"Wood-lover paralysis": Describing a toxidrome with symptoms of weakness caused by some lignicolous "wood-loving" Psilocybe mushrooms.
Toxicon : official journal of the International Society on Toxinology June 7, 2025 Simon A Beck, Caine Barlow, Liam Engel et al. 4 citations
A survey of 392 people who consumed psilocybin-containing mushrooms found that 42.1% reported experiencing temporary muscle weakness, a condition called wood-lover paralysis (WLP). Onset typically occurred within 4 hours of ingestion, primarily impairing mobility (80.4%), with some reporting difficulty swallowing (26.7%) and breathing (16.6%). Symptoms persisted into the next day for 48.1% of those affected, and 21.5% experienced a fall or accident. WLP occurred across different preparation methods and growth conditions, with no significant associations with age, gender, health status, or allergies. The results suggest WLP is an under-recognized adverse outcome from certain lignicolous Psilocybe species, warranting further research and awareness for harm reduction.