How Long Do Mushroom Trips Last?

Medically Verified: 2/1/24

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All of the information on this page has been reviewed and verified by a certified addiction professional.

Psilocybin mushrooms are naturally occurring fungi that people consume to have a psychedelic experience. Also referred to as magic mushrooms or shrooms, these fungi can alter your thinking, sense of time, and emotions, as well as cause hallucinations. You can find these mushrooms growing naturally in Central and North America.

According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA), about 7.4 million people reported using hallucinogenic drugs like mushrooms in 2021.[1]

Psilocybin mushrooms are considered a Schedule I controlled substance in the United States, which means they have a high potential for abuse and currently have no accepted medicinal uses.[2] People who take mushrooms experience a high or a “trip” that can last for several hours depending on the dose taken.

What are the Effects of Psilocybin Mushrooms?

The psilocybin in magic mushrooms is a mind-altering substance that can lead to hallucinations and alterations in a person’s sensory and time perception. This chemical interacts with your brain’s serotonergic neurotransmitters to produce the hallucinogenic effects people experience.

It is important to note that psilocybin mushrooms can cause a wide range of symptoms, many of which are dependent on your current mental state when you consume them. Typically, it takes between 30 minutes to an hour for the effects to appear.

The effects of psilocybin mushrooms may include:[2]

• Distorted sensory perception
• Tactile, auditory, and visual hallucinations
• Altered time and space perception
• Synesthesia
• Feeling light, heavy, or having out-of-body experiences
• Difficulty distinguishing fantasy from reality
• Increased feelings of spirituality or connection to the universe
• Impaired judgment and coordination
• Trouble concentrating, focusing, or thinking
• Restlessness and anxiety
• Tiredness and dizziness
• Dilated pupils
• Dry mouth
• Nausea or vomiting
• Stomach pain or diarrhea
• Twitching or tremors
• Heightened body temperature, blood pressure, and heart rate

The effects you experience when you consume mushrooms heavily depend on a variety of personal factors, including the dose you take, the strain of the mushrooms, your state of mind, and how frequently you take them. While some people have pleasurable experiences, others might have what is called a “bad trip”. Bad trips can cause you to be anxious, and fearful, and see unpleasant hallucinations.

How Long Does a Mushroom Trip Last?

Typically, magic mushroom trips begin 30 minutes to an hour after you consume them. From there, the effects tend to last 4 to 6 hours after ingestion. However, this can vary from person to person and some effects (i.e. seeing lights that are not there or mood changes) can linger up to 24 hours.

The half-life of psilocybin is about three hours, which means it can take your body up to 15 hours to eliminate the substance from your system.[3] However, metabolites may remain in your system longer, allowing drug tests to determine if you’ve abused the drug for longer than 15 hours after you consume it. Urine and saliva drug tests can detect psilocybin for up to 24 hours, while blood tests can only detect it for 12 hours after consumption.

Factors that Affect How Long Mushrooms Stay in Your System

While shrooms tend to leave your system by 15 hours after your last dose, some factors can influence exactly how long they remain in your body.

The factors that affect how long mushrooms remain in your system include:

• Dosage – higher doses of shrooms will remain in the body longer

• Frequency of use – regular users of shrooms might have a slower elimination time, as the metabolites build up in their system

• Metabolism – because each person’s rate of metabolism varies, some individuals might take longer to eliminate drugs like magic mushrooms

• Body mass and composition – higher body fat percentages can lead to longer detection times

• Hydration levels – people who consume large amounts of water might clear the substance from their system faster

What are the Risks of Abusing Magic Mushrooms?

While many people view magic mushrooms as a safe and spiritual substance, abusing them can still lead to mental and physical health risks. The first risk you should be aware of is “bad trips”. Some individuals who take shrooms experience extremely distressing hallucinations and have negative changes in their moods.

If you consume psilocybin mushrooms regularly, you could develop a condition called hallucinogen-persisting perception disorder (HPPD).[4] HPPD causes you to continuously experience flashbacks of hallucinations you experienced during a mushroom trip even when the drug is out of your system.

Lastly, it is possible to consume the wrong strain of mushrooms, which can be dangerous as some mushrooms are lethal when consumed. While this is rare, it is still a risk people take when buying magic mushrooms from drug dealers or picking them themselves in fields or forests.

Find Help for Psilocybin Mushroom Abuse

If you or a loved one regularly consumes magic mushrooms, it’s time to seek help. Long-term abuse of psilocybin mushrooms can result in a wide range of adverse mental health effects, including the development of HPPD.

Thankfully, drug rehab programs like the South Carolina Addiction Treatment Center can provide you with the tools and support you need to achieve long-term sobriety. Contact us today for more information on our drug and alcohol rehab programs.

References:

1. The National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA): Psychedelic and Dissociative Drugs, Retrieved October 2023 From https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/psychedelic-dissociative-drugs#scope
2. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA): Psilocybin, Retrieved October 2023 From https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2020-06/Psilocybin-2020_0.pdf
3. The National Library of Medicine (NLM): Pharmacokinetics of Escalating Doses of Oral Psilocybin in Healthy Adults, Retrieved October 2023 From https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28353056/
4. The National Library of Medicine (NLM): Hallucinogen-persisting perception disorder, Retrieved October 2023 From https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3736944/