Magic mushrooms grow in US man's veins after he injects himself with psychoactive tea

The man suffered multiple organ failure after injecting himself with magic mushrooms.
The man suffered multiple organ failure after injecting himself with magic mushrooms. Photo credit: Getty Images

A US man has dodged death after injecting himself with a magic mushroom concoction that led to the toxic-shrooms growing in his veins. 

The 30-year-old man was brought to the hospital after his family found him in a confused state.

Once in the emergency department, he was found to be suffering from multiple organ failure, septic shock, diarrhoea, vomiting blood, yellowing skin, drowsiness, and nausea. 

According to a case report in the Journal of the Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry, the man, whose name and location were not published, then spent 22 days in hospital receiving life-saving treatment.

Following several tests, it was found the man was positive for a fungal infection from psilocybe cubensis, otherwise known as magic mushrooms.

This meant the mushrooms were now blossoming in his bloodstream.

The mushrooms got into the man's bloodstream after he boiled them down, filtered them, and injected the psychoactive liquid into his veins. 

According to the study, the man injected the mushroom liquid in the hopes of alleviating symptoms of opioid addiction and bipolar disorder. 

He had been researching ways to deal with his symptoms and came across reports discussing the therapeutic effects of microdosing hallucinogens such as LSD and psilocybin mushrooms.

The man has now been discharged from hospital to recover at home, the study saying the situation highlighted the dangers of using drugs in ways other than they are prescribed.

Mushrooms are a class A drug in New Zealand meaning the maximum penalty for manufacturing and supplying is life in prison.