Psychedelics, Ketosis & Gluconeogenesis

Hey there keto folk,

I have a few questions for those of you that eat a ketogenic diet and also use psychoactive substances, such as/but not limited to the classic psychedelic substances - psilocybin as found in 'magic mushrooms', LSD etc. I'm guessing this will be few of you, who knows maybe I'll be surprised by how many psychonaughts we have present. :)

My question is how has ketosis altered, if at all, your psychedelic experiences? Perhaps you find it weakened the effects at first, until you adapted? or perhaps it made the effects stronger? or just the same as usual?

My observation is that when I trip eating keto (HF VLC moderate protein) the effects of LSD are massively reduced.

I have a theory that - as LSD increases the brains demand for glucose, if that need isn't being met rapidly enough the effects of the LSD aren't realized as efficiently per dose. If this was the case, then providing the necessary substrates for greater efficiency of gluconeogenesis (GnG) or replenishing with exogenous/pre-formed glucose, should increase the previously reduced effects.

So I tested on myself... 3hrs after I'd taken a dose of LSD which should've have very significant effects, yet just wasn't kicking in as it should - I ate 3 tablespoons of honey... within 10 minutes I was full blown tripping! Now, this wasn't just a sugar rush on LSD, it was night & day - there was barely anything resembling what LSD should be doing to a human being, then exactly what it should be doing; which imho is a pretty important thing.

So, in the context of my n=1 dose dependent efficiency of LSD, it appears that my brains glucose requirements aren't currently being met optimally in a keto overnight fasted state. I can't find any info on at what rate GnG can occur in response to an increased physiological glucose demand and how much that speed can depend on adaptation, and how much the rate of GnG depends on having readily available (exogenous) substrates for GnG. Then there's the question of how glycolytic is LSD, and whether GnG can meet that demand efficiently. TBH I feel well adapted to keto - I eat high fat moderate protein, often 'hypercaloric' yet effortlessly lean, steady energy.

I doubt most of you are offended by my drug fueled observations, however if you are, please don't be. I'm well aware high-fat-ketogenic-style diets can be very healing for people, just please bare in mind (as you write off the significance of my drug fueled observations), so can LSD.

Where's a Bear when you need him? :)