Dose - pKa, pH, and LSD

[Shampoo]

A recent musing on the absorption principles of all chemicals, but in a direct and applicable sense, LSD: A key intention in ingestion is avoidance of ionization. If a chemical finds itself ionized, it becomes water soluble, and thus poorly absorbed by stomach, and in the case of application to pregnancy, placenta. If the chemical is de-ionized, it becomes lipid-soluble, thus the absorption rate rises (cell membranes are friendly with lipids...). The rate of ionization can be determined by a ratio of pKa to pH. These two numbers fluctuate according to the pKa of the chemical, and the absorption method. Absorption through an IV results in a pH according to blood, which is reliably 7.4. The pH of the stomach however is drastically lower, usually at 2.5.
So in application, the equation for absorption determined by pKa looks something like this 100/(1+10^x(pH-pKa)) where x is -1 is the drug is an acid, and 1 if the drug is a base.
When applied to LSD, the results are surprising based on readings of empirical testing of LSD administration. The intravenous administration of LSD inherits a 28.5% ionization rate, implying that that approximately 28.5ug per 100ug dosed intravenously is lost. Though not to many swimmers out there dose LSD with a needle, the sublingual digestion (i.e. blotter in the mouth...) implies intravenous digestion as well. The stomach however, with a pH of 2.5, has an ionization rate of 0%. Thus, 100% of the chemical is absorbed in the digestion process. This would imply that the use of sugar cubes and liquid suspension capsules far outperform in efficiency the use of the more common, perhaps more romantic or even more practical administration through blotter paper.

note: This does not account however for LSD lost during long arduous journey of oral digestion. If that is quantifiable, or has been quantified, please post in response.
Also, this has not been put into practice, as far as I am concerned, and should not be used as a reliable source of dosing calculations. (i.e. this does not mean that SWIY needS an extra 28.5%ug for accurate dosing...)(although it does allude to it)
On that note, microgram calculations are consistently unreliable, especially from SWIY. So unless a microgram scale adorns SWIYr laboratory, weight as a measure of LSD quantity may be less than accurate.

Reputation Comments on this post:

good post.