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Magic Mushroom Safety: Who Should Avoid Them

Notable Elements

  1. Magic Mushrooms Basics: Magic mushrooms contain hallucinogenic compounds, psilocybin and psilocin, leading to hallucinations and altered thoughts and emotions.

  2. Digestive Sensitivity: Those with sensitive digestive systems should avoid magic mushrooms due to potential discomfort.

  3. Medication Interaction: Psilocybin can interact unpredictably with many medications, especially those for mental health conditions. Consult a professional if on medication.

  4. Pregnancy and Breastfeeding: While no direct harm is proven, it’s safer for pregnant and breastfeeding individuals to skip magic mushrooms to protect the baby.

  5. Caution for Anxiety or Trauma: Micro-dosing magic mushrooms is gaining popularity for mental health benefits, but always consult a therapist for guidance.

  6. Liver Issues: People with liver problems should steer clear as the liver metabolizes psilocybin, posing risks.

  7. Allergies Warning: Mushroom allergies may extend to magic mushrooms, potentially causing mild to severe reactions, even anaphylaxis.

  8. Consult a Professional: Prioritize safety by consulting a healthcare expert before trying magic mushrooms, especially with underlying health conditions or medications.

Introduction

Why so much confusion is going on regarding Magic Mushroom? Before you answer me, let us explore! Shrooms are a type of mushroom that may have euphoric effects and contain hallucinogenic drugs called psilocybin or psilocin. Shrooms are also known as magic mushrooms. Eating these magic mushrooms can cause hallucinations and affect your thoughts and emotions. To talk briefly, you may end up traveling to another world after consuming it! We suggest you don’t take this ride ever. 

Who shouldn’t take shrooms? 

There are a few health conditions with which shrooms are not a good idea. Anyways, if it is taking you to some other world, and you really want to consume it, think again, but before that, let us understand who should treat it as a big NO. A few of them are: – 

  1. Gastrointestinal Disorders and insensitive digestive system:You should avoid shrooms if you have digestive insensitivity or a weak digestive system, as it can be a little difficult to digest. Because of their high fiber content, mushrooms can be problematic for those with sensitive gastrointestinal systems because they can result in bloating, gas, and discomfort. It is advisable to avoid eating mushrooms if you have digestive sensitivity because people with weak digestive systems need to be very careful when making dietary decisions. After all, poor ones may negatively impact their bodies. Update your intestine before anything else! 
  2. People with medication issues: Psilocybin is an active compound in shrooms that may react badly with many medications. Taking psilocybin with some particular medications can be very dangerous and may have unpredictable effects on your body. It often interferes with the prescribed medicines for some mental health conditions. It does not support bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, and more. People with a history of psychosis and those taking anti-psychotic medications should stay away from magic mushrooms as they increase the chances of a psychotic malfunction, and they may also cause seizures, even though Psilocybin helps to lower the seizure pain and length. Still, it may even start triggering seizures, especially for those with epilepsy. Psilocybin also damages serotonin receptors in the brain. It affects serotonin levels, which may even cause the risk of serotonin syndrome. It is a life-threatening condition that could accelerate heart rate and blood pressure if you don’t know. Sometimes, it even causes a fever. Psilocybin affects your blood pressure and heart rate almost immediately; therefore, people taking medications to control their blood pressure should avoid magic mushrooms. There is very limited research on the drug influence of Psilocybin, but to be safe, you should always consult a professional before taking magic mushrooms, especially if you are on other medications, as you don’t know how it may react to them. A disturbed brain can never be home to the confusing element; avoid it! 
  3. Pregnant and Breastfeeding Individuals: No studies prove that taking magic mushrooms makes it harder to get pregnant. Even miscarriage can happen in any pregnancy, but no studies have demonstrated the taking of magic mushrooms. Many people who use magic mushrooms also use other drugs like LSD, cocaine, etc., which are non-prescribed and might be the reason behind miss carriage, not magic mushrooms. There’s always a 3-5% chance of congenital disability, also known as background risk. Studies are yet in the process of observing whether taking magic mushrooms increases the likelihood of word defects even more than the background risk. Psilocybin might affect the baby’s health and even cause lifelong health issues, even though no studies show magic mushrooms affect the baby during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Therefore, consulting a professional before taking magic mushrooms is very important. If you take magic mushrooms while breastfeeding, there is a chance that the baby may experience symptoms of psilocybin. Therefore, consulting a professional before taking magic mushrooms is very important. Consult before taking it, as your baby is important.
  4. Trauma or anxiety disorders: Micro-dosing, or taking a small dose of psychedelics every few days, appears to be gaining traction. While the dose size varies, most people only take up to 10% of a full dose, sometimes less. You may think such a small dose won’t be useful, but that is called micro-dosing. People frequently take full doses of mushrooms for the “trip” they produce, which may include hallucinations and other changes in perception, such as:

