POISONOUS AND HALLUCINOGENIC MUSHROOMS
by Michael W. Beug Email: beugm@evergreen.edu
The Evergreen State College, Olympia WA
Slide 5.
If you eat a deadly Amanita like this western species, Amanita
ocreata, be prepared for a 4-stage poisoning. Stage I will be a 6-24
hour latent period when the toxin gets into your system but doesn't yet
let you know that you have been poisoned. Typically after 10-14 hours stage
2 begins and is marked by sharp abdominal pains, nausea, vomiting and
watery diarrhea. Stage 3 is marked by a brief remission lasting about
24 hours. You and your doctor think that you are on the road to recovery,
but during this period medical attention is most important. In stage 4,
symptoms recur along with jaundice, liver and kidney failure, convulsions
and coma. Unless a large meal of the mushrooms has been consumed, there
is a 95% survival with supportive care, 50% mortality if untreated. Death
usually occurs in 4-7 days. Recovery with good medical care can take over
two weeks and liver function may be permanently impaired. Liver transplants
are at times called for. Amanita ocreata is easily confused with
the white variant of an Amanita known commonly as Coccora, a choice
edible.
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