A 37-year-old man in Austria reportedly amputated his own penis with an axe after ingesting a large dose of psychedelic mushrooms, according to a case detailed in the Mega Journal of Surgery.
The man, who had a history of depression and alcohol abuse, experienced a psychotic break during which he used an axe to sever his genitals.
Doctors at Hospital Feldkirch in Austria were able to reattach part of the organ. The patient had consumed four to five dried mushrooms, which led to a brief but severe psychotic episode. Psilocybin, the active compound in “magic” mushrooms, can induce hallucinations by altering serotonin receptors in the brain and while it has been studied for potential therapeutic effects, this case highlights the dangers of unsupervised use.
The man was discovered by a passerby after wandering from his home to seek help. He arrived at the hospital approximately five hours after the incident, where doctors found that he had attempted to stem the bleeding by tying a cloth around the wound and placing the severed parts in snow. Due to contamination, only part of the organ could be reattached.
This marks the first documented case of Klingsor syndrome linked to psilocybin use, in which a person with psychological disturbance self-mutilates their genitals.
The man was placed under psychiatric care following surgery and though complications such as necrosis occurred, he eventually regained erectile and urinary functions. His recovery continued in the hospital’s urology department.
[Image created via MidJourney]