Substances | 3 min read

Adverse Effects & Bad Trip Symptoms After Eating Mushrooms

Medically Reviewed

Medically Reviewed By

Dr. Po-Chang Hsu

On July 01, 2025

Written By

Amanda Stevens, B.S.

On July 1, 2025

Bad Trip Symptoms: A woman sitting on the floor in a dark room in extreme distress.

What you will learn

Bad trips can cause various physical and psychological symptoms, including rapid heart rate, paranoia, chills, panic attacks, and extreme fear.
Bad mushroom trips can occur for a variety of reasons, including high doses, pre-existing mental health conditions, and the presence of other substances.
Some people experience long-term perceptual disturbances after using psychedelic substances, including hallucinogen persisting perception disorder (HPPD), a condition involving recurrent visual distortions. It is considered a perceptual, not cognitive, disorder.

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A bad trip is a colloquial term that refers to a negative experience as a result of ingesting psychedelic drugs such as psychedelic mushrooms, sometimes referred to as magic mushrooms or shrooms. A bad shroom trip is similar to a bad trip from lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD).

Symptoms of a bad trip can vary but might include extreme fear, anxiety, and panic attacks. In some cases, a person might experience long-term mental health effects after having a bad mushroom trip.

What Causes A Bad Trip?

Magic mushrooms can incite feelings of euphoria, which is why some people use them recreationally. This is not everyone’s experience, though. In many cases, people report having extremely negative experiences, commonly known as bad trips. There’s more than one reason a person can have a bad trip after eating mushrooms. Some examples include:[1]

The Dose: A higher dose can lead to more challenging experiences. Dried mushrooms tend to be much more potent than fresh mushrooms.
Mental Health Conditions: A person with an existing mental health condition, such as anxiety or depression, may be more likely to have a bad trip. Feelings of anxiety, anger, or sadness before taking psilocybin mushrooms could also predict a bad trip.
Gender: Females may be more likely to have negative experiences with shrooms than men.
Mixing Substances: Using psychedelic mushrooms alongside other drugs such as alcohol, cannabis, or benzodiazepines can cause bad trips.
Environment: Feelings of isolation during a trip can be heightened if the individual feels alone or unsupported during the trip. The presence of a trusted friend or loved one may decrease the risk of a bad trip.

Disclaimer: It’s not known exactly what causes a bad trip. Some of the factors listed above, such as gender, may be beyond the person’s control. The only way to avoid a bad trip entirely is to avoid psychedelic mushrooms.

What Does A Bad Trip Look Like? Signs and Symptoms

If someone is having a bad trip, they might appear to be in extreme emotional distress. Many of the symptoms of a bad trip are internalized, but there may be external signs and symptoms as well. Individuals experiencing a bad trip may appear anxious, frightened, or even panicked. Bad trip symptoms can vary, but may include: [2]

Shaking
Increased heart rate
High blood pressure
Chills
Nausea
Vomiting
Dizziness

What Does A Bad Trip Feel Like?

Many people experiencing a bad trip on shrooms experience emotional distress. Some people feel like they’re floating outside of their bodies. They may lose all sense of time or feel as though time is frozen. In some cases, a person having a bad trip might experience dissociation and/or depersonalization.

This might mean they feel like they’re not real or that they’re losing their sense of self. This can result in extreme fear, anxiety, paranoia, and panic attacks. Other experiences during a bad trip may include: [3]

Extreme fear
Confusion
Panic
Anxiety
Paranoia
Hallucinations

How Long Does A Bad Trip Last?

A bad trip from psilocybin mushrooms typically lasts 4 to 8 hours, corresponding with the duration of the drug’s psychoactive effects, though emotional aftereffects may persist longer. After having a bad trip on psychoactive substances, some people suffer side effects for months or even years. These extended effects could include: [4]

Flashbacks
Emotional distress
Depressive reactions
Paranoia
Persistent psychosis
Re-experiencing the bad trip
Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder (HPPD)

Avoiding Bad Trips

Perhaps the best way to avoid bad trips is to avoid the use of psychedelics altogether. Though some people report mind-opening or spiritual experiences, the risk of experiencing long-term effects of a bad trip is just too great.

Frequently Asked Questions About Bad Mushroom Trips

What is the medical term for a bad trip?

Medical terms for a bad trip include psychedelic crisis and acute intoxication from hallucinogens.

How can you help someone experiencing a bad trip?

To help someone experiencing a bad trip, get them to a safe place and try to calm them down. Reassure them by letting them know that the experience is temporary and will pass. If the person poses a danger to themselves or others, call 911 or seek medical attention.

What can go wrong with LSD?

Many things can go wrong with LSD and other hallucinogens, like psychedelic mushrooms. This includes bad trips, long-term disorders like HPPD, injuries, and accidents.

What are hallucinogens?

Hallucinogens are psychedelic drugs that can cause significant shifts in a person’s perceptions and may cause hallucinations. Examples of hallucinogens include psilocybin and LSD.

Is using magic mushrooms considered drug abuse?

Psilocybin, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms, is categorized by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) as a Schedule I controlled substance. Using illegal substances for recreational purposes is legally prohibited and may constitute substance misuse, though the term “substance abuse” is now largely replaced in clinical use by “substance use disorder” to reduce stigma. People who use magic mushrooms could face legal consequences.

Can psychedelics promote well-being?

Recently, there has been a surge in medical research devoted to the potential benefits of psychedelic substances like psilocybin mushrooms. Some preliminary studies suggest that psilocybin therapies could relieve anxiety in some patients. More research is needed to confirm these results, however. Currently, psychedelics remain illegal and have been associated with negative effects, both short-term and long-term.

Are shrooms addictive?

Psilocybin mushrooms are not considered physically addictive, and the risk of psychological dependence is low, especially compared to substances like opioids or benzodiazepines.

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MEDICAL CONTENT WRITER

Amanda Stevens, B.S.

Amanda is a prolific medical content writer specializing in eating disorders and addiction treatment. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Purdue University with a B.S. in Social Work. Read more

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