Agaricus muscarius

A bright red, white-spotted hallucinogenic mushroom found in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere; traditionally known for its toxic and mind-altering properties due to the presence of muscarine, muscimol, and ibotenic acid.

Proved by Dr. Stapf under Hahnemann’s direction; published in Materia Medica Pura. Also noted for its toxicological effects observed in accidental poisonings.

Agaricus muscarius embodies the chaotic disarray of the nervous system, both physically and mentally. Its signature is twitching, jerking, and mental unreliability—reflecting overstimulation, intoxication, and loss of control. Suited for those with unstable perceptions, heightened sensitivity, and wild alternations between states—pleasure and pain, heat and cold, euphoria and despair. It is invaluable in chorea, epilepsy, frostbite, hysteria, and delirium, especially when accompanied by nervous irritability, disordered motion, and sensory confusion.

• Central Nervous System – spasms, twitching, tremors, chorea, jerking
• Skin and circulation – chilliness, prickling, burning, frostbite
• Spinal cord – motor incoordination, ataxia, myelitis
• Mind and perception – delirium, confusion, anxiety, hallucinations
• Extremities – twitching, weakness, trembling, formication
• Eyes and vision – flickering, photophobia, oscillating movements

The Agaricus mind is one of extremes—marked by alternating hilarity and terror, hyperactivity and weakness, clarity and confusion. Delusions abound: patient believes they are double, sees people growing or shrinking, or perceives vivid, brilliant colours and shapes. [Clarke] describes intense moral and physical excitability. A prominent feature is fear of going insane, with anxious restlessness and unpredictable outbursts. Laughs at everything, even grave matters, followed by irritability or sadness. Dissociation and unreality, with forgetfulness, difficulty concentrating, and feeling “as if drunk”. Ideal for choreic children with nervous irritability, involuntary movements, and destructive glee. [Kent] notes hysterical fits and disinhibited behaviour.

Disturbed by twitching, startles, or vivid dreams. Sleeplessness due to mental overactivity. May laugh, talk, or jerk in sleep. Awakens confused or trembling.

Wild, fantastic, coloured, sometimes prophetic. Dreams of flying, falling, or floating. May dream of music, dancing, or laughter. Nightmares of suffocation or being paralysed.

Exaggerated nervous excitability: twitching, spasms, jerking, numbness, formication, and confusion. Coldness with oversensitivity. Sudden onset, erratic expression, bizarre symptoms. Violent alternations of emotion and sensation. Chorea, epilepsy, hysterical attacks, and post-convulsive states. Best suited to nervous, chilly, oversensitive constitutions.

Fever with shivering, twitching, and icy extremities. Heat alternating with chills. Sudden flushes, especially in choreic states. Chill runs up the spine or down the back. Sweats often profuse but cold.

Chilliness extreme, especially with skin symptoms. Heat in flushes or after motion. Sweat cold, clammy, sometimes offensive. Sweat from the slightest exertion. Sweat worsens itching or twitching.

Headaches with icy coldness of the scalp or burning pain in spots. Twitching of facial muscles, temples, and eyebrows. Vertigo as if intoxicated. Pressive pain in the forehead, sometimes as if the head were expanding or lifting. Numbness or crawling over the scalp, often with itching or burning. Trembling of head or neck when speaking or exerting the voice. Worse in cold air or before a storm.

Flickering before the eyes, coloured spots, and photophobia. Lids twitch and tremble; eyeballs jerk or oscillate. Vision blurred or double. Cold or burning sensation in the eyes. [Hering] reports dilation and sluggish reaction of pupils, especially during nervous episodes. Tired, strained feeling in the eyes from prolonged use.

Buzzing, humming, or roaring sounds. Increased sensitivity to noise, sometimes alternating with periods of deafness. Sensation of fullness or stoppage. Twitching of surrounding muscles or lobes. Occasional neuralgic pain behind the ears, extending into head.

Tingling, sneezing, and sensitive to cold air. Coryza with clear discharge alternating with obstruction. Nosebleeds during exertion or in the morning. Numbness or crawling at the tip of the nose.

Face pale or red in alternation. Twitching of facial muscles, sometimes jerking the entire face to one side. Lips trembling or involuntarily grimacing. Involuntary laughter or talking. Tingling or burning sensations in cheeks and lips. [Allen] describes neuralgia with numbness.

Dry mouth with sticky, frothy saliva. Tongue trembles when speaking. Burning or stinging of the tongue and palate. Speech difficult, slow, or stammered due to muscular incoordination. Metallic or earthy taste. Teeth may chatter with chilliness.

Tingling or drawing pains in the teeth, especially during cold or before a storm. Sensitive to touch and pressure. Clenching or involuntary grinding. In choreic patients, may strike teeth together involuntarily.

