Mushroom poisoning: anyone dealt with this?

Karen Bishop40 NewcomerOP

5 messages
joined Dec 2007

#1 · Oct 2, 2010

I was out foraging in the woods yesterday. Found two little mushrooms—didn't realize what they were at the time!—so I picked them up and brought them home.
I haven't eaten any mushrooms yet—turns out I had to toss some porcinis!😢I was feeling okay, but then I woke up around 2 or 3 in the morning with some nasty stomach cramps. Ended up having to make a "beeline" for the bathroom three or four times!😁

Is it possible I actually got food poisoning, or am I just overthinking a total coincidence? 😠😠
I need a quick answer before I head to the hospital and make a total fool of myself!🙏

bluecyclist64 Regular

369 messages
joined Oct 2011

#2 · Oct 2, 2010

Karen Bishop40 said:I was out foraging in the woods yesterday. Found two little mushrooms—didn't realize what they were at the time!—so I picked them up and brought them home.
I haven't eaten any mushrooms yet—turns out I had to toss some porcinis!😢I was feeling okay, but then I woke up around 2 or 3 in the morning with some nasty stomach cramps. Ended up having to make a "beeline" for the bathroom three or four times!😁

Is it possible I actually got food poisoning, or am I just overthinking a total coincidence? 😠😠
I need a quick answer before I head to the hospital and make a total fool of myself!🙏

Go to the doctor; forget about looking foolish.
Don't play games with puffballs.
Move it!

Karen Bishop40 NewcomerOP

5 messages
joined Dec 2007

#3 · Oct 2, 2010

bluecyclist64 said:Go to the doctor; forget about looking foolish.
Don't play games with puffballs.
Move it!

I'll list them out first, but since it's Saturday, my doctor's office is already closed.

feralharbor89 Member

41 messages
joined Sep 2011

#4 · Oct 2, 2010

Did you mention it?
The mountain red cap is one of those incredibly toxic mushrooms—you already know that—and honestly, it’s entirely possible to accidentally poison yourself without even thinking about eating them.

Nicholas Chavez70 Active Member

72 messages
joined Jan 2008

#5 · Oct 2, 2010

Medical professionals are issuing a stern warning that if one happens to ingest that nasty mushroom, aggressive treatment absolutely must commence within a 48-hour window; the struggle for survival becomes quite an uncertain gamble after that point.

http://www.cnn.com/us/health/mushroom-poisoning-safety-news.html

Scott Allen10 Regular

315 messages
joined Jun 2005

#6 · Oct 2, 2010

Karen Bishop40 said:I was out foraging in the woods yesterday. Found two little mushrooms—didn't realize what they were at the time!—so I picked them up and brought them home.
I haven't eaten any mushrooms yet—turns out I had to toss some porcinis!😢I was feeling okay, but then I woke up around 2 or 3 in the morning with some nasty stomach cramps. Ended up having to make a "beeline" for the bathroom three or four times!😁

Is it possible I actually got food poisoning, or am I just overthinking a total coincidence? 😠😠
I need a quick answer before I head to the hospital and make a total fool of myself!🙏

I don't get it... if you didn't eat them, how could you have been poisoned?....🤷...

feralharbor89 Member

41 messages
joined Sep 2011

#7 · Oct 3, 2010

Hey there, Scott Allen10!
I have to say, I am genuinely surprised by this. Up until now, I’ve always seen you as someone who possesses both deep knowledge and true wisdom.
It is common knowledge among anyone who spends any time studying fungi that even just touching such a nasty mushroom—which explains why he tossed out those porcini they were sharing the basket with—can be enough to cause poisoning.
I really hope he made it to the doctor!

Scott Allen10 Regular

315 messages
joined Jun 2005

#8 · Oct 3, 2010

feralharbor89 said:Hey there, Scott Allen10!
I have to say, I am genuinely surprised by this. Up until now, I’ve always seen you as someone who possesses both deep knowledge and true wisdom.
It is common knowledge among anyone who spends any time studying fungi that even just touching such a nasty mushroom—which explains why he tossed out those porcini they were sharing the basket with—can be enough to cause poisoning.
I really hope he made it to the doctor!

Man, what can I say... I don't know the first thing about mushrooms or how that specific detail works...🤷...

