Amanita muscaria (Fly Agaric)

• If someone has eaten it, call a poison centre now. Do not wait for symptoms to pass. In the US call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222, or 911 if the person collapses, has a seizure, has trouble breathing or cannot be awakened. In the UK call NHS 111 if unsure and 999 in an emergency. In Australia the Poisons Information Centre line is 13 11 26. Keep the mushroom or package to show staff. Authoritative guidance ^{30 31 32}
• It is a poisonous mushroom. Fly agaric is described in medical reports as a highly poisonous mushroom. The poison (ibotenic acid and muscimol) mainly affects the brain and nerves. In severe cases a person falls into a coma, and in rare cases dies. Poisoning has been reported after accidental eating, after eating for the mind-altering effects, and after eating edible products. Case report ^{18 12 13}
• Serious and fatal cases are on record. A man who ate dried caps for their mind-altering effects had a cardiac arrest and died 9 days later. A 75-year-old who ate one cap by mistake needed a breathing tube. In a US poison-centre series of 34 cases, 5 people needed a breathing tube. In Lithuania in 2023, four men were hospitalised with tremors, respiratory failure and paranoia. Many people recover, but these reports show poisoning is not always mild. Case series ^{12 14 21}
• Deadly look-alikes exist in the same family. Other Amanita species, especially the death cap (Amanita phalloides) and Amanita virosa, contain amatoxins that destroy the liver. Amatoxin mushrooms cause more than 90% of deaths from mushroom poisoning. Their symptoms can start about 10 hours later and may seem to settle before liver failure. Reviews say some poisonous mushrooms cannot reliably be told from edible ones by looks, and a photo or a name is never proof that a mushroom is safe. This page does not teach identification. Review ^{27 2 25 17 18}
• Edibles and gummies sold as "Amanita" are unregulated, and the FDA warns about them. In December 2024 the US FDA said A. muscaria, its extracts, and muscimol, ibotenic acid and muscarine are not authorized as ingredients in conventional food, do not meet the safety standard for food, and may be harmful. FDA recommends that people avoid eating foods with these ingredients. A 2025 survey of the 13 busiest online sellers found gummies on 12 of them. Poison centres report that these edible products can cause hospital admission. Authoritative guidance ^{29 11 8}
• Product labels are not reliable, and products may hold other drugs. In lab tests of gummies bought in Portland, neither ibotenic acid nor muscimol was found in the two products that claimed Amanita extract. They contained psilocin and other tryptamines instead, and one "psilocybin-free" product contained psilocybin. Another product contained undisclosed THC. In a 2025 test of 27 products, 11 of 14 gummies claimed Amanita extract but had no ibotenic acid, and 5 products had none of the target compounds. A 2006 Japanese study found "extracts" with other drugs, including atropine and scopolamine. A teenager was poisoned by a chocolate bar recalled for muscimol contamination. Authoritative guidance ^{1 9 26 3 11}
• The strength of the mushroom varies hugely. In five mushroom caps sold in Japan, ibotenic acid ranged from under 10 to 2,845 ppm and muscimol from 46 to 1,052 ppm. A review says content varies between species, tissues and with drying and heating. This means that the same mushroom can be very different from one specimen to the next, and nobody can know how strong a given piece is. Authoritative guidance ^{26 6 9}
• There is no safe amount, no safe preparation and no "detox" that we can give. We found no source that gives a safe amount, and none that shows that any way of drying, cooking, soaking or treating the mushroom makes it safe. This page gives no preparation, extraction, growing, foraging or sourcing advice and none will be added. Online harm-reduction tips may make people underestimate the risk. Authoritative guidance ^{29 16 6}
• Symptoms usually start within hours and can swing between excitement and sleepiness. In a US poison-centre series, all but one symptomatic patient developed symptoms within 6 hours. Patients can show nervous-system excitement, depression, digestive upset, or a mix. A. muscaria patients were more often confused and agitated; A. pantherina patients (the panther cap, a similar mushroom) were more often comatose. Cases are not predictable in advance. Case series ^{14 28}
• Taking it with other substances raises the risk. In poison-centre reports of mushroom edibles, exposures involving more than one substance had higher odds of hospital admission (adjusted odds ratio 2.58). Confusion and depression of the nervous system were also linked with admission. Alcohol, sedatives and other drugs have not been studied with Amanita, but muscimol acts like them on GABA receptors. Cohort study ^{8 10}
• Children and pets are at risk from accidental ingestion. In the Oregon poison-centre series, a quarter of accidental ingestions by children caused symptoms, and a 3-year-old who ate the similar A. pantherina needed a breathing tube and 3 days in intensive care. Edible products can look like sweets. Dogs are also poisoned (a dog died in one report; see the pet poisoning page). Case series ^{14 11 20 22}
• It is not a psilocybin mushroom. Fly agaric contains different compounds from psilocybin mushrooms. Muscimol acts on GABA receptors; psilocybin acts mainly on serotonin receptors. Psilocybin is being tested in clinical trials for some conditions; fly agaric has no clinical evidence for any condition. Do not assume anything known about psilocybin applies here. Review ^{10 13}
• No proven medical use. No clinical trial supports use of A. muscaria for stress, mood, sleep, pain or any other condition. Relying on it could delay proven care. Ask a doctor or pharmacist about any symptom you are tempted to self-treat. Authoritative guidance ^{10 16}

