In a publication, US researchers described a barely believable clinical case. A patient contracted a serious bacterial and fungal infection after being inoculated with hallucinogenic mushrooms. Indeed, they literally multiplied in his blood.
In November 2020, a study estimated that hallucinogenic mushrooms are four times more effective than antidepressants. Canada has even authorized the use of psilocybin, psychoactive substance present in these mushrooms. Nevertheless, it remains a very powerful drug which can cause convulsions in case of overdose as well as death by overdose. Moreover, physical accidents related to the psychotropic effects of this substance are not so rare.
An article prepublished in the Journal of the Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry on January 11, 2021 reports on a clinical case as rare as it is surprising. US doctors treated a man in his thirties with a significant state of confusion . Suffering from manic-depressive disorders, the individual was looking for self-medication solutions to alleviate his illness. One day, the man comes across an article extolling the merits of microdosing LSD and psilocybin . He then decides to take action.
Remember that usually, hallucinogenic mushrooms are consumed orally , raw, dried, cooked or even boiled (in infusion). However, for a totally unknown reason, the patient injected the water of the infusion directly into his veins after having filtered it with cotton! Quickly, the man is suffering from jaundice, lethargy and is seized with nausea and diarrhea. -He eventually started vomiting blood, prompting his family to call 911.
When he arrives at the hospital, the patient is totally confused, but mainly suffers from acute renal and respiratory failure as well as significant heart damage. Eventually, the doctors discover the cause of the problem:a bacterial and fungal infection . According to them, the fungi present in the patient's blood began to proliferate, leading to septic shock. Doctors then quickly placed the man on life support and gave him antibiotic and antifungal treatment. The unfortunate will still remain 22 days in hospital, including 8 in intensive care.
This kind of case is not unprecedented in the history of medicine. On the other hand, let us underline all the same its extreme rarity. Indeed, very few people have dared to inoculate the product directly into their veins.