😍...so yeah, feel free to go ahead and label me as just your average, run-of-the-mill moderator from now on...😍....just a basic, everyday moderator.......

rustypanther39 Member

48 messages
joined Sep 2010

#9 · Oct 3, 2010

I haven't heard a peep from him since yesterday, but I'm really hoping he didn't end up poisoning himself😕. Hopefully, this serves as a massive wake-up call for anyone out there picking mushrooms they can't identify. I mean, seriously, who goes for a green agaric, God help us🤦? Or maybe it was a white one, but the result is exactly the same since both are lethal. The real mystery now is just how much else he managed to toss into his basket🤷

Alexander Thompson Active Member

185 messages
joined Apr 2018

#10 · Oct 3, 2010

feralharbor89 said:Hey there, Scott Allen10!
I have to say, I am genuinely surprised by this. Up until now, I’ve always seen you as someone who possesses both deep knowledge and true wisdom.
It is common knowledge among anyone who spends any time studying fungi that even just touching such a nasty mushroom—which explains why he tossed out those porcini they were sharing the basket with—can be enough to cause poisoning.
I really hope he made it to the doctor!

Not really... I mean, touching a Jack O' Lantern definitely isn't going to poison anyone... I guess carrying one in a basket mixed up with edible mushrooms is a terrible idea, sure... but I'll stick to my guns: if he didn't actually eat it, he didn't get poisoned.

Besides, the Jack O' Lantern is basically the one mushroom you should never even taste just to identify it...

And yeah, they've been popping up everywhere this year... honestly, if you don't know your mushrooms, you really shouldn't be messing around out there.

rustypanther39 Member

48 messages
joined Sep 2010

#11 · Oct 3, 2010

Alexander Thompson said:Not really... I mean, touching a Jack O' Lantern definitely isn't going to poison anyone... I guess carrying one in a basket mixed up with edible mushrooms is a terrible idea, sure... but I'll stick to my guns: if he didn't actually eat it, he didn't get poisoned.

Besides, the Jack O' Lantern is basically the one mushroom you should never even taste just to identify it...

And yeah, they've been popping up everywhere this year... honestly, if you don't know your mushrooms, you really shouldn't be messing around out there.

I'm on the same page—you can't get poisoned just from skin contact. He mentioned he tossed all his finds and didn't eat a single thing. The only way he could have felt sick is if he skipped washing his hands after foraging and had a little cut in his mouth.🤷 . We won't know for sure until he checks in.🙏

Also, looking at that first link about Jack O'Lantern poisoning, it says the husband gathered some and brought home a Jack O'Lantern that his wife ate, which ended up poisoning her. So how is he perfectly fine? 😉🙂

http://americannews.com/2009/07/18/mushroom-poisoning-report/

Alexander Thompson Active Member

185 messages
joined Apr 2018

#12 · Oct 3, 2010

rustypanther39 said:I'm on the same page—you can't get poisoned just from skin contact. He mentioned he tossed all his finds and didn't eat a single thing. The only way he could have felt sick is if he skipped washing his hands after foraging and had a little cut in his mouth.🤷 . We won't know for sure until he checks in.🙏

Also, looking at that first link about Jack O'Lantern poisoning, it says the husband gathered some and brought home a Jack O'Lantern that his wife ate, which ended up poisoning her. So how is he perfectly fine? 😉🙂

http://americannews.com/2009/07/18/mushroom-poisoning-report/

I remember seeing that article right when it dropped... honestly, you'd have to be pretty out of your mind to mistake a toxic lookalike for a common dandelion

rustypanther39 Member

48 messages
joined Sep 2010

#13 · Oct 3, 2010

Alexander Thompson said:I remember seeing that article right when it dropped... honestly, you'd have to be pretty out of your mind to mistake a toxic lookalike for a common dandelion

That should serve as proof he wasn't poisoned just by touching it. Now, whether he actually knew what he was picking—assuming his wife was the one who actually ate it—well, I suppose the medical examiners will have to dig through his other organs to find that answer.🙄

Alexander Thompson Active Member

185 messages
joined Apr 2018

#14 · Oct 4, 2010

rustypanther39 said:That should serve as proof he wasn't poisoned just by touching it. Now, whether he actually knew what he was picking—assuming his wife was the one who actually ate it—well, I suppose the medical examiners will have to dig through his other organs to find that answer.🙄

There's really no harm in touching them. I've picked and handled dandelion mushrooms plenty of times... even just the other day, mostly just to get the right shot for my photos...

And then there's this part above: 'Here you go, honey, I brought you some lovely mushrooms...'

rustypanther39 Member

48 messages
joined Sep 2010

#15 · Oct 4, 2010

Alexander Thompson said:There's really no harm in touching them. I've picked and handled dandelion mushrooms plenty of times... even just the other day, mostly just to get the right shot for my photos...

And then there's this part above: 'Here you go, honey, I brought you some lovely mushrooms...'

Personally, I prefer to just watch them from a distance.🙄

It’s like the old saying: 'Hey, honey, look at these beautiful mushrooms I brought home for you...'

