LSD is an illicit drug that can either be a colorless liquid or a white powder. It may be applied to numerous food products for easy consumption, including sugar cubes, crackers, or on stickers and absorbed through the skin. It produces a hallucinogenic result that can be psychedelic in positive or negative ways. There is no known or published medicinal use for it, but it can be used recreationally to alter mental perception.
LSD is the most potent drug of its kind that we know of today. It takes only 25 mcg to produce hallucinogenic results. What makes the LSD blood test so difficult is that the body can remove the drug rapidly from the body, often within 48 hours, making detection efforts difficult – even through urine tests.
The LSD Blood Test Is Rarely Used
Most people who would have the LSD blood test conducted would be on a restriction for drug use for some reason. This might include probation orders, work site requirements, or other duties that require someone to be drug free. Immediate use can be detected, but depending on a person’s metabolism, the LSD can be out of the blood stream in just a few hours.
It is rarely used because it is difficult to detect the micrograms that are consumed and the cost of detecting those micrograms is generally considered unreasonable. The cost of one LSD blood test is equal to several other more common drug tests combined. This is why it is typically used only for law enforcement needs or specific job duty requirements.
What Do My Results Mean?
The LSD blood test results are communicated as being positive or negative. A negative test means that none of the drug was detectable in the blood. A positive test indicates that the acids of the drug were detected.
Because detecting LSD is so difficult and expensive, however, a generalized drug test for synthetic drugs is often ordered if LSD consumption is suspected. This blood test is used to detect additional illicit drugs, such as synthetic marijuana [known as K2 or Spice], bath salts, and similar drugs. Exposure to these synthetics may create a positive test result for LSD even though it was never consumed.
Some individuals who are prescribed an anticonvulsant drug named Lamictal may also test positive on the LSD blood test even though they haven’t taken the drug at all. Lamictal acts as a mood stabilizer and is used to treat seizures. The body, however, metabolizes the medication so that it appears on a drug screen as synthetic drug use. It is possible to test positive for LSD and hydrocodone use while taking this medication.
For this reason, if Lamictal has been prescribed, this doctor’s order should be communicated to all relevant parties so that the results of the LSD drug test do not cause an undue burden should the false positive results be misinterpreted. Not everyone who takes Lamictal will test positive on the LSD blood test, however, so it is not always the medication that can be the cause of a positive result – even if no LSD or synthetic drugs have been consumed.
Nutritional Choices May Also Lead to False Positives
Certain dietary choices may also lead to markers that can be detected on the LSD blood test and potentially cause a false positive. Individuals who eat foods with a high fat content on a regular basis can create enhanced levels of cannabinoid transmitters within their blood stream that could be detected by the test. Combining abnormally high levels of fatty foods with NSAID medications can enhance this effect, especially if prescription painkillers are also involved.
The choice to use LSD is a personal one. Although the drug can be metabolized out of the body in a short amount of time, that doesn’t mean there aren’t additional consequences that may be experienced. Psychological dependence an form, even if physical cravings for the drug do not usually present themselves, and this can make LSD a difficult drug to quit.
High doses of LSD may also result in negative side effects or what is known as a “bad trip.” Some of these side effects may be life threatening in nature. The LSD blood test may not be routinely ordered, but that shouldn’t be used as a justification to use the drug. With frequent use or a slow metabolism, it may be able to be detected and that is why some medical providers or law enforcement officials may order this relatively expensive blood test.