Most difficult moments on truffles can be handled in the room, with calm company, a change of setting and time. Call 112 when someone is in physical danger, cannot be reached, or is a danger to themselves or others. Amsterdam also has an out-of-hours GP service and information lines for the questions in between. Save the numbers below in your phone before the session.
Numbers to save
| Who | Number | When |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency services (ambulance, police, fire) | 112 | Life-threatening situations, any time |
| Huisartsenposten Amsterdam (out-of-hours GP) | 088 00 30 600 | Urgent medical questions in the evening, at night and at weekends; phone first, no walk-in |
| Police, non-emergency | 0900 8844 | Reporting theft or other matters without urgency |
| Drugs Infolijn of the Trimbos Institute | 0900 1995 | Questions about drugs and their effects; calls are charged at 10 cents a minute |
The GP service lists 17:00 to 08:00 on weekdays and 24 hours at weekends and on public holidays, and asks callers to have ID and a list of their medication ready (Huisartsenposten Amsterdam). The Drugs Infolijn is run by the Trimbos Institute (DRUGSinfo).
When it gets difficult
A difficult phase often starts with anxiety, confusion or the feeling that it will never end. Jellinek gives this advice for helping someone in that state: stay calm, speak softly, make no sudden movements and do not leave the person alone. If they can still swallow properly, give them water or juice (Jellinek).
What else helps in a rented room or hotel:
- Remind the person that this comes from the truffles and that it wears off.
- Change the setting: another room, dimmer light, different music, a window open a little for fresh air.
- Sit or lie down together and breathe slowly.
- Keep other guests, staff and phones out of it as far as possible. A busy reception area is not the place to calm down.
- Do not go outside to "walk it off", certainly not along a canal or through traffic (where).
When to call 112
Call 112 straight away if someone:
- has trouble breathing, has a seizure or loses consciousness;
- is injured, has fallen, or has gone into the water;
- remains very restless, becomes aggressive or does dangerous things, which is also Jellinek's threshold for calling (Jellinek);
- has left the room confused and cannot be found.
Tell the operator what was taken, how much and when. Jellinek's page for tourists says it plainly: be honest about what you took at an emergency department so staff know what you need, and doctors will not hand you over to the police (Jellinek, information for tourists).
Jellinek
Jellinek is Amsterdam's organisation for addiction care and prevention and part of the Arkin group. For visitors its English pages are the most useful part: the tourist page explains Dutch drug policy, warns about street dealers and lists what to do in an emergency (Jellinek, information for tourists). Its Dutch page on truffles covers effects, risks and the law (Jellinek). Jellinek is no emergency service: in a crisis, its own crisis page sends you to 112 (Jellinek, crisis).
The evening
When the effects fade, most people are hungry, tired and a bit fragile. A quiet evening suits that best:
- Eat something simple and drink water.
- Stay in, or go out only for a short walk once you clearly feel like yourself again, with company and away from the water.
- No alcohol to "come down", no cannabis. Dutch-Smart warns that cannabis during the comedown can bring the effects back.
- No bike, scooter or car until the next day.
The next day
Jellinek advises taking the day after a trip off and planning nothing (Jellinek). On a city break that can be a slow museum, a long breakfast or simply a walk in daylight. If you feel unsettled for longer than a day or two after you are home, talk to your own doctor.
Before you leave, read the last step: going home without truffles.