LSD

Consumption and Standard Dose

• “Blotters” are most common: tiny squares of paper soaked in LSD (white crystalline powder dissolved in water). Blotters often have cartoons printed on them. They are put under the tongue until dissolved and enter the bloodstream.
• “Microdots” are little powder pellets which are swallowed
• “Windowpane” LSD come in gelatin capsules which are also swallowed
• LSD can also be dosed  in liquid form, and dropped in small amounts on the tongue
  

The Buzz

• Hallucinations, cross-transfer of senses and sensory enhancement: you may see sound waves, taste music vibrations, and hear colours, perceive moving texture patterns in furniture, floors, and fibres
• Images stay in your field of vision long after you’ve looked away, creating the perception of trails.
• 10 – 45 minutes after dropping, heart-rate and body temperature rise, vision sharpens, pupils dilate, other senses can sharpen. A body buzz and and nausea can set in temporarily.
• 45 minutes after dropping, hallucinations begin
• LSD affects people differently because people have different sensory processes and interpretations
• LSD is a very ambient drug. The high is strongly affected by the environment you do it in and with whom you do it with. It is vital to do it in serene, or positive environments to have a pleasant high. Aggressive, harsh environments, or unpleasant company can set you off on a negative trip experience.
• Body and textural dissociations or new associations can occur: hands can feel far away from the body, skin can feel rubber. Hard structures can feel softer and food can seem inedible.
• Sense of awe and enrapturement of sound, light and nature (trees, plants etc).
• Increased sense of connection with others who are using with you.
• Some people attribute spiritual experiences to LSD highs.
  

Overdose and other negative effects

• Trips last a long time, sometimes up to 12 hours. Avoid using when you have to be in public the next day.
• You are not likely to feel like eating and coming down you may find yourself exhausted. Rest and take in fruit juice and water, or perhaps an food supplement drink, like Ensure® or Boost®.
• LSD can open up intense and unpleasant thoughts and feelings. Some users experience altered states that don’t fully wear off. Do not to use LSD when you are depressed, anxious or have other mental health issues.
• There are no reported cases of people dying from LSD overdose toxicity. It would take 14,000 micrograms (about 280 hits) to be fatal. Unpleasant trips however can lead to distressing, or even suicidal thoughts.
• Bad trips feel nightmarish, panicky and confused. If you or someone you are with is having a bad trip, reduce the amount of stimulus. Reassure that fearful thoughts are coming from the drug. Supportive and calm conversation and comfortable surroundings are good remedies for a bad trip. The terms “Trip Sitter” or “Trip Sitting” describe this reassuring role. (Which is a great harm reduction strategy for all substances)
• Avoid heights as depth perception changes. Do not operate vehicles.
• Schizophrenic symptoms can develop with long-term, regular use, and can be exacerbated if you have pre-existing mental health conditions. Avoid using if there is a history of schizophrenia in you family.
• Flashbacks, both pleasant and unpleasant, as well as anxiety and panic can linger weeks after using.
  

Dangerous Drug Combinations

• Antidepressant medications can increase or decrease the effects of LSD
• Lithium-based medications increase the negative effects of LSD
• LSD is potent and unpredictable. Consider avoiding if you are taking any other mood-altering or perceptual-altering substances
  

Sex on LSD

• Can increase feelings of connection and empathy
• More emotionally sensitive to others: stick to sex with people you already know and trust
• May facilitate acting out sexual fantasies and induce erotic hallucinations
• Time can seem to stretch: sex on LSD can seem to last much longer
• May make it harder to remember or care about safer sex strategies
• Psychedelic drugs effect sex drive and sexuality activity very differently for different people
  

HIV Medications & LSD

• There are no known reactions between LSD and HIV medications