Mushroom poisoning: What you should do if you have these symptoms

Mushroom poisoning occurs after you eat poisonous or spoiled mushrooms. This can be life-threatening. Find out here what you should do if you experience the symptoms of mushroom poisoning.

Mushroom season begins in autumn, and many people head to the forests to discover the variety of local mushrooms. But caution is advised. Since many poisonous mushrooms look deceptively similar to edible species, there is a high risk of confusion. Mushroom poisoning can have serious health consequences. However, there are also tips and tricks on how you can protect yourself when picking mushrooms.

True and secondary 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 eat poisonous mushrooms. It doesn’t matter whether you eat the mushrooms raw or cooked. There are around 150 species of mushroom known throughout Europe that are toxic to humans and cause severe symptoms of poisoning. One of these is the green death cap mushroom. Most people get real mushroom poisoning when they confuse a toxic variety with an edible mushroom. There are also some varieties in which the toxins are destroyed by heat. Such mushrooms are only poisonous when raw.

Mushroom poisoning can only occur after eating mushrooms. As the Charité Poison Control Center in Berlin explained in response to Utopia’s query, it is “absolutely impossible” to become poisoned simply by coming into contact with poisonous mushrooms.

Secondary mushroom poisoning can also occur. This is actually food poisoning. It occurs when you eat spoiled but otherwise harmless mushrooms. The mushrooms may have already been spoiled when you bought them or you may have stored them incorrectly. Even reheated mushroom dishes can sometimes cause food poisoning if you have stored them incorrectly and for too long.

According to the poison control center, it is not possible to say in general how many mushrooms are enough to cause poisoning. However, a “very small corner for sampling” is usually harmless.

Symptoms of mushroom poisoning

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

• Abdominal pain
• nausea

• Diarrhea and vomiting

• Hallucinations and seizures

• Dizziness and circulatory problems

• Drop in blood pressure
• unconsciousness
• Heart palpitations
• Visual impairment

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 your nearest poison control center. The faster you react, the better the chances of you making a full recovery.

Mushroom poisoning: What to do if typical symptoms occur?

The Poison Control Center at the Charité in Berlin advises you to see a doctor if you experience the following symptoms within six hours of eating mushrooms:

• Symptoms of gastrointestinal flu (vomiting, diarrhea) AND accompanying unusual symptoms such as hallucinations, reduced consciousness, visual disturbances, rapid heartbeat or very slow heartbeat
• Symptoms of gastrointestinal flu (vomiting, diarrhea) even without the additional symptoms

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

Tip: If you call the poison control center, the staff will need the following information from you:

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

Important: There are some things you should definitely not do if you suspect mushroom poisoning. For example, the German Society for Mycology advises against using any home remedies on your own. You should also not induce vomiting.

Treatment and course of mushroom poisoning

The treatment of mushroom poisoning depends on various factors. Sometimes doctors make the affected person vomit using special medication or have an antidote ready. In serious cases, longer treatment in hospital may be necessary. Those affected then receive infusions, and in the case of kidney failure, a blood dialysis. If the mushroom was consumed not long ago, the doctors sometimes also try to pump the remains out of the stomach or intestines.

Important: How serious the poisoning is also depends on when the symptoms start. The specialist portal Bionity distinguishes 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 that the poisoning is not life-threatening. Nevertheless, people with the symptoms should seek medical treatment. Most patients recover completely and suffer no permanent damage. The situation is different if the symptoms only start six to 72 hours after the meal. In these cases, it is usually life-threatening mushroom poisoning caused by spring morels, chanterelles or death caps.

Mushroom poisoning: These mushrooms are particularly dangerous

One of the most dangerous poisonings is caused by the death cap mushroom. Since the toxins damage the liver, they are responsible for 90 percent of all fatal fungal diseases, according to the medical journal. Many people collect and eat death cap mushrooms by mistake, as they look very similar to button mushrooms. In contrast to the meadow mushroom, however, the death cap mushroom has a clearly separated bulb and white gills instead of pink or brownish ones.

According to the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), poisoning by the death cap mushroom is particularly insidious because the symptoms only appear after four to 24 hours and appear to improve in the meantime. Treatment is difficult and only successful if it is carried out promptly after consumption.

According to the BfR, the fly agaric and the panther mushroom have a similar toxic effect. If their mushroom poison muscarine enters the human organism, those affected suffer from sweating, constricted pupils, vomiting, diarrhea and/or circulatory failure. Larger quantities cause respiratory and cardiac arrest, which can be fatal.

Important: There is another very specific form of mushroom poisoning, which Bionity calls Coprinus syndrome. It only occurs when you eat edible mushrooms and then consume large amounts of alcohol. The heated mushrooms inhibit an enzyme that helps break down alcohol. Those affected notice symptoms such as heart palpitations, circulatory problems or facial flushing while eating.

How to prevent mushroom poisoning

There are a number of things you can do to minimize the likelihood of mushroom poisoning, as the German Society for Mycology summarizes:

• Only collect mushrooms that you know for sure and can identify. If you are unsure, ask reputable experts.
• When collecting edible mushrooms, use a basket or cloth bag rather than a plastic bag, as the mushrooms will spoil quickly in them.
• You should store your mushrooms in a cool, airy place for a maximum of one to two days. However, it is always better to prepare the mushrooms fresh immediately after picking them.
• When preparing the mushroom, you should cut away any damaged parts. If the mushroom is soft, discolored or even moldy, you should not use it at all. This also applies if the mushroom smells fishy.
• Cook the mushrooms for at least 15 minutes.
• Do not eat too many mushrooms at once, as they are generally difficult to digest. As the BfR recommends, you should avoid alcohol before and after meals, as it can trigger gastrointestinal symptoms when combined with mushrooms.
• You should also be careful when reheating leftover mushrooms. You can reheat the mushrooms, but you should not wait longer than two days. Otherwise, you run the risk of eating spoiled mushrooms, which can cause food poisoning. Always keep prepared mushrooms refrigerated.

Unfortunately, an app is not the best tool for ruling out poisonous mushrooms and thus preventing mushroom poisoning, as the Charité Poison Control Center emphasized to Utopia. Relying on the app’s help can even be life-threatening. An app is no substitute for your own knowledge of identifying mushrooms or a professional mushroom expert. So if you have collected mushrooms and are unsure about the species, you can find an expert on the website of the German Society for Mycology.

Read more on Techzle\.com:

• Preparing mushrooms: What you should keep in mind
• Freezing mushrooms: What you need to consider
• Growing mushrooms: How to do it at home

Edited by Nora Braatz

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