"Wood-lover paralysis": Describing a toxidrome with symptoms of weakness caused by some lignicolous "wood-loving" Psilocybe mushrooms.
Simon A Beck, Caine Barlow, Liam Engel, Monica J Barratt
Toxicon June 7, 2025 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2025.108450 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Retrospective online survey Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 392 |
| Population | People who consumed psilocybin-containing mushrooms, mainly from Australia and New Zealand |
| Topics | Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Magic mushroom Paralysis Psilocybe Wood lover Muscle weakness Shrooms Mobility issues Harm reduction safety Psychedelic fungi Risk management Drug safety |
| Citations | 4 |
| Key findings | 42.1% of respondents reported experiencing wood-lover paralysis after consuming psilocybin-containing mushrooms, with symptoms including impaired mobility, swallowing difficulties, and breathing difficulties. |
Abstract
Psilocybin-containing mushrooms have long been used for their psychoactive effects, but emerging evidence suggests that certain lignicolous ("wood-loving") species may also induce a distinct toxidrome known as "wood-lover paralysis" (WLP). WLP is characterised by transient weakness following mushroom ingestion, but its aetiology and prevalence remain poorly understood. In this paper, we present an investigation of WLP, based on a retrospective online survey conducted in 2020 (N = 392: 71.8 % male; 34.1 % aged 26-35 years; mainly from Australia and New Zealand). We found that 42.1 % of respondents reported experiencing WLP, with onset typically occurring within 4 h of ingestion. Weakness primarily impaired mobility (80.4 %), with some reporting difficulties swallowing (26.7 %) and breathing (16.6 %). Symptoms persisted into the following day for nearly half of those affected (48.1 %), and 21.5 % experienced a fall or accident. WLP was reported across different methods of mushroom preparation and environmental growth conditions, with no significant associations observed between WLP occurrence and age, gender, health status, or allergies. While the true prevalence of WLP remains unclear, our results suggest it is an under-recognised potential adverse outcome that can occur with ingestion of certain lignicolous Psilocybe species. Given the increasing medical and recreational use of psilocybin-containing mushrooms following policy shifts toward decriminalisation and legalisation, further research is needed to elucidate the currently unknown mechanism of WLP and inform harm reduction strategies and healthcare responses. Awareness among consumers, service providers and regulators will be crucial in improving recognition, reporting, and appropriate responses to this toxidrome.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on psilocybin, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Survey study of challenging experiences after ingesting psilocybin mushrooms: Acute and enduring positive and negative consequences Individuals who had consumed psilocybin mushrooms and experienced a psychologically... | 2016 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 1,993 |
| The Challenging Experience Questionnaire: Characterization of challenging experiences with psilocybin mushrooms Internet survey respondents reporting challenging experiences with psilocybin | 2016 | Questionnaire development and validation | |
| Psychedelics and Mental Health: A Population Study Adult population in the United States | 2013 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 130,152 |
| Cessation and reduction in alcohol consumption and misuse after psychedelic use Individuals with prior alcohol use disorder who reported cessation or reduction in... | 2019 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 343 |
| Patterns of simultaneous polysubstance use in drug using university students Drug-using university students | 2006 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 149 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 4
- Naturally Derived Psilocybin for Therapeutic Use: A Six-Criterion Framework for Evidence, Safety, and Benefit–Risk Considerations in Policy and Clinical Development Biomolecules July 3, 2026
- Psilocybin and Mental Health Outcomes: Scoping Review with ☸SAIMSARA SAIMSARA Journal June 15, 2026
- Unlocking the power of tryptamine alkaloids in Psilocybe fungi: chemistry, mental health potential and legal challenges Mycological Progress December 8, 2025
- Three cases of wood-lover paralysis: clinical insights from Victoria, Australia. Clinical Toxicology March 30, 2026
Cites 30
- Psilocybin with psychological support for treatment-resistant depression: six-month follow-up. Psychopharmacology November 8, 2017
- Enzymatic Synthesis of Psilocybin Angewandte Chemie International Edition August 1, 2017
- Psychedelic Drug Legislative Reform and Legalization in the US JAMA Psychiatry December 7, 2022
- Metabolic engineering of Saccharomyces cerevisiae for the de novo production of psilocybin and related tryptamine derivatives Metabolic Engineering March 26, 2020
- Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Oral Psilocybin Administration in Healthy Participants Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics December 12, 2022
and 25 more in the library