widely distributed in plant kingdom, and many of them were discovered by ancient food-gatherers at the dawn of humanity. In the Old World only a few substances producing euphoria or altered states of consciousness and having habit-forming properties are still widely used. They are...
To determine the characteristics of pregnant women who use Ecstasy (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, MDMA), and to identify reproductive risk factors associated with this group of women. Prospective, observational study. Pregnant women who have contacted the Motherisk Alcohol and Substance Use Helpline at The Hospital for Sick Children, in Toronto, about e...
In this study a fatal case caused by the ingestion of magic mushrooms is reported. After a trip to the Netherlands a young girl had ingested a handful of psilocybe mushrooms with a soft drink. Soon later, she was trying to fly from the window and died in the street while falling from a room situated on the second floor of a house. The victim was not known by...
In order to investigate the pharmacokinetic properties of psilocybin (PY), the main psychoactive compound of Psilocybe mushrooms, high performance liquid chromatographic procedures with column-switching coupled with electrochemical detection (HPLC-ECD) for reliable quantitative determination of the PY metabolites psilocin (PI) and 4-hydroxyindole-3-acetic ac...
