Severe Neurological Sequelae after a Recreational Dose of LSD

Introduction

LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide-25) has been used experimentally and recreationally since its psychoactive properties were discovered in 1943. While earlier research has treated LSD both as a model psychotomimetic and as a potential therapeutic agent, its safety in recreational settings remains debated. Some recent reviews argue that standard recreational doses (50–200 µg) are medically safe and non-toxic, but other reports and case series have associated presumed LSD use with adverse events including seizures. Aakerøy and colleagues present a single-case report of a previously healthy young man who experienced a tonic seizure with subsequent cardiorespiratory arrest and severe, persistent neurological injury after taking a blotter believed to contain LSD. The paper aims to document the clinical course, perform comprehensive toxicological analysis of the patient’s biological samples and an analysed blotter, and consider whether LSD exposure could plausibly account for the outcome in the absence of identifiable individual vulnerabilities or other toxicological contributors.