Man amputates penis with an axe after consuming psilocybin mushrooms
In an unprecedented case report, doctors in Austria have documented the first known instance of psilocybin-induced penile amputation. After consuming a large quantity of magic mushrooms, a 37-year-old man suffering from depression and alcohol abuse severed his penis with an axe. Fortunately, doctors were able to reattach part of the amputated organ. The unique case is detailed in the Mega Journal of Surgery.
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The case report published by doctors at Hospital Feldkirch in Austria outlines the shocking details of a 37-year-old man who consumed a large dose of psilocybin and, during a severe psychotic episode, amputated his penis using an axe. The man, who had a history of depression and alcohol abuse, ingested four or five dried psilocybin mushrooms while staying alone in a secluded vacation home.
Not long after consuming the mushrooms, the man began to experience a terrifying hallucination or delusion, which led him to take an axe and sever his penis into multiple pieces. The details of the event are unclear to the patient, as he did not fully remember what had occurred.
The man reportedly tied a piece of cloth around his genital area to control the bleeding and placed the severed parts of his penis in a jar filled with snow. He then left the house, bleeding profusely, in search of help. A passerby found him in a confused state and called for emergency services. The man was transported to a nearby village and later to a hospital, arriving approximately five hours after the amputation.
Upon arrival, the patient was in a critical condition, having lost a significant amount of blood. He was immediately taken into surgery, where doctors worked to stabilize him and control the bleeding. His penis was contaminated with soil and snow, and parts of the organ were severely damaged. Surgeons were able to save the glans (the tip of the penis) and about two centimeters of the penile shaft, but the other sections were too damaged to be repaired.
Remarkably, the replantation was successful, despite the significant challenges posed by the extent of the injury and contamination. Despite initial difficulties, the patient’s condition improved after the surgery, although he continued to suffer from severe psychotic symptoms, including auditory hallucinations and religious delusions. He was placed under psychiatric care, and his treatment included antipsychotic medications to help control the hallucinations. His mental state gradually stabilized, and after a week, he was moved back to the urology department to continue his recovery.
In the weeks following the surgery, the patient experienced some complications. Superficial necrosis (death of skin tissue) developed on the glans of his penis, likely due to the loss of blood flow during the period of ischemia, but this healed over time. Remarkably, the patient was able to regain some erectile function within three months of the surgery, though the overall length of his penis was significantly reduced due to the damage. At his last follow-up visit, he was able to urinate normally while seated, though a minor complication called hypospadias developed, where the urethral opening is located further down the shaft than normal.
While this case is the first documented instance of psilocybin-induced self-amputation, it brings attention to a broader phenomenon of self-mutilation during psychotic episodes, particularly among individuals with underlying mental health conditions. Known as Klingsor syndrome, these rare but extreme events often involve self-inflicted injury to the genitals and can be associated with a range of psychiatric conditions, from schizophrenia to substance-induced psychosis.
https://www.psypost.org/man-amputates-penis-with-an-axe-after-consuming-psilocybin-mushrooms/Open linkView original on feddit.uk
Top marks to the surgical team getting some functionality back in such challenging circumstances.
And I read that as 'challenging circumcision.'
I mean, you aren't wrong.
Steady on, that's a bit off!
"...thanks to advances in stem cell research and the fine work of Doctors Krinsky and Altschuler, he should regain full reproductive function again."
Well that was a nice horrifying read
Sorry if you found that upsetting, MY_ANUS_IS_BLEEDING.
Have you ever tripped so hard you chopped off your dick?
Not yet but I like to keep an open mind.
No but I've wanted to real bad from gender dysphoria, didn't have it in me to get through to do more than a surface level cut before the blood and pain got to me. For not having one myself I am a pussy when it comes to blood and pain ☹️
Two things can be bad at the same time.
It’s just annoying to see articles like this because it scares people into thinking mushrooms should remain illegal. That’s despite the fact that mushrooms are infinitely less harmful than alcohol and this penis chopping guy is an outlier of outliers
People care. You’re forgetting that there’s money to made on that. Capitalism!
That's exactly why it's not as interesting of a story though.
