Mushrooms + Anxiety = Bad Idea?

[Kelise]

So I've taken a long break from mushrooms, several years. I most took this break because mushrooms made me horribly nauseous to the point where it was just not enjoyable anymore. However, I really miss tripping and want to get back into it. I have some Ondensetron I am planning on taking to alleviate the nausea. I just don't know if I should try. Over the past year or so, I have developed really bad anxiety. I can't even smoke weed anymore because I get so anxious it's just unpleasant. I'm worried that because I react poorly to weed I will also react poorly to mushrooms. I've been contemplating taking a low dose, just a 1-1.5 grams. But I worry I will get anxious and it'll just suck.

Does anyone who has major anxiety have any luck using mushrooms? Or is it just a bad idea?

 

[HeraclitusSage]

I have had major luck with anxiety, really bad mushroom nausea, and Ondensetron.

The mushrooms helped me a lot with social-exclusion induced anxiety. I got really nauseaus when I took even 1 gram of mushrooms--like vomiting and sitting on the toilet in pain half a dozen times.

I obtained Ondensetron. It is the bomb for mushroom nausea. I took about 1 gram of mushrooms and Ondensetron, and I had no digestive system issues. Just positive tripping. Next time I will take a higher dose because I am not worried about stomach issues.

 

[cj187]

I don't think you need to worry about it too much. I have bad anxiety and I really enjoy psychedelics. Weed often magnifies my anxiety to the point of crushing intensity, but mushrooms don't effect me in that way. I always feel a little uncomfortable at the beginning of a trip, but it passes. It's really not uncommon to enjoy psychedelics but not weed.

If you decide to trip again, it would be a good idea not to take a high dose, but too low of a dose might be unpleasant also. Don't tiptoe in, unsure whether you want to trip or not. Buy the ticket, take the ride. Wait until you know what you want out of a trip, then go all the way. In my experience, the root of anxiety in a trip is usually regret. When you start to question whether taking a drug was a good idea, that's when it gets bad. Tripping with other people is a good way to maintain enthusiasm about it.

 

[Kelise]

Glad to know Ondensetron works for mushroom nausea! It is so crippling for me. What is the dose you're taking? I was planning on just 4 mg.

cj187, you may be right. I've definitely had unpleasant experiences taking low doses and dabbling on the edge of regret. But that was usually because I was so nauseous I regretted putting myself through it. Do you think 1-1.5 grams is too low? I have not taken mushrooms in several years and it has been at least a year since I've taken LSD so lower doses may feel a little stronger for me than they used to. I don't really take heroic doses so I have never taken more than 3 grams at once. I do want to be a little cautious. It's been so long and I can't predict how I'll react anymore.

 

[Frege]

It's kind of hard to tell what dosage of raw shrooms would be an equivalent dosage for you, given there are variations in psilocybin content of strains, and there is a difference between dried and undried shrooms. In my experience, if I needed to vomit off shrooms, I would barf and then feel better. I sometimes felt like being sick straight after eating them, mostly due to taste, but this was alleviated by making mushroom banana smoothies with copious amounts of honey.

I used to get anxiety as a side effect of other drugs, but when I stopped taking those drugs, I no longer had anxiety. It's ironic, because I would go to a doctor and say something along the lines of "my anxiety is so bad, can I have some xanax?" Usually the doctor would prescribe it to me without battering an eyelid, without taking into account that I was probably either in withdrawal from other medications or drugs, or that I was experiencing anxiety due to the medications I was experimenting with at the time.

When I trip these days, I might get some residual anxiety, but this is something which can be controlled by thinking happy thoughts instead of dwelling on the unknown or making wild assumptions.

 

[Orbis]

If you have anxiety it will get magnified on mushrooms. Doesn't mean it wouldn't be tolerable or actually improve it in the long run though. just my two pennies.

 

[CousinCocaine]

I have severe anxiety and I've only done shrooms twice (pretty low doses if I remember correctly) and they actually calmed me down. If you're worried maybe start low and just kinda "test the waters", another option would be keeping a benzodiazepine pill or two on hand (probably one of the more sedating ones would be best, I would think Ativan would be great for this) so if you do freak out you can just take one and sleep through it. I have horrible anxiety and I've went on my first 4th plateau absolute insane mindfuck DXM trip on the same day I'd had a bad panic attack earlier and had the time of my life, but that's a story for another time. Point is I get really calm when I'm tripping and usually don't get the least bit anxious (excluding my experiences with DPH and Jimson Weed... Never again!) but having a benzo as a kinda safety net is always a good idea, even if you don't have to use it it can help just knowing it's there. Something which I know probably seems kinda odd but what I've discovered is never watch anything scary/violent or too exciting earlier in the day (or better yet a day or two leading up to your trip if possible) before the trip, I know it sounds stupid but if you stick to comedies especially if they're animated it'll make the trip a lot smoother and really entertaining, just trust me on this. Also considering you've done shrooms in past I assume this goes without saying but I will anyway, make sure you are in a environment you feel safe/comfortable in... Oh and I almost forgot calm music you really like! For me the entire trip kinda revolves around the music I pick, even though it's not really "calm" exactly I love to listen to Audioslave when I'm tripping for some reason, Nirvana is awesome when you're tripping (or anytime lol) and some Alice In Chains songs are good for tripping. Make a playlist beforehand.

 

[HeraclitusSage]

I will probably use 1.25 grams to go to my local law library and sit in a booth, and write. I got a tentative summer job--a pretty good one--but it requires a preliminary drug test. Blah. I don't think they test for mushrooms, but I am not taking any chances. Anyway, I can still smoke DMT until then. Lol. So if that test comes soon, then I'll just go to my local law library and study and write on 1.25 grams. But if the drug test does not come soon, I will have to just wait. In a number of weeks, some of us are hiring a psychedelic bus to take us to a cool location. I will probably take 2.25 grams at that time, because it is a controlled and supportive setting. Or if the stupid test does not takes place by then, I may aim on a DMT breakthrough.

I am also keeping an eye open for the right moment to take 5-7 grams. It may not be for another year or longer, though. I have a very specific and personal reason for intending this.