LSD

"Lsd" redirects here. Not to be confused with £sd.
For other uses, see LSD (disambiguation).

Lysergic acid diethylamide
INN: Lysergide
Skeletal formula of LSD
3D stick model of LSD
Clinical data
Pronunciation/daɪ eθəl ˈæmaɪd/, /æmɪd/, or /eɪmaɪd/[1][2][3]
Trade namesDelysid
Other namesLSD, LSD-25, LAD, acid, lucy, among others
AHFS/Drugs.comReference
Pregnancy
category
  • C
Dependence
liability		Low[4]
Addiction
liability		None[5]
Routes of
administration		By mouth, under the tongue
Drug classSerotonergic psychedelic (hallucinogen)
ATC code
  • None
Legal status
Legal status
Pharmacokinetic data
Bioavailability71%[6]
Protein bindingUnknown[7]
MetabolismLiver (CYP450)[6]
Metabolites2-Oxo-3-hydroxy-LSD[6]
Onset of action30–40 minutes[8]
Elimination half-life3.6 hours[6][9]
Duration of action8–20 hours[10]
ExcretionKidneys[6][9]
Identifiers
  • (6aR,9R)-N,N-diethyl-7-methyl-4,6,6a,7,8,9-hexahydroindolo[4,3-fg]quinoline-9-carboxamide
CAS Number
PubChem CID
IUPHAR/BPS
DrugBank
ChemSpider
UNII
KEGG
ChEBI
ChEMBL
PDB ligand
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)
ECHA InfoCard100.000.031 Edit this at Wikidata
Chemical and physical data
FormulaC20H25N3O
Molar mass323.440 g·mol−1
3D model (JSmol)
Melting point80 to 85 °C (176 to 185 °F)
Solubility in water67.02[11] mg/mL (20 °C)
  • CCN(CC)C(=O)[C@H]1CN([C@@H]2Cc3c[nH]c4c3c(ccc4)C2=C1)C
  • InChI=1S/C20H25N3O/c1-4-23(5-2)20(24)14-9-16-15-7-6-8-17-19(15)13(11-21-17)10-18(16)22(3)12-14/h6-9,11,14,18,21H,4-5,10,12H2,1-3H3/t14-,18-/m1/s1 checkY
  • Key:VAYOSLLFUXYJDT-RDTXWAMCSA-N checkY
  (verify)

Lysergic acid diethylamide, commonly known as LSD (from German Lysergsäure-diethylamid), is a potent psychedelic drug that intensifies thoughts, emotions, and sensory perception.[12] Often referred to as acid or lucy, LSD can cause mystical, spiritual, or religious experiences.[13][14] At higher doses, it primarily induces visual and auditory hallucinations.[15][16] While LSD does not cause physical addiction, it can lead to adverse psychological reactions, such as anxiety, paranoia, and delusions.[7] Additionally, it may trigger "flashbacks," also known as hallucinogen persisting perception disorder, where individuals experience persistent visual distortions after use.[17][18]

LSD’s effects begin within 30 minutes of ingestion and can last up to 20 hours, with most trips averaging 8–12 hours.[19][20] It is synthesized from lysergic acid and commonly administered via tabs of blotter paper.[21] LSD is mainly used recreationally or for spiritual purposes.[19][22] As a serotonin receptor agonist, LSD's precise effects are not fully understood, but it is known to alter the brain’s default mode network, leading to its powerful psychedelic effects.[12][23][24]

The drug was first synthesized by Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann in 1938 and became widely studied in the 1950s and 1960s.[19][17] It was used experimentally in psychiatry for treating alcoholism and schizophrenia.[25] However, its association with the counterculture movement of the 1960s led to its classification as a Schedule I drug in the U.S. in 1968.[26] It was also listed as a Schedule 1 controlled substance by the United Nations in 1971 and remains without approved medical uses.[19]

Despite its legal restrictions, LSD remains influential in scientific and cultural contexts. Its therapeutic potential has been explored, particularly in treating mental health disorders.[12][27] As of 2017, about 10% of people in the U.S. had used LSD at some point, with 0.7% having used it in the past year.[28] Usage rates have risen, with a 56.4% increase in adult use in the U.S. from 2015 to 2018.[29]

  1. ^ "Definition of "amide"". Collins English Dictionary. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved January 31, 2015.
  2. ^ "American Heritage Dictionary Entry: amide". Ahdictionary.com. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved January 31, 2015.
  3. ^ "amide – definition of amide in English from the Oxford Dictionary". Oxforddictionaries.com. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved January 31, 2015.
  4. ^ Halpern JH, Suzuki J, Huertas PE, Passie T (June 7, 2014). "Hallucinogen Abuse and Dependence". In Price LH, Stolerman IP (eds.). Encyclopedia of Psychopharmacology A Springer Live Reference. Heidelberg, Germany: Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. pp. 1–5. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-27772-6_43-2. ISBN 978-3-642-27772-6. Hallucinogen abuse and dependence are known complications resulting from ... LSD and psilocybin. Users do not experience withdrawal symptoms, but the general criteria for substance abuse and dependence otherwise apply. Dependence is estimated in approximately 2 % of recent-onset users
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference NHM-MDMA was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ a b c d e Cite error: The named reference Dol2015 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ a b Passie T, Halpern JH, Stichtenoth DO, Emrich HM, Hintzen A (2008). "The pharmacology of lysergic acid diethylamide: a review". CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics. 14 (4): 295–314. doi:10.1111/j.1755-5949.2008.00059.x. PMC 6494066. PMID 19040555.
  8. ^ Neinstein LS (2008). Adolescent Health Care: A Practical Guide. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. p. 931. ISBN 9780781792561. Archived from the original on December 26, 2018. Retrieved January 27, 2017.
  9. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Muc2016 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Kranzler HR, Ciraulo DA (April 2, 2007). Clinical Manual of Addiction Psychopharmacology. American Psychiatric Pub. p. 216. ISBN 9781585626632. Archived from the original on December 26, 2018. Retrieved January 27, 2017.
  11. ^ "Lysergide". pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Archived from the original on April 12, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  12. ^ a b c Nichols DE (April 2016). Barker EL (ed.). "Psychedelics". Pharmacological Reviews. 68 (2): 264–355. doi:10.1124/pr.115.011478. ISSN 0031-6997. PMC 4813425. PMID 26841800.
  13. ^ Liechti ME, Dolder PC, Schmid Y (May 2017). "Alterations of consciousness and mystical-type experiences after acute LSD in humans". Psychopharmacology. 234 (9–10): 1499–1510. doi:10.1007/s00213-016-4453-0. PMC 5420386. PMID 27714429.
  14. ^ Griffiths RR, Hurwitz ES, Davis AK, Johnson MW, Jesse R (April 23, 2019). "Survey of subjective "God encounter experiences": Comparisons among naturally occurring experiences and those occasioned by the classic psychedelics psilocybin, LSD, ayahuasca, or DMT". PloS One. 14 (4): e0214377. Bibcode:2019PLoSO..1414377G. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0214377. PMC 6478303. PMID 31013281.
  15. ^ Leptourgos P, Fortier-Davy M, Carhart-Harris R, Corlett PR, Dupuis D, Halberstadt AL, et al. (December 2020). "Hallucinations Under Psychedelics and in the Schizophrenia Spectrum: An Interdisciplinary and Multiscale Comparison". Schizophrenia Bulletin. 46 (6): 1396–1408. doi:10.1093/schbul/sbaa117. PMC 7707069. PMID 32944778.
  16. ^ Holze F, Vizeli P, Ley L, Müller F, Dolder P, Stocker M, et al. (February 2021). "Acute dose-dependent effects of lysergic acid diethylamide in a double-blind placebo-controlled study in healthy subjects". Neuropsychopharmacology. 46 (3): 537–544. doi:10.1038/s41386-020-00883-6. PMC 8027607. PMID 33059356.
  17. ^ a b "Commonly Abused Drugs Charts". National Institute on Drug Abuse. July 2, 2018. Archived from the original on March 1, 2020. Retrieved July 14, 2018.
  18. ^ Halpern JH, Lerner AG, Passie T (2018). A Review of Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder (HPPD) and an Exploratory Study of Subjects Claiming Symptoms of HPPD. Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences. Vol. 36. pp. 333–360. doi:10.1007/7854_2016_457. ISBN 978-3-662-55878-2. PMID 27822679.
  19. ^ a b c d "LSD profile (chemistry, effects, other names, synthesis, mode of use, pharmacology, medical use, control status)". EMCDDA. Archived from the original on April 28, 2021. Retrieved July 14, 2018.
  20. ^ Sloat S (January 27, 2017). "This is Why You Can't Escape an Hours-Long Acid Trip". Inverse. Archived from the original on June 11, 2021. Retrieved February 3, 2020.
  21. ^ "What are hallucinogens?". National Institute of Drug Abuse. January 2016. Archived from the original on April 17, 2016. Retrieved April 24, 2016.
  22. ^ Gershon L (July 19, 2016). "How LSD Went From Research to Religion". JSTOR Daily. Archived from the original on January 28, 2021. Retrieved July 14, 2018.
  23. ^ Nichols DE (February 2004). "Hallucinogens". Pharmacology & Therapeutics. 101 (2): 131–181. doi:10.1016/j.pharmthera.2003.11.002. ISSN 1879-016X. PMID 14761703.
  24. ^ Girn M, Roseman L, Bernhardt B, Smallwood J, Carhart-Harris R, Spreng RN (May 3, 2020). "Serotonergic psychedelic drugs LSD and psilocybin reduce the hierarchical differentiation of unimodal and transmodal cortex". bioRxiv. doi:10.1101/2020.05.01.072314. S2CID 233346402.
  25. ^ Chwelos N, Blewett DB, Smith CM, Hoffer A (September 1959). "Use of d-lysergic acid diethylamide in the treatment of alcoholism". Quarterly Journal of Studies on Alcohol. 20 (3): 577–590. doi:10.15288/qjsa.1959.20.577. PMID 13810249.
  26. ^ United States Congress House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce Subcommittee on Public Health and Welfare (1968). Increased Controls Over Hallucinogens and Other Dangerous Drugs. U.S. Government Printing Office. Archived from the original on July 13, 2020. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  27. ^ "Psychiatric Research with Hallucinogens". www.druglibrary.org. Archived from the original on July 26, 2021. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
  28. ^ National Institute on Drug Abuse. "Hallucinogens". Archived from the original on June 3, 2020. Retrieved July 14, 2018.
  29. ^ Yockey RA, Vidourek RA, King KA (July 2020). "Trends in LSD use among US adults: 2015–2018". Drug and Alcohol Dependence. 212: 108071. doi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2020.108071. PMID 32450479. S2CID 218893155.