a. improved senses 
b. improved mood 
c. a boost to creativity  
d. increased energy
e. heightened concentration and focus 
f. increased emotional or cognitive understanding 
g. Experiences that are meaningful or spiritually significant 

When taking a full dose, you may experience what is known as a “bad trip.” A negative mushroom experience may include terrifying hallucinations, paranoia, and fear, among other unpleasant emotions. A micro-dose may not produce the same changes in perception. This way, you could get the benefits of psilocybin without any risk. You can try Magic mushrooms to improve mental health symptoms like anxiety and depression. However, evidence supporting this use remains limited, partly because psilocybin remains mostly illegal.  

Research suggests that a larger dose of mushrooms has more benefits when treating anxiety. A study in 2016 proved that psilocybin helps ease the feeling of anxiety and depression in people who were diagnosed with cancer. After a single dose, the participants saw improvement in:  

  • mental health 
  • anxiety and depression, hopelessness, and existential distress 
  • well being 
  • quality of life 

After six months, the researchers found that these benefits continued for about 80% of the people who felt less stressed by the possibility of death. Similarly, researchers found that even after three years, these benefits held on. Many participants said that experience with psilocybin has been the most meaningful life experience. Micro doses are 0.5 g, and macro doses are about 2 to 3 grams, but they are likely to have some negative side effects. You don’t need to experience these effects; it all depends on the amount that you take: 

  • previous use of mushrooms 
  • current use of other substances or medications 
  • strength of the mushrooms 
  • previously existing health issues 

Some people also face paranoia, or their anxiety gets even worse, which means mushrooms may even make you feel worse than before instead of helping you. That’s why working with a therapist who can help you through the process while trying mushrooms for anxiety is suggested. 

Also Read : Safe and Responsible Use of Magic Mushrooms

  • Allergies: People with liver issues should avoid taking magic mushrooms as they contain Psilocybin. The liver metabolizes Psilocybin, which may harm people with reduced liver function. Since there are very few studies on this topic, it is difficult to say. The intensity and duration of its effects are unpredictable, especially for people with liver issues. It is very risky to take magic mushrooms. People with allergies, especially those with mushroom allergies, should avoid magic mushrooms as there is a chance that they might also be allergic to psychedelic mushrooms as well. It means that if you are allergic to edible mushrooms, there is a chance that you might also be allergic to magic mushrooms. Avoiding magic mushrooms is necessary because the allergic reactions range from mild to severe. Some of those allergic reactions are 
  1. Hives  
  2. Swelling  
  3. Itching  
  4. Difficulty in breathing  
  5. Nasal congestion  
  6. Some more severe reactions, like Anaphylaxis, are severe allergic reactions that result in an immediate drop in blood pressure and difficulty breathing. It also has other life-threatening symptoms. 

Consulting a Healthcare Profession  

Consulting a healthcare professional is important before trying a magic mushroom because they know well what will not have any adverse effect on your health. The biggest problem lies when you try to be your own doctor. Consult the specialist before it harms you! Just don’t take it as your friend likes it as his metabolism may be different and so as yours! 

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