Not to say that psychedelics can't cause psychotic states. I'm not going to say that, because it's not true. I'm writing this at the start so no-one gets the wrong idea.
The syndrome is known, "Klingsor syndrome". Usually (read: "always") those self-injury inflicting patients have a long history of mental illness.
This man had a history of depression and alcohol abuse. Alcohol abuse and delirium tremens are more likely to induce violent psychotic episodes than mushrooms.
I mean, granted dude took a heroic dose. I'm not saying the mushrooms had nothing to do with it, obviously they did.
I'm just saying the title very much reads in a "don't do shrooms you'll cut your dick off" kind of way, which is very much not the case here. If any substance had most to do with this, it's probably alcohol, which is known to cause a lot of mental issues, especially depression and psychosis. As in dudes probably been drinking his whole life, or years at least, which probably had more influence on the person than one (heroic) dose if shrooms.
I used to really really struggle with alcohol abuse problems, I'm sober now, I've also done shrooms a bunch. In my experience you are definitely right. The drinking would cause crazy delusions and thoughts, it was fucking wild man. Being on a bender for 5 or 6 days. Getting horrible sleep. Eating nothing. Your body revolts against you and everything starts to fail. Your mind doesn't function properly anymore and time is fucked and you think everyone is against you and come up with these crazy near impossible theories and plans. Sweating and shaking even though youre still drinking you just can't stomach enough to get the shakes away. I would do crazy things during these times I'm not proud of. Never had any of that with shrooms lol
Hey everyone, now we can point to this article and say Magic Mushrooms are soooo dangerous that we need to call everyone that uses them terrorists and organized crime and throw them all in prison for enjoying a natural theraputic vision quest
Man, this is why I've always been willing to trip sit anyone I care about that wants to try a new-to-them substance. You can't always tell how someone is going to react to something new. If that something is hallucinogenic, if something does go wrong with the trip, you really want a sober buddy to keep things from going wrong outside the trip.
Hell, I've been known to sit with someone that's used hallucinogens before, just to be safe, if I can.
It isn't just hallucinogens though. I've known people that had bad reactions to not just heavier shit, but stuff that's as mild as weed. Somebody gets hit by the weed fairy wrong, they can get into a panic and end up doing stuff that could hurt them, especially if it's their first few times trying it.
Mind you, if it's something smokable, I won't be present for the smoking because fuck that shit. But I've done it for meth and crack too. Tried my damndest to talk him out of it, and it was only one person with those two. But he was one of those folks that wants to try everything mind altering at least once. I would not likely repeat that for anyone else tbh.
But damn, folks; if you aren't already familiar with a substance, find someone you can trust to keep you safe. Even the mildest things out there can cause problems, and you can't always be sure it's unadulterated. Accidents happen, allergic reactions can happen, dosing can go wrong. So be safe. Find a buddy.
This is the first thing that went through my mind. Dude really needed a sitter.
I tried mushrooms on my own, but it was at home and it was me taking very small amounts cause I didn't want to over do it. I liked it. I didn't let myself get too high but I got to the point where the sound of my music was causing the walls and the lines on the floor to rumble with the sound. I could feel everything moving like the floor was water and my sofa was just floating there. It was nice.
Holy fucking shit!
Summed up beautifully.
This is why they need to fucking legalise it for psychiatric treatment. Otherwise people with depression are just going to medicate themselves and fuck up.
Thought you meant the penile amputation lol.
Penile amputations while on mushrooms: 1
Penile amputations while Austrian: probably more than 1
I think we know what the real cause was here.
... New bottom surgery just dropped?
Talk about an axe wound
Sometimes when dysphoria is really bad and access to gender affirming care is denied, there isn't much choice. It's sad and scary that for some of us this is how it must be but that's just the way things are sometimes.
Was looking for that comment :P
That sucks, and folks should do their research and have trip sitters.
It's the first known instance, though - this is not worth changing your behavior over, something that's never been known to happen after humans have been tripping on the things forever.
At this point, everything that happens in my life is after consuming psilocybin mushrooms
Whoah.
