New research by the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs reveals a woman, who snorted 550 times the usual dose of LSD not only survived, but experienced a dramatic improvement on her overall life.
According to the study, which was published last month by Mark Haden and Birgitta Woods, the 46-year-old woman overdosed on the hallucinogenic drug in 2015 after mistaking it for 55 milligrams of cocaine, CNN reported.
The LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) was in powder form. The recommended dose (although it is illegal in the U.S. and U.K.) for recreational use is 100 micrograms.
After taking the drug, the woman, referred to as CB in the text, blacked out and vomited for 12 hours straight, CNN reported.
After that, CB recalled feeling “pleasantly high” for the 12 hours that followed, despite still vomiting.
According to the study, CB’s roommate recalled the 46-year-old sitting still in a chair, while tripping, with her eyes open or rolled back. She occasionally spoke, but what she said was not understandable.
Just 10 hours after that, CB was “coherent” and was back to holding conversations as normal.
However, it wasn’t until the next day that CB noticed a change in her body.
During her 20s, CB was diagnosed with Lyme disease, a condition that badly damaged her foot and caused her to go through life with “significant pain,” the study revealed, CNN reported.
After her LSD trip, CB realized her foot pain was gone and she was able to stop using morphine. The pain later returned, but she was able to keep it under control with a lower dose of morphine and a micro dose of LSD every three days.
By January 2018, CB was able to stop taking both morphine and LSD completely and had no withdrawals, the study stated, CNN reported.
While her pain disappeared, CB said she instead experienced anxiety, depression and social withdrawal, according to the study.
CB wasn’t the only woman to experience life-changing results.
The study also recorded the experience of a 15-year-old who had bipolar disorder and had suffered from depression and hallucinations since she was 12.
Her experience with LSD occurred at the Summer Solstice party in June 2000. At the celebration, the 15-year-old, called LV in the study, overdosed when her supplier mistakingly made a decimal place error when preparing individual hits of LSD diluted in glasses of water. His error made them 1,000 micrograms per glass instead of 100 micrograms, CNN reported.
As a result, LV behaved erratically for over 6 hours, according to her friends at the party. At one point, she experienced what they believe was a seizure and later was seen lying in a fetal position with her arms and fists clenched tightly.
According to the study, emergency responders were called to the scene, but when they arrived — just 10 minutes after LV’s episode — she was completely fine.
Still, she was transported to a nearby hospital. While there, LV told her father, “It’s over,” meaning she no longer suffered from her bipolar disorder.
She explained she felt cured and said she lived without the disorder for 13 years until she became pregnant and gave birth to her child. After her delivery, she experienced postpartum depression, according to the study, CNN reported.
The third case in the story is a 26-year-old woman, who was actually at the same party as LV and had also drank the LSD-dosed water.
However, the woman, referred to as NM, only drank half a glass.
After her experience, NM discovered she was pregnant.
Surprisingly, NM gave birth to a healthy baby boy, who is now 18, the study revealed, CNN reported.
Despite the seemingly positive outcomes of the overdoses, scientists warn that their experiences should not be replicated as more tests on the after effects of the drug need to be done.
“They don’t really show the benefits of LSD, rather they show that in some people exceptionally high doses don’t lead to enduring harms and may do some good,” Professor David Nutt, director of the Neuropsychopharmacology Unit in the Division of Brain Sciences at Imperial College London, said CNN reported.
According to the Alcohol and Drug Foundation, LSD in its pure state is a white odorless crystalline substance and is usually swallowed or dissolved under the tongue.
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The foundation notes that “there is no safe level of drug use” and LSD can affect everyone differently based on their size, weight, amount taken, and health at the time.
During a “bad trip,” one can experience a “disturbing hallucination” that can lead to panic, dangerous behavior and even self-harm.
Long term effects include, flashbacks, visual distortions, recurring hallucinations and depression.
If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, please contact the SAMHSA substance abuse helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.
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