How do magic mushrooms cause hallucinations in users?

Doctor Huynh Thanh Hien, Ho Chi Minh City Mental HospitalAlso known as "magic mushrooms" or "magic mushrooms", Psilocybe mushrooms, scientific name Psilocybe pelliculosa, grow in many parts of the world.There are up to 200 different types of mushrooms in this family that contain Psilocybe in varying amounts, so the levels of toxicity and hallucinations also vary.

"There are types of mushrooms where eating a whole mushroom is not life-threatening, but there are types where just a small amount can be fatal," said Dr. Hien.

Today, science knows that there are many types of poisonous mushrooms that contain hallucinogenic substances such as ergot mushrooms containing ergotamine, which is prepared into an addictive substance.Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD), is a powerful hallucinogen.Archaeologists studying cave carvings have shown that these magic mushrooms were used in prehistoric times in religious ceremonies.

In 1959, Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann isolated the active ingredient psilocybin from magic mushrooms. He also discovered LSD from ergot mushrooms. Both substances were briefly used in medical trials but were banned in 1965 by an international convention.

According to Dr. Hien, the active ingredient in mushrooms, when entering the body, will be converted into a substance that affects the brain and causes hallucinations, often visual hallucinations, paranoia, or delusions of being persecuted. This condition is very dangerous because people who use mushrooms attack others because they think they are being harmed.

The active ingredient psilocin also acts on the autonomic nervous system, causing hemodynamic disorders such as increased or decreased heart rate, increased or decreased blood pressure depending on the dose used, dilated pupils, increased body temperature, sweating, nausea, vomiting... These symptoms appear when overdosed and are the cause of death.

The two substances LSD and psilocybin, psilocin have been banned in Vietnam since 1995. These two hallucinogenic substances are not new in the world but have only recently appeared in Vietnam.Currently, Ho Chi Minh City Mental Hospital has not received any patients with hallucinations or psychosis caused by magic mushrooms.

Doctor Hien warns that the signs of magic mushroom users are hallucinations, and white, glazed eyes due to dilated pupils. Mushroom users are in a state of excitement, because this is a drug that stimulates the nervous system, and they struggle, sweat, vomit due to heart rhythm and blood pressure disorders and often have insomnia.There is currently no specific treatment, just treatment similar to other cases of meth addiction.

"Parents need to observe their children's unusual symptoms to detect mushroom use early, especially insomnia because new drugs all cause insomnia," said Dr. Hien.

The Drug Crime Investigation Police Department (Hai Phong) recently arrested a number of cases of buying, selling, and transporting “magic mushrooms” (also known as hallucinogenic mushrooms, magic mushrooms, and psychedelic mushrooms) into Vietnam. Samples tested at the Institute of Criminal Science, Ministry of Public Security, showed that these mushrooms contain psilocybine and psilocine, narcotics that are absolutely prohibited for use in medicine and social life, and are listed in category 1 as stipulated in Decree 73/2018.