In our society, drug tests are fairly common. People might take them when they’re applying for a job, when they’re on probation or parole, when they’re competing in sports, or when they’re undergoing a medical exam.

Of course, some drugs are easier to detect than others, and some substances can linger in a person’s system longer than others.

What about LSD then? How easy is it for a drug test to spot this illegal hallucinogen? And, for that matter, what does LSD actually do to the human body?

LSD: A Brief Background

In 1938, a young chemist named Albert Hofmann first synthesized LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) in Basel, Switzerland. At the time, Hofmann was working for the Swiss pharmaceutical company Sandoz, and he was trying to create a new drug to stimulate the circulatory and respiratory systems.

After developing LSD, Hoffman put it aside for about five years. However, reexamining this drug on April 16, 1943, he decided to ingest a small amount of it in his laboratory.

As he biked home that day, accompanied by his lab assistant, Hoffman experienced anxiety and sheer terror. Then, for about two hours, he saw what he called “fantastic pictures” and “extraordinary shapes,” all with intense colors. These were the first recorded effects of a powerful psychedelic substance.

At first, Sandoz believed LSD could help psychotherapy patients. So the company shipped this drug to the U.S. and other countries. Indeed, throughout the 1950s, psychiatrists experimented with it.

By the mid-1960s, however, many governments started worrying about LSD’s hallucinogenic drug effects, and they began outlawing it. And Sandoz stopped producing it in 1965.

By this time, though, some people were making LSD in their own labs. It soon became a sought-after street drug.

While its popularity has waxed and waned over the years, LSD remains a public health threat.

How LSD Affects the Brain and the Body

On the surface of a person’s brain cells are serotonin receptors. These proteins receive serotonin, a chemical through which the neurons communicate with each other.

When a person takes LSD, the drug attaches itself to the serotonin receptors. By doing so, it temporarily alters the neural pathways, the specific chains of neurons through which messages travel.

Consequently, for a period of time, the ways in which a person processes information, feels sensations, and interprets reality will be different. This occurrence is often called an acid trip.

The Consequences of an Acid Trip

The neurological and psychological effects of an acid trip can include:

• Hallucinations — especially brilliant colors, beautiful patterns, and powerful bursts of light
• Spiritual or transcendental feelings
• Euphoria
• Sensory distortions such as feeling weightless or feeling like you’re being pulled to the ground
• Fear
• Paranoia

Meanwhile, the physical effects of an acid trip often involve:

• Elevated body temperatures
• Sweating
• Dehydration
• Increased heart rate
• Faster breathing
• Tremors
• Dizziness
• Dry mouth
• Nausea
• Dilated pupils

How the Body Processes LSD

It takes the human body about 48 hours to fully metabolize LSD. That length of time, however, depends on various factors, including a person’s age and body mass index. The LSD dosage is an important variable as well.

After LSD is ingested, it proceeds into a person’s gastrointestinal system. Once there, it’s absorbed into the bloodstream. It then travels into various organs, including the brain.

Eventually, the liver breaks the LSD down into various byproducts. Finally, the body excretes those substances via urine.

It takes between 20 and 90 minutes, generally speaking, for a person to start feeling LSD effects. They usually peak 2 or 3 hours after ingestion, and they can last anywhere from 6 to 15 hours.

However, some effects might persist for several hours longer — if not a few days or weeks longer.

Can Acid show up on a Drug Test?

When LSD is in a person’s system, a drug test can often identify it. And there are four basic types of these tests:

1. Urine Tests

The most common drug tests are urine tests. To take one, a person gives a tester a fresh urine sample. That sample is kept in a sterile specimen container and sent to a laboratory.

Lab specialists use a number of processes to analyze urine samples. One example is the immunoassay method, whereby antibodies can locate certain drugs or metabolites. (Metabolites are the chemical byproducts of metabolism.)

Detection window: 1 to 3 days

2. Blood Tests

If you’re taking a blood test, a phlebotomist will sterilize one of your arm veins and then wrap a tourniquet around it. Then this specialist will insert a needle into the vein and remove a blood sample.

In the lab, technicians will analyze that sample with a method such as gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. During this process, the blood gets separated into different components, and an instrument called a mass spectrometer identifies each of those compounds.

Blood tests are effective but rare, and they can only be used for short-term drug detection.

Detection window: 6 to 12 hours

3. Saliva Tests

During this test, a saliva sample goes into a tube or a cotton swab. Then lab workers use a technique like the immunoassay method to look for drugs.

The noninvasive saliva test can provide results in a matter of hours if not minutes. Nevertheless, it’s not a common test, and it’s a little more prone to false positives and false negatives.

Detection window: 1 to 2 days

4. Hair Follicle Tests

During a hair follicle drug test, the tester will clip a sample of hair that’s near the scalp.

Then, at the lab, the sample will go through an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test, which provides results right away. If the ELISA test is negative, the hair follicle test is finished.

On the other hand, if the ELISA test suggests one or more drugs are present, the sample will undergo a chromatographic test. During that procedure, the hair sample is divided into different components.

Detection window: Up to 90 days or longer

Test Type	Detection Window	Notes
Urine Test	1 to 3 days	Most common test; detects LSD metabolites using immunoassay methods.
Blood Test	6 to 12 hours	Rarely used; effective for short-term detection within hours of use.
Saliva Test	1 to 2 days	Noninvasive test; can provide quick results but prone to false positives/negatives.
Hair Test	Up to 90 days or longer	Longest detection window; useful for detecting long-term use but not recent intake.

Half-Life of LSD

The half-life of LSD (Lysergic Acid Diethylamide) is approximately 3 to 5 hours. This means that within this time frame, about half of the substance is metabolized and eliminated from the body.

Why Are These Drug Tests Sometimes Unreliable?

Certain factors can make it easier or harder for a drug test to detect LSD.

For instance, when people ingest higher doses of LSD or take it regularly, their detection window may be longer.

Likewise, a person’s age, overall health, and metabolic rate can all affect how long LSD stays in their system.

Be aware, too, that drug tests often fail to detect LSD. For one thing, some tests are simply less sensitive than others. Thus, they’re less reliable.

Also, most routine drug tests don’t look for LSD. That’s because it’s a rarer drug.

What to Do if You or Someone You Know Struggles with LSD Use

Taking LSD for an extended period of time can be harmful and dangerous. Just a few of the problems this drug use can cause are:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Drug flashbacks (briefly feeling the effects of a drug even when you haven’t taken it)
• Psychosis (major emotional, behavioral, and cognitive disturbances)

Therefore, if you or someone you love is showing signs of an LSD dependance, you should seek help right away. Such symptoms could include:

• Mood swings
• Paranoia
• Incoherent speech
• Anxiety
• Confusion
• A sense of impending doom
• Aggression
• Short-term memory problems

Seeking Professional Help

LSD is not physically addictive in the way that, say, cocaine and heroin are.

Even so, people can grow accustomed to using LSD. As such, they may often crave the pleasurable sensations and hallucinations — the escape from reality — that this drug gives them.

Not to mention, after a while, LSD usage can lead people to neglect work responsibilities, go into debt, or become estranged from friends and family.

When someone becomes psychologically dependent on LSD, professional treatment can make an enormous difference. That’s because specialists can address the root causes of this drug use, identifying specific triggers and preventing relapses in the process.

Furthermore, these professionals can help patients rebuild their lives.

Substance abuse treatment programs vary from person to person. But common treatment options include group therapy, individual counseling, prescription medications, life coaching, and medical detox support.

During detox support, trained staff members monitor patients’ withdrawal symptoms and mental health, making them as comfortable as possible for the duration.

Long Island Interventions

A fine example of an effective addiction treatment center is Long Island Interventions. This facility offers every patient holistic, evidence-based, and individualized care. And its staff members are compassionate, extensively trained, and deeply experienced.

For those struggling with substance use, including the potential for psychological dependence, Long Island Interventions provides various levels of care, including outpatient programs, allowing individuals to maintain aspects of their daily life while receiving treatment. If you’re concerned about a loved one, or are seeking help yourself, know that support is available. In short, because of substance use treatment centers, no one need walk the road to sobriety alone. To embark on this life-changing journey, get in touch with Long Island Interventions today.

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Published on: 2025-03-06
Updated on: 2025-03-06