Have you just come down from a wonderful truffle or psilocybin trip, and are you wondering how long it actually takes for the active compounds to completely clear your system? Then you’ve come to the right place, because that’s exactly what we’re going to discuss in this article!
Our body is basically a big processing machine. You put something in, the body processes it, and eventually the substance leaves your system. This applies to everything you eat, inhale, or inject—from a bag of fries and an ice-cold ice cream bar (which we could all use right now) to marijuana and a paracetamol. Magic mushrooms and magic truffles are no different. And although the effects may have already “quickly” faded and are no longer noticeable, that doesn’t necessarily mean the substances have actually left your body. But how long does psilocybin—the active ingredient in both magic mushrooms and truffles—actually stay in your system?
Magic mushrooms or magic truffles?
Psilocybin (O-phosphoryl-4-hydroxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine) is found in specific types of mushrooms, but also in other fungi that we call truffles or magic truffles. Just looking at the number of psilocybin-containing mushrooms, there are quite a few! Currently, about 200 are known worldwide, and some are more potent than others. For comparison: Psilocybe azurescens is one of the most potent magic mushrooms we know of and has a psilocybin content of 1.78%. When you compare this to the 0.16% in Psilocybe liniformans, you realize that not every mushroom is the same, and you can’t simply say that 100 grams of magic mushrooms will be out of your system within a certain number of hours.
First and foremost, it is therefore important that you know the psilocybin content of the magic mushroom or truffle you are consuming. But it doesn’t stop there: your metabolism also plays a role. For example, there’s a good chance that you and your friends will each react slightly differently to a certain substance. One person might be satisfied with half a dose, while another might not feel anything until after one and a half doses. The body’s metabolism depends on various factors, such as body composition, liver and kidney function, metabolic rate, your weight, thyroid function, and a few other factors.
Average values
But can we say anything at all about how quickly magic mushrooms and truffles leave your system? Fortunately, yes! It’s important to note that we’re talking about average values here, and that every situation and every body can and will react differently to a certain substance or a certain dose.
Generally, it takes about 30 to 45 minutes for the effects of psilocybin to become noticeable in the body. After 90 minutes, the user experiences a peak, and eventually the substances wear off after about 6 hours. These phases correspond to the moments when the metabolite psilocin enters the bloodstream and is subsequently eliminated largely via the kidneys. The average half-life of psilocin is 50 minutes, and after 3 hours, about two-thirds of a dose has been eliminated via the kidneys into the urine.
Attentive readers will notice that we’re talking about psilocin here, not psilocybin—so what’s the deal with that? Fortunately, we have a simple answer for that as well: In the body, psilocybin is converted into psilocin, the substance ultimately responsible for the psychedelic effects.
The immediate effects of psilocybin use thus fade after about 6 to 12 hours, but various studies and sources report that users may experience long-term personality changes that can last for more than a year. These long-term effects are particularly significant in studies showing that psilocybin could be effective in treating depression.
How long can a drug test detect magic mushrooms or magic truffles?
As we mentioned in the introduction, the fact that an effect has worn off does not mean that the substance has actually left the body. But for how long can a drug test detect magic mushrooms? First, it is important to understand that the various tests that can be administered differ. There are generally three known types of tests that can detect psilocybin and psilocin: urine, blood, and hair tests.
Assuming the test you’re taking screens for both psilocybin and psilocin, we can generally expect the following results: These metabolites become detectable in the body within 20 to 40 minutes. With a small dose, it takes about 15 hours for psilocybin to completely clear the body. Psilocin clears the system completely within about 5 hours.
