LSD vs MDMA

Table of Content (Jump to a Section): What is LSD, What are the effects of LSD, What is MDMA, MDMA Effects

LSD and MDMA are both drugs that can be used to achieve a psychedelic high. While both LSD and MDMA have their own unique effects, they also share some similarities. While the side effects and dangers for both drugs will vary from person to person, there are some general risks associated with these two psychoactive substances that everyone should know about before using them recreationally or administering LSD or MDMA to someone else. If you’re interested in learning more about LSD vs MDMA before taking them yourself or out of curiosity then please read on.

What is LSD?

LSD, also known as lysergic acid diethylamide, is a hallucinogenic drug that is normally administered through an oral dose such as blotter paper, liquid, on sugar cubes, or even in gelatin which is known as window panes. LSD, which is also called acid for a slang term, acts on serotonin receptors and gives users an altered understanding of reality along with changes in mood, sensory perception, and time perception. LSD works by latching onto serotonin receptors and tricking your brain into releasing much larger doses of serotonin than normal. LSD’s effects start within half an hour of taking the drug, reaching their peak effects, or maximal effects, around the hours of three to six, and then slowly fading away. The total psychedelic experience usually lasts about 12 hours and people have been known to take it for its religious or mystical-type experiences. 

What are the effects of LSD?

The main effects that one will experience on LSD include visual and auditory hallucinations, a distorted view of one’s body or physical form known as a “body trip,” sensations that the body is lagging in time, ego dissolution or ego death, and also an increase in body temperature. Euphoria and a positive mood are also common effects. LSD can make you feel like your mind is racing or slowing down at times, give you the feeling of being separated from your body, and can even lead to feelings that one is lagging or moving too quickly. When you are high on psychedelic drugs it is known as tripping. LSD has been known to give users a “bad trip” during which they may experience frightening or panic-inducing hallucinations as well as fear of going insane, losing their mind, or dying. There are some physical effects too that include pupil dilation, increased heart rate, and sweating.

As with the other classic hallucinogen psilocybin mushrooms, “set and setting” are important in experiencing positive effects. This means that you are in the right mindset before taking any psychedelic because they have been known to worsen mental illnesses or psychiatric disorders when taken. It is also very important that you know and are comfortable with your surroundings, this includes people and the environment. The comfortable you are before your trip the more likely you are to have a positive experience.

What is MDMA?

 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and is basically a chemical compound that acts as an amphetamine stimulant while also causing some psychedelic effects. MDMA is most commonly known as ecstasy or E and also goes by the name Molly when in a purer form. MDMA is a psychoactive drug that has both stimulant and psychedelic properties which are stronger than those of LSD or marijuana. MDMA is a man-made recreational drug that was first synthesized by the German company Merck in 1912, but it wasn’t until sometime during the late 1970s that the drug started being used as a party drug. MDMA is most often taken in pill form, but it can also be snorted, smoked, or placed on the tongue in powder form. MDMA affects the brain by increasing the activity of three neurotransmitters, serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine. These neurotransmitters are responsible for regulating moods and can have serious psychological effects as well on things like pain, sexual arousal, and hormone regulation.

What are the effects of MDMA?

There is some overlap between the two drugs in effects. The common effects can include euphoria, a distorted sense of time and space, anxiety, increased body temperature leading to sweating or chills along with physical stimulation that can lead to some people feeling overly sensitive to touch or more interested in sexual activity. MDMA has also been known to cause physiological effects, also known as physical effects, too such as an increased heart rate and blood pressure, muscle aches, nausea, blurred vision, chills or sweating, and teeth grinding. MDMA can also cause a headache that may continue into the next day, and it can also cause a drop in the neurotransmitter serotonin which may lead to depression. It usually takes anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour to feel the effects of MDMA and they usually last for 3-6 hours depending on the person and dosage.

Can you take LSD and MDMA together?

Because LSD and MDMA are both psychedelic drugs, the two together may have an even more intense effect on your mental state so it is not recommended. LSD and MDMA are both stimulants so the two together may cause some serious side effects for users that include increased heart rate, dangerously high body temperatures, and seizures.

Besides possible death and seizures, the worst part about taking the two drugs together may be the come down as it is always rough after the effects of psychedelic drugs fade. This can lead to some people feeling depressed, anxious or paranoid and sometimes users end up taking more of their drugs or taking them again to make the comedown go away.

Effects of candyflipping

When you take LSD and MDMA together, it is known as candyflipping. The effects of LSD and MDMA can be unpredictable together because either drug has the potential to enhance or inhibit the effects of the other when taken at the same time. For example, you may feel a stronger or weaker sensation from either LSD or MDMA while taking both drugs together. Acid and MDMA can also interact with one another to cause some serious health risks including some that are potentially fatal. These potentially fatal health risks include things like increased body temperature leading to organ failure, dangerously high blood pressure which can cause stroke, heart attack, and even death in some cases.

Are LSD and MDMA safe to take?

MDMA is generally considered to be safer than LSD when it comes to the potential for abuse. Both drugs are not physically addicting or have very slight chances of it in the case of MDMA, albeit this does not mean you are not prone to psychological addiction. This means your body does not crave the drug but you feel the want or need to do it in certain situations to try to recapture certain feelings.  However, they are both dangerous in different ways and can have very bad effects on the body and mind. LSD is considered to be a very unpredictable drug that can cause some serious psychological issues for people who use it. MDMA is also a drug that has been known to cause some major mental disorders for people who continue using it, especially if they use the drug for long periods of time or use it in high quantities. There are still many questions about the ways that LSD and MDMA interact with one another, but the risks of taking the two drugs together are not recommended. There are bad drug effects that can turn into long-lasting subjective effects like flashbacks for LSD. 

LSD vs MDMA Study Stats

If you have an extra 10 minutes, we encourage you to check out the study here regarding LSD vs MDMA.

Distinct acute effects of LSD, MDMA, and D-amphetamine in healthy subjects

• Study drugs LSD (D-lysergic acid diethylamide base, high-performance liquid chromatography purity >99%; Lipomed AG, Arlesheim, Switzerland) was administered in a single intermediate oral dose of 100 µg [ ]. (nature.com)
• The VASs were presented as 100-mm horizontal lines (0–100%), marked from “not at all” on the left to “extremely” on the right (“slowed” and “racing” for “speed of thinking”). (nature.com)
• The VASs for “open,” “talkative,” “concentration,” “sense of time,” and “speed of thinking” were bidirectional (±50%), marked from “not at all” on the left (−50) to “normal” in the middle (0) and to “extremely” on the right (+50). (nature.com)
• The duration of acute subjective effects was assessed using VAS “any drug effect” effect–time plots and an on/off threshold of 10% of the maximum individual response in Phoenix WinNonlin 6.4. (nature.com)
• Participants with responses <10% on this scale were not used to determine the effect duration (0, 3, and 4 participants for LSD, MDMA, and d-amphetamine, respectively). (nature.com)
• All of the participants correctly identified placebo, 96% correctly identified LSD, 75% correctly identified MDMA, and 75% correctly identified d-amphetamine. (nature.com)
• MDMA was misclassified as d-amphetamine and vice versa (21%). (nature.com)
• One participant (4%) misidentified LSD as MDMA and vice versa. (nature.com)
• One participant (4%) identified d-amphetamine as placebo. (nature.com)
• Finally, LSD was correctly identified by 96% and 100% of the participants on the day of administration and at the end of the study, respectively. (nature.com)

Summary

LSD and MDMA are two psychoactive drugs that work in similar ways. LSD is typically taken with a tab on the tongue and its effects include euphoria, distorted sense of time, increased pupil size, and sweating amongst other effects. MDMA is typically taken in pill form and the effects are similar to LSD with some exceptions. These exceptions include a much likelier chance of sexual arousal and a more intense feeling when touching other people. You can take them both together and it is called candyflipping, although it is not recommended. This is due to the fact that many of the adverse reactions and negative effects of each drug can be exacerbated as well as the comedown being far worse than taking one illicit drug by itself. If you have any further questions, please check out our other articles regarding the subjects.

References, Research and Resources

• Distinct acute effects of LSD, MDMA, and d-amphetamine in healthy subjects – Neuropsychopharmacology – Distinct acute effects of LSD, MDMA, and <Emphasis… (nature.com)
• MDMA vs. Acid: How These Potent Drugs Compare – MDMA and acid are both powerful psychoactive drugs. How do they compare with one another and how dangerous are they? (californiahighlands.com)
• LSD and MDMA: What to Know About Candyflipping – LSD and MDMA are generally better off apart. Learn about the effects and risks as well as what to do if you’ve already taken them. (healthline.com)
• Distinct acute effects of LSD, MDMA, and D-amphetamine in healthy subjects – PubMed – Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is a classic psychedelic, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is an empathogen, and D-amphetamine is a classic stimulant. All three substances are used recreationally. LSD and MDMA are being investigated as medications to assist psychotherapy, and D-amphetamine … (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

Fact Checked and Editorial Process

The Magical Mushroom is devoted to producing expert and accurate articles and information for our readers by tapping into psychedelic users, experts, journalists, and growing community. We encourage you to read more about our content, editing, and fact checking methods here. This was fact checked by Chris Riley.