How do Amanita muscaria, Amanita pantherina and royal fly agaric compare on dosing? All three contain ibotenic acid and muscimol, but they differ in measured strength, in how much research exists, and in how cautiously you should start. This chart puts the cautious starting amounts from our product pages side by side, along with what lab analyses and poisoning reports say about each species. It's a harm-reduction reference, not a recommendation to take any of them.
For all three species, our product pages suggest a cautious starting amount of 0.1 to 0.2 g of dried material, weighed on a scale that reads to 0.01 g. These are conventions, not measured safe doses. Panther cap needs the most caution: two analysed caps held 1,554 to 1,880 ppm muscimol, compared with 46 to 1,052 ppm in five fly agaric caps (Tsujikawa 2006), and panther cap poisonings were more often severe (Moss 2019). Start at the lower end, 0.1 g or less, and wait a full 24 hours. Royal fly agaric has no published muscimol measurements at all, so treat it as at least as strong as fly agaric and hold your starting amount for a full week. A 0.5 g capsule is not a first amount for any of the three.
This chart is for adults only. Don't use any of these mushrooms if you're pregnant, breastfeeding, under 18, take sedatives or psychiatric medicines, or have heart, kidney or seizure conditions. Our Amanita safety checklist lists the full set of precautions.
The Amanita Dosage Chart at a Glance
| Amanita muscaria | Amanita pantherina | Royal fly agaric (Amanita regalis) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cautious starting amount (dried) | 0.1–0.2 g | 0.1 g or less (0.1–0.2 g upper limit) | 0.1–0.2 g |
| Wait before changing the amount | Several days | At least 24 hours after one dose; days before any increase | A full week |
| Measured muscimol in caps | 46–1,052 ppm (5 caps) | 1,554–1,880 ppm (2 caps) | Not published |
| Muscimol in 0.1 g of cap | About 0.005–0.1 mg | About 0.16–0.19 mg | Unknown |
| Our capsule size | 0.5 g | 0.5 g | 0.5 g |
| Is one capsule a first amount? | No | No | No |
| Typical onset | 30 minutes to 2 hours | 30 to 90 minutes | 1 to 2 hours in case reports |
| Main research base | Lab analyses, poisoning series | Lab analyses, poisoning series | One 1979 case report |
The muscimol figures come from Tsujikawa 2006 and are converted at 1,000 ppm = 1 mg per gram. They describe a handful of caps, not every mushroom of that species. Our product pages are the source of the starting amounts.
Why Is the Starting Amount the Same When the Species Differ?
Because nobody has measured a safe dose for any of them. The 0.1 to 0.2 g range is a cautious convention used across harm-reduction communities and borrowed for each species. What differs is how firmly you should stay at the bottom of that range and how long you should wait.
The bigger problem is variation within a species. In that Japanese analysis, muscimol in five fly agaric caps ranged from 46 to 1,052 ppm, more than a twentyfold spread (Tsujikawa 2006). A survey of Chinese Amanita species found muscimol ranging from almost none to 5.87 g per kilogram of dry weight across the species tested (Su 2023). Season, location, which part of the mushroom you use and how it was dried all shift the numbers. Our article on fly agaric potency factors explains why.
That's why weighing matters more than the exact figure. A scale that reads to 0.01 g, such as our spoon scale, lets you start low and change in small steps.
Amanita Muscaria: The Reference Point
Fly agaric is the best studied of the three and the usual point of comparison. It contains more of the excitatory ibotenic acid relative to muscimol than panther cap. In a Slovenian poison centre series, people poisoned by fly agaric were more often confused and agitated, while those poisoned by panther cap were more often comatose (Vendramin 2014).
Dried caps or powder: start at 0.1 to 0.2 g, ideally in the morning, and keep that amount for several days before changing anything. Our guide on how to start taking Amanita sets out a step-by-step plan.
Capsules: our Amanita muscaria capsules hold 0.5 g each. That's useful once you know how you react, but too much for a first try.
Tincture: our Amanita muscaria tincture page suggests beginning with 5 to 10 drops in water once a day. Our article on how to use Amanita tincture covers drop-based dosing.
Drying and heat convert some ibotenic acid into muscimol, which changes how a given weight feels. Our article on ibotenic acid vs muscimol explains the difference.
Amanita Pantherina: Start Lower, Wait Longer
Panther cap is the species to treat with the most respect. The two caps analysed in Japan held more muscimol than any of the fly agaric caps, at 1,554 to 1,880 ppm (Tsujikawa 2006). In a 15-year review of poison centre cases, panther cap ingestions were more symptomatic than fly agaric: stomach symptoms occurred in 80% versus 35%, central nervous system depression in 70% versus 35% (Moss 2019).
