A 37-year-old Austrian man amputated his own penis with an axe after consuming a large dose of psychedelic mushrooms, according to a medical report.
The man, who was at his holiday home, had consumed a large quantity of psilocybin-containing mushrooms before performing the self-amputation with a blunt axe, per the New York Post.
According to reports, the man ingested four to five mushrooms before attempting the drastic procedure.
He used the blunt axe to quarter his penis into four parts, after which he panicked.
He placed the severed parts in a jar filled with soil and snow and tried to stop the bleeding by covering the wound with a cloth.
Bleeding heavily, the man sought help and eventually found a passer-by who guided him to a nearby village.
There, he was met by an ambulance, approximately five hours after the ordeal began.
Fortunately, doctors in Austria were able to successfully reattach the severed organ.
This disturbing incident, now detailed in the Mega Journal of Surgery, marks the first documented case of its kind, according to PsyPost.org.
Psilocybin, the active compound in "magic" mushrooms, is known for its ability to induce hallucinatory states by affecting serotonin receptors in the brain.
While it has been used historically by indigenous cultures in spiritual rituals, recent studies have highlighted its potential for treating psychological conditions such as depression, anxiety, addiction, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
The incident was also documented in the Open Journal of Urology, which noted that while psilocybin therapy has shown positive results for patients with major depressive disorder, high doses can lead to severe side effects.
The journal study stated: “Psilocybin therapy has been tested successfully in patients with major depressive disorder. However, aside from its therapeutic effects, in patients consuming high doses of psilocybin, experiences of fear and paranoia have been reported in up to 31 percent and 17 percent, respectively.”
However, in this case, the man did not find relief, instead suffering a severe psychotic episode after using the substance without supervision to manage his mental health.
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The patient has no memory of the event, according to the medical report. Following the surgery, he was placed under psychiatric care as he continued to experience psychotic episodes for about a week.
Once stabilized, he moved to the hospital's urology department for further recovery.
Complications arose during the man’s recovery, including necrosis (tissue death), but the condition healed over time.
Within a few months of the surgery, he had regained both erectile and urinary functions.
