The Fungus Behind This Mysterious Disease

Ergot fungus caused a mysterious disease with terrible symptoms. But ironically, the fungus also has a ton of medical benefits! Fascinating Fails host Maren Hunsberger shares more.

[kaelhooten]

I have tons of this in my wildflower meadow! It’s neat.

If you eat it, you trip out and your limbs lose circulation and die! Good stuff.

[susanne]

I got that as medication to treat severe migraines. It really helped.

[AwesomeIan]

Fascinating! I have chronic migraines and I sometimes take dihydroergotamine, it is pretty helpful but can also make you feel miserable.

[DeltaNovum]

One of these medicinal compounds has not only saved my life, but has also made me incredibly appreciative! If you know, you know.

[Introverted]

Normalize uncontrollable bodily convulsions.

[dansv]

It played the role of the monster-of-the-week in an X-Files episode.

[WS-ddow]

It isn’t quite that simple with ergot alkaloids and migraine. It’s still only an incomplete hypothesis that cerebral vasodilation is causal. The advent of macromolecule CGRP antagonists drugs (that can’t pass the blood brain barrier) has somewhat complicated things. The mechanism of action for ergots is likely multifaceted, but one main mechanism may be via agonizing peripheral serotonin receptors, which inhibits the release of CGRP.

[Langwidere]

I read a book once where a dad builds a self-sustaining bunker for his family to survive the apocalypse and it’s great until ergot gets in their grain supply and he goes completely off the rails and tries to kill everyone!

[weevilsnitz]

excuse me while I go eat wild grains so I can become the most ergonomic person on earth

[driverjayne]

🎶I like to ride my bicycle, I like to ride my bike🎶

[LoriCurl]

How much bread do you accidentally eat?

[petersullivan]

Ye is pronounced the, it is an ancient mistake after the end of the use of the thorn character.

[mariekastler]

Ergot... Don't forget the hallucinations and miscarriages.

[TheReasonableSkeptic-iite]

Dr. Fauci. Could he be blamed for these problems back then? Just asking.

[TheKosstImogen]

If I could make a polite request, less pop-ups and limb-flailing would make it easier to focus... I understand it's good to share knowledge so trying to appeal to tiktokkers or whatever that may not usually see this sort of content is certainly a method, but does it work? Do people who wouldn't normally engage with this sort of content start engaging? If they do then I'll merrily STFU, I just find it to be a bit too much going on.