I gotta move to Austria
From the write-up by the urologist:
No fuck you.
Anyone remember that guy on reddit who did the same but with a gun? I can't remember if it was mushrooms or acid but he had several psychotic episodes
egg_irl ?
This is 100% my suspicion. Mushrooms have never made me even think about my genitals.
My thoughts exactly, I'd have to guess they had severe bottom dysphoria, I've had friends who did it for the same reason, no mushrooms though, they just did it out of their sheer desire to no longer have a penis attached to them. Gender dysphoria is no joke and really sucks. I probably would've done it too if the Estrogen hadn't shrunken it so much (and the fact that I'm a wuss when it comes to blood and pain).
okay, but whoever reads this: DO NOT CUT OF YOUR OWN PENIS! It has lots of blood vessels in it and you can bleed to death quickly. Also, if you survive it, you have your pee hole in a wound and I'd say this is probably in the top 5 of worst places to have a wound in.
Oh definitely, many of my friends who did that did in fact have issues urinating afterwards. It wasn't great, also reduces the amount of workable tissue for bottom surgery (vaginoplasty uses the existing penile and scrotum tissue to construct the neovagina) though in their case that was never going to happen either due to money, transphobic medical care, or health reasons that got them denied care in the first place.
This is why I only do LSD, I've never even thought of cutting off my dick on acid.
And shrooms are milder than acid in many ways. I don't touch acid anymore.
It's likely they had strong genital dysphoria or other issues surrounding their penis. Most people don't have the desire to cut off their penis, mushrooms or no mushrooms. I've had friends with bad dysphoria who did it, no mushrooms needed, but I can imagine someone also doing it while they're high.
Bill Hicks
Ever hear that old George Carlin bit?
"I'm going to string words in a sentence that's never been uttered before! Ready? Here we go...
As soon as I stick this hot poker up your ass, I'm going to chop my dick off!
There! I did it! I put words together in an order that's never been done before, in the entire history of mankind!"
(thunderous applause)
I'm incredibly impressed at the recovery. While it sucks to lose length and have the urethra open in an odd location they saved the glans. Hopefully some feeling is still there.
So they saved the mushroom tip :D
This shit is why I haven't tried shrooms. I know it's incredibly unlikely, but it's just enough to scare the shit out me. I didn't need my egg cracking during a trip and I try to do an at home, diy surgical transition.
It's mainly the length of time. It lasts so long, tons of time for me to do something crazy. DMT seems safer from a totally underinformed position, just because it doesn't last as long, and I think my buddy can restrain me for 15 minutes better than he can for 8 hours. Lol
I'm a "drugs head" and you're way off the mark. Take a reasonable amount of shrooms by themselves in a good head space, you'll be fine. DMT gave me existential madness for like months lmfao
Agreed, and the shortest trip I've ever had, about 5 minutes from a gravity bong rip of salvia, was also the worst and most terrifying.
Salvia is a horrifying drug lmfao I hate it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qi1Zuni57Rc
Care to share about DMT?
It's really intense, so if you're not like 100% it's really easy to have a bad time. It also shows you things human beings aren't supposed to see, in my opinion. Like the way things are connected through space and time. Mrs Bizzle says it sends you to hell but I don't think that's true.
DMT and ket are the two things I’ve tried where I saw things humans aren’t suopposed to see.
With DMT it was a profoundly positive experience. I saw a new color. I can still see it.
With ket it was INCREDIBLY TERRIFYING! I don’t regret it but I can still feel it when I think back.
I've never done ket but my cousin did and explained it the same way. I did DMT years ago and loved it but this most recent time it went pretty bad. I had some good experiences and some bad ones, ultimately though I think I'll stick to weed and shrooms
That’s totally fair! I’ve done a bunch of ket in my racing years and my last time was six or so years ago when I had a WAY INTENSE EXPERIENCE.
All of my SMT breakthroughs were positive and I’m happy for that. I’m sorry you had a rough experience. :c
It's mainly an issue for people already predisposed to psychosis. If you don't have that in your family history, then start with a low dose and have a trip sitter. It can be an incredibly positive experience if done safely.
