How Long Can LSD Be Detected in Your System?
If you have a job opportunity and you are up for a drug screening, you might wonder how long LSD can be detected in your system. The answer to this question is not as simple as you might think. It all depends on a variety of factors, including how much LSD you took, your metabolism, and how often you use the drug.
Fortunately, I’ve checked numerous studies on LSD use and I’ll walk you through all of the crucial information about LSD detection so you know what to expect.
Summary of the Key Findings
- LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) produces unpredictable effects that often vary from user to user.
- LSD is a recreational drug, so it’s not considered addictive, but LSD use can have intense effects and lead to potential long-term substance abuse and psychological dependence, and mental health disorders.
- LSD is stored in body fat, and people with more body fat will have a higher concentration of the drug in their bodies.
What Is LSD?
LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) is a hallucinogenic drug that affects perceptions and can be detected by urine tests, blood tests, and hair tests. However, it does not show up on salvia standard tests [1].
It’s a powerful psychoactive substance that can strongly affect your mind and body.
LSDs are dissociative drugs, so they are classified as Schedule I drugs, meaning that they are not currently accepted for medical use. LSD is not considered addictive, but LSD use can have intense effects and lead to potential long-term substance abuse, psychological dependence, substance use disorders, and mental health disorder.
Constant LSD use can lead the person to become tolerant of the substance, resulting in higher doses being required to achieve the same effects, leading to drug abuse and therefore must seek addiction treatment.
How Long Does LSD Stay in Your System?
LSD stays in your system for 12 hours although its detection window depend on the type of drug test that is administered. LSD is metabolized in the liver and excreted in the urine. The half-life of LSD is about 5 hours, which means that it takes about 5 hours for the body to eliminate half of the drug [2].
Substance abuse research has been trying to develop different methods for detecting LSD in the system. This is because the drug breaks down quickly, is usually taken in small amounts, and is unstable.
Because LSD is not frequently detected in standard drug tests, it’s uncommon to find out if someone has used the drug. That being said, urine samples, blood samples, and hair samples may all be utilized to assess for LSD use.
1. Urine Testing
Urine tests can detect LSD within 8 hours and up to 5 days. Once the LSD molecules are broken down in the liver, they are converted into inactive chemical pieces.
The kidneys then take these inactive pieces and get rid of them through urine. Throughout the next 24 hours, the LSD in urine is almost entirely in the form of these inactive metabolites. Overall, you can detect LSD for up to 90 days after use [3].
Consequently, LSD can be detected in a urine test for up to 5 days after it is consumed. This is much longer than its usual half-life.
2. Blood Testing
A study found that LSD could stay in your blood for 16 hours after participants were given 200mcg of LSD. For those given a smaller dose of 100mcg, the substance could be detected in a blood test 8 hours after administration.
In blood tests, the levels of LSD decreased steadily over time, so the ability to detect the substance dropped considerably after 16 hours [4].
3. Hair Testing
It is possible to detect LSD in a hair test for up to 90 days after use. This is because LSD is stored in the hair sample’s follicles made of keratin – a protein that makes up the majority of our hair, nails, and skin.
A study found that the levels of LSD in hair samples were higher than those in blood or urine samples. This is because hair follicles absorb and store more of the drug than other tissues in the body [5].
4. Other Tissues
Researchers examined tissue samples from mice that had been given intravenous injections of LSD. They could detect LSD in the blood, brain, liver, kidneys, adrenal glands, thymus, lungs, and salivary glands.
Autopsy reports have confirmed the presence of LSD in human remains too. According to the researchers from the National Institute of Legal Medicine in Brazil and the United States’ Forensics Toxicology Program, this was the first study of LSD and its inactive components in human brain tissue. They discovered indications of LSD in brain tissue samples, although it was not a cause of death in many cases [6].
“LSD is also unstable, and the liver breaks it down rapidly. The time that LSD is detectable in the tissues is restrictive, so doctors need to analyze the samples quickly.”- Jessica Caporuscio, Pharm.D.
7 Factors That Affect LSD Detection Time
Various factors affect LSD detection time in the body. The speed with which LSD is removed is determined by your metabolism and other elements such as your weight, whether you are adequately hydrated, and the general health of all of your bodily systems [7].
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Age
Your age can play a role in how quickly your body metabolizes and eliminates LSD. Generally, younger people have a faster metabolism than older people. This means that they are more likely to break down and eliminate substances from their bodies faster.
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Weight
Your weight can also affect how long it takes for your body to eliminate LSD. Generally, people who weigh more will take longer to eliminate the drug from their system than those who weigh less.
LSD is stored in body fat, and people with more body fat will have a higher concentration of the drug in their bodies.
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Dehydration
Dehydration can also affect how long the LSD drug will stay in your system. When you are dehydrated, your body’s tissues are not able to function properly. This can lead to a build-up of LSD in your system and a longer detection time.
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Liver Function
Your liver is responsible for breaking down and eliminating LSD from your body. If you have a liver condition that impairs your liver function, it may take your body longer to eliminate the drug.
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Kidney Function
Your kidneys are responsible for filtering LSD from your blood and excreting it in your urine. If you have a kidney condition, it may take your body longer to eliminate the drug.
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Frequency of Use
The frequency of LSD use can also affect how long LSD stays in your system. People who use LSD more frequently will have a higher concentration of the drug in their bodies and may take longer to eliminate it.
LSD metabolites can build up in the body over time. If you take other drugs, it could increase the number of LSD metabolites in your system.
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Metabolism
Your metabolism plays a role in how quickly your body breaks down and eliminates LSD. People with fast metabolism may eliminate the drug from their system more quickly than those with a slow metabolism.
How to Get It Out of Your System?
The best way to get LSD out of your system is to wait for it to be metabolized and excreted naturally.
You can speed up this process by staying hydrated, abstaining from LSD use, or exercising. Here’s why:
- Hydrate. The metabolites of acid are excreted through your urine. Drinking plenty of fluids before, during, and after taking acid can help quickly get it out of your system.
- Stop taking acid. Timing is important when it comes to taking LSD and drug tests. The sooner you stop taking LSD, the less likely it will be detectable on a drug test.
- Exercise. Exercise can help boost your metabolism. Doing aerobic exercises and lifting weights can have the biggest impact on your metabolism.
How Long Does It Take to Feel Effects of LSD?
It takes about 20 to 90 minutes to feel the effects of LSD, and they will peak at 2 to 4 hours. LSD is usually swallowed in a capsule or liquid, or it can be absorbed in your mouth on a paper square, every way of consumption can impact how long does LSD stay in your system.
Lysergic Acid Diethylamide has the following potential side effects, in addition to its typical stimulant and euphoric properties:
Delusions- Dizziness
- Dry mouth
- Increased body temperature
- Increased Blood pressure
- Hallucinations
- Increased heart rate
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea
- Numbness
- Sleepiness
- Sweating
- Tremors
- Weakness
LSD use can have rapid emotional shifts, intensified and distorted sensory experiences, and changes in the perception of time [8].
If someone takes a lot of LSD, it can have some very unpleasant effects and harmful consequences. But sometimes, people have a terrible LSD trip no matter how much LSD they consume [9].
LSD can also cause delusions and visual hallucinations, which can make some people panic and have a bad trip. People can also experience severe negative thoughts and feelings of despair, fear of losing control, or fear of insanity and death during that bad trip.
One long-term danger of LCD usage is a condition called hallucinogen persisting perceptual disorder. In this condition, people have flashbacks that cause them problems in their social and work lives.
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- Will Concerta Show Up in a Drug Test?
- How Long Does Vicodin Stay in a System?
- How Long Can Spice Be Detected in Your System?
FAQs
Can some medications cause false-positive testing for LSD?
Yes, some medications, such as certain antipsychotics and antihistamines, can cause false positives for LSD on drug tests.
Do companies test for LSD?
It is unlikely that companies will test for LSD specifically. However, LSD may be detected on a drug screen if the person being tested has taken other drugs that can cause false positives for LSD.
What is the penalty for possession of LSD?
The penalties for possession of LSD vary by state, but they can range from a misdemeanor to a felony. Since LSDs are not FDA-approved drugs, possession of LSD can also result in a fine and/or imprisonment.
What are the withdrawal symptoms of LSD?
The withdrawal symptoms of LSD may include anxiety, depression, fatigue, headaches, insomnia, muscle aches, sweating, and tremors. It is vital to seek professional medical advice and addiction treatment resources if you or someone you know is experiencing any of these symptoms.
How Do I Get LSD out of My System Fast?
If you find yourself in a situation where you are concerned about LSD drug testing, we recommend trying detox drinks.
Detox drinks are a popular way to cleanse your system of unnecessary toxins, like LSD. They often offer a money-back guarantee.
If you’re having a work test and don’t know whether LSD will be detected in your system, I strongly advise you to look through our list of the best detox drinks and understand how they might assist you pass a test.
References:
- https://adf.org.au/insights/lsd-therapeutic-treatment/
- https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40262-017-0513-9
- https://academic.oup.com/jat/article/24/7/550/766958
- https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40262-017-0513-9
- https://doi.org/10.2174/1381612823666170622102943
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28803722/
- https://www.erowid.org/chemicals/lsd/lsd_myth1.shtml
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK482407/
- https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.1815129%20116
