Jeez, I haven't posted for a while, so I figured I should mark my return with something really attractive.

Has anyone ever experienced welts or rashes during or shortly after eating mushrooms (cubensis)? This happens to me EVERY SINGLE TIME I eat mushrooms! It's nothing painful or dramatic, but I will get maybe two or three splotches on my cheeks that look like benign insect bites. Sometimes they itch a tiny bit or get slightly puffy. It's not bad or uncomfortable, I just noticed it happens every single time. Sometimes I also get a few on my chest.

Does anyone know WHY?? Am I just having an allergic reaction? What in the mushrooms would do this?

I also drink them as a tea, so, it should be somewhat cleaner.

Yes! How odd. My old roommate broke out quite badly while he had a small mushroom grow going. He got it especially on his arms, neck, and face. He ended up going to a doctor, but didn't tell him what he really believed to be the cause. He was told that he had psoriasis, but none of the meds really worked. It sounds like your reaction is not as bad as his, he may have had greater contact because of growing. He ended up shutting down the grow and getting rid of his harvest. He does still imbibe them on occasion, but started back with micro doses for fear of some kind of internal reaction.
So its not just you, but I don't really know how to help!

Good luck, hopw your rash goes away!
Once

Do you have any other food allergies that you are aware of? It sounds like an allergic reaction to me.

could be a result of higher metabolism=more sweating. It could also have to do with the vasoconstrictive effect of shrooms that causes pore's in the skin to contract. Maybe washing immediately before and immediately after taking shrooms could help.

I hope I'll be able to grow them.

I did have a few sensitivities (dairy, but haven't touched it in 5+ years), but never any allergies.

It could possibly be constriction... I only say this because the last time I ate them, I specifically felt like something was squeezing my neck, and my face and my chest felt really hot at the peak.

HMMMMM!!

It's not uncomfortable or painful, just something I notice in the aftermath. I will keep an eye on it...

Also, if it is a reaction, it would have to be internal. I never touch them... that's left to the wizard who steeps them for me.

Sounds like an allergic reaction for sure. I haven't seen this, but my wife gets severe gastro pain from cubes....and only cubes. The pain lasts well past the normal 6 hours. It's something other than pislocin doing it to her because I've seen her have a fine time on other strains.

I think Joedirts right here; it does sound very much like an allergic/hypersensitivity reaction and this could be due to any protein in the cubensis.The potential hazard here is an escalating allergic response on repeated exposure with the risk of bronchoconstriction progressing to full on allergic throat closure; the most extreme manifestation would be profound peripheral vasodilatation with a drop in BP and hypovolemic shock due to extravastion of your plasma into your subcutaneous tissues (widespread swelling).

It also sounds like Mrs Joedirt is probably getting abdominal gripes due to gut edema caused by a more localised allergic response.Ranitidine/cimetidine specifically is good for this feature.

Thank you...this is interesting and I'll look into it. I was also thinking about trying ginger, but she doesn't have much interest in trying again with cubes and I don't really blame her!

This sounds extremely serious. How can one tell if the seriousness of the reaction is progressing? Are there any physical symptoms I should be wary of? Are there legitimate markers to differentiate between actual physical crisis and the weirdness of tripping? (All for the knowledge database and for those reading, too, of course.) What could a person do in the event of an allergic reaction?

Have there been cases of allergic reactions to mushrooms?

I'm not panicking... just curious and asking tons of questions. Thank you!

I've eaten them six or seven times, once a week, and nothing has ever gotten any worse or better--just a few tiny red splotches with no discomfort. The overall physical discomfort seems to be decreasing with regular use (they no longer bother my stomach). I have never noticed any reactions like this with mushrooms in the past, but I have also never had mushrooms as strong as the ones I'm eating now.

Hmm...

This has somewhat made me re-evaluate an incident I had a few years back, where after eating some p. sem's, I had similar looking blotches in various places all over my body.

At the time I thought it could be more to do that I slept inside a hottub with the lid on the night before, thus essentially steaming myself.

