Many species of mushroom are poisonous and can cause different symptoms depending on the type of mushroom.
Different species of mushrooms produce different toxins with different effects.
Even within the same species, the potential for poisoning may vary at different times of the growing season and with cooking.
It is difficult even for knowledgeable people to differentiate poisonous from nonpoisonous mushrooms—folklore rules are unreliable.
Because it can be hard to identify the mushroom people ate, doctors usually just treat people based on their symptoms.
(See also Overview of Poisoning.)
All poisonous mushrooms cause vomiting and abdominal pain. Other symptoms vary greatly depending on mushroom type. Generally, mushrooms that cause symptoms early (within 2 hours) of ingestion are less dangerous than those that cause symptoms only later (usually after 6 hours).
Did You Know...
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Early gastrointestinal symptoms
Mushrooms that cause early gastrointestinal symptoms (such as Chlorophyllum molybdites and the little brown mushrooms that often grow on lawns) cause vomiting and diarrhea, typically within 1 to 6 hours. The diarrhea is occasionally bloody. Some people have headaches or body aches. Symptoms usually go away within 24 hours.
Early symptoms that affect the brain and spine
Mushrooms that cause early symptoms that affect the brain and spinal cord include hallucinogenic mushrooms, which contain the hallucinogen psilocybin. The most common are members of the Psilocybe
Early symptoms caused by muscarine-containing mushrooms
In poisoning caused by many species of Inocybe and some species of Clitocybe, the toxic substance is muscarine. Muscarine is a chemical that mimics acetylcholine, which is one of the substances the body uses to send messages between nerves (a neurotransmitter). Symptoms, which begin within 30 minutes after eating, may include
Increased tearing and salivation
Narrowing (constriction) of the pupils
Sweating
Vomiting, stomach cramps, diarrhea
Dizziness
Muscle twitching (fasciculations)
Confusion, coma, seizures (occasionally)
Delayed gastrointestinal and other symptoms
Mushrooms that cause delayed gastrointestinal symptoms include Amanita phalloides and related types of mushroom (members of the Amanita, Gyromitra, and Cortinarius genera).
Amanita phalloides causes 95% of mushroom poisoning deaths. Vomiting and diarrhea start in 6 to 12 hours. Sometimes the blood sugar level drops dangerously low (hypoglycemia). Symptoms subside for a few days, but then people develop liver failure and sometimes kidney failure. Liver failure causes the skin to turn yellow (jaundice). People with kidney failure may have reduced urination or may have stopped urinating. Sometimes the symptoms disappear on their own, but about half of the people who have this type of poisoning die in 5 to 8 days. People with liver failure may survive if given a liver transplant.
Amanita smithiana mushrooms tend to cause delayed vomiting and diarrhea (about 6 to 12 hours after they are eaten). Kidney failure can occur within 3 days to 1 or 2 weeks after the mushrooms are eaten, and people often need temporary hemodialysis.
Gyromitra mushrooms also cause delayed vomiting and diarrhea and a low blood sugar level. Other problems include brain toxicity (such as seizures) and, after a few days, liver and kidney failure.
Most Cortinarius mushrooms originate in Europe. Vomiting and diarrhea may last for 3 days. Kidney failure, with symptoms of flank pain and a decreased amount of urine, may occur 3 to 20 days after the mushrooms are eaten. Kidney failure often resolves spontaneously.
Several mushroom species (such as Tricholoma and Russula) are responsible for delayed muscle breakdown (rhabdomyolysis), which is fatal in some cases. There is no specific treatment, so doctors concentrate on treating specific symptoms and making people comfortable.
Some other mushroom species (such as Clitocybe, Hapalopilus rutilans, and Pleurocybella porrigens) cause brain and nerve disorders, including numbness to burning of the hands, fingers, feet, and/or toes, dizziness, difficulty seeing, altered consciousness, seizures, respiratory failure, and death.
More Information
The following is an English-language resource that may be useful. Please note that THE MANUAL is not responsible for the content of this resource.
American Association of Poison Control Centers: Represents the US-based poison centers that provide 24/7 free, confidential services through the Poison Help Line (1-800-222-1222)
