What is LSD?

Lysergic acid diethylamide is a highly potent hallucinogenic drug. It more commonly goes by its three-letter abbreviation of LSD. You may also know it by its street names of Mellow Yellow, Window Pane, Dots or simply Acid.

According to the DEA, the colloquial term for ingesting LSD is “taking a trip.” It is common practice to lace absorbent paper with LSD and then divide it into individual doses, with each square usually bearing colorful decorations. It is also possible to purchase and ingest LSD in liquid, tablet and capsule forms.

What makes LSD dangerous?

While it is possible for you to overdose on LSD, it is rare for an overdose to result in death. However, LSD causes impaired judgment. This means that, while on an acid trip, you may make poor decisions that put you in danger of death or other serious personal injuries.

What are the other possible effects of LSD?

LSD can cause physical effects such as tremors, dry mouth, sleeplessness and loss of appetite. You may observe an increase in your heart rate or body temperature and dilation of your pupils.

However, people take LSD specifically for its effects on the mind. It can distort your perception of colors, movement, shape and size of your body and/or other objects. It can affect your depth perception, which may also put you at greater risk for injury. You may also experience extreme mood swings while on a trip and anxiety or depression thereafter. Days or even months after taking the most recent dose, you may experience flashbacks due to LSD.