Author: Alex Thompson

Phencyclidine Wikipedia

But most PCP-related deaths result from dangerous behavior caused by delusions and other psychological effects. High doses of PCP can also cause seizures, coma, and death (often due to accidental injury or suicide during PCP intoxication). Psychological effects at high doses include delusions and hallucinations. Users often refer to the experiences from hallucinogens as a “trip”, or calling an unpleasant experience a “bad trip.”

1. Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.
2. But most PCP-related deaths result from dangerous behavior caused by delusions and other psychological effects.
3. Users of PCP are often brought to emergency rooms because of the drug’s severe psychological effects and violent or suicidal behaviors.
4. At a lower dose, PCP makes you feel euphoric, floaty, and disconnected from your body and surroundings.
5. Ketamine (Ketalar), an anesthetic used for surgery and painful procedures was developed instead and is structurally similar to PCP.

It is important for the person to seek help, or for their loved ones to intervene, if possible. Toxic psychosis can also develop, causing hostility, paranoia, and delusions in users. The effects can be hard to predict, because production and sale are illegal and therefore not controlled. However, because the drug is made illegally in uncontrolled conditions, there is no way of knowing how much is being taken, or what the effect will be.

PCP is similar to other hallucinogens like LSD (acid) and ketamine, which change your perception of the world around you. You can also call 911 or the local emergency number or go to the hospital emergency room. At this time, there is no medicine that can help reduce the use of PCP by blocking its effects. You can also join a virtual or in-person support group and connect and share with others who’ve been through a similar experience. When you take a higher dose, it might cause you to have strange behaviors and postures, such as spasms that cause you to arch your back, head, and neck. You might also have tremors and greater activity levels.

However, we believe in providing accessible and accurate information to reduce the harm that can occur when using. A typical dose is 5 to 10 milligrams, and 10 mg has been reported to cause stupor. The effects are felt 30 to 60 minutes after oral ingestion, or a few minutes after smoking. Immediate effects last 4 to 6 hours, but a return to a normal state can take up to 24 hours. It is made illegally in secret laboratories, along with dozens of analogs (drugs that are chemically similar) available on the street. It is thought to be made primarily in the United States (U.S.), mostly in Southern California, but it is distributed across the country.

PCP (Phencyclidine) Treatment

Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances. As with any recreational drug that may be injected, the risk for HIV, hepatitis, and other infectious diseases from shared needles is a possibility. Treatment programs for PCP addiction may begin with medical detox, which ensures your safety through the withdrawal process.

The aim is to help you understand your behaviors and why you use PCP. Involving family and friends during counseling can help support you and keep you from going back to using (relapsing). People often dissolve the powder or liquid in alcohol or water. PCP was initially developed as a general anesthetic for surgery by Parke Davis Pharmaceutical Company.

Phencyclidine

It inhibits the reuptake of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin. PCP is available in a variety of tablets, capsules, and colored powders, which are either smoked, taken orally or by the intranasal route (“snorted”).

The easiest way to lookup drug information, identify pills, check interactions and set up your own personal medication records. The safest place to detox from PCP is in a medical inpatient environment. Oral ingestion (swallowing) lasts much longer because the drug is slowly processed through the digestive system before being released into the body.

While studies are looking at options for drug treatment of PCP dependence, there are no specific approved treatments for PCP abuse and addiction. Patients may need to be hospitalized and receive behavioral treatments to address abuse issues with PCP. Besides angel dust, other commonly used street names for the drug include ozone, rocket fuel, amp, animal tranquilizer, hog, shermans, wack, crystal, and embalming fluid. If it’s mixed with cannabis, you might hear it called killer joints, fry, lovelies, wets, or waters. All studies of Olney’s lesions have only been performed on non-human animals and may not apply to humans. Users of PCP are often brought to emergency rooms because of the drug’s severe psychological effects and violent or suicidal behaviors.

Severe depression

PCP, also known as phencyclidine and angel dust, was originally developed as a general anesthetic but became a popular substance in the 1960s. It’s listed as a Schedule II drug in the United States, which makes it illegal to possess. Discontinuing PCP suddenly can produce withdrawal symptoms.

Factors like how much you use and whether you’re using other substances also affect how long you feel angel dust. PCP’s effects generally last from 6 to 24 hours but linger up to around 48 hours in some people. In people with more body fat, effects can come and go or fluctuate over a few days to months.

Related MedlinePlus Health Topics

When you use PCP in any form, how you react to the drug will depend on how much of it you drink, snort, inject, or smoke. Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available. Adrienne Santos-Longhurst is a freelance writer and author who has written extensively on all things health and lifestyle for more than a decade. PCP is a synthetic drug made from a combination of chemicals, including potassium cyanide, bromobenzene, ether, and hydrochloric acid. According to one 2007 review, these symptoms often begin around 8 hours after discontinuation and may last several weeks or months, depending on the duration and frequency of PCP use.

If you do decide to use PCP, there are several steps you can take to keep yourself safe. There are also many options available for support if you are concerned about your substance use. HPPD causes you to experience flashbacks and hallucinations for a long time after substance use. The behavior of a person using PCP can be dangerous to themselves and to others.

For smoking, PCP is typically sprayed onto leafy material such as mint, parsley, oregano, or marijuana. If someone you know has attempted suicide, call 911 or the local emergency number right away. DO NOT leave the person alone, even after you have called for help. This means it acts on your brain (central nervous system) and changes your mood, behavior, and the way you relate to the world around you. Scientists think it blocks the normal actions of certain brain chemicals. If you or someone you know has suicidal thoughts while using PCP, call or text 988 (the national suicide hotline).