Whether you microdose or consume heroic doses of magic mushrooms, one important question that is probably swirling in your mind is whether drug screenings can detect shrooms. To better answer that question, it is a good idea to have some information regarding the length of time psilocybin mushrooms stay in your system.
How Long Do Shrooms Stay in the Human Body?
After ingesting shrooms, their psilocybin content will be broken down by your body into psilocin.
Psilocin is the active form of psilocybin. Once broken down into psilocin, the compounds in shrooms will begin to interact with your mind, resulting in changes in your behavior and perception.
It can take between 20 to 30 minutes after ingestion before the effects of magic mushrooms kick in. The effects can linger for up to several hours, influenced by a few factors, including dosage and your personal tolerance level.
During this period, your body processes the compounds present in psilocybin-containing shrooms. The kidney is primarily responsible for processing these compounds.
It takes about 50 minutes for your body to excrete half of the compounds from the magic shrooms. Within three hours, you may have excreted 66% of the magic mushroom compounds from your body.
After 24 hours, these compounds may no longer be detectable in your urine.
But do take note that these timelines are just estimates. There are a host of factors that determine how long shrooms stay in your system.
Dosage
The higher the dosage you consume, the longer time it will take for magic mushrooms to stay in your body.
Potency
Magic shrooms with higher potency tend to have more active compounds. And the more active compounds the shrooms you ingested contain, the longer time they will stay in your system.
Tolerance
If you consume psilocybin mushrooms regularly, your body will adapt, requiring you to increase your dosage to get the effects you desire. Increasing your dosage means the more active compounds stay in your body.
Mushroom species
According to experts, there are roughly 75 to 200 varieties of magic mushrooms, each varying in potency. The higher the psilocybin content of the species, the more likely that active compounds of the shrooms will linger in your system.
Method of consumption
Magic mushrooms can be consumed in a variety of ways, from eating them raw to brewing them into tea. Whichever method of consumption you choose, be aware that it has an effect on how long shrooms stay in your system.
Stomach content
Did you eat anything before taking a mushroom trip? There is a difference between ingesting shrooms on an empty and full stomach. And at the same time, that can have a bearing on the length of time shrooms stay in your body.
Metabolism
Metabolism will vary from one person to another. The quicker your metabolism, the faster your body will eliminate the compounds of psychedelic mushrooms. Metabolism is influenced by factors like age, weight, height, and body composition.
Using other substances
Did you use other substances after ingesting shrooms? Drinking alcohol and consuming other substances like cannabis can make the effects of magic mushrooms unpredictable. But aside from that, it can be harder to determine how long shrooms stay in your system. Worse, drug screenings may pick up the other substances you used in conjunction with psychedelic mushrooms.
The Half-Life of Magic Mushrooms
The term half-life refers to the amount of time it takes for half of a substance to be flushed out of the human body. On average, a substance will need five to six half-lives to be fully flushed out.
Magic mushrooms have an average half-life of 50 minutes. On average, it takes about three hours for two-thirds of psilocybin to be eliminated by the body through your urine.
Compared to other substances, psilocybin is eliminated faster by your body. Of course, there are other factors that may delay the full elimination of the psychedelic compound, including dosage and metabolism.
Typically, shrooms stay in urine for 24 hours, and in the blood for less than that time. However, psilocybin can remain in human hair for up to three months.
On average, psilocybin reaches peak levels in the human body after 80 minutes. However, the exact time can vary from one person to another.
Can Drug Tests Detect Magic Mushrooms?
That depends on the type of drug test used to screen for psilocybin mushrooms.
Standard drug tests screen for a variety of substances, but cannot detect psilocybin mushrooms. However, there are some specialized tests that can determine whether you ingested shrooms recently.
The standard five-panel drug test can detect substances like cannabis, amphetamines, phencyclidine, opiates, and cocaine. Aside from the five-panel drug test, there are other types of drug screenings like the eight and 10-panel drug tests.
It is also worth mentioning that specialized drug tests that screen for magic mushroom compounds need to be administered immediately. The main reason behind this is that the human body eliminates these compounds quickly. Twenty-four hours after ingestion of psychedelic mushrooms, drug tests cannot identify the hallucinogenic compounds from the urine, blood, or saliva.
