LSD Microdosing – acute memory problems.

[tombarnfield]

Hi there.

I've been driven to exhaustion looking for an answer to this, so thought I'd post on here.

I've had problems with serious diagnosed depression and short-term memory problems since a young age (linked to depression, previously possible ADD diagnosis).

During and after a period of very heavy (mainly ecstasy) drug use over 6/7 years, I started to develop very specific working memory, speech and cognition issues. Every second sentence I will forget the next word. Difficulty forming sentences and thoughts in head - forget what I'm thinking about. Has developed stutter and slurred speech. Frequently, I'll speak without thinking and jumble up words, or say a random word by accident – believe this is called Aphasia. Decline has been noticed by friends and family.

I haven't taken MDMA for 1.5 years. 1 pill results in 3 days of struggling to speak and form sentences. I can tell you unequivocally MDMA and Ecstasy is at the root of my speech problems and concentration issues. No doubt in this.

After CBT, therapy and various meds, LSD microdosing was attempted at 15ug each second day – to address chronic depression, difficulty forming thoughts and creativity.

Whilst this is a very, very small dose, it had large negative effects on short-term, working memory and speech.

Whilst creativity and energy increased, very specific problems were noted immediately after dosing.

Roughly 2 hours after each dose, for 6/7 hours, there was an tangibly noticeable inability to talk and form speech. Complete mind blanks. Working memory and speech ability became very poor, followed by a huge 'down' spell in the evening – every time.

For the following days, memory and speech problems would persist until subsiding slowly over 3/4 days. On one date, a date counted 6 times I got the 'wrong word' in a sentence!

To make sure it was the microdosing, I abstained for 2 weeks and repeated, twice. Each time, the same symptoms immediately came back on the very first dose.

15ug is a very small dose, and microdosing is linked to better memory and cognitive functioning. All anecdotal evidence reports no memory problems. However there are studies explaining that in large doses, users get the 'similar but wrong word' for an object.

Can anyone shed some light on this? Microdosing has helped me like no other 'med', but the noticed memory problems are shocking.

Thanks!

 

[iksaxophone]

I don't know what to say about the microdosing...perhaps some region of your brain associated with speech has an unusually high level of serotonin receptors.
Also, we don't SWIM on Bluelight. Might want to edit your post.

 

[pupnik]

short term memory formation requires good diet (protein) and circulation as well as mood consistency, or state of mind consistency.

the formation of new memory can be disrupted by changing state of mind - each state of mind is practically a codex for a raft of memories that are not available in other states of mind.

if you are manic, memories or words that fit one "mood" can seem inaccessible to another "mood" moments later and if you are switching moods some memories may seem to be cross-filed.
if you panic when you see one of these memory gaps that panic will start another mood change increasing the gap.

all I can say is refrain from panic, it drives a wedge into your ability to recall things, and don't use the word SWIM here, the mods will smakudown.

 

[Jokoin]

This is very odd. For me, Microdosing LSD actually improves my short term memory span - it's how I came out of high school with a full set of A's. What i'd recommend you doing is VLOGing you study for a set amount of time and then sending it to MAPS, or contact them now and ask if anyone else has contacted them with similar issues.

For now, if you dont fancy doing that, lower the dose. Yes 15ug is the standard MD dose... but 5-10 should produce similar yet reduced effects.

 

[tombarnfield]

Got it – deleted SWIM. Interesting insight Pupnik, that would make sense. Contacting MAPS seems like a good idea. Any other input from anyone would be ace too!

 

[perpetualdawn]

Hi Tom and welcome!

I'm not too surprised to hear that microdosing didn't help you out. My impression from microdosing, and from reading about it, is that microdosing does not guarantee improved short term, working memory, and speech. I'd say that in general, it tends to hinder these areas a bit, but there are exceptions where the opposite is true. What it does help with (for me, usually) is creative thinking, helping establish new patterns of thinking, interest (finding novelty in the mundane), insight, motivation, energy.

LSD tends to promote holistic thinking, with helping thought patterns to jump out of the deeply cut grooves of habit, and follow the less trodden pathways. It promotes interconnection between different neural circuits, and thus interconnected thinking between areas that might not normally do much work together.

In my opinion microdosing doesn't have a separate effect from a "macro" dose, it just does it with a much smaller magnitude. So I think it's possible that you could use microdoses to establish new, more productive and helpful pathways in your brain (aka learning), but it's just as likely that the microdose will disrupt the existing productive thought patterns, and further jumble the situation. Perhaps it could be a useful tool in a therapy setting, or combined with therapy, but maybe in a DIY setting it's too much just rolling the dice.

LSD microdosing is not at all a classic nootropic effect.

I agree with Jokoin that it could be a good idea to experiment with 5-10µg doses. It's altogether possible that it will be helpful, sometimes drugs have these magic thresholds for dosage. And in any case your experiment and anecdotes will be helpful for the rest of humanity involved in this project. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Volsam]

IMO LSD disbalances acetylcholine levels, thus causing memory impairment.

As far as I understand, there's a link between serotonin levels and acetylcholine levels in the brain, and altering one causes the change in the other. So by over-expressing serotonin through LSD microdosing, we inevitably lowering ACh levels, causing memory fog, words falling out, lack of inhibition.

I remember during the experiment when I was taking LSD almost daily for about a year, I have noticed a huge difference when adding nootropic stack to it, which supports my theory. IME, you can safely try Alpha-GPC, Piracetam and Aniracetam with flax seed oil with LSD microdosing - they're not going to break a bank, will be efficient and I can vouch for minimum side-effects when combined with LSD.

IMO, it's all about equilibrium of forces, about learning to hold the balance within, which is art of life I suppose.8)