I really can't bring myself to laugh at that one!🙂 👍

Samuel Morgan40 Active Member

178 messages
joined Mar 2010

#16 · Oct 4, 2010

rustypanther39 said:I'm on the same page—you can't get poisoned just from skin contact. He mentioned he tossed all his finds and didn't eat a single thing. The only way he could have felt sick is if he skipped washing his hands after foraging and had a little cut in his mouth.🤷 . We won't know for sure until he checks in.🙏

Also, looking at that first link about Jack O'Lantern poisoning, it says the husband gathered some and brought home a Jack O'Lantern that his wife ate, which ended up poisoning her. So how is he perfectly fine? 😉🙂

http://americannews.com/2009/07/18/mushroom-poisoning-report/

Oh, please—the man was probably just trying to leave her some kind of inheritance. 😳

Setting aside the darker implications, I was also curious about how things work regarding direct contact, so I reached out to some close family friends who have been foraging mushrooms for decades. They told me that touching them is generally fine; I suppose I was just being foolish by not asking what happens if you have open cuts or scratches on your hands while handling them 🤷
.
They mentioned that if any other edible mushrooms come into contact with these toxic ones, they just toss them out—purely as a precaution, I guess. Honestly, I’d probably throw away my entire basket if they were truly that lethal; I've certainly had enough intestinal viruses to last a lifetime 😍
.

nimblewalker58 Active Member

75 messages
joined Jan 2008

#17 · Oct 4, 2010

It’s really not about the borders.

The issue is more practical: mushrooms get tossed into baskets or bags where they rattle around, causing bits of poisonous caps to flake off onto edible ones, which then end up being eaten. It's a mess. Prevention is always a bit of a gamble when you're hovering right on the edge of safety.

Look, touching a toxic mushroom isn't going to kill you, and neither will eating a grilled meal later if you didn't scrub your hands perfectly. Honestly, it’s no different than worrying about open wounds, scabs, smoking, touching glassware, biting your nails, breathing air, picking at dandelion heads, or leaving your boots in the bathroom only to have the dog sleep there... let's not descend into total paranoia, shall we?

Samuel Morgan40 Active Member

178 messages
joined Mar 2010

#18 · Oct 4, 2010

Gathering more morsels 🤣 sorry, I just had to.

Well, there’s no harm in learning a thing or two. I honestly haven't a clue how the whole process works—I mean, I see some people insisting you shouldn't even touch them 🤷.
All my life, I've just bought mushrooms from the store, except for those times my friends bring some in. I suppose I'll play the role of Columba and see if their timing happens to align with my bouts of intestinal flu 😬.

dustymarlin10 Active Member

238 messages
joined Nov 2015

#19 · Oct 4, 2010

Alexander Thompson said:Not really... I mean, touching a Jack O' Lantern definitely isn't going to poison anyone... I guess carrying one in a basket mixed up with edible mushrooms is a terrible idea, sure... but I'll stick to my guns: if he didn't actually eat it, he didn't get poisoned.

Besides, the Jack O' Lantern is basically the one mushroom you should never even taste just to identify it...

And yeah, they've been popping up everywhere this year... honestly, if you don't know your mushrooms, you really shouldn't be messing around out there.

Sure, but it's still not smart to touch them with your bare hands without gloves, right? It's possible for toxins to absorb through your skin and mess with your system...
I mean, obviously, it's not going to hit you as hard as if you actually swallowed it, but still...
To an amateur, a Jack o'Lantern looks a lot like a Chanterelle from a distance, though I have no clue how someone managed to mistake a green Jack o'Lantern for anything edible in the first place...
This whole situation should serve as a massive wake-up call for anyone thinking about foraging.
Seriously, if you aren't 100% certain what it is, just leave it alone.

Alexander Thompson Active Member

185 messages
joined Apr 2018

#20 · Oct 4, 2010

dustymarlin10 said:Sure, but it's still not smart to touch them with your bare hands without gloves, right? It's possible for toxins to absorb through your skin and mess with your system...
I mean, obviously, it's not going to hit you as hard as if you actually swallowed it, but still...
To an amateur, a Jack o'Lantern looks a lot like a Chanterelle from a distance, though I have no clue how someone managed to mistake a green Jack o'Lantern for anything edible in the first place...
This whole situation should serve as a massive wake-up call for anyone thinking about foraging.
Seriously, if you aren't 100% certain what it is, just leave it alone.

Look, I'm not saying you absolutely can't touch them, but all those stories about getting poisoned just from skin contact feel a bit more like urban legends to me—at least, the serious textbooks don't really dwell on that possibility... What I will say is, don't toss them straight into your basket, because those (pretty fragile) little bits could easily "contaminate" everything else you've picked.

That confusion over the green pupa (which changes color quite a bit, I think) could totally happen to an amateur looking at immature mushrooms—where, if I had to guess, an underdeveloped Amanita phalloides might actually slip past you.

Mushroom poisoning: anyone dealt with this?

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