Mixing Shrooms & Alcohol | Effects & Risks

Magic mushrooms (shrooms) are naturally occurring and contain psilocybin, a substance that has hallucinogenic effects. Shrooms are mind-altering, psychedelic hallucinogens that alter perception and mood. 

In addition to this, psychedelic drugs affect a variety of cognitive processes. Hallucinogens interact with serotonin receptors in the brain which causes a variety of side effects, especially when mixed with alcohol.

Effects Of Mixing Alcohol & Shrooms

Drinking alcohol while taking shrooms can lead to a number of serious health problems due to the fact that alcohol is a central nervous system (CNS) depressant and psilocybin causes impaired perception. 

Because of this, you may not realize how much alcohol you’ve consumed in a given time. Due to the impaired self-awareness and the sedative effect caused by alcohol, you may experience:

• alcohol poisoning
• nausea
• seizures
• increased heart rate
• ​headaches
• panic attacks
• vomiting
• anxiety
• increased body temperature
• ​loss of consciousness

In addition to this, you might experience a “bad trip” which, when combined with the effects of alcohol, can make the experience worse or even life-threatening.

Risks Of Mixing Alcohol & Shrooms

A major concern with combining hallucinogens with alcohol is substance use disorder. Those with an alcohol addiction who take shrooms each time they drink may suffer from serious mental health problems as well as a wide range of physical side effects. 

Withdrawal & Psychosis

Partaking in alcohol abuse while taking shrooms can lead to the development of serious withdrawal symptoms. When this occurs, you may experience psychosis, extreme cravings, and depression.

Thankfully, psychotherapy and other therapies have positive results when treating alcohol dependence. 

Be sure to seek out the treatment facilities that are right for your healthcare needs. Contact your treatment provider to determine if you need to undergo detox for your drug addiction. 

Increased Effects Of Shrooms & A “Bad Trip”

When you take shrooms while drinking alcohol, you may experience a variety of effects such as:

• insightfulness
• disembodiment
• change in perception
• warm sensations
• impaired cognition
• audio-visual synthesia

Unfortunately, sometimes taking shrooms can have negative effects. You may experience a “bad trip” which can cause you to suffer from:

• increased anxiety
• paranoia
• frightening hallucinations
• extreme confusion
• panic
• suicidal thoughts
• depression

Mixing Dissociative & Non-Dissociative Drugs With Alcohol

Some hallucinogens are dissociative while others are non-dissociative. Dissociative drugs make one feel detached from reality, while non-dissociative drugs do not. In addition to psilocybin mushrooms, other non-dissociative hallucinogens include the following:

• DMT 
• LSD (D-lysergic acid diethylamide)
• Peyote (mescaline) 
• 251-NBOMe (synthetic hallucinogen)
• Ayahuasca

The National Institute on Drug Abuse states provides examples of dissociative drugs which include:

• PCP (phencyclidine)
• Salvia
• Ketamine
• ​DXM (dextromethorphan)
• Nitrous Oxide

Mixing any of these substances with alcohol can increase the risks of severe effects, including alcohol poisoning and confusion.

If you or a loved one struggles with substance abuse, inpatient and outpatient treatment programs are available. For information on our addiction treatment centers, please contact us today.