Starting amount: our panther cap capsules page says beginners should start with 0.1 to 0.2 g and wait a full 24 hours before judging the response. Many harm-reduction sources go lower, around 0.05 to 0.1 g. Given the measured strength, starting at the bottom of that range is the safer choice.
Capsules: each holds 0.5 g, which is several times the starting range. Use powder and a scale for your first attempts.
Our guides to panther cap potency and risk and panther cap overdose signs cover what to watch for.
Royal Fly Agaric: The Unknown
Royal fly agaric (Amanita regalis) is the least researched of the three. No published study has measured its ibotenic acid or muscimol content. The indexed clinical literature is one 1979 report of three people in Finland who ate it by mistake, thinking it was an edible parasol mushroom (Elonen 1979). All three had nausea and heavy vomiting. Two had confusion or hallucinations, and copious salivation or sweating. All recovered within 24 hours.
Starting amount: our royal fly agaric caps page suggests 0.1 to 0.2 g in the morning, held for a full week before any change. With no measurements, the sensible assumption is that a gram is at least as strong as fly agaric, possibly stronger.
Capsules: our royal fly agaric capsules hold 0.5 g each. That's a substantial amount for this species, not a starting amount.
Our royal fly agaric dosage guide explains where the 0.1 to 0.2 g figure comes from and why it isn't a measured dose.
Can You Swap One Species for Another Gram for Gram?
No. If you're used to a certain amount of fly agaric, don't take the same weight of panther cap. The measured muscimol figures suggest panther cap can be several times stronger by weight. Royal fly agaric is unmeasured. When switching species, go back to the bottom of the starting range and work up again as if you were new.
Mixing species in one dose makes it even harder to know what you've taken. Our comparisons of panther cap vs fly agaric and royal fly agaric vs fly agaric go into the differences.
What Rules Apply to All Three?
- Weigh every amount. Teaspoons and "a small piece" are far too imprecise.
- Use caps, not stems. Stems hold far less of the active compounds than caps (Tsujikawa 2006), so mixing them in makes the strength less predictable.
- Change one thing at a time. Same amount, same time of day, same preparation, until you know how you react.
- Never combine with alcohol or sedatives. They act on the same brain receptors.
- Don't redose on the same day because you feel nothing. Onset can take up to two hours.
- Have someone with you the first time and whenever you change the amount.
When Should You Stop and Get Help?
Stop and seek medical help for heavy vomiting, confusion, hallucinations you didn't expect, drenching sweat or drooling, a slow pulse, unusual drowsiness or difficulty waking. Lay a drowsy person on their side, and keep the packaging for the medical team.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Amanita is the strongest?
Of the measured samples, panther cap held the most muscimol per gram, and its poisonings were more often severe. Royal fly agaric has never been measured, so nobody knows where it sits.
Is 0.5 g of Amanita a microdose?
Not for a first try with any of these three species. Our product pages suggest 0.1 to 0.2 g as a cautious starting amount, and less for panther cap.
How long should I wait before increasing the amount?
Several days for fly agaric, at least a day after a single panther cap dose and days before any increase, and a full week for royal fly agaric.
Do capsules and powder have the same strength?
Our capsules contain the same dried, milled material as the powder, 0.5 g per capsule. The difference is that powder lets you weigh smaller amounts.
Why don't you give higher doses in this chart?
Because the variation within each species is large and no dose has been tested for safety. A cautious starting point is the only figure we can give responsibly.
Related Articles
- Royal Fly Agaric Dosage Guide
- Panther Cap Potency and Risk
- How to Start Taking Amanita
- Fly Agaric Potency Factors
- Panther Cap vs Fly Agaric
Sources
- Tsujikawa K, Mohri H, Kuwayama K, et al. Analysis of hallucinogenic constituents in Amanita mushrooms circulated in Japan. Forensic Sci Int. 2006;164(2-3):172-178. PubMed 16464551
- Su YT, Liu J, Yang DN, Cai Q, Yang ZL, Chen ZH. Determination of ibotenic acid and muscimol in species of the genus Amanita section Amanita from China. Toxicon. 2023;233:107257. PubMed 37611670
- Moss MJ, Hendrickson RG. Toxicity of muscimol and ibotenic acid containing mushrooms reported to a regional poison control center from 2002-2016. Clin Toxicol (Phila). 2019;57(2):99-103. PubMed 30073844
- Vendramin A, Brvar M. Amanita muscaria and Amanita pantherina poisoning: two syndromes. Toxicon. 2014;90:269-272. PubMed 25173077
- Elonen E, Tarssanen L, Härkönen M. Poisoning with brown fly agaric, Amanita regalis. Acta Med Scand. 1979;205(1-2):121-123. PubMed 760400