Posted by pinksharkmark (196.3.74.235) on July 26, 2000 at 16:08:08:
In Reply to: Q - trickier part posted by Miguel on July 26, 2000 at 07:59:19:
1) How is LSD metabolized and cleared?
Can't remember. I do remember that it happens very quickly, however. Numerous studies have confirmed that there is almost no LSD left in the body an hour after being administered intravenously. In fact, by the time the "peak" part of the high begins, there is normally no LSD at all left, only its metabolites.
2) Since the liver seems to be the end point
of the majority of the dose, how long does it take
LSD to be excreted in the feces after the initial dose?
Again, numerous studies have shown that there is zero LSD and zero KNOWN metabolites remaining 24 hours after ingestion.... 48 at the absolute outside. This is the main reason why drug tests, whether blood-based or urine-based, are virtually useless in detecting LSD use.
3) How is it excreted (chemical form)? As Glucoronide? Unchanged?
As several different metabolites. The LSD itself is rapidly converted to various metabolites within hours of ingestion (see above)
As for your suggestion that there may be a very low population of receptors that can be affected by LSD, I believe you are correct. This is corroborated by the abundant anecdotal evidence that increasing the dosage of LSD past a certain level (typically cited as 500 to 700 micrograms, a WHOPPER of a recreational dose, for sure) seems to make no difference in increasing the perceived effects. You can get only so high and no higher, even at literally hundreds of times the standard dose. If there were a low number of receptor sites, and each and every one of them were occupied by an LSD molecule or (more likely) one of its metabolites, then naturally any excess would have no place to go, so to speak.
A fascinating chemical, to be sure.
pinky