The outlook for a person with phencyclidine intoxication and toxicity can depend on a variety of factors. These include whether the phencyclidine use is chronic, the dosage, methods of use, and whether a person uses phencyclidine with other substances. It also looks at what a person can expect in the emergency room with phencyclidine treatment, the outlook for phencyclidine intoxication, and seeking help for phencyclidine use disorder. Users of PCP may have issues with memory and cognition, difficulties with speech and learning, depression, and weight loss. These symptoms can continue long-term, often for up to one year after stopping phencyclidine use. Suicide after long-term use may be a greater risk, as well.
- While phencyclidine withdrawal is not life-threatening, it can be unpleasant and distressing.
- Common street names for PCP are the peace pill, angel dust, crystal joints, rocket fuel, sawgrass, zoom, the sheets, and elephant tranquilizer.
- Treatment may involve behavioral techniques, such as cognitive behavioral therapy and group therapy (talk therapy).
- A person may also experience memory loss and problems thinking or talking.
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There isn’t evidence that all hallucinogens are addictive, though most produce tolerance (you need to take higher doses over time to have the same effect). People experiencing issues with substance misuse may reach out to a healthcare professional or seek other avenues of support online or by phone. Of those individuals that healthcare professionals admitted to the ED, 152 returned home, 14 required general admission, and 12 received referrals to the community rehabilitation center. The researchers were unable to account for the remaining people. A 2015 study describes clinical findings among 184 individuals who presented to the ED with PCP overdose. The average length of hospital stay was around 4 hours and 20 minutes.
Signs of phencyclidine (PCP) intoxication and how to treat it
This material is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Data sources include Micromedex (updated 7 Jul 2024), Cerner Multum™ (updated 14 Jul 2024), ASHP (updated 10 Jul 2024) and others. Long-term or chronic use of dissociative drugs like PCP may also cause speech difficulties, memory loss, suicidal thoughts, social withdrawal, and anxiety. Sudden discontinuation of PCP can cause physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms. Combining PCP with other substances, including prescription, over-the-counter (OTC), and other recreational substances, raises the risk of serious effects and overdose. At a lower dose, PCP makes you feel euphoric, floaty, and disconnected from your body and surroundings.
What Else Is PCP Called?
If you or someone you know overdoses, call poison control at 800‑222‑1222 to speak to an expert. Call 911 or head to the nearest hospital to get medical help right away. Your doctor may also refer you to a live-in addiction recovery center to help you through the next steps. But if you don’t have insurance or your insurance doesn’t cover it, speak to a health advocate at a treatment facility about costs and payment plan options. Currently, there’s no medication available to reduce or block PCP’s effects on your body and overall health. But it’s also sold as tablets or capsules that you can swallow.
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As with all intoxications, a blood glucosemeasurement should be obtained, and 100 mgthiamine and dextrose 50% should be administeredif the blood sugar is abnormally low. Naloxone, totreat potentially coingested 6 ways to lower high blood pressure without using medication opiates, is notnecessary in patients with adequaterespiration. USAGov also offers resources for those seeking help with substance misuse, including a search function for local treatment facilities.
History and Physical
As you increase the dose, the effects get more intense, leading to hallucinations and erratic behavior. It’s become a common club drug in the last couple of decades and produces effects similar to other dissociative substances, like special K. While distressing, withdrawal from PCP is not life threatening. Recovery takes time, however, as the person will need support as they learn the skills necessary for a drug-free life. Discontinuing PCP suddenly can produce withdrawal symptoms.
PCP is well known for its primary action on the NMDA receptor, an ionotropic glutamate receptor.[49][44] As such, PCP is a noncompetitive NMDA receptor antagonist. 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.
In powder form, PCP can be used to “lace” marijuana or tobacco prior to being smoked. Similarly, a cigarette can be dipped into liquid PCP to produce a more covert way of using the drug. The short-term benzodiazepines vary depending on the particular dose taken, as well as the route of administration used. As an example, when the drug is smoked, the effects will begin in as few as 2 minutes. Those with persistent behavioral problems or distressing psychological effects may need psychiatric evaluation and treatment for mental health problems. Users of PCP are often brought to emergency rooms because of the drug’s severe psychological effects and violent or suicidal behaviors.
Also in the 1960s, PCP began to be illegally manufactured in laboratories and emerged as a popular street drug in San Francisco. Common street names for PCP are the peace pill, angel dust, crystal joints, rocket fuel, sawgrass, zoom, the sheets, and elephant tranquilizer. Depending on the dose and route of administration, PCP can have a wide range of central nervous system (CNS) manifestations. Thus, when patients are admitted with a drug overdose, a urinary drug screen should be performed for other illicit agents at the same time. In addition to feelings of supremacy and invincibility, PCP users experience dissociative states or feelings of mental numbness and detachment. Severe effects include seizures, coma, violence, suicide, or death.
They include memory loss, depression, trouble thinking and speaking, and weight loss. There were 75,538 emergency department visits in 2011 due to PCP, according to the Drug Abuse Warning Network. Seventy-two percent of PCP-related emergency department visits in 2011 involved PCP used in combination with other drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, analgesics, and anxiolytics. The majority of emergency department visits due to PCP in 2011 involved male patients (69%). Forty-five percent were patients who were 25 to 34 years old. Patients who were aged 18 to 24 years old and 35 to 44 years old accounted for 19% of emergency department visits each.
It’s part of the hallucinogen class—a group of drugs people abuse because they produce euphoria, hallucinations, and disconnection from reality. In cases of drug overdose, it may be necessary to put a person into the recovery position while waiting for the emergency services to arrive. Very large doses of PCP may cause delusions and auditory hallucinations, potentially leading to aggressive, violent, or suicidal behavior. A person may also experience memory loss and problems thinking or talking. Call 911 or local emergency medical services immediately for any symptoms of phencyclidine overdose.
People who stop ongoing use of PCP experience drug cravings, increased appetite, headaches, sleepiness, depression, and sweating as common withdrawal symptoms. 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. PCP has sedative effects, and interactions with other central nervous system depressants, such as alcohol and benzodiazepines, can lead to coma or accidental overdose. Many PCP users are brought to emergency rooms because of PCP’s unpleasant psychological effects or because of overdoses.
Benzodiazepines are the preferred medication for chemical sedation in patients with PCP toxicity. Lorazepam 2 to 4 mg intravenous (IV) or intramuscular (IM), or diazepam 5 to 10 mg IV or IM are recommended. Repeated doses every 10 minutes may be required for adequate sedation. Benzodiazepines are also the first-line treatment for PCP-induced hypertension and seizures.
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. Taking PCP (even in low doses) can take a toll on your memory. If you recognize any of these signs in yourself, don’t panic. You have plenty of options for support, which we’ll get to later. 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.
American Addiction Centers (AAC) is committed to delivering original, truthful, accurate, unbiased, and medically current information. We strive to create content that is clear, concise, and easy to understand. Whatever your situation is, be sure to follow the treatment recommendations of professionals to help ensure that you receive the level of care that fits with your needs. There are a number of options that can benefit someone struggling with an addiction to PCP. Seeking professional advice is always the appropriate course of action if you, or someone you know, is negatively impacted by the abuse of PCