Mushroom poisoning: what to do if you have these symptoms

Mushroom poisoning occurs after consuming poisonous or spoiled mushrooms. That can be life-threatening. Find out what to do if you have symptoms of mushroom poisoning.

Medicine distinguishes between “real” mushroom poisoning and secondary mushroom poisoning. As the Bavarian Red Cross explains in a press release, you get real mushroom poisoning if you consume poison mushrooms. It doesn’t matter whether you eat the mushrooms raw or cooked. About 150 types of fungus are known across Europe that are toxic to humans and cause severe symptoms of poisoning. This includes, for example, the green cap mushroom. Most of the time, people get real mushroom poisoning if they have one confuse a toxic variety with an edible mushroom. There are also some varieties in which the toxins are destroyed by heat. Such mushrooms are poisonous only in the raw state.

Secondary mushroom poisoning can also occur. This is one in the true sense of the word Food poisoning. It occurs when you eat rotten, but actually harmless, edible mushrooms. The mushrooms may have been spoiled when you bought them or you may have stored them incorrectly. Reheated mushroom dishes can sometimes cause food poisoning if you’ve stored them incorrectly and for too long.

Symptoms of mushroom poisoning

Symptoms of mushroom poisoning depend on the amount and types of mushrooms you have consumed. The most common symptoms include:

• severe abdominal pain
• sudden nausea
• diarrhea and vomiting
• Hallucinations and anxiety attacks
• dizziness
• headache
• Drowsiness
• Sweats
• Visual disturbances, narrowed or dilated pupils
• Muscle twitching and seizures
• Motor disorders
• Palpitations, heart failure

Important: If you have eaten mushrooms in the last 24 hours and notice one or more of these symptoms, please play it safe and contact the nearest poison control center. The faster you react, the better the chances that you will become completely healthy again.

Mushroom Poisoning: What To Do If Typical Symptoms Appear

If you experience any of the above symptoms after eating mushrooms, you should definitely get yourself into medical treatment go. Even if several people have eaten mushrooms but only one person shows symptoms, they should all be examined.

Depending on the specific situation, it is advisable to either visit: the family doctor: in or the nearest hospital or to notify the poison control center. In any case, react quickly but calmly. Also, if possible, secure any remains of the mushroom, as this can be helpful in determining which species of mushroom is poisonous.

tip: If you should call the poison control center, the staff will need the following information from you, among other things:

• Who is calling (your name and phone number)?
• Who is affected (name, age of the person concerned, in the case of children also height and weight)?
• Are you aware of any previous illnesses?
• What and how much was eaten? Where do the mushrooms come from?
• What complaints does the person concerned have?
• Did other people eat the mushrooms? Are there any leftovers?

Important: There are some things that you should never do if you suspect mushroom poisoning. So advises the German Society for Mycology, for example no home remedies Use on your own as these can make the poisoning even worse. Milk, for example, can promote toxin absorption. Charcoal tablets are also not helpful.

Treatment and course of mushroom poisoning

Treatment for mushroom poisoning depends on a number of factors. Sometimes the doctors make the affected person vomit with the help of special medication or have an antidote ready. In severe cases, prolonged hospital treatment may be required. Those affected then receive infusions and, in the case of kidney failure, blood washes as well. If the mushroom was not eaten long ago, doctors sometimes try to pump out the remains from the stomach or intestines.

Important: The severity of the poisoning also depends on when the symptoms set in. The specialist portal Bionity differentiates between a latency period of less than or more than four hours. If the symptoms occur during the meal or up to a maximum of four hours later, this indicates a non-life-threatening poisoning. Most of the time, patients recover completely and do not suffer any permanent damage. The situation is different if the symptoms only set in six to 72 hours after the meal. In these cases it is mostly about life-threatening mushroom poisoning from spring lobster, veils or cap mushrooms.

Mushroom Poisoning: These mushrooms are particularly dangerous

One of the most dangerous poisonings comes from the death cap mushroom. Since the toxins are liver-damaging, they are responsible for 90 percent of all fatal fungal diseases, according to Ärzteblatt. Many people inadvertently collect and ingest capsicum mushrooms as they are Very similar to mushrooms see. In contrast to meadow mushrooms, however, the death cap mushroom has a clearly separated tuber and white instead of pink to brownish lamellae.

In general, according to the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, poisoning by the death cap mushroom is also tricky because the symptoms only appear after four to 24 hours and seem to have improved in the meantime. Treatment is difficult and only successful if it is done promptly after consumption.

According to the University Hospital Bonn, the toadstool and the panther mushroom have a similar toxic effect. If their mushroom toxin muscarin gets into the human organism, those affected suffer from sweating, constricted pupils, vomiting, diarrhea and / or circulatory failure. Larger amounts cause respiratory and cardiac arrests that are fatal.

Important: There is another very special form of mushroom poisoning called Coprinus Syndrome. It only occurs if you consume edible mushrooms and in a timely manner Abundance of alcohol consume. The heated mushrooms inhibit an enzyme that contributes to the breakdown of alcohol. Those affected notice symptoms such as palpitations, circulatory problems or flushing of the face even during the meal.

This is how you can prevent mushroom poisoning

There are a few things you can do yourself to minimize the chances of mushroom poisoning:

• Only collect mushrooms that you know for sure and can identify. If you are unsure, ask serious experts. In the mushroom season, for example, according to the recommendation of the German Society for Mycology, you can contact a mushroom counseling service. Many clubs or pharmacies offer such a service.
• Use for Picking edible mushrooms a basket or cloth bag and not a plastic bag because the mushrooms in it spoil quickly.
• You should keep your mushrooms in a cool and airy place for a maximum of one to two days. But it always makes more sense to freshly prepare the mushrooms immediately after collecting them.
• When preparing, you should cut away any damaged areas generously. If the mushroom is soft, discolored or even moldy, you shouldn’t use it anymore. This also applies if the mushroom smells fishy.
• Cook the mushrooms for at least 15 minutes.
• Don’t eat too many mushrooms at once as they are generally difficult to digest. As the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment recommends, you should avoid alcohol before and after a meal, as it is combined with mushrooms Gastrointestinal symptoms can trigger.
• Even with that Warming up leftover mushrooms you should be careful. You can reheat the mushrooms, but you shouldn’t wait more than two days to do so. Otherwise, you run the risk of eating spoiled mushrooms, which can cause food poisoning. Always keep prepared mushrooms refrigerated.

Read more on Techzle.com:

• Preparing mushrooms: you should keep this in mind
• Freezing mushrooms – you have to pay attention to this
• Growing mushrooms: this is how it works in your home