Why LSD lasts so long

[integral]

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/315501

Quote

LSD molecule becomes wedged, sealed in serotonin receptor

Most doses of LSD are small – an average of 100 micrograms – yet acid trips tend to be ongoing for the majority of a day. Molecules from LSD are removed from the bloodstream in a matter of hours, which has confused scientists as to why LSD effects linger for such a long time.

“There are different levels of understanding for how drugs like LSD work,” advises Roth. “The most fundamental level is to find out how the drug binds to a receptor on a cell. The only way to do that is to solve the structure. And to do that, you need X-ray crystallography, the gold standard.”

Postdoctoral researchers Daniel Wacker, Ph.D., and Sheng Wang, Ph.D., led experiments to capture crystallography images of an LSD molecule bound to a human brain’s serotonin receptor – a method that creates images capable of displaying how a molecule’s atoms are arranged.

The results of the study are published in the journal Cell.

The researchers discovered that the LSD molecule was wedged into the serotonin receptor’s binding pocket at an unexpected angle. Furthermore, UNC postdoctoral researcher John McCorvy, Ph.D., found that part of the serotonin receptor had folded over the LSD molecule “like a lid,” which sealed the drug inside. This action explains why the effects of LSD can take hours to disappear.

“Once LSD gets in the receptor, a lid comes over the LSD, so it’s basically trapped in the receptor and can’t get out,” explains Roth. “LSD takes a really long time to get on the receptor, and then once it gets on, it doesn’t get off,” he adds.

Eventually, the lid moves around and frees some of the LSD molecules from the receptors. The brain cells will, sooner or later, respond to the remaining LSD molecules by drawing the receptors and LSD inside the cells, where they are broken down. This moment is suggested to be the point at which the acid trip ends.

Interesting so basically it gets locked into the receptor and cant get out.

Maybe for some it gets locked in permanently causing long term effects like LSD triggered schizophrenia.

It is known that if you take way to much LSD it will nearly always result in permanent changes to the brain, maybe its because some get locked in and never get out or new connections between brain regions are made.  

Edited December 21, 2022 by integral

[eggopm3]

LSD isn't special or unique in having a long duration. Many psychedelics last even longer than LSD. Most of the DOx series for instance, as well as ibogaine.

[Recursoinominado]

To party longer. 

[mojsterr]

On 21/12/2022 at 1:10 AM, integral said:

It is known that if you take way to much LSD it will nearly always result in permanent changes to the brain, maybe its because some get locked in and never get out or new connections between brain regions are made.  

How much is way too much?

 

I was thinking of doing 1200mcg

[ZenSwift]

Take it rectally and you'll cut the trip time in half. Have less undesirable side effects, and you'll have a more potent trip.

[integral]

So I just took my first micro-dose of LSD maybe 10-20 mcg, its been 3 days and its still in my system. It has effected my sleep quality making me awake and less restful at all times.

You guys are likely not sober long enough to realize that all the substance you take stay in your system for months, that includes marijuana.

Depending on your brain structure it could have an impact on your sleep, reducing the recovery of everything for months. I know personally its a net negative. 

Edited December 23, 2022 by integral

[eggopm3]

LSD staying in your system is drug war propaganda bullshit.

Weed can stay for up to a month or so because it gets stored in fat cells, but you ain't getting high from that.

[integral]

26 minutes ago, eggopm3 said:

LSD staying in your system is drug war propaganda bullshit.

Weed can stay for up to a month or so because it gets stored in fat cells, but you ain't getting high from that.

I have verified it is not propaganda. It wont keep you high but it is staying in the system effecting many biological processes. 

Edited December 23, 2022 by integral

[eggopm3]

There are other possibilities. Maybe you triggered an underlying condition or opened yourself up to an ungrounded state.

If you felt the drug that is the feeling of the drug being used by your body, it is not used twice. Once it is used it breaks down into various metabolites which are excreted. Anything that lingers would linger at smaller and smaller concentrations as more and more gets eliminated from your body so even if it still affected the user that entire time the effects would drop off drastically and quickly. 

If your body lacks the ability to break down these types of molecules, then you would probably not have survived childhood because the same enzymes that break down psychedelics do the same job with serotonin and other neurotransmitters, and you need that to be alive at all. If somehow you are an extremely rare anomaly to all this then your brain chemistry could make a valuable contribution to science, and you should contact some researchers or something.

[Carl-Richard]

Functioning can change without molecules getting permanently stuck inside receptors or lingering in the body for long periods of time. I'm also not sure if it would matter in the long run, as the system probably has ways of downregulating that activity (e.g. just removing the receptor in question).

Edited December 27, 2022 by Carl-Richard