The physical side effects of magic mushrooms include: dilated pupils, diminished coordination, increased heart rate, drowsiness, high blood pressure, fever, muscle weakness, nausea and purging. In some rare cases, people also experience renal failure and acute liver failure. It, usually, starts with mild gastroenteritis and it ends with severe hepatic symptoms and hepatic failure requiring liver transplantation. Other possible side effects entail: hallucinogen use disorder, HPPD, abuse liability, addiction or addictive behavior, self-harm or violent outbursts, cardiovascular disease, neurotoxicity and overdose risk. In order to further study these side effects, laboratory grade mushrooms are being increasingly used in research.
According to specialists selling magic mushroom spores for research, current studies are being conducted in order to further establish main symptoms of hallucinogen use disorder that manifests as: craving, recurrent social problems and a strong desire to abuse substances. Similarly, addiction caused by magic mushrooms is being studied and diagnosed by means of: withdrawal symptoms, pathological patterns of use, impairment of social functioning, hyper-reflexia, tachycardia, cross-tolerance with other hallucinogens and clinical features of dependence.
A lot of research is also being conducted on abuse liability which can be described as a compulsive pattern of repetitive abuse and sustained psychological disturbance. Moreover, progress is being made on the study of many types of dangerous behavior including self-harm (suicide in particular) and violent outbursts.
The triggering effects of magic mushroom consumption in relation to psychosis and HPPD (also known as flashbacks) are also an object of study along with neurotoxicity (cognitive deficit) and overdose toxicity that takes place if the substance is mixed with other drugs or alcohol. For now, it has been established that low physiological toxicity caused by mushroom consumption can be particularly dangerous for people with underlying health conditions such as manic-depressive illness, serotonin syndrome and depersonalization syndrome. The main symptoms are nausea and vomiting, but psychological side effects can be long-lasting.
Laboratory grade magic mushrooms are also very helpful with research on cardiovascular pathology. It has been recently established that this pathology is common in people that also experience acute asthma or hyperthermia and display risky behaviors. Furthermore, if mixed with anti-depressants, magic mushroom consumption can lead to multi-organ failure.
This type of research can increase the quality of available evidence. Moreover, scientific approaches on the safety of psychedelics can help medical professionals evaluate the safety profile of these substances.