When taking a powerful drug, people may wonder about its short-term and long-term effects. As a hallucinogen, LSD is best known for its strong impact on people’s mental states and perceptions. But what does it do to the body and the brain over time?
One warning you may have heard about LSD is that it stays in the spinal fluid permanently. But is there any truth to this warning? To better protect yourself against the effects of drug use, it’s important to sort out the facts from any false claims.
Table of Contents
Does LSD Stay in the Spinal Fluid?
Drugs can linger in the body in various ways. For example, when people use marijuana frequently, its presence may be detected in their hair for a few months after they stop using it.
LSD, however, gets broken down by the body fairly quickly. In general, it’s almost fully metabolized and excreted within 24 hours. Furthermore, most people don’t take high doses of it. As such, ordinary drug tests often won’t register its presence.
However, there are some tests administered to specifically check for LSD usage. They may detect LSD reliably in the blood or urine within several hours after it’s taken. In urine, its presence may remain detectable up to a few days following ingestion.
The amount of time it takes for the body to break down LSD will vary from one individual to another, and it will be influenced by multiple factors. These include weight, age, dosage, and food intake. If someone’s liver isn’t functioning well, the LSD will break down more slowly.
But we still haven’t addressed the question of spinal fluid. Does LSD stay in the spinal fluid for the rest of your life?
As it turns out, this is a myth. Although LSD can exert some terrible effects on people, it doesn’t become a permanent part of your cerebrospinal fluid.
The Connection to Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder
HPPD is one reason the spinal fluid myth may have come about. Although the disorder is rare, it’s an example of how abusing hallucinogens can lead to issues that last longer than a single drug trip.
With HPPD, people continue to see certain distorting or unpleasant visual effects after they stop using LSD or other hallucinogens. A common effect is to see halos appear around objects or to perceive distortions in size and color. People may also be afflicted by bright lights that don’t fade in intensity.
HPPD may resolve on its own within days or weeks. Other times, it lasts for months or years. More research is needed to understand why some people develop HPPD and whether it’s connected to the length of hallucinogen use, interactions with other drugs, and the presence of certain medical or psychological conditions.
However, there’s no evidence that HPPD comes about because of LSD staying in the spinal fluid.
Other Issues With LSD
Although LSD isn’t considered an addictive drug, people may still wind up using it frequently to chase after the mental experiences it provides. When people have a good experience with an LSD trip, they report positive feelings and a sense that their mind has expanded. However, the outcome of a trip isn’t reliable, and it may become a nightmare.
A bad trip can produce nightmarish visual effects and powerful negative emotions. The panic and confusion can become intense, and some users continue to suffer flashbacks from a bad trip after the drug has worn off. The changes in mood and perception may interact in unpredictable ways with existing psychological problems.
Like other hallucinogens, LSD can also endanger your life by impairing your judgment and making you unaware of risks in your environment. In an altered mental state, you may fail to judge distances, tell how much time has passed, or identify harmful objects or situations.
Although LSD doesn’t linger in your body, it does lead to short-term physiological changes that may be unpleasant, including nausea, excessive sweating, and tremors. It also increases heart rate and blood pressure, though usually not to the same extent as other drugs, such as cocaine. Generally, the main concerns people have with LSD involve its psychological effects.
Do You Need Help With LSD Abuse?
When people think of drug abuse, LSD typically doesn’t come to mind, not in the way that alcohol, opioids, or other drugs do. However, it’s still possible for LSD use to become problematic or abusive, interfering with your life in damaging ways.
Is taking LSD hurting your ability to commit to a job, go to school, maintain healthy relationships, or enjoy other activities? Are you experiencing various negative effects on your mood or perceptions? Along with some of the effects already mentioned, it’s possible that you’re suffering from impairments to attention, memory, or motivation.
Additional complications can arise if you’re using LSD simultaneously with other drugs. Your current physical and psychological health will also determine how the frequent use or abuse of LSD affects you.
Don’t hesitate to reach out to us for professional guidance and treatment. Even if you don’t think you’re suffering from addiction or abuse, you may still benefit from discussing your drug use and its effects on your life.
LSD may not be as dangerous as other drugs, such as highly addictive opioids, and it doesn’t linger in your spinal fluid or other parts of your body. However, it can still cause or exacerbate various problems. Instead of struggling on your own, talk to professionals who will treat you as an individual and work to meet your specific needs.
FAQ
How long does LSD stay in your system?