And do research. Psyconaut Wiki is pretty good.
https://m.psychonautwiki.org/wiki/Main_Page
I don't think it's likely unless you have really bad penis dysphoria already, believe me, you'll know if you do. Though your egg cracking on a trip is still possible even if you don't hate your penis, and that can be scary and uncomfortable. IMO best to do it while not tripping.
I tried introspection once. It was terrifying. Decided it wasn't for me. Lol
I guess that makes sense, not everyone is ready to face themselves at the present time. Though I know from being a stubborn egg growing up, it does eventually weigh on you. That's why it's a good idea to explore sooner. The most important thing is being able to live with yourself and be happy with yourself and your body, I'd suggest revisiting the idea in the future every now and again, eventually one day you might be ready, it can be scary and hard but it can also be rewarding.
I really hope at some point you get to a point where you can feel comfortable expressing yourself in ways that match who you are. I'll admit it does take some hard work, but the rewards are often worth it, they come in the form of self-acceptance and being happy with who you are.
I know many people who felt that same way and they still pass wonderfully, yes it does take hard work and does take time. But it's nowhere near as hopeless as it seems.
I'm glad to hear that your family is accepting. That's more than I can say for my family. I haven't talked to them in almost 7 years. They wanted nothing to do with me when I came out as trans, and were especially disgusted by the idea of me being on HRT. It's nice to hear that your family will still accept you even if you choose to make changes.
I used to feel a very similar way before my egg broke. I thought I could just push it down and live life as a normal cis boy. I couldn't. The dysphoria eventually becomes unbearable. It can feel overwelming and hard to take the first steps, hard to make the first changes. I recommend taking things slow and starting with little things. Maybe you might not be ready for HRT but maybe try out some little social things that might make you happy, like makeup or nail polish, just something that feels gender affirming to you. You could even do these things in private. Just little things that can be first steps then take it slowly from there.
It's okay if you want to talk to me about it more privately I can do it in DMs . If you want to reach out to others in the community here are some good communities that can help:
Discussion:
Memes:
If you want to speak in a more private place I'd recommend joining the Blahaj.zone group on Matrix, instructions on how to join that here: https://lemmy.blahaj.zone/post/15256176
Don't worry, I'm happy to listen to it if it can help out a fellow transfem sister.
Yeah, it can be scary. That's why it's good to have safe spaces where you can be yourself and talk about these things. I sent you some links to communities that might be helpful, best part is, they're right here on lemmy.
Type O Negative "angry inch" https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QgZBE9I8UrA
Psychedelics are the shit and everybody should consider doing them, responsibly. Make sure you're in a relatively good headspace, have someone you trust to quietly watch over you and comfort you if things get scary, and go do 5 years of therapy in a few hours.
Protip: you won't have a bad trip if you unless you try to be in control. If it gets upsetting, that's your cue you're holding on to something and need to let go.
Sounds like they had really bad gender dysphoria if they resorted to cutting off their penis. I'll admit I've wanted to do it myself many times, but was never able to go through with it physically. I still occasionally have weak desires to do it but my dysphoria is much better these days due to how much it has shrank on estrogen.
Drugs are bad, m'kay?
That's not what that word means.
And then there are people trying to convince others that those mushrooms are not as bad as other drugs...
They aren't. This man had severe psychological issues, was an alcoholic, and he took them alone.
A friend recently went to the funeral of their brother, who similarly took mushrooms with a history of depression and alcohol abuse. He believed he had killed someone, and the guilt made him take his own life.
Stay safe people.
I debated whether to say this and I'm sorry for your friend. But families will make up all kinds of bullshit to justify a suicide.
Trust me. I have a history of depression and alcohol abuse and I've taken more mushrooms than the vast majority of people on earth. You don't just start believing you killed someone. It's just not how drugs, especially psilocybin, work.
As a rule if you hear it on the news, then it's incredibly rare. The research coming out on psilocybin treatment for things like PTSD is incredible, and that alone shows how backwards our drug policies are.
Here y'all talking about drugs being dangerous, meanwhile consuming water is the third leading cause of unintentional injury death in the world. /S