Is it time to increase your mushroom dosage? If you’ve been taking mushrooms for a while now, perhaps they’re not hitting quite the same these days.
On the other hand, is it safe to increase your dose, or can you overdose on mushrooms?
In this article, we’ll explain what’s going on with mushroom tolerance, why that’s different from addiction, and whether or not you can overdose on shrooms.
What are magic mushrooms?
Magic mushrooms are a class of mushrooms consisting of over 150 species that contain the psychoactive compounds psilocybin and psilocin. These mushrooms are typically dried and eaten, sold in chocolates, or brewed as a tea. When consumed, the active compounds have a high affinity for a type of receptor in your brain called 5HT2A, which is just one of several serotonin receptors.
Other related psychedelic compounds that interact with serotonin receptors include things like LSD and DMT. That is why LSD and DMT have similar effects to psilocybin. (This will become relevant again as we start to talk about tolerance.)
Effects of mushrooms
To describe the effects of psilocybin clinically (and somewhat inadequately), magic mushrooms can alter mood, perception, and cognition. Your brain is wired to automatically filter out familiar patterns and extraneous stimuli. Most of what you’re seeing on a day-to-day basis is a repeat of what you’ve seen before. This automated filtration saves your brain from all the extra energy it would take to sort through the millions of stimuli that you are constantly presented with. That way, your organizational capacities are not overwhelmed.
Psilocybin essentially turns off this filtration device. Suddenly, all the stimuli are presented equally. It’s kind of like being a small child again – everything in the world is new and unfamiliar. This is thought to result in psychedelic effects. While this would be an impractical permanent change, in the short term it can be intensely therapeutic and healing.
What is drug tolerance?
It helps to explicitly define tolerance in this case. Drug tolerance means that the body and brain have gotten “used to” the drug, to the point that a higher dosage of a substance is required to produce the same effects. This happens as a result of chronic use. In some cases, a different drug may be required all together. For example, this can apply to recreational drugs as well as medicines. If someone develops a tolerance to an essential medication, they will need to be prescribed a higher dose or a new medication altogether.
So, what exactly does it mean that the body has gotten “used to” or adapted to the drug? Basically, the body’s receptors and enzymes have become desensitized to the active ingredients in the drug.
Can you develop tolerance to mushrooms?
Yes, chronic use of psilocybin mushrooms can result in direct tolerance fairly quickly. “Direct” tolerance is defined as a tolerance to the drug you are consuming habitually. For example, if you are consuming shrooms, and you develop a tolerance to shrooms, this is called direct tolerance.
There’s also a phenomenon called “cross-tolerance.” Cross-tolerance is when use of one drug can predispose you to have a higher tolerance towards a separate drug. This becomes especially relevant in the context of psilocybin mushrooms, which interact via similar pathways as other psychedelic drugs like LSD and DMT.
Direct tolerance to shrooms is not as high as direct tolerance to LSD. However, both drugs can cause cross-tolerance to the other. The presence of cross-tolerance depends on the specific parameter being tested. This affirms the idea that these two drugs interact with the brain via similar, though not identical, mechanisms.
Can you be addicted to mushrooms?
Tolerance is different from addiction, where the body develops a physiological and/or psychological need for the drug. While it is possible to develop tolerance to mushrooms, physiological addiction is usually not reported. Interestingly, this is in contradiction to the classification of psilocybin as a Schedule I drug.
There may, however, be some psychological addiction associated with magic mushroom use. In other words, you are unlikely to experience physical withdrawal symptoms after stopping chronic mushroom use – unlike classically addictive drugs like opioids. However, physiological addiction is also very real, and should not be overlooked.
Mushroom dosing guide
Proper dosing of shrooms is tricky because not only do people have different inherent tolerances, but the mushrooms themselves have variable amounts of psilocybin in them.
The most common type of psilocybin-containing mushroom is called Psilocybe cubensis. One gram of dried Psilocybe cubensis contains about 10-12 mg of psilocybin. However, this can vary depending on growing and processing conditions, and how the mushroom is ultimately consumed. For example, lemon tekking will result in a very different bioavailability compared to a brewed tea.
For reference, the minimum dose for intoxication (in other words, to feel the effects) averages at about 40 micrograms per kilogram of bodyweight. For a 50 kg person/100 lb human, this would work out to a dose of 200 micrograms. This does not account for individual variations in tolerance. Tolerance is a factor not only of chronic use, but also factors inherent to the individual, such as metabolism and age.
In scientific research, a low dose is sometimes described as 100 mg/kg, medium as 200 mg/kg, and high as 300 mg/kg. Microdosing would be considered less than the intoxicating dose, perhaps somewhere around 25 mg/kg.
Can you overdose on shrooms?
It depends on what you mean by overdose. Taking too many shrooms is unlikely to be physically harmful, although it may not be a pleasant experience. There is no record of fatalities due to mushroom use alone. Mixing with other substances is not advised. Furthermore, supposed psychedelic mushroom samples can sometimes be laced with other substances.
Negative side effects of shrooms commonly include nausea, vomiting, cognitive inhibition, and extreme fatigue – even with a positive psychological experience.
Taking shrooms may cause lasting psychological damage if not done properly. Set and setting is by far the most important parameter when it comes to taking mushrooms. If you partake of mushrooms in a safe, comfortable environment, with people you trust and a healthy mindset, then your chances of having a positive experience are very high.
Where to get mushrooms
Psilocybin is not legal for sale or possession in the United States according to the Controlled Substances Act. However, other variations of shrooms are available for purchase. These contain proprietary blends designed to have a psychoactive effect, while still being legal.
Because mushroom spores do not yet contain psilocybin, they are legal for sale – often with the disclaimer “for microscopy only.” Once cultivated into mycelium and mushroom bodies, they accumulate psychedelic psilocybin.
As always, if you have questions about mushrooms or any of our products, please don’t hesitate to contact us for a free consultation.