Sensation of constriction or choking. Rawness with burning and difficulty swallowing. Hysterical globus—feeling of a lump. Throat spasms or dryness, with need to constantly swallow.

Spasmodic cough, worse from talking or laughing. Cough with itching or tickling in the throat. Sensation of constriction or coldness in the chest. Breathing irregular, sighing, or gasping. Palpitations with trembling and anxiety.

Trembling about the heart. Fluttering and palpitations from excitement or fright. Pulse irregular, weak, or slow. Sensation as if heart stops momentarily. Stitching pain under left breast.

Irregular, shallow, or sighing. Dyspnoea with weakness. Spasmodic breathing, worse after emotion or exertion. Desire for deep breaths, but unable to satisfy it.

Appetite variable, often increased despite weakness. Nausea with vertigo. Burning or gnawing pains relieved by eating. Sudden violent vomiting, especially after cold exposure. Aversion to meat or heavy food. Craving for icy drinks.

Sensation of coldness, distension, or rumbling. Cutting pain before stool or during menses. Twitching of abdominal muscles. Pressing pain in the umbilical region, worse in cold or damp air. Stool may be preceded by cramping or chill.

Diarrhoea from nervous shock, fright, or cold exposure. Stool thin, frothy, offensive. Involuntary stool during spasms or sleep. Sensation of heaviness or paralysis in the rectum. Burning after evacuation.

Frequent urging, with spasmodic flow or incomplete evacuation. Urine may be profuse or scanty, dark and foamy. Twitching of bladder neck or urethra. Dribbling after urination. Numbness or formication in bladder region.

Craves sugar and cold drinks. Aversion to meat or warm food. Eating may relieve some nervous symptoms. Worse after heavy or rich meals.

Erections violent, sometimes painful, often associated with nervous restlessness. Emissions involuntary or from excitement. Genitals cold or numb. Excessive or perverted sexual desire in choreic or hysterical types.

Menses early, profuse, or suppressed by cold or fright. Twitching increases before and during menses. Leucorrhoea thin, acrid, with itching. Sexual excitement alternating with aversion. Hysteria during ovulation or menstruation. Numbness in pelvic region.

Twitching of back muscles, especially scapulae and lower spine. Pain in spine as if bruised. Cold spots along back. Worse from sitting still, better from gentle walking. Numbness in sacrum or lumbar area.

Marked twitching, jerking, and restlessness. Fingers and toes move involuntarily. Chorea-like movements, especially in lower limbs. Coldness, numbness, and tingling of hands and feet. Cracking joints. Legs feel weak or disconnected. Tendency to drop things or stagger.

Itching, crawling, and burning—especially after scratching. Frostbite and chilblains with blue, swollen, stinging skin. Prickling or “electric” sensations. Skin numb or hyperaesthetic. May be indicated in early-stage gangrene or skin ulceration after frostbite.

• Zincum metallicum – Both have twitching and restlessness, but Zinc has more mental dullness and relief from motion
• Tarentula hispanica – Hysterical, choreic patients, but more violence, destructiveness, and rapidity
• Hyoscyamus – Hysteria and spasms, but more lascivious and shameless behaviour
• Belladonna – Sudden spasms and heat, but less erratic and more intense congestion
• Stramonium – Hallucinations and fear, but more violent and terror-filled

• Complementary: Belladonna, Phosphorus
• Antidotes: Camphora, Nux vomica
• Follows well: Opium, Zincum
• Precedes well: Secale, Lachesis

• Key remedy in chorea, especially post-viral or hysterical in nature
• Used in frostbite and chilblains with burning, itching, and stinging
• Excellent for twitching, tremors, and spasms after nervous strain
• Consider in pre-epileptic aura or post-seizure weakness
• Useful in early-stage multiple sclerosis or spinal myelitis

Mind

• Delusions, sees people small or distant
• Laughing at serious matters
• Hysteria, twitching, chorea
• Fear of insanity

Head

• Coldness, burning spots
• Trembling of head
• Itching of scalp

Extremities

• Twitching, jerking, chorea
• Numbness and tingling
• Frostbite, chilblains

Skin

• Itching, worse from scratching
• Burning, prickling
• Chilblains, frostbite

Generalities

• Worse before a storm
• Worse cold, damp weather
• Better from motion

Samuel Hahnemann – Materia Medica Pura: Core proving data including twitching, mental symptoms, and tremors

C. Hering – Guiding Symptoms: Provided insight into spinal, skin, and frostbite use

T.F. Allen – Encyclopedia of Pure Materia Medica: Detailed toxicological accounts and rare symptoms

William Boericke – Pocket Manual: Practical clinical tips and concise remedy picture

John Henry Clarke – Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica: Described peculiar mental states and erratic expressions