Can You Overdose on Shrooms?

Shrooms or ‘Magic Mushrooms’ are popular psychedelic substances capable of altering the perception of a person at a level. Due to its popularity, it’s common for questions to arise such as – can you overdose on shrooms?

While it is possible to consume too much or overdose from shrooms, these incidents are rarely fatal and are more likely to instead be just a very unpleasant experience.

Despite this relative safety, there are many aspects of shrooms that should be understood first. For example, there are still many regulations surrounding this plant, making it riskier to acquire than consume. It should also be known that shrooms may often find themselves consumed with other substances, a term known as crossfading, which may also cause other health risks.

What Are Shrooms and Their Effects?

Shrooms are psychedelics capable of changing your perception of sight, hearing, touch, and taste. This is thanks to the effects of psilocybin – the primary compound found in shrooms.

Throughout human history, shrooms have had a role to play; often taking part in cultural and religious traditions which have shaped humanity. Likewise, shrooms have been used throughout history as part of traditional medicinal practices.

In recent times, shrooms have again resurfaced for a different purpose – for casual consumption. These potent psychedelics are often used, as some people would put it, to open up the imagination and explore new dimensions that have been locked away.

Similarly, shrooms are recently also being used to discover new medicinal purposes. Since the start of the 2020s, shrooms and their active component, psilocybin, have been studied for use in the treatment of depression,anxiety, and addiction. More so, shrooms are showing promise as part of psychotherapy in treating cancer patients with depression.

How Much Shrooms Should You Take?

Overdosing on shrooms is easy to prevent if you know your comfortable dose. However, finding that custom-fit shroom dose for you can be a challenge since it varies from person to person.

How much shrooms should a person take? 

In theory, most users of shrooms are safe to consume within the range of 1 to 3.5 grams. Although some users have gone as far as 5 grams for an ultra-high dose.

As of today, there are still no concrete regulations at work that control the quality and psilocybin content of shrooms in the market. Therefore, everyone should err on the side of caution and follow safer dosing.

Beginners should be extra careful. The saying ‘start low and slow’ should be applied in practicing safe dosing. Start with 1 gram of shrooms. This small dose helps you soberly check if the effects at 1 gram is enough or not.

It is best to let the effects play out completely before trying out an increased dose. This is to avoid incidents where people have said ‘I don’t feel anything’ when in fact, the substance has yet to fully take effect.

At higher doses, clinical trials have shown ‘mystical-type experiences having persisting positive effects on attitudes, mood, and behavior’. So, those looking for these types of experiences may find higher doses to be more effective.

It must be noted, however, that the same clinical trial showed 40% of participants who consumed the highest possible dose to experience fear and anxiety in varying durations.

What To Do If You Overdose on Shrooms?

Don’t panic! Taking too much shrooms might be a heck of an unpleasant experience but it is rarely fatal.

According to a 2017 Global Drug Survey, out of 9233 shrooms users, only 19, or 0.2% sought emergency services. Even then, the most common symptoms from taking too much shrooms are panic, paranoia, and over-heightened senses.

While consuming too much shrooms may be rarely fatal, it must also be considered that the risk is still there albeit minuscule. Likewise, the same survey has noted symptoms that can still pose a danger to a person such as difficulty of breathing, passing out, palpitations, and seizures.

In the chance that something or a sign of something dangerous may happen, it is best to contact emergency services ASAP. If that is not possible or you are incapable of doing so yourself, please seek help from anyone sober as soon as possible.

Again, shrooms overdose may not be always fatal but there are other factors to be considered that may be fatal.

For example, high doses of shrooms, as mentioned earlier, can alter and impair a person’s perception and senses. That means their coordination and balance can be affected which may lead to accidents such as falls and car crashes.

A final note for taking shrooms is that the limit for dosing varies from person to person. Differing weights and health conditions will have a major effect on what shrooms can do to the body. For example, a healthy individual may have a higher tolerance for someone who has heart complications.

Here are some signs that you may have taken too much shrooms:

• Palpitations
• Abnormal breathing
• Paranoia
• Shaking
• Aggression

Can You Crossfade with Shrooms?

In any case, the concept of crossfading needs to be brought up. Too often taking shrooms may occur during a social setting where other substances are present. These substances may include alcohol, weed, and other psychoactive drugs.

Unfortunately, there aren’t enough studies that tackle these instances. That means that the effects of shrooms with other substances are not fully known and may pose a health risk to other folks.

For safety reasons, err on the side of caution and avoid using shrooms with other substances.

Are Shrooms Addictive?

Despite being classified as a Schedule 1 substance, shrooms are NOT an addictive substance. Although some sources and medical agencies have cited that shrooms can cause tolerance. That means people who frequently consume shrooms may require higher doses after only a few days of repeated use. Therefore, it makes it increasingly difficult to have the desired effects if taken too frequently.