Man eats mushrooms after eating them from his garden after fungi popped up after torrential rain


Entrepreneur is hospitalised for TWO DAYS in horrendous ordeal after eating mushrooms which popped up in his garden during torrential rain

  • Sydney man tried eating mushrooms from his garden after torrential rain 
  • He suffered from diarrhea and vomiting and spent two nights in hospital
  • After his ordeal he told his story with a warning not to eat wild mushrooms


An entrepreneur has spent an excruciating two days in hospital after eating a mushroom that had popped up in his garden during heavy rain.  

Three hours after taking a bite out of a white mushroom from his lawn, Jonathan Herrman was hit by ‘violent vomiting and simultaneous diarrhea’

He posted about his ordeal on Facebook, along with a warning for others to not avoid making the same mistake.

The lucky man sent out solemn warning for others to avoid eating wild mushrooms at all costs

The lucky man sent out solemn warning for others to avoid eating wild mushrooms at all costs

His Facebook post drew much sympathy,  glad he hadn't eaten more of the deadly fungi

His Facebook post drew much sympathy,  glad he hadn’t eaten more of the deadly fungi

‘Do not ever try mushrooms from the garden or wild if you don’t have expert knowledge,’ Mr Herrman said. 

‘They can kill and there is no known antidote for the poison found in several species.’

He said he found ‘plain, white’ mushrooms on his lawn, which he now suspects to be lepiota venenata – a variety known at times to be toxic.

Thinking it could be an easy food source he decided to eat it – albeit with caution. 

‘I first rubbed some on sensitive skin, waited, licked, waited and then took a thumbnail size bite,’ Mr Herrman said.  ‘No discernible taste difference to an ordinary mushroom, but two to three hours later it went south pretty quickly.’

Mr Herrman fell ill with simultaneous vomiting and diarrhoea, with sweating, and a runny nose, as he saw his body ‘doing everything it could’ to discharge the poison. 

He also took ten courses of Picoprep, a drug used to clear bowels in those having a colonoscopy. 

‘I was as ill as I’ve ever felt in my life,’ Mr Herrman said.

Mr Herrman met with simultaneous diarrhea and vomiting after eating just a thumbnail- sized serving of the poisonous fungi, which hit within two to three hours of consumption

Mr Herrman met with simultaneous diarrhea and vomiting after eating just a thumbnail- sized serving of the poisonous fungi, which hit within two to three hours of consumption

After calling the Poisons Information Centre, they asked if there was an oak tree nearby, a sign that poisonous mushrooms are around.  

Faced with an hour-long wait for an ambulance, he got a lift to hospital and sat in the emergency department ‘retching and needing to race to the bathroom’.

After being put on a saline IV drip for two nights, he was released, thankful his kidneys and liver were intact, as wild mushrooms have been known to cause the vital organs to pack it in.  

The Food safety Network warned Australians last month about the risks of eating wild mushrooms, highlighting the difficulty of distinguishing between the good and bad species. 

‘Apparently I missed this memo,’ Mr Herrman said. 

 Social media lit up with comments sympathising and joking about his plight. 

‘Lucky you didn’t cook up a whole omelette mate,’ one user said. 

While another said, ‘glad you pulled through. My family did a similar thing, four ended up in a coma – but survived – the fifth wasn’t so lucky and paid the ultimate price. Count your lucky stars and buy a lotto ticket.’

‘So you only ate a thumbnail size bite and had that much of a reaction,’ another said. 

Mr Herrman posted on Thursday the toxin was mostly out of his system and there seems to be ‘no observable damage’.

Mr Herrman was thankful that his vital organs were not permanently affected by the poisoning

Mr Herrman was thankful that his vital organs were not permanently affected by the poisoning 

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