Alcohol and shrooms interact because they can affect the brain in some of the same ways. Combining substances that act similarly intensifies the drugs’ effects, side effects, and potential risks.
Keep reading to learn more about the effects of mixing mushrooms and alcohol.
Shrooms and alcohol effects
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Shrooms are mushrooms that contain psilocybin, a natural hallucinogenic and psychoactive compound. They can cause hallucinations and an inability to tell the difference between fantasy and reality.
Although people usually use shrooms recreationally, they can have adverse effects. People may experience :
nausea
vomiting
muscle weakness
lack of coordination
panic attacks
psychotic-like episodes
Alcohol affects the brain similarly to shrooms. Drinking too much alcohol can change a person’s mood and behavior, and it can cause people to have trouble with memory and motor control.
Although doctors generally advise against combining substances, there is limited research showing the effects of shrooms and alcohol. This means most of the effects of mixing them come from people’s reported use.
Combining alcohol and shrooms can cause unpredictable results , but experts consider it a high-risk combination. It can cause headaches, panic attacks, and nausea. Drinking alcohol while taking shrooms can also increase a person’s risk of a “bad trip,” which can include hallucinations and frightening emotions.
Some people report drinking alcohol to lower the effect of shrooms and feel less high. While they may decrease the effects of alcohol, there is limited research supporting this, and the effects can be unpredictable.
It is also unclear how much alcohol is safe in combination with shrooms. Overall, doctors do not recommend consuming alcohol while using other drugs.
Experts also advise avoiding polysubstance use, which means using more than one drug together or within a short time.
Interestingly, researchers suggest that psilocybin, the active drug in shrooms, may help people with alcohol addiction. An ongoing study is currently exploring, in a controlled setting, whether psilocybin can lower the number of heavy drinking days among people living with alcohol addiction.