In 34 US poison-centre cases of A. muscaria and A. pantherina no patient had liver injury. The poison of fly agaric (ibotenic acid and muscimol) is not known to damage the liver. The deadly look-alikes in the same family, such as the death cap, do: their amatoxins cause delayed liver failure, and many such patients need a liver transplant. ^{14 2 17}

How often. Liver injury from fly agaric itself was not found in the series we read. Amatoxin liver failure is a separate poisoning from a different mushroom.

• Oregon poison-centre series, 34 cases (2002-2016). No liver injury (hepatotoxicity) was reported. ¹⁴
• Review of amatoxin mushrooms (Amanita phalloides, A. virosa, A. verna). Late digestive symptoms, sometimes a false recovery, then acute liver failure; about half of those with amatoxin liver failure will need a transplant. ²

This is a safety connection. It is not evidence that Amanita muscaria (Fly Agaric) supports liver health.

Summary. Fly agaric contains ibotenic acid (which acts on glutamate receptors and excites nerve cells) and muscimol (which acts on GABA receptors and calms them), plus muscarine in amounts that vary. Poisoning can show excitement, depression of the nervous system, digestive upset, cholinergic signs, or a mix.

Amounts. No safe amount has been established in any source we read. Content in the mushroom and in products varies hugely, so amount cannot be judged by eye or from a label.

Onset and course. In a US poison-centre series, all but one symptomatic patient developed symptoms within 6 hours. Most symptoms lasted under 24 hours. Serious cases needed intubation and intensive care.

Repeated use. We found no controlled data on repeated or long-term use. A UK case report is described in a 2024 review of a woman hospitalised after repeated use of small amounts.

Animal data. Not reviewed in depth. A 2024 policy paper compares published mouse LD50 figures and concludes muscimol and ibotenic acid are more acutely toxic than several common psychoactive drugs; we did not read those animal studies.

Toxic parts. In samples sold in Japan, caps had much more ibotenic acid and muscimol than stems, and the flesh more than the skin. This is not guidance on parts to eat; all parts of the mushroom should be treated as poisonous.

Not read. Genotoxicity, reproductive toxicity and long-term toxicity were not found in the sources we read.

Mushroom edibles are unregulated products. Studies repeatedly found that labels do not match what is inside.

Label claims do not match contents. In Portland, neither ibotenic acid nor muscimol was found in the two gummies claiming Amanita extract; they held psilocin and other tryptamines. In a 27-product test, 11 of 14 gummies claiming Amanita extract had no ibotenic acid, and 5 products had none of the target compounds. ^{1 9}

Other drugs in the product. Products have been found to contain psilocybin, psilocin, undisclosed delta-9 THC or THCP, and (in 2006 Japanese "extracts") tryptamines, harmine, harmaline, atropine and scopolamine. ^{1 11 26}

A recalled chocolate bar. A 17-year-old was intubated after eating a "Diamond Shruumz" chocolate bar that the authors say was recalled for muscimol contamination. ³

No testing standard. A 2024 paper reports that there are no accepted testing standards or potency benchmarks for muscimol in products, and no mandated child protections such as child-resistant packaging. ¹⁰

Heavy metals. Not reviewed here. Metal content of the mushroom and of products was not assessed.

• If someone may have eaten this mushroom or a product that might contain it, call a poison centre right away, even if they seem fine. In the US call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 (free and confidential); call 911 now if the person collapses, has a seizure, has trouble breathing or cannot be awakened (Poison Control, poison.org).
• UK: call 999 if the person has lost consciousness, stopped breathing, has severe breathing difficulty or a seizure; call NHS 111 if you are not sure whether something swallowed is harmful (NHS). Australia: the Poisons Information Centre line is 13 11 26 (NSW Poisons Information Centre website). For other countries see the poison help by country page.
• Signs seen in reports: confusion, agitation, vomiting, deep sleepiness or being hard to wake, tremors or muscle jerks, hallucinations, dilated pupils, a lot of saliva, slow or difficult breathing. Several patients needed a breathing tube.
• Do not wait to see whether symptoms pass, and do not try to treat poisoning at home. Take the mushroom or package (or a photo of it) with you so staff can see what was eaten.
• If a wild mushroom of unknown type may have been eaten, go to hospital even if symptoms settle. Death cap type poisoning (amatoxins) can show first symptoms many hours later and may seem to improve before liver failure.
• Pets: dogs and other animals can be poisoned. Call a vet or an animal poison service immediately.

If someone may be poisoned or in a crisis, contact a clinician or emergency service straight away. In the US, Poison Control is 1-800-222-1222.