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Psilocybin and Magic Mushrooms: Patterns of Abuse and Consequences of Recreational Misuse

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Handbook of Substance Misuse and Addictions

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Abstract

Psilocybin is a hallucinogenic tryptamine and the main indole alkaloid present in the commonly known “magic mushrooms.” It functions as a prodrug, being extensively and rapidly dephosphorylated into psilocin after ingestion. This metabolite is ultimately responsible for the psychological and physiological effects of psilocybin, after binding to the serotonin type 2A 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT2A) receptor. In recreational settings, fresh/dried magic mushrooms are the consumed form of psilocybin, its use displaying a high prevalence among male adolescents and young adults, although being illegal in most worldwide countries. Adverse effects commonly reported include hallucinations, agitation, confusion, nausea, vomiting, mydriasis, tachycardia, and hypertension, the treatment being only supportive. There are also reports on more severe effects, namely persistent psychosis and myocardial infarction. In general, low toxicity and abuse potential are associated with psilocybin’s consumption. However, if consumed without a sober supervisor, in combination with other substances, and/or by individuals with self or family history of medical conditions, fatal outcome might occur. In this chapter, a comprehensive compilation, regarding psilocybin and magic mushrooms’ patterns of use, legal status, abuse potential, adverse effects and toxicity, drug-drug interactions, and methodologies applied for the toxicological examination of authentic samples, is delivered.

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Abbreviations

5-HT :

5-Hydroxytryptamine

DMT :

N,N-Dimethyltryptamine

GC-MS :

Gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry

HPLC :

High-performance liquid chromatography

HPPD :

Hallucinogen-persisting perception disorder

i.p. :

Intraperitoneal

LC-M/MS :

Liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry

LSD :

Lysergic acid diethylamide

MAO :

Monoamine oxidase

MDMA :

3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. TOXRUN – Toxicology Research Unit, University Institute of Health Sciences, CESPU, CRL, Gandra, Portugal

    Andreia Machado Brito-da-Costa, Áurea Madureira-Carvalho & Ricardo Jorge Dinis-Oliveira

  2. UCIBIO-REQUIMTE, Laboratory of Toxicology, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal

    Andreia Machado Brito-da-Costa & Ricardo Jorge Dinis-Oliveira

  3. Associate Laboratory i4HB – Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal

    Andreia Machado Brito-da-Costa & Ricardo Jorge Dinis-Oliveira

  4. LAQV-REQUIMTE, Laboratory of Pharmacognosy, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal

    Áurea Madureira-Carvalho

  5. Department of Public Health and Forensic Sciences, and Medicinal Education, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal

    Ricardo Jorge Dinis-Oliveira

  6. UCIBIO/REQUIMTE, Laboratory of Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, The University of Porto, Porto, Portugal

    Diana Dias da Silva

  7. Associate Laboratory i4HB–Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal

    Diana Dias da Silva

  8. TOXRUN – Toxicology Research Unit, University Institute of Health Sciences, IUCS-CESPU, Gandra PRD, Portugal

    Diana Dias da Silva

Authors
  1. Andreia Machado Brito-da-Costa
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  2. Diana Dias da Silva
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  3. Áurea Madureira-Carvalho
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  4. Ricardo Jorge Dinis-Oliveira
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Diana Dias da Silva or Ricardo Jorge Dinis-Oliveira .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Life Sciences, University of Westminster, London, UK

    Vinood B. Patel

  2. School of Life Course and Population Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King’s College London, London, UK

    Victor R. Preedy

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Brito-da-Costa, A.M., Dias da Silva, D., Madureira-Carvalho, Á., Dinis-Oliveira, R.J. (2022). Psilocybin and Magic Mushrooms: Patterns of Abuse and Consequences of Recreational Misuse. In: Patel, V.B., Preedy, V.R. (eds) Handbook of Substance Misuse and Addictions. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-92392-1_130

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