4 Main Types of Drug Tests
Drug testing refers to the process of collecting and analyzing urine, blood, hair, or saliva to find chemicals left behind in the body by various substances. Some drug tests are used on athletes to detect the presence of performance-enhancing drugs like steroids.
There are four main types of drug screenings: urine, saliva, blood, and hair drug testing.
Urine tests
Urine drug tests are the most commonly used type of drug screening in the United States. Urine tests are relatively simple to form and cost less compared to other forms of drug testing.
The collection of urine specimens is typically done in a clinic or testing facility. After collection of the specimen, it will then be sent to a laboratory for analysis.
A four-panel test screens for cocaine, methamphetamine, opiates, and THC. A five-panel test, on the other hand, screens for THC, cocaine, opiates, amphetamines, and phencyclidine.
There are also other panels that can be used to detect other substances like barbiturates, benzodiazepines, methadone, PCP, and Quaaludes.
Hair follicle tests
Even just a strand of hair can paint a picture of a person's drug use. For example, if you smoked THCA flower months ago, a hair follicle test can still detect the presence of cannabinoids in your hair.
The main reason behind this is that metabolites may remain in your blood. And as the blood flows to your scalp, these metabolites stay in the hair follicles.
Hair screenings are not as popular as routine drug tests because they cost a lot. However, there are some situations where hair follicle tests are used in conjunction with other types of drug tests.
Hair drug tests are often used to screen for opiates, cocaine, amphetamines, marijuana, barbiturates, and phencyclidine.
Saliva tests
Saliva tests offer a few advantages over other types of drug tests. For one, these tests are less invasive. To collect a sample, a technician will only need to swab the mouth of a person.
Aside from that, the results from saliva tests are determined quicker than other tests. This simply means that it can detect the presence of substances that may be eliminated by the body quicker.
Saliva tests are used to screen for substances like methamphetamine, alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, opiates, and PCP.
Blood screening
Among the different types of drug screening tests, blood tests are the least used because of their drawbacks. Aside from their high costs, these tests are invasive and have a short detection timeline.
However, they are quite effective in determining substance use in the workplace. A blood test can produce results within minutes. Additionally, it can give a broader picture of a person's substance use.
This type of drug screening can determine the presence of a variety of substances like fentanyl, marijuana, cocaine, alcohol, barbiturates, oxycodone, methadone, and more.
Psilocybin-Containing Mushrooms Drug Test
Some drug testing companies have developed a specialized drug test that can detect shrooms in the body to compensate for the shortcomings of other forms of drug screenings. As previously mentioned, most routine drug tests cannot detect the presence of psilocybin-containing mushrooms.
Essentially, this type of drug screening is an upgraded version of the urine test. Shrooms stay in the human body anywhere between one to three days, depending on a variety of factors like frequency of use, metabolism, age, weight, height, substance use history, liver and kidney health, and existing medical conditions. The combination of different factors influences how long shrooms stay in your system.
How the test works
Like in a urine test, you will be asked to provide a urine sample which will be collected and sent to a laboratory. At the laboratory, the specimen will undergo liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry.
If the test detects the presence of psilocybin mushrooms in your system, you will need to undergo another round of testing to confirm whether the initial test was correct or not.
Preparing for this drug test
Before you undergo the testing for the presence (or absence) of magic mushrooms in your body, you will need to avoid drinking an excessive amount of fluids. Doing so will result in an invalid test result. This means that the result of the test is neither positive nor negative. In this case, you will need to undergo another round of testing.
Interpreting magic mushroom test results
It can take anywhere between seven to 14 business days after your drug test before you receive the results. In case the test detects the presence of psilocybin mushrooms in your system, the laboratory will need an additional two to four business days to confirm the result.
In this type of drug screening, there are three types of results - positive, negative, and invalid. A positive result means that the psilocin present in your body has exceeded the threshold for urine. And conversely, a negative result means that the psilocin in your body did not breach that threshold.
Can You Flush the Psychedelic Compound from Your Body?
Is there any way to hasten the excretion of psilocybin mushrooms from your system?
It is possible to flush magic mushrooms from your system by drinking lots of water. However, the results will be negligible. Liquids can help your kidneys remove psilocybin mushrooms from your body faster but not fast enough to avoid detection, especially if you recently used them.
If you want to err on the side of caution and avoid detection from specialized drug tests, your best bet is to stop using psilocybin mushrooms just until you are done with the drug screenings.
How Long Can Drugs Be Detected in the Body?
How do magic mushrooms compare to other drugs in terms of the length of time they stay in your system?
When it comes to drug screenings, there are a few factors that are at play. These include the substance's half-life, the person's hydration level, frequency of substance use, and method of consumption. Simply put, detection may vary from one individual to another.
On average, most substances stay in your system between two to four days. However, other drugs like marijuana tend to stay in the body between three to four weeks, or in some cases, even longer. Additionally, there are substances that can stay in your system longer than other drugs.
The type of drug screening administered also plays a huge role in detection. For example, human hair grows at an average rate of 0.4 inches per month. And based on your hair length, it is possible to detect substance use months after consumption.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to feel the effects of shrooms?
On average, the effects of magic mushrooms kick in half an hour after ingestion. However, there are some factors that can influence that, including your chosen method of consumption and whether your stomach is full or empty before ingestion.
A mushroom trip can last between three and six hours. However, it is not unusual for a mushroom trip to last longer than that. Once you come down from your psychedelic trip, it is possible to feel some lingering effects that can carry over the following day.
The length and intensity of your mushroom trip can be influenced by your dosage, magic mushroom species, method of consumption, whether you used fresh or dried mushrooms, your metabolism, and your frame of mind before and during the trip.
What's the best way of taking shrooms?
Magic mushrooms can be consumed in a variety of ways. The simplest way to ingest shrooms is to eat them raw. Just make sure that you chew the mushrooms completely to facilitate the faster release of their psychedelic compound. With this method of consumption, it can take about 45 minutes before you feel the effects. You might also want to try using a truffle grinder so you can spend less time chewing on shrooms.
Some people who dislike the taste of raw mushrooms prefer to brew them into tea. The advantage of this method is that you can eliminate the bitter taste of shrooms.
If you prefer to enjoy the benefits of psilocybin-containing mushrooms without the adverse effects, then you should strongly consider microdosing. With microdosing, you can consume more shrooms when the initial effects wear off. Plus capsules are discreet and easy to carry.
Psilocybin-containing mushrooms may also be added to a variety of dishes. However, make sure that you do not heat the shrooms because psilocybin breaks down when exposed to high heat. Instead, add the shrooms just after cooking.
Want something more intense? Why not try lemon tek?
This concoction involves the use of shrooms and lemons. Although the intensity of a mushroom trip using this method of ingestion is still debatable, most people who have tried lemon tek all agree that it takes a shorter time to feel the effects.
The main reason behind that is the acidity of the lemon breaks down psilocybin faster.
How can you avoid a bad mushroom trip?
One of the downsides of ingesting shrooms is that you can experience a bad trip. However, there are a few tricks that you can try to minimize the chances of having a bad trip while keeping yourself safe.
For starters, make sure that the mushrooms you are ingesting are actually magic shrooms and not poisonous mushrooms. Buy only from reputable sellers. Or consider growing your own shrooms at home.
Second, learn how to store your shrooms properly. Through proper storage, you can ensure that your shrooms remain potent. With proper storage, psilocybin mushrooms can last from 12 to 18 months.
Third, master set and setting. It all begins with having the right frame of mind before you begin your psychedelic trip. Next, find a safe environment so that you will have one less thing to worry about. It also helps to learn practices like meditation and breathwork. If you can, find someone who will watch over you while you are on a mushroom trip.
In terms of dosage, it is better to start low and slow, especially if you are new to shrooms. Some users begin their mushroom experience with a gram of shrooms. Although this is considered a low dose, it is enough to reap the psychedelic benefits of shrooms. As you get more comfortable, you can slowly increase your dosage until you find your sweet spot.
Avoid taking shrooms with other substances like antidepressants and alcohol. Other substances can diminish or counteract the effects of shrooms.
Finally, set a plan in case you have a bad trip. Long and slow breaths can be quite helpful in making you feel more relaxed. Other people swear by listening to soft music.
