A third person has died in an outbreak linked to Diamond Shruumz brand edibles.
According to the Food and Drug Administration, as of Oct. 3, there have been 175 confirmed illnesses, with 70 patients requiring hospitalization. The patients are spread across 33 states.
All patients had eaten Diamond Shruumz brand chocolate bars, cones or gummies.
Tests have shown that the edibles contain dangerous chemicals that have caused a variety of symptoms, including breathing problems, seizures, central nervous system depression, loss of consciousness, abnormal heart rate, hyper/hypotension, nausea and vomiting.
The manufacturer has recalled all flavors and types of Diamond Shruumz. However, the FDA has found that the edibles are still available in some stores and online outlets.
Consumers should not purchase or consume Diamond Shruumz branded products. If you’ve noticed a store continuing to sell recalled Diamond Shruumz brand products, that’s possible report this information to the FDA.
Consumers are urged to check their homes for recalled products and to throw them away if they have them on hand.
Anyone who experiences side effects after consuming recalled products is urged to seek immediate medical attention, especially if they have difficulty breathing.
These products are marketed for ‘microdosing’ and contain a mixture of mushrooms that do not contain magic mushrooms (psilocybin) or other hallucinogenic mushrooms. Products containing psychoactive substances, such as mushroom extracts, are becoming more widely available and may contain undisclosed ingredients, including illegal substances, or potentially harmful contaminants not approved for use in food, according to the New Jersey Poison Center, based at Rutgers University. In fact, the center reports more illnesses than the FDA has recorded.
“Across the country, poison control centers have received 198 reports of exposure, including 108 cases of more severe illness. Of the 108 cases with more severe disease, 91 sought medical attention,” the Rutgers center said.
One of the chemicals found in the edibles is muscimol, which is particularly dangerous, but it cannot explain all the symptoms patients experienced during the outbreak.
In addition to muscimol, FDA analyzes of Diamond Shruumz brand edibles identified the presence of the following compounds:
Acetylpsilocin (also known as 4-acetoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine, 4-acetoxy-DMT, O-acetylpsilocin or psilacetin);
Psilocin, a Schedule I controlled substance;
Pregabalin, a prescription drug; Desmethoxyyangonine, dihydrokavain and kavain (kavalactones found in the kava plant).
The results in one table found here show different compounds in different flavors of chocolate bars and cones. Even for the same flavor of a chocolate bar or cone, there can be variations in the compounds present.
Although these compounds have known effects individually when taken, less research exists on their interactions when taken together. Medical officials from the FDA and CDC interpret these test results to understand the health risks of consuming these chemicals and determine appropriate next steps.
Additional testing is being conducted for the Diamond Shruumz brand chocolate bars listed in the table, and the product table will be updated as sample results, including gummy results, become available.
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