At the Poison Center, we say “all mushrooms are edible, some only once.” With it being the season of fungus among us, we’re finding ourselves saying this more and more often…
Thankfully, most of the calls we get about mushrooms don’t result in anything more serious than an upset stomach. Many calls are about young kids who take a small bite of a backyard shroom. They typically don’t eat enough (less than a capful) to get very sick.
It gets more interesting when adults get into a mushroom mishap, though, as they usually prepare their foraged finds in a meal and consequently eat morel than a child. When these folks eat the wrong kind of mushroom, they can end up with symptoms including severe abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, hallucinations, kidney, and even liver failure.
We’ve got a couple of our notorious mushroom caller stories for you:
- One family member went foraging with a friend who was “very experienced.” They were searching for matsutake (Tricholoma murrillianum) mushrooms. One mushroom was smaller than the rest, but they threw it in to the soup anyway. Their entire family ate the soup. After a couple of hours, all 4 of them experienced profuse vomiting and diarrhea, so they gave us a call. We helped them out over the course of a couple days, until their symptoms finally resolved. We think they may have mistakenly foraged an Amanita Smithiana (Smith’s Amanita).
- An adult male called us reporting he was lightheaded, dizzy, and flushed after eating what he thought was a Shaggy Mane (Coprinus comatus). We asked him a bunch of questions and learned he had also had a couple of beers with dinner. His symptoms resolved by the following morning. We think he had accidentally eaten an Inky Cap (Coprinopsis atramentaria) and given himself what’s called a “disulfiram reaction.” Inky cap mushrooms contain a chemical called coprine, which interferes with your body’s ability to break down alcohol. Normally, your liver processes alcohol into harmless substances, but coprine stops this process midway, causing a buildup of toxic compounds.
When it comes to wild mushrooms, there isn’t mush-room for mistakes. So, here’s how you can prevent getting green in the gills, or much worse:
- Don’t eat them. Seems obvious, but we gotta say it. Unless you’re a mushroom expert, it’s best to avoid wild mushrooms altogether. This isn’t a morel dilemma… Many toxic types look suspiciously like edible varieties, and even the experts can be fooled. You don’t want to truffle with the wrong one and risk getting sick.
- If you’re going to forage, learn how from local experts (a fun-gi or gal, perhaps?). Get some field experience with them before heading out on your own.
- Only try one part and one type of a foraged mushroom at a time. This helps us pinpoint the toxin and treat you as quickly and effectively as we can!
- Snap photos like that mushroom has a budding modeling career before you cook up your finds. Not just an Instagram worthy side shot, get them at all angles. When you call us for help, we’ll have you email us the photo so we can identify the type of mushroom.
- Call us right away at 1-800-222-1222 if you feel nauseous, start vomiting, or have diarrhea. We’re here to help, and with the right info, we can get you back on your stalk in no time.