This was the only time I have had this rash so... tub or fungus?

Yes, it is potentially serious.

You can tell if the 'strength' of your allergic response is increasing if:
1.Your skin rashes come on quicker and cover more of your body;

2.If you get a tight chest with stridor,audible wheezing and shortness of breath;

3.If you get your usual rash plus involvement of new sites like the tongue, or the throat when youve not had swelling here before;

4.if you start getting dizzy on standing as a new feature.

These features should be easily discernible from the weirdness of tripping.


Treating allergic responses requires first and foremost avoidance of the precipitant.Depending on the severity the treatment involves:

1.antihistamines, both H1 and H2 blockers-the latter if there are gastrointestinal symptoms;

2.For a more marked response with respiratory or circulatory symptoms, antihistamines plus corticosteroids (oral or in extremis, IV);

3.For life-threatening anaphylaxis you would use the above plus oxygen and IM adrenaline and fluids IV.

Ive seen mushroom allergies quite a few times-this relates to those eaten as food but theres no reason why psilocybe species shouldnt cause allergies in some users.

Allergy is serious and i wouldn't want to dismiss that possibility because if anybody feels he could have it you realy have to take that seriously. But could constricted pores combined with a more than normal sweat secretion not also explain rashes? When i started running, i also had rashes for a few weeks, just because my skin collected more dirt as a result of sweating.

How do you react to non psychadelic mushrooms ? Worth a test.

You can get rashes as a result of sweating but these tend to last longer than those associated with allergies.What tends to happen is that the sweaty areas (classically the groins, between the toes and in the folds of skin under the breasts) form an ideal ground for dermatophytes (ie fungi) to take hold.

The key to dealing with these is to use a topical anti-fungal prep such as clotrimazole until you think you are cured (ie the affected areas look and feel normal) BUT then continue to use the cream for a further 5 days.The fungi are cunning little buggers-if you stop using the cream just when you think you are cured it often comes back as the dermatophytes are still on the skin despite there being no symptoms.

Usually if you are sweating more the pores in the skin tend to open up rather than constrict.

Yes, but i think shrooms constrict pores, because they are both vaso as bronchoconstricting as well. So you'll sweat more AND the pores constrict. That could cause rashes i would say.

I will keep some antihistamines, etc. on hand and pay close attention.

I've never had a problem with mushrooms... Nothing like portabello pizza. <3

Last I checked, there were also no mushrooms growing between my toes or beneath my breasts... but I'll keep an eye out for those, too.

Thanks again. Ideally I will have some better mushrooms soon...

Could just be the strain, id also recommend a lemon extraction of the mushrooms with no heat, just shrooms soaked in lemon juice overnight then completely strain the shroom material for a very pure extraction, i find this removes the mushroomy influence & leaves the psilocin, it comes on hard though so start with a lower doseage than usual.

the only way we take them is in a lemon tea that is strained.

ya know i've experienced this sorta thing too.. only a few times tho.... ...... about 2 years ago, i developed allergies all of a sudden in the dead of winter..and would break out in hives and swelling.. had to go to the emergency room twice.. well benadryl became my best friend, non-the-less.. it's safe enough for kids and it keeps the hives and swelling away... might check it out if it ever gets bad for you

oh on a side note about the crazy allergic reactions i was getting out of no where... well they eventually just quit about 6 months later... really insane,,, it was during a time in my life when i was transcending major spiritual stuff,, so i think it was there to make me stronger or something coming against me or both.. who knows..

ms_manic_minxx,

How are you doing with regard to your mushroom skin reactions? I had to move from a house years ago that has serious black mold problems and it has really sensitized me to mold/fungus problems. I had a really hard time breathing and it lowered my immune system significantly before moving from this house. Much better now, but I do notice that I can detect similar problems in other peoples houses now, like an early warning system. I have not tried active mushrooms in a long time (have just not been presented with their availability) but I was wondering if I would have any adverse reaction when I finally did try them again. I sincerely hope not as I have only had really positive enlightening experiences so far. Anyway, hope you are doing well.

Peace