What Is LSD Made From?

LSD or “acid” is a drug of abuse containing toxic chemicals that can be harmful to a person’s health and well-being. Read on to learn more about the dangerous ingredients in LSD, the effects and risks of LSD use, and addiction treatment options at Desert Hope in Las Vegas.

What Is LSD?

LSD is an abbreviation for lysergic acid diethylamide, a psychedelic drug capable of changing the way people look at, think about, and experience the world around them.

LSD is typically found in a tablet, capsule, clear liquid, or small squares of absorbent paper. People use LSD by swallowing the drug or absorbing it through mouth tissues (paper squares).

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, LSD is one of the only hallucinogens available that can be sprayed and soaked into pieces of paper. When people want a fast high, they can simply place this paper on the tongue and let the drug diffuse into the body.

This ease of use makes LSD all the more dangerous. The drug is made with potent chemicals that can be extremely toxic to the body, brain, or both.

LSD is banned by the DEA and listed as a Schedule I controlled substance, meaning the drug has no legitimate medical uses and a high potential for abuse.

LSD Effects on the Body

Once people take LSD, it crosses into the brain and triggers chemical reactions that can last for hours. Possible short-term effects of LSD include:

• Unpredictable mood swings.
• Distorted reality.
• Trouble thinking or communicating clearly.
• Elevated vitals, such as increased blood pressure, heart rate, body temperature.
• Dizziness.
• Loss of appetite.
• Tremors.
• Enlarged pupils.

LSD can also lead to long-term, adverse effects. For example, some people experience a form of flashback syndrome in which the experiences of the high recur even when the person has not taken any LSD.

Researchers are not quite sure why this syndrome happens to some people and not others, but it suggests that LSD stays active in the body for much longer than anyone expects. It might even suggest that the drug stays active forever, as these flashbacks can persist for a nearly permanent period of time.

What Is LSD Made From?

The main psychoactive ingredient in LSD is lysergic acid, which comes from ergot, a fungus that grows on rye and other grains.

LSD is considered a semisynthetic drug because lysergic acid is a naturally occurring compound and not something made in a laboratory.

But people who want to feel the effects of LSD cannot simply eat rye seeds and wait for them to work. The seeds must be extracted through a chemical process.

That process requires quite a bit of chemistry expertise, and some of the ingredients involved—including two known carcinogens, anhydrous hydrazine and chloroform—are extremely hazardous.

Help for LSD Use

Even though LSD could be considered at least partially natural, it cannot be considered safe. As a result, experts advise people who use the drug to stop doing so as quickly as they can. Professional addiction treatment programs can help, as can support groups and family therapy.

While there are no medications approved to treat LSD cravings or addiction, there are medications for co-occurring mental health conditions that often appear alongside substance use disorders, including depression, insomnia, and anxiety.

At Desert Hope, we offer a complete continuum of drug addiction care, which can involve detox, inpatient rehab in Las Vegas, outpatient rehab, and a range of aftercare services. We understand that every person is unique, and our expert staff will work with you to develop a customized treatment plan that meets your individual needs.

Call to speak with one of our caring admissions navigators and learn more about our levels of addiction treatment, types of rehab care, treatment admissions process, paying for addiction treatment, and insurance that covers rehab.

When you’re ready to reach out, we’re ready to help.