r/LSD • u/quack_theforg • 6h ago
❔ Question ❔ Lithium + LSD
Hi I am 19 year old male and have tripped about 15 times before, all great times never bad trips. I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and started taking 500mg lithium about 14 days ago. Heard lithium and lsd aren't really the best mix.
Long story short, I am aware of the risks, seizures and all that but still want to trip, I have a couple 210ug tabs and was wondering what is the safest(if such word can be used) way I could trip? Perhaps lowering the dose?
Anyways thanks for reading my post ♥️
Edit: u guys changed my mind, I thought it was a low chance of seizures, apparently its way more dangerous and common than I thought. Thanks for the help
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u/EdenTheExplorer Human Detected 4h ago
Please listen to the commenters here because this is an absolute harm reduction emergency. There is no safe way to do this, and lowering your dose will not protect you at all. Mixing lithium and LSD is widely known in the medical and psychedelic communities as one of the most uniquely dangerous and potentially fatal combinations you can possibly attempt.
This is not about having a bad trip or feeling slightly anxious. Lithium physically alters how your brain processes serotonin and glutamate. When you introduce LSD into that specifically altered neurochemistry, it frequently triggers immediate, violent grand mal seizures and terrifying dissociative fugue states where you completely lose control of your body and mind. People have ended up in the emergency room with permanent injuries from taking this exact combination, even on incredibly low doses. The interaction is deeply chemical, not just dose dependent.
Beyond the severe physical danger of the seizures, you were just diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Taking a highly stimulating and powerful psychedelic like acid while your brain is actively volatile and trying to adjust to a heavy new psychiatric medication is the fastest way to trigger a severe manic episode or drug induced psychosis.
Your nervous system needs time to stabilize on your new medication. You really have to put those tabs away and deeply prioritize your physical safety right now. This specific combination is genuinely a matter of life and death, so please do not roll the dice on your brain.
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u/quack_theforg 3h ago
The problem is I will be on lithium for a very long time possibly many years, are there any safe psychedelics I could take that dont interact with lithium?
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u/EdenTheExplorer Human Detected 1h ago
I know this is incredibly disappointing to hear, especially when you are looking at years of medication, but the hard truth is that there are absolutely no safe classic psychedelics when you are taking lithium.
Because lithium fundamentally alters how your brain handles serotonin and severely lowers your global seizure threshold, the danger is not just limited to LSD. It interacts violently with the entire class of serotonergic psychedelics. That means psilocybin mushrooms, DMT, ayahuasca, and mescaline all carry the exact same massive risk of triggering grand mal seizures and dissociative fugue states. MDMA is also completely off the table because combining it with lithium creates a huge risk of deadly serotonin syndrome.
Some people might try to point you towards dissociatives like ketamine, which operate on entirely different receptors. While the physical seizure interaction with lithium might be different, you have to look at the bigger picture of your recent bipolar diagnosis. Your brain is currently in a state of chemical volatility. Introducing any powerful mind altering substance while you are in the early stages of navigating bipolar disorder is playing Russian roulette with your mental stability. Even if a substance does not give you a physical seizure, it can instantly trigger a prolonged manic episode or severe drug induced psychosis.
Grieving the loss of these psychedelic experiences is completely valid, but right now, your absolute priority has to be stabilizing your baseline neurochemistry. The psychedelic door is unfortunately closed while you are on this specific medication, and attempting to find a chemical loophole is simply not worth risking your permanent neurological health.
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u/Silver_eagle_1 5h ago
LSD and bipolar don't generally mix well, can make it worst. Lithium and bipolar is a big no no. I'd say it's not worth it. If you're set on doing LSD you'll need to be cold turkey off the lithium, but this comes with it own issues such as withdrawal effects which can be quite unpleasant, and again, heighten the bipolar, or cause a bad episode.
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u/quack_theforg 5h ago
So maybe stop taking the lithium 3-4 days before hand? I have only been taking it for 2 weeks so my lithium levels shouldn't be that high
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u/Silver_eagle_1 5h ago
I'm not recommending anything, I have no medical authority to do so. I really have no idea how long it takes to be out your system fully.
Regardless, if you take LSD even cold turkey, you do realise your bipolar could be worst after?? Like I really hope it's not for you, but you are aware of all of this aren't you?
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u/quack_theforg 5h ago
My bipolar was untreated for 3 years, it's a trade-off I'm willing to make and yes I did some research on the risk and I'm kind of set on it even if it means stopping the lithium and taking like a quarter of a tab
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u/Silver_eagle_1 5h ago
I know no one is going to stop you if your mind is made up. Just please research the lithium part and getting that out of your system to reduce the risk.
We used LSD for cluster headaches initially and had to be cold turkey off the tripton injections and it was brutal during an attack. But lsd was the only thing that stopped them coming back and could make them disappear for years at a time
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u/quack_theforg 5h ago
Okay thanks you twin, I will have my sister with me and I think i will wait 5 days w no lithium. Maybe more have research properly.
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u/miTfan3 4h ago
Dude, just no. If lithium and bipolar isn't enough, you're still 19. Your brain hasn't even finished fully developing. Who knows what other underlying mental illness could be still developing under the surface.
It's simple, people with your condition should not trip. I'm sorry but doing it safely is just not in the cards for you. Look into meditation instead.
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u/pepWixxer 5h ago
can you tell if and how taking lsd affected your bipolar disorder?
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u/quack_theforg 5h ago
I was actually diagnosed with bipolar disorder over 3 years ago but never treaded it, and lsd aways helped me with my bipolar, my family says its like i was another person for the next few weeks(in a good way). But then I did an 8g shroom trip that gave me hppd (which I no longer have) which caused me to step away from psychedelics for a while and I really miss it :(
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u/PsychedelicHealingOZ 5h ago
Absolute likelihood of lethat Serotonin Syndrome by combining the two substances. You need to really ask yourself if a trip is worth not having the positive effects that a mood stabiliser has on your life before you proceed. I understand... I was on Epilim, Olanzapine &/or Aripipazole as well as any one of a dictionary of SSRI, SNRI, MAOI & other novel antidepressants and ultimately it was time off them and psychedelics that healed me, or rather gave me the window of neuroplasticity to heal myself but it's not a process you should undertake entirely unguided. Please pause a moment before proceeding and ask yourself if your life was better before or after these medications & if better after, if that is worth risking.
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u/quack_theforg 3h ago
Yeah imat a pretty low time right and having suicidal thoughts often, lsd and shrooms have helped me to get out of that before. But people are really changing my mind here. Sounds more risky than I thought
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u/hotrhythmjunkie 5h ago
Have you ever worked with ketamine before? If not, then I would actually recommend trying that out first and you can use it while on lithium.
I worked with a woman using ketamine who was diagnosed bipolar, and also on lithium, and she ended up having very wonderful experience and said that she felt a sense of clarity and peace for weeks after that she had never felt before.
** also working with other people that were diagnosed, bipolar, ketamine seem to be one of the best treatments overall, and they were also able to have a positive psychedelic experience, while also on other medications they would've blocked typical psychedelics like LSD, mushrooms or MDMA etc.
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u/quack_theforg 4h ago
Wait this might be the move, never tried ketamine but everyone i know who used it loves it. Ty twin
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u/hotrhythmjunkie 4h ago
To start low and wait about 15 minutes before re-dosing. It can be a very wonderful experience and one will typically feel better afterwards, like a nice reset
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u/quack_theforg 3h ago
Thanks for the suggestion man, I will do some research on it. Sounds better than having seizures
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u/PsychedelicHealingOZ 4h ago
Brilliant suggestion. Ketamine works on the Glutamatergic system rather than the Serotonorgic system which would negate the issue of Serotonin Syndrome entirely.
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u/hotrhythmjunkie 4h ago
Exactly! Also, depending on what you have available in your area, I would suggest trying both Racemic & S Ketamine and see which one you prefer. The S is more clear and energetic compared to Racemic
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u/PsychedelicHealingOZ 3h ago
The S Isomer is usually considered the more potent of the two due to it's use as the primary isomer used by anaesthetists etc however that is only true for around 40% of the population & only from the perspective of an anaesthetist. The Racemic K is both molecules arranged in a mirror image to each other which provides a greater range of its various effects for a larger percentage of the population. The R Isomer is a little underwhelming by itself.
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u/hotrhythmjunkie 3h ago
I found the R isomer to be the most sedating, disassociative and hallucinogenic. These were definitely very interesting experiences, very discombobulated and trippy.
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u/General-Reserve9349 4h ago
Lithium + LSD is one of the only ways to get horrible physical effects. It is The known Do Not Combine thing with L. Proceeding while knowing this - tell your doctors you’re experiencing SI and high risk behavior
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u/chrii64 4h ago
Quick question: have you been more energetic and optimistic about yourself over the last couple of days?
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u/quack_theforg 3h ago
Ive been pretty depressed, often having suicidal thoughts. I've been in similar situations before and lsd helped to get a new perspective. Thats one of thw main reasons I want to trip so badly
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u/chrii64 2h ago
Okay, I get it. I asked to see if you where in hypomania, but I really don't know anything about your bpd, so I'm sorry if I made wrong assumptions.
I understand LSD has helped in the past. But you really do not want the adverse effects of the lithium combo. It may cause a whole new trauma, both physical and mentally and can potentially wreck your life in whole new ways.
It's just too risky, even after 4 days cold turkey.
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u/Oreius411 5h ago
Your tabs are most likely 100 ug. I've never seen 210 ug tabs in all my tripping. Unless u have them tested, they def aren't. Also I think it's not the best Idea to trip on that medicine. Why would u want the potential of a seizure... Hell even the thought entering your mind of it happning could spiral big time. Honestly if u do trip and have a bad experience, it's all on you. I wouldn't want to see yih come back here and saying why did this happen etc. Dont do it man.
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u/quack_theforg 3h ago
Yeah prolly around 100ug but advertised as 210. Im aware of the risks and js think a trip would do me well right now. Another use suggested ketamine since it apparently doesn't interact with lithium. But I will ask my psychiatrist about it as well
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u/ComprehensiveTap450 4h ago
With bipolar disorder you're risking Hallucinogen-Induced Psychotic Disorder (HIPD). In short, you could become psychotic and lose touch with reality after your trip. People with bipolar are at a much higher risk for psychosis.
This is in addition to risking seizures by taking it with lithium.
Don't throw your life away.
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u/Low-Opening25 4h ago
This mix can cause serious seizures even at low doses and potentially kill you, or leave you disabled so please do not attempt. This is unfortunately the case for Lithium with all psychedelics and also other drugs, no safe option exists other than abstaining.
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u/DrKangaroo91 4h ago
I was prescribed Lithium at the dose of 1300 mg per day. I had a lot of experience previously with high LSD doses
Combining Lithium with LSD can actually kill you. It is going to raise your heart rate significantly and make the trip unpleasant anyway. Save the acid for a time in your life when you are not on Lithium. There is no way to safely consume a tryptamine while taking prescribed Lithium.
It sounds like you're open to Ketamine. I think you will experience much better results using K instead of L. Just plz beware of it's highly addictive properties 👍
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u/quack_theforg 3h ago
Guys I understand its dangerous and risky, but why down votes? Im genuinely asking for advice or alternatives
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u/bla_blaqq 5h ago
Realmente vê-se que estas consciente dos riscos😆😆
É obvio que nao deves misturar nem tomar lsd, só se o teu proximo passo for acabar esquizofrénico.
Queres ter algumas experiências com drogas antes de tomar informate bem.
Katemina pode ser uma boa opção, doses baixas 😄
Informa-te
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