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This article is for informational purposes only; we warn that consuming fly agaric in large dosages can lead to health problems and even death
Consumption of red fly agaric causes a characteristic syndrome consisting of alternating phases of drowsiness and excitation with hallucinations, and sometimes with convulsions (here and further in parentheses are references to scientific studies)(Tupalska-Wilczyńska et al., 1997).
The main toxins of this mushroom are ibotenic acid, muscimol, muscazone, and muscaridine. Other bioactive substances are stizolobic and stizolobinic acids. All these compounds are responsible for a diverse picture of intoxication. Analysis of patients with Red Fly Agaric (and Panther Cap) poisoning hospitalized in the Poznań Department of Toxicology showed that symptoms appeared within 30 minutes to 2 hours with vomiting, hallucinations, restlessness, increased psychomotor agitation, and central nervous system depression. Other anticholinergic symptoms, such as tachycardia and increased blood pressure, mydriasis, dryness and redness of the skin, were observed in only a few cases (Patocka and Frynta, 2010)
Acute respiratory failure was the most dangerous symptom observed during poisoning (Łukasik-Głębocka et al., 2011). In some cases, delirium was observed (Roch and Mach, 1960; Brvar et al., 2006).
The first period (excitation) begins to manifest 1-4 hours after consumption. The patient feels heat, tingling all over the body, a feeling of unusual lightness, and a desire to move. However, movements soon become uncoordinated, limbs seem elusive, floating, and a feeling of flight and dizziness occurs. Loss of strength, inability to hold light objects in hands, and fainting appear. Mental agitation increases, and hallucinations appear. Motor agitation also intensifies (spasms, facial grimaces). Perceptual disorders manifest as black-and-white, yellow, blue, or purple vision. Even in dim light, surprisingly clear objects located nearby can be seen; they increase in size, and the image seems three-dimensional (Michelot and Melendez-Howell, 2003).
Auditory hallucinations also occur. A person in a state of intoxication talks a lot, repeats words heard nearby, and is in an excited mood. Gradually, the poisoned person loses consciousness and contact with the environment. Hallucinogenic dreams are experienced either with a sense of transition to the afterlife or with a sense of depersonalization. The period of excitation transitions into a comatose state within a few hours. The second (comatose) period lasts several hours. The patient is in a varying degree of deep coma, from which they may spontaneously emerge. The coma is accompanied by increased neuromuscular excitability and a decrease in blood pressure (Riedl and Vondráček, 1980).
The entire course of poisoning takes about 24 hours. After waking up, the poisoned person often has a feeling of rebirth. The victim experiences a headache, weakness, and a depressed state. Impairments in motor coordination, speech, and vision sometimes persist for several days. The most common cause of death is heart failure and respiratory arrest. Accidental poisoning with red fly agaric ends in death in only 2-5% of cases. Children and the elderly are at risk (Benjamin, 1992).
Treatment is symptomatic only, and the prognosis is usually favorable. In all patients, recovery was rapid and complete. After consuming Red Fly Agaric, it is primarily necessary to remove the mushrooms from the digestive tract as quickly as possible by vomiting, gastric lavage, or administration of activated charcoal (Benjamin, 1992).
Satora et al. (2005) described a case of acute poisoning of five young people (aged 18-21) who consumed dried fly agaric fruiting bodies at a party to induce hallucinations. Visual and auditory hallucinations occurred in four of them, while an 18-year-old girl lost consciousness. The next morning, she went to a toxicology clinic. Since not all active substances present in the fly agaric were identified, and some of them act after a certain period, the patient was hospitalized for several days of observation, during which follow-up examinations were conducted. Four days later, she was discharged without any problems. The poisoning passed without organ complications. The rest of the individuals who consumed fly agaric had no complaints.
So, as we can see from the scientific studies above, poisoning is certainly possible if you excessively exceed the dosage beyond 5-7 grams, and often the symptoms of poisoning pass on their own without medical intervention. However, there is a small number of cases where fly agaric leads to fatalities, likely due to individual intolerance.
Note that taking fly agaric in small dosages has a therapeutic effect, but only when you adhere to the recommended dosage.
To select a course for yourself, please contact us for an individual consultation, where we will consider which specific health issue you wish to resolve and, accordingly, select the optimal course for you.
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