Mushroom Poisoning
If You Suspect a Poisoning
If you suspect a poisonous mushroom has been eaten, contact the Missouri Poison Center at 1-800-222-1222. The website has a live chat and a click-to-call link.
What You Can Do
Try to get the mushroom identified—treatment and symptoms vary, depending on the species.
Your best bet for rapid, accurate identification is the Facebook page Poisons Help: Emergency Identification for Mushrooms & Plants. Experts from around the world are available 24/7 and respond quickly, but they will need photographs. Even pieces of the mushroom (including any that might be in vomit) can be useful. The page is for EMERGENCY IDENTIFICATION ONLY, with KNOWN INGESTION, and they have strict posting guidelines.
Try to get a sample of the mushroom, or the same mushrooms from where they were found. Collect as much of a whole mushroom as you can, and refrigerate it for experts to examine.
Note where the mushroom was growing, in case it may have been exposed to pesticides, industrial contaminants, or other man-made toxins.
Remember: touching mushrooms is not dangerous! Poisonous mushrooms are only a problem if actually swallowed.