Amanita Muscaria

Austin Ignatovich, Second Year Professional Student Fall 2022

History and Background

Amanita is a native mushroom to forests in the northern hemisphere and has spread to all parts of the world. A common use for amanita is as an insecticide on certain organic farms. They also were used in religious gatherings by Siberian Shamans to reach spiritual growth and enter a “trance-like state”. Across history, Amanita usage is relatively low, but it does have some relevance between 500 BCE and 1700 AD where it was known as a mushroom for immortality and before battle.

Slang Terms

Fly Agaric

Magic Mushrooms / Shrooms

Fairy Tale mushroom

Death cap

Pharmacology & Drug Effects

A compound found in amanita is muscimol (bottom right), which is a psychoactive ingredient, and inhibits neuronal function. The precursor to muscimol is ibotenic acid (top right), a neurotoxin. Some common effects that users may experience after 2-3 hours include dizziness, changes in visual and audio perception, lack of time awareness, space distortion, and increased energy.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanita_muscari a https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/48715-Amanita-muscaria https://edu.rsc.org/feature/the-drink-of-the-gods/2020250.article https://www.hipsandhaws.com/7th-nov-2021-foraging-wildcraftingseries-fly-agaric-folklor e-mystique-magic-toadstool/ https://psychonautwiki.org/wiki/Ibotenic_acid, https://www.caymanchem.com/product/13667/muscimol https://www.pinterest.com/pin/fungi 623467142171881365/

Laws

Amanita is legal to possess, sell, cultivate, and transport in the United States except in Louisiana. It is legal to do the same in other countries although illegal in Australia, Romania, Thailand, and the Netherlands.

https://ww w.tecan.com /blog/consid ering-massspec-fortherapeuticdrugmonitoring

Interactions and Toxicology

There are no known drug interactions. Sometimes known as the death cap, amanita is very poisonous and dangerous. It does irreversible damage to the liver and kidney and causes RNA polymerase inhibition, leading to cell death. This process ultimately leads to a coma and death. Eating these orally is strongly recommended against. Amanitas are less toxic when dried and crushed up in tea. Never consume Amanita with a white cap.

https://www .dhs.gov/laws -regulations

References

Psychoactive Amanitas. EROWID. Available at: https://www.erowid.org/plants/amanitas

Accessed November 6, 2022.

Amanita Muscarina: The Fascinating History of The Fairy Tale Fungus. Natura Mushrooms. Available at: https://naturamushrooms.com/blogs/news/amanita -muscaria-the-fascinating-history-of-the-fairy-talefungus. Accessed November 6, 2022.

Garcia J, Costa VM, Carvalho A, et al. Amanita phalloides poisoning: Mechanisms of toxicity and treatment. Food Chem Toxicol. 2015;86:41-55. doi:10.1016/j.fct.2015.09.008

The Ultimate Guide to Amanita Muscarina. The Third Wave. Available at: https://thethirdwave.co/psychedelics/amanit a-muscaria/. Accessed November 6, 2022.

Monitoring

Although there is controversy on what to monitor to determine amanita poisoning, the most reliable signs to test for are prothrombin time and coagulation factor V, which are early signs of liver failure.

Professional Opinion

Amanita is a very dangerous yet legal hallucinogen. Consuming this mushroom orally is not recommended unless thoroughly dried. Once dried, it can be taken orally or crushed and added to tea and still provide hallucinogenic activity to users. If used with caution it is not as dangerous. Although it is best to avoid usage, make sure to be in a safe space with people you know and trust while using this in case adverse effects occur or you need medical help. ~ A.

Ignatovich