Author: James Anderson
PCP Addiction: Signs, Treatment, and Prevention
It’s listed as a Schedule II drug in the United States, which makes it illegal to possess. In some cases, it’s possible for PCP to cause over-the-top psychological effects that make you feel stronger than you are and engage in violent behavior. This could cause you to physically harm yourself or others. PCP is a dangerous and addictive drug that can have severe long-term effects on the body and mind. While there’s no FDA-approved treatment for PCP addiction, the options above can aid in recovery. It belongs to a class of drugs called hallucinogens that can cause such mind-altering effects as confusion, mood changes, and seeing or hearing things that aren’t there.
Many believe PCP to be one of the most dangerous drugs of abuse. A moderate amount of PCP often causes users to feel detached, distant, and estranged from their surroundings. Phencyclidine (PCP) is a mind-altering drug that may lead to hallucinations (a profound distortion in a person’s perception of reality). It is considered a dissociative drug, leading to a distortion of sights, colors, sounds, self, and one’s environment. PCP was developed in the 1950s as an intravenous anesthetic, but due to the serious neurotoxic side effects, its development for human medical use was discontinued. Ketamine (Ketalar), an anesthetic used for surgery and painful procedures was developed instead and is structurally similar to PCP.
In some cases, people mix it with tobacco, various cannabis products, or even mint and oregano. People most often take this drug to chase the high that can make you feel detached from your body. Toxic psychosis can also develop, causing hostility, paranoia, and delusions in users. 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. The easiest way to lookup drug information, identify pills, check interactions and set up your own personal medication records.
PCP (Phencyclidine)
During rehab for PCP addiction, health professionals help people overcome withdrawal in a safe environment. The risk of drug addiction is influenced by genetic and environmental factors. Some people can develop tolerance and dependency toPCP without becoming addicted. Repeated use of PCP can lead to dependency and PCP addiction.
Regular use can lead to PCP use disorder that involves intense cravings and physical dependence. PCP addiction can lead to long-term health problems and even death. Individuals who are dependent on PCP should speak to a doctor about safe ways to stop taking the drug.
How long do the effects last?
The combo can cause your breathing to become dangerously slow and lead to respiratory arrest or coma. Combining PCP with other substances, including prescription, over-the-counter (OTC), and other recreational substances, raises the risk of serious effects and overdose. It’s become a common club drug in the last couple of decades and produces effects similar to other dissociative substances, like special K. The withdrawal symptoms can be hard to manage or cope with. If you’re unable to resist PCP, talk to your doctor about treatment options such as in-patient recovery.
Individuals who use the drug regularly require higher doses to feel its effects. The effects of PCP can be felt within five minutes of smoking the drug and within an hour of swallowing it. The hallucinogenic effects may last between four and eight hours when the drug is smoked and six to 24 hours when it’s taken in pill form. Like other dissociative drugs, PCP can make people feel disconnected from the body.
- People often dissolve the powder or liquid in alcohol or water.
- These interactions can lead to severely low blood pressure, seizure, coma, and death.
- It inhibits the reuptake of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin.
- This dependence on the drug is medically known as substance use disorder.
- Addiction can also develop, as a person builds up a tolerance to the drug.
Like other hallucinogens, PCP may increase the risk of hallucinogen persisting perception disorder. HPPD causes flashbacks to hallucinations and visual distortions. Glutamate is the brain’s most important chemical for normal brain function, according to the second edition of the textbook Neuroscience. PCP is a synthetic drug made from a combination of chemicals, including potassium cyanide, bromobenzene, ether, and hydrochloric acid.
What are PCP Drug Interactions?
Factors like how much you use and whether you’re using other substances also affect how long you feel angel dust. It tastes bitter and is made of a white crystalline powder. Anyone who is concerned about substance use should speak to their primary care physician. A doctor can assist if any medical treatment is necessary, and they can also refer a person to available local services or support groups. Interrupting these receptors allows the brain to disconnect from normal sensory experiences, or “reality.” In higher doses, however, it may also excite these receptors. The liquid form of PCP is actually PCP base often dissolved in ether, a highly flammable solvent.
PCP is known by many other names, including horse tranquilizer. Though it’s no longer approved for use in humans, it’s still sometimes used as a tranquilizer for animals. 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. The reason for the time difference is how fast the substance enters your bloodstream. When taken orally, your digestive system processes it first, hence the longer onset time.