Lysergamides

Amides of lysergic acid: the ergoline ring system carrying an amide. LSD is filed here rather than under Tryptamines — a tryptamine is embedded in the ring system, but nobody looking for LSD looks there. The family holds three different things. LSD's N1-acylated prodrugs (1P-LSD, 1cP-LSD, 1V-LSD, ALD-52) hydrolyse to LSD and are not separately interesting pharmacologically; the N6-substituted analogues (AL-LAD, ETH-LAD, PRO-LAD, LSZ) differ in potency and duration; and LSA occurs in seeds.

Beside them sit lysergamides that are not psychedelics at all: ergotamine and ergometrine, vasoconstrictors used in migraine and obstetrics, and the dopamine agonists bromocriptine, cabergoline and lisuride. Being a lysergamide does not make a compound psychedelic, and those carry risks of their own — peripheral ischaemia, and valvular change with long-term dopaminergic dosing. The psychedelic members are sold on blotter, and blotter sold as LSD is not always LSD.