this post was submitted on 15 Oct 2024
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Do you have what it takes to become a geologist? (lemmy.world)
submitted 1 month ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I would love to try LSD, but I'm too worried about serotonin syndrome because of the medications I take.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

Serotonin syndrome is somewhat of a phobia more than a rational fear with modern medications.

Unless you're taking a MAOi, which I somewhat doubt (as they're not really used anymore due ti safety concerns and whatnot), you should be alright.

Serotonin syndrome is still sort of in the recreational drug users mythos, because being too careful isn't really harmful, and people don't really understand neuropharmacology that much, so they tend "not to risk it."

https://www.vice.com/en/article/everything-you-need-to-know-about-mixing-mdma-and-antidepressants-safe-sesh/

(MDMA and LSD are both serotonergic, but MDMA is more risky in terms of serotonin syndrome than LSD.)

I'm not suggesting anyone on medications reads this and thinks I'm saying it's a risk-free thing, but since we be adopted SSRI instead of MAOi, it's not nearly as big of a risk. MAOi and psychedelics was honestly very risky.

SSRI's tend just to blunt the effects of psychedelics/mdma. If you keep to normal recreational doses, it should be fine. From the article:

Again, the real danger lies in what both Charlotte and Nilu describe as a chase to catch up with their friends who aren’t on antidepressants.

“You won’t be getting the euphoric, psychological effects you want by taking more, but you will be getting more of the physiological effects – higher blood pressure, higher heart rate and higher temperature, which is a bummer,” says Dr Sessa. “These are not normally dangerous. MDMA is a relatively safe drug. We know that because so many people take it and come to no harm. But in excessive doses, because you’re trying to overcome the effect of being on the SSRIs, these may become dangerous.”

So no need to be that worried about the side effects, but also while you're on SSRI, the experience probably will be a bit muted and you might have some slight discomfort. Who knows, it's a bit personal and depends on your meds. If you're just on a rather low dose of SSRI, it might not really affect the trip at all.

Not trying to advice, just informing a bit as I'm pretty well versed on the subject even if I do say so myself.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago (2 children)

It's more complicated than that and I think it's just not worth the risk. I have a nerve disorder which I take the medication for, and it's three medications: an SNRI, a GABA analogue and an anticonvulsant. I just don't know that adding LSD into a mix like that is a good idea, because even if none of those individually could cause it, collectively, who knows? It's not like it's a common mix.

But I do appreciate it.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

I won't pretend to have such deep knowledge as to claim to know they're safe, but as far as I'm aware (which again, is some, but am not a medical professional), the N of the SNRI shouldn't really be affected directly. But that doesn't mean that if you get a little bit jittery when you're going up that you won't have increased norepinephrine which would then be blocked from reuptake.

So yeah, it's somewhat more complicated. Anticonvulsants are basically what you'd use to come down from a trip (depending on which type, there's a lot), so I don't see any obvious risks in that either. GABA should likewise not be a problem, as not directly affected, and like anticonvulsants, some of them are used as anti-psychotics.

However with those meds, even if I could say it's safe (whichever again, I can't, but personally believe it to be of low risk, due to the things I've read concerning), I don't know if I'd say it's worth it, really.

Like you wouldn't enjoy a night out if you had the flu, basically, but it wouldn't be that risky. Even though like getting a bad case of pneumonia and not treating it might be fatal, but quite a small risk. Probably on the same level, these risks.

collectively, who knows?

No-one, honestly. But the internet is pretty hard at work on it.

Although they started with recreational polysubstance combinations, actual meds don't appear on the list too often unless they can be uses recreationally.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_polysubstance_combinations

But yeah, safety is #1 when using drugs.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago (2 children)

As a former recreational user of many substances(not LSD though), I understand your hesitancy. I had many great experiences on shrooms so I tend to recommend that before LSD. I just think it's not as intense and has a lower probability of negative interactions or experiences, but that's just based on what I've seen/heard/read. There are knock off versions of shrooms in vape shops but I have no idea what they are like.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

It's very much a different strokes for different folks kinda thing. People I know prefer LSD and other, closely related lysergamides because it gives a bit more of an energy boost - I've heard it described as shrooms with a shot of espresso. Others prefer shrooms because it's a little more laid back feeling.

Granted, your set and setting is really going to set the tone for whatever psych you ingest. Things can go amazingly or very, very badly with either substance depending on your headspace and how you set yourself up/structure your environment for the experience.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

I appreciate it. I've done shrooms before I got on this medication, so I do know what that's like. I just am not going to take any chances these days.