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Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is a powerful and long-lasting psychoactive substance that causes radical changes in perception and thought. Its effects are unpredictable, and scientists have different ideas about its exact duration, which varies based on dose and factors like environment, tolerance, and more.
When acid molecules land on serotonin receptors, they cause LSD’s well-known visual and physical effects. This includes color and shape distortions, hallucinations, and other psychedelic effects.
When the molecules nestle into the receptor pockets, amino acids within the receptor put a “lid” over the molecules. This traps the molecules in place.
The psychoactive substance effects won’t begin to fade until the molecules are knocked off or come loose from the serotonin receptor. This can take anywhere from 6 to 15 hours. It all depends on the potency of the psychoactive substance , your size etc.
How Long LSD Lasts: Effects Timeline
While an acid trip typically lasts around 10 hours, the experiences you have throughout that time will vary wildly, even from minute to minute in some cases.
Below is a comprehensive breakdown of the LSD timeline of effects for most users.
1. Onset of Effects
(1 hour)
Most people experience an onset of effects within 30 minutes to an hour. The dosing method can affect the onset time, with liquid LSD usually kicking in a bit more quickly than blotter paper, microdots, or other dosing options.
The come-up usually includes mild visual hallucinations and giddiness. You may feel a mild body sensation, a boost in energy, or some nervousness as the LSD starts to kick in.
2. Peak Effects
+2 Hours (2–3 hours from start)
You can expect the most intense effects of your acid trip to kick in between one and two hours. This phase of the acid trip can include more severe hallucinations, ego death, a disconnection with reality, and powerful, introspective thoughts. The peak effects often last for one to two hours.
3. Post-Peak Waves
+2 Hours (3–6 hours from start)
At around three and a half to four hours after taking LSD, your effects will start to weaken. Most users experience waves of strong and weak experiences during this time. The peak effects can return and subside for several hours, gradually becoming less and less intense.
4. Comedown & Trip End
+2–4 Hours (6–10 hours from start)
After about six hours, you’ll begin the comedown. It’s at this point that the noticeable effects will start to fade, and you might begin to internalize and integrate your experiences during the peak of the trip. Most people still experience some light hallucinations or noticeably altered perception, but some feel totally back to normal by about six hours into the trip.
For most people, the end of the trip is about 10 to 12 hours after dosing. At this point, all noticeable effects will have subsided, and you’ll feel entirely back to normal. Most people are exhausted at this point from the mental experiences of tripping.
5. Afterglow
1–7 Days
The “afterglow” refers to an elevated mood that some users experience for days or even weeks after taking LSD. By 24 hours after consuming LSD, the psychoactive substance will have entirely left your system. However, the experiences can stick with you for some time after the trip.
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Factors That Affect The Duration of LSD Effects
The timeline of LSD’s effects isn’t the same for everyone, and it can even vary from trip to trip for a single individual. There are a few things that can have an impact on how long LSD lasts for you.
1. Dosage
One of the most significant factors for how long LSD lasts is the dose you consume. As you might expect, larger doses tend to last longer. The half-life of LSD is the same regardless of dose (5.1 hours), but the more you take means it’s going to take longer for drug levels to reach a point that’s below the threshold for effects.
The standard dose for LSD is around 140 mcg, and the threshold is around 50 mcg. Once the concentration of LSD dips below this amount, the effects will be essentially worn off.
At 140 mcg, it will take 2 half-cycles for LSD to fall below 50 mcg. Since we know the half-life of LSD is 3.6 hours [6], this means 2 cycles are going to take about 7 hours to complete.
If you take double the dose, say 280 mcg, it’s going to take 3 half-cycles to reach 50 mg instead, thus prolonging the effects to around 11 hours (or longer).
Of course, there’s a limit to this effect. Taking 10 times the dose doesn’t work out to a trip lasting 10 times as long, but it will certainly be much longer-lasting than normal.
2. Tolerance
As is the case with p, your tolerance for LSD will also have an impact on the effects you experience.
Tolerance to LSD forms very quickly. If you take one dose today, you’ll need to take nearly three times that dose to feel the same level of effects the next time.
You can also get cross-tolerance from other psychedelics, such as psilocybin, DMT, and mescaline.
Tolerance drops off each day after the initial trip and is essentially back to normal by 14 days or less.
With higher tolerance comes a reduced intensity of effects as well as the duration of effects. So if you’ve used LSD or other psychedelics within the past two weeks, your trip is likely going to be much milder and shorter.
3. Liver Metabolism
The liver is involved in processing nearly every psychoactive substance you ingest, and LSD is no exception.
Studies have shown that the primary metabolism of LSD is completed in the liver by the enzymes CYP2D6, CYP2E1, and CYP3A4 (to nor-LSD), and CYP1A2, CYP2C9, CYP2E1, and CYP3A4 (to OH-LSD)
If any of these enzyme pathways are reduced (due to genetic polymorphisms, liver disease, or medication use), the metabolism of LSD may become slower — thus producing longer-lasting effects.
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How Long Does LSD Stay In Your System?
LSD has an elimination half-life of just under four hours, and most of the psychoactive substance will be eliminated from the body within 12 hours . Traces of LSD can persist for up to 24 hours in your blood and one to three days in your urine.
Effects on your brain/perception
LSD creates powerful hallucinogenic effects. Your senses are heightened during a trip. Everything in your environment may feel amplified.
During an acid trip, you may see:
- brighter colors
- changing shapes
- trails behind objects
- unusual patterns
- “noisy” colors
LSD can also amplify your mood. If you take acid when you’re feeling good, you may feel more relaxed, happy, or content. You may also become unusually excited and joyful.
If you take acid while you’re upset or angry about something or someone, you may grow more upset or frustrated during the trip. Take your current mood and surroundings into account before you decide to trip.
These symptoms should subside completely within 24 hours.
