Short-Term Stability of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD), N-Desmethyl-LSD, and 2-Oxo-3-hydroxy-LSD in Urine, Assessed by Liquid Chromatography–Tandem Mass Spectrometry
Clinical Chemistry September 1, 2002 Gisela Skopp, Lucia Pötsch, Rainer Mattern et al. 37 citations
Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is a potent hallucinogen that is rapidly metabolized and unstable in biological fluids, making its detection in urine challenging. After a typical street dose of 40–120 μg, LSD concentration in urine falls below 1 μg/L within hours. Metabolites N-desmethyl-LSD (nor-LSD) and 2-oxo-3-hydroxy-LSD (O-H-LSD) have been identified, with O-H-LSD measured at concentrations severalfold higher (0.02–21.4 μg/L). Liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) improves detection. LSD decomposes in urine exposed to heat, sunlight, or ultraviolet light, but stability data on its major metabolites were lacking. This study assessed the stability of LSD, O-H-LSD, and nor-LSD in urine under different storage conditions using LC-MS/MS, aiming to inform sample transport and storage practices.