Picking wild mushrooms is the cause of a thousand poisonings per year in France: it is therefore essential to know the symptoms that should alert you.
- More than 400 mushroom poisonings have been recorded since July 1, 2024. In 2023, more than 1,400 cases were recorded during the season.
- The health consequences of mushroom poisoning can be serious, leading to hospitalization or even death.
- The symptoms are mainly digestive: abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea. However, they vary depending on the mushrooms consumed.
The arrival of autumn not only heralds a drop in temperature and light, it also marks the start of the mushroom picking season. Although this activity has the advantage of allowing you to enjoy the great outdoors, it is not without risk. More than 400 poisonings linked to wild mushrooms have already been recorded since this summer by poison control centers. In 2023, more than 1,400 cases were reported between July 1 and December 31.
Every year in October, we observe a peak in poisonings, warns ANSES in his annual warning. But what are the signs that could make you fear that a dangerous mushroom has ended up in your basket and then on your plate?
Mushroom poisoning: gastrointestinal signs to spot
The poisonings which occur after picking wild mushrooms have different possible origins: confusion between toxic and cosmetic species, consumption of healthy mushrooms but in poor condition, insufficient cooking, poor conservation of the products collected, etc. ANSES indicates that the symptoms observed in the cases recorded in 2023 were essentially digestive:
- abdominal pain;
- nausea;
- vomiting;
- diarrhea (sometimes bloody).
THE MSD Manual specifies for its part that generally “mushrooms that cause symptoms early after ingestion (within 2 hours) are less dangerous than those whose symptoms do not appear until later (usually more than 6 hours later).”
Concerning late gastrointestinal signs, the culprits are often the phalloides amanita and related mushrooms (belonging to the genera Amanita, Gyromitra and Cortinarius). “Amanita phalloides cause 95% of fatal mushroom poisonings. Vomiting and diarrhea appear within 6 to 12 hours. Blood sugar levels may drop dangerously low. Symptoms subside within a few days, but then, people develop liver failure and sometimes kidney failure”specifies the MSD Manual. “Sometimes the symptoms go away on their own, but about half of people who suffer from this type of poisoning die within 5 to 8 days.”add the authors.
Indeed, poisoning by mushrooms can have serious health consequences which lead to hospitalization or even death: severe digestive disorders, kidney complications, liver damage requiring a transplant, etc.
Poisonous mushrooms: symptoms that vary depending on the species
Furthermore, while all poisonous mushrooms cause vomiting and abdominal pain, other signs may vary depending on their species. For example, those containing the hallucinogenic substance psilocybin are likely to affect the brain. “Symptoms appear within 20 to 90 minutes of ingestion and include euphoria, vivid imagination, and hallucinations.”specifies the MSD Manual. A racing pulse and high blood pressure are other things to look out for.
Mushrooms of the Inocybes family and certain species of Clitocybe are also responsible for poisoning, because they harbor a toxic substance called muscarine. The latter disrupts the action of neurotransmitters. Symptoms occur within 30 minutes after consumption and may include:
- increased tearing and salivation;
- sweats;
- vomiting, stomach cramps, diarrhea;
- dizziness;
- muscle contractions;
- narrowing of the pupils.
In the most serious cases, patients may also experience confusion, have convulsions or even fall into a coma.
“Certain other species of fungus (such as Clitocybe, Hapalopilus rutilans and Pleurocybella porrigens) cause brain and nervous disorders, including numbness or even a burning sensation in the hands, fingers, feet and/or toes, dizziness , visual disturbances, altered consciousness, convulsions, respiratory failure and death”notes the MSD Manual.
Poisoning by wild mushrooms: when to consult?
The majority of poisonings are “low gravity”, but the condition of the poisoned person can worsen quickly. It is therefore necessary to act quickly if one or more symptoms appear after ingesting mushrooms collected in the wild. It is recommended to immediately call a Poison Control Center, mentioning this consumption.
Faced with vital distress such as loss of consciousness or even respiratory distress, you must contact 15 or 112 without delay.
“In the event of symptoms, it is useful to note the times of the last meal(s), the time of onset of the first signs and to keep the remains of the harvest for identification”specifies ANSES.
