Psilocybin mushrooms are a type of fungi that people consume to experience psychedelic effects. Also referred to as shrooms or magic mushrooms, this type of mushroom is considered a hallucinogenic drug and a psychedelic compound. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), 7.4 million people used hallucinogens like shrooms in 2021.
When magic mushrooms are eaten or drank in tea, they can produce effects like altered sensory perception, distorted thinking, and visual or auditory hallucinations. If you abuse shrooms, you might be wondering whether they will show up on a drug test.
While psilocybin does not show up on a routine drug test, there are specialized panels that can detect it. The type of drug test will determine how long the detection window is. For example, specialized urine drug tests can detect shrooms for at least 15 hours, while hair follicle tests can detect them for up to 90 days.
What are the Effects of Psilocybin Mushrooms?
You can consume psilocybin mushrooms by eating them fresh, cooked, or drinking them in a tea. The effects you experience will depend on how much you take and the potency of the specific mushrooms.
It is important to note that no matter what kind of shrooms you take, you could have a bad experience. If you have any mental health conditions, consuming magic mushrooms could worsen your symptoms and prove to be dangerous.
The common effects of shrooms include:
- Euphoria and fits of laughter
- Altered sensory perception and mood changes
- Enlarged pupils
- Hallucinations
- Nausea and vomiting
- Increased or irregular heartbeat
- Increased respiration
- Excessive sweating or chills
- Anxiety or paranoia
- Delusions or detachment from reality
- Scary visual or disturbing thoughts and emotions
The effects of psilocybin can last anywhere from four to six hours. Since you can have a bad experience and the effects can last for hours, you should always take safety precautions if you insist on using shrooms. For example, you might want to have a sober friend there to support you and seek medical assistance in case you have a bad reaction to the substance.
How Long Do Shrooms Remain in Your Body?
It can be difficult to predict how long shrooms will remain in your system, as it varies from person to person. Certain factors like the dose you took and how fast your metabolism is can affect how long psilocybin stays in your body.
The factors that affect how long shrooms remain in your system include:
- The dose you consume
- The specific type of mushroom
- Whether you have been abusing shrooms long-term
- The rate of your metabolism
- Age and BMI
- Your overall health
- The function of your kidneys and liver
- Whether you have eaten food or drank water
When you consume shrooms, your stomach will absorb the psilocybin and convert it into psilocin within 10 to 30 minutes. This causes you to begin experiencing psychedelic effects. While psilocin leaves your body within 5 hours, it can take up to 15 hours for your body to rid psilocybin from your system.
While how long shrooms stay in your body is different for everyone, usually it will clear from your system within 24 hours.
Can Drug Tests Detect Psilocybin?
Psilocybin mushrooms do not show up on standard drug panel tests. That being said, specialized drug tests can be used to detect drugs like psilocybin.
Whether drug tests can detect psilocybin depends on the type of drug test being used.
Urine Screening
Urine tests do not detect psilocybin if standard panels are being used. For example, the most common urine drug test is the 5-panel test. These tests look for THC, amphetamines, cocaine, PCP, and opioids.
Even 8, 10, and 12-panel drug tests do not detect shrooms. However, a drug test can be ordered that is specifically meant to test for psilocybin. These tests can find magic mushrooms in your system for about 15 hours.
Blood Test
Blood tests are most commonly used in hospital settings to determine if a specific drug is impacting a person’s overall health. These tests have a short window of detection. Because of how fast your body processes psilocybin, blood tests cannot detect the substance.
Saliva Test
Similar to blood tests, saliva tests have a short detection time. These tests look for metabolites of drugs left behind in your saliva. Because shrooms do not remain in your saliva for very long, saliva tests are not used to look for psilocybin.
Hair Follicle Test
Hair tests have the longest window of detection for every type of drug. That being said, they can be unreliable and expensive to use. While hair tests are not commonly used, they can find shrooms in your system for up to 90 days after your last dose.
Find Help for Magic Mushroom Abuse
Psilocybin mushrooms can significantly impact your mental health. While experts do not agree on whether they are addictive, people can become psychologically dependent on them. If you believe that you need magic mushrooms to function, it might be time to consider professional treatment.
Addiction treatment programs like Mandala Healing Center can help you overcome shroom abuse. With a combination of mental health treatment, behavioral therapy for substance abuse, and relapse prevention planning, we can help you regain control over your life. Shroom misuse can be difficult to overcome, but our program offers the skills and support you need to be successful.
Contact the Mandala Healing Center today to learn more about our treatment programs.