Severe rhabdomyolysis, acute renal failure and posterior encephalopathy after ???magic mushroom??? abuse
European Journal of Emergency Medicine – November 07, 2005
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
Ingesting magic mushrooms, often perceived as harmless within Psychedelics and Drug Studies, can cause severe rhabdomyolysis and encephalopathy. A 25-year-old man developed acute renal failure and cortical blindness after mushroom poisoning. Intensive care medicine provided critical treatment, including hemodialysis and mechanical ventilation for respiratory failure. This case highlights complex medical challenges, informing conventional medicine on pain mechanisms and potential anesthesia, and Complementary and Alternative Medicine Studies on adverse effects, despite full recovery.
Abstract
We report the case of a 25-year-old, hepatitis C-infected man, who presented with severe rhabdomyolysis and acute renal failure, and later developed posterior encephalopathy with cortical blindness after the ingestion of magic mushrooms. Conventional respiratory and cardiovascular support including mechanical ventilation, continuous veno-venous hemodialysis and corticosteroids led to improvement and the patient recovered completely over the following months. Magic mushrooms are becoming increasingly fashionable among drug users, as they are believed to be more harmless than other hallucinogenic designer drugs. So far, little is known about their possible severe side effects.