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A Hamilton woman who died after eating magic mushrooms is believed to be the first person in the country to have had a fatal reaction to the fungi.
Police say the 23-year-old student was rushed to Waikato Hospital in a critical condition after eating the magic mushrooms about 8.30pm on Thursday.
Senior Sergeant Marcus Lynam said the mushrooms had been picked from around Hamilton that day.
He said the woman went cold, became scared and then collapsed after eating an unknown quantity with friends at a party.
Her friends, who had also eaten the mushrooms without any problem, called an ambulance and CPR was carried out before she was taken to hospital. The Waikato University student died soon after.
Her family are said to be devastated and have asked the police and the university to respect her privacy and not release her name.
Mr Lynam said police were still awaiting toxicology results and while they could not conclusively attribute the woman's death to the mushrooms, the fungi did appear to be linked in some way.
Poisons Centre medical toxicologist Michael Beasley said people tended to experience shivering, muscle aches and lightheadedness and become fearful within half an hour of ingesting magic mushrooms.
Within an hour they sweated and experienced hallucinations similar to an LSD trip.
Dr Beasley said in some rare cases people had suffered seizures and heart problems but he was not aware of anyone dying in New Zealand or overseas after having magic mushrooms.
Dr Beasley said people more commonly died after eating a different species of mushrooms called Amanita, one of which is commonly known as "the death cap" and could cause liver or kidney failure.
In 2005 a Waikato man needed a liver transplant after eating a death cap that was growing in his backyard.
Sergeant Pete Whittaker of the Hamilton police said last night the woman had an existing medical condition and was on medication.
"It's too early to establish the exact cause of death. Early indications are there were other medical conditions that may have contributed to her death."
He said it was reported to police that she had taken magic mushrooms. "But inquiries are still going to establish whether that was the case," he said.
Fatal fungi
* One species of mushrooms, the Amanita phalloides - known as the death cap - can cause liver and kidney damage and has been known to kill people.
* Magic mushrooms belong to a different species, not considered as dangerous. Effects include hallucinations and in rare cases seizures or heart problems and last for between four and six hours.
* The active ingredient in magic mushrooms, psilocybe, is classified as an illegal drug and people caught with them can be charged with possession of a class-A drug.
