Psilocybin mushrooms are a species of fungi that will produce psychedelic effects when you eat or drink them.[1] Frequently, people who abuse psilocybin mushrooms refer to them as “shrooms” or “magic mushrooms.” While some individuals have a positive experience when abusing shrooms, others might endure something known as a “bad trip,” where the hallucinations are scary or they develop negative mood changes.

While standard urinalysis tests do not detect psilocybin, hair follicle testing, and specialized panels can tell whether you have consumed them. For example, hair follicle tests can detect shrooms for up to 90 days, while specialized urine panels can only tell if you have used psilocybin for about 24 hours after your last dose.

If you or a loved one are struggling with substance abuse, please reach out to our team at Moving Mountains Recovery today to discuss your treatment options.

How Long Do the Effects of Psilocybin Mushrooms Last?

Effects appear 20-60 minutes after eating psilocybin mushrooms or drinking tea that contains them. Exactly how long the effects last will depend on various factors, including the dose you took, the species of mushroom, and whether you took any additional substances. However, the effects typically last somewhere between 3 to 6 hours.

The factors that affect how long the effects of psilocybin mushrooms last include:

• The dose you take
• What species of psilocybin mushroom you consume
• Method of administration (i.e. eating them dried, fresh, or brewing them into a tea)
• Your age and overall health
• Your tolerance for psilocybin
• Whether you consume other substances like MDMA, LSD, or alcohol
• Your state of mind and the environment in which you consume them

While the majority of the effects of psilocybin will subside after 6 hours, some effects will linger for up to 24. For example, the mood changes caused by shrooms can continue to affect you longer than symptoms of hallucinations. Additionally, some people report colors becoming brighter the next day after consuming psilocybin.

Does Psilocybin Show Up on Standard Drug Tests?

When you submit to a drug test, whether it be at work or in a drug rehab facility, typically a urine test is used. Additionally, it is most common for people to use the standard 5-panel urinalysis test, which does not detect psilocybin.

Standard 5-panel urinalysis drug tests look for the following substances:[2]

• THC (marijuana)
• Cocaine
• Phencyclidine (PCP)
• Amphetamines (i.e. methamphetamine or Adderall)
• Opioids (i.e. oxycodone or morphine)

There are also 8, 10, and 12-panel drug tests, however, these do not look for psilocybin in your urine either because psilocybin is not one of the commonly abused substances that people screen for. However, it is possible to obtain a specialized drug panel for urine, saliva, or blood drug tests that detect psilocybin in your system.

Can a Hair Test Detect Psilocybin?

While all other types of drug tests require specialized panels, hair follicle testing will detect psilocybin in your system because hair follicle tests are sent off to the lab to test for any substance that you could have used. However, these tests are expensive and are not used in common situations.

If you are being given a hair follicle drug test, it can detect psilocybin for 90 days after you last used it. Hair drug tests can detect psilocybin for so long because your hair follicles store the metabolites of any substance you use for up to 3 months.

How Long Can Specialized Panels Detect Psilocybin?

When a specialized drug panel is used, it is looking for a chemical called psilocin. Psilocin is the substance that your body changes psilocybin into after it begins the metabolism process. Even though shrooms only stay in your body for about 15 hours, psilocin can remain in your blood, urine, and saliva longer.[3]

Urine

Specialized urine panels can be ordered to detect psilocin in your urine. These are the most common drug tests used to detect shrooms. Typically, psilocybin mushrooms can be found in your urine for 24 hours after your last dose.

Saliva

Similar to urine tests, specialized saliva drug panels can detect psilocin in your system for 24 hours. Since the first place psilocybin mushrooms enter your system is through your saliva, these tests can detect them as soon as 30 minutes after consumption.

Blood

Blood tests are not used frequently to screen for shrooms because they provide a shorter window of detection. However, they might be used in a hospital setting if your symptoms are indicative of psilocybin ingestion. Blood tests can detect shrooms in your system for about 12 hours after your last dose.

Find Help for Psilocybin Mushroom Abuse

If you or a loved one frequently abused magic mushrooms, it’s important to understand that you could experience long-lasting mental health effects. While it is unknown whether psilocybin can cause physical dependence, you can become psychologically dependent. As a result, you should always seek help from a drug rehab program if you’re concerned about your substance abuse.

To learn about our addiction treatment programs or get started with a confidential, risk-free assessment, please contact Moving Mountains Recovery Center today.

References:

1. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA): Psilocybin, Retrieved November 2023 From https://www.dea.gov/factsheets/psilocybin
2. The National Library of Medicine (NLM): OBJECTIVE TESTING – URINE AND OTHER DRUG TESTS, Retrieved November 2023 From https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4920965/
3. The National Library of Medicine (NLM): Pharmacokinetics of Escalating Doses of Oral Psilocybin in Healthy Adults, Retrieved November 2023 From https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28353056/