Ch.15 Hallucinogens and Club Drugs

Hallucinogens

Drugs that alter perception, mood, & thought, = hallucinations & altered consciousness

Phantasticants

Drugs that distort sensory perception, no fully formed hallucinations

Psychedelics

Hallucinogens that alter consciousness & perception (ex: LSD, psilocybin)

Entactogens / Empathogens

Drugs that enhance emotions (extrovert) (e.g., MDMA)

LSD (Lysergic Acid Diethylamide)

A potent hallucinogen structurally similar to serotonin (5-HT)

Indoleamine-like drugs

LSD, psilocybin, DMT, bufotenine, harmine, harmaline

Catecholamine-like drug

Mescaline (from peyote cactus)

Ergotism (St. Anthony's Fire)

Poisoning from fungus-infected grain causing hallucinations, convulsions, & gangrene

Albert Hofmann

Chemist who discovered LSD-25 in 1938 through accidental exposure

Psychedelic Revolution

1960s movement promoting psychedelics for spiritual insight (ex: Timothy Leary)

Typical LSD dose

0-300 micrograms (metabolized in liver, excreted in bile/feces)

LSD onset of action

30-90 minutes after oral ingestion

LSD half-life

Approx. 175-300 minutes

Mescaline source

Dried heads of peyote cactus

Mescaline typical dose

200-400 micrograms

Common physical effects of LSD

Dilated pupils, nausea, increased heart rate, body temperature changes

Mescaline physical effects

early-stage nausea

LSD action in CNS

Selective serotonin (5-HT) agonist, distinct from other 5-HT2A receptor agonists

Brain regions for hallucinations

Locus coeruleus, raphe nuclei, cortex

Hallucinations

Subjective sensory experiences perceived as real but recognized as unreal

Common visual hallucination patterns

Gratings, tunnels, spirals, lattices

Synesthesia

Blending of senses (ex: hearing colors, seeing sounds)

Time distortion under LSD

slowing or speeding of time

Effects of LSD on performance

Impaired reaction time, attention, memory, & problem-solving

Creativity & LSD

Claims of enhanced creativity but hard to prove

Tolerance to LSD

Develops rapidly over 2-3 days; dissipates within about one week

Cross-tolerance

Tolerance to one psychedelic reduces sensitivity to others

Withdrawal from LSD

No documented withdrawal syndrome (flashbacks/residual perceptual distortions persist shortly)

LSD toxicity

Very low; no confirmed overdose deaths

Psychedelic crisis ("bad trip")

Acute anxiety, panic, or psychotic-like reaction

Flashbacks

Brief reappearance of perceptual effects long after drug use

MDMA (Ecstasy)

(usually refers to MDMA 3,4-) Entactogenic drug increasing serotonin, norepinephrine, & dopamine

may be a mix of MDMA, MDEA, MDA

Street names for MDMA

X, Adam, MDM, M&M, E

MDMA neurophysiology

Causes release & blocks reuptake of 5-HT; increases oxytocin

Typical MDMA dose

75-100 mg (no hallucinations, enhanced awareness of emotions/sensations)

Acute effects of MDMA

increased body temperature, Euphoria, empathy, increased energy, jaw clenching, sweating

Aftereffects of MDMA

difficulty in concentration, depression, irritability, insomnia

Neurotoxicity of MDMA

Chronic use depletes serotonin (5-HT) may/may not be reversable

most deaths from overheating 30/87

Salvia divinorum

One of the most potent natural hallucinogens native to Oaxaca, Mexico (extremely low toxicity)

Active compound in salvia

Salvinorin A

Salvia mechanism of action

Highly selective Kappa opioid receptor agonist and partial D2 dopamine receptor agonist (not 5-HT serotonin-based)

Duration of salvia effects

5-30 minutes (either rapidly cleared or stored in organs and tissue)

PCP (Phencyclidine)

Dissociative anesthetic causing hallucinations and psychosis-like effects (crystal, angel dust, hob) 5-10mg, peak effects 10-90 lasting 4-8hrs. Absorbed into body fat.

Ketamine

Safer alternative to PCP; used medically & recreationally (oral and intranasal)

Ketamine mechanism

NMDA glutamate receptor antagonist

NMDA receptor role

Crucial for learning and long-term memory

Dextromethorphan (cough syrup)

Cough suppressant abused at high doses for dissociative effects

DXM active metabolite

Dextrorphan

High-dose DXM effects

Hallucinations, euphoria, altered time perception

GHB (Gamma-hydroxybutyrate)

CNS depressant naturally occurring in the body

GHB medical use

Treatment for narcolepsy (Xyrem), increases REM

GHB risks

Respiratory depression, amnesia, overdose when mixed with depressants

Mephedrone (4-methylmethcathinone)

Synthetic stimulant with empathogenic effects

Mephedrone mechanism

Blocks reuptake of dopamine and serotonin

Legal status of mephedrone (U.S.)

illegal in 2011. Permanently illegal since 2012