Unpredictable Behavior Under the Influence of "Magic Mushrooms": A Case Report and Review of the Literature

J Forensic Sci. 2019 Jul;64(4):1266-1270. doi: 10.1111/1556-4029.13982. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

Abstract

Fatalities implicating psychedelic mushrooms are not a common clinical situation in everyday forensic medicine. Despite classification as an illegal drug in many countries, psilocybin mushrooms have the reputation of being safe. We report the case of a young man who jumped from a second story balcony under the influence of psilocybin mushrooms. The psilocin assay was performed by gas chromatography coupled to an electron-impact ionization time-of-flight detector (GC-EI-TOF) after solid-phase extraction. Total psilocin was quantified in peripheral and cardiac blood as 60 and 67 ng/mL, respectively, and in urine (2230 ng/mL), bile (3102 ng/mL), and vitreous humor (57 ng/mL). This case report and review of literature highlights the danger of psilocybin mushrooms. Isolated use of psilocybin mushrooms by a regular consumer without psychiatric history, even under "safe" circumstances, can lead to a fatal outcome.

Keywords: bad trip; forensic science; forensic toxicology; magic mushrooms; psilocin; psilocybin.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Agaricales*
  • Bile / chemistry
  • Chromatography, Gas
  • Hallucinogens / adverse effects*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Psilocybin / adverse effects*
  • Psilocybin / analogs & derivatives
  • Psilocybin / analysis
  • Substance-Related Disorders / complications
  • Substance-Related Disorders / psychology*
  • Suicide*
  • Vitreous Body / chemistry

Substances

  • Hallucinogens
  • Psilocybin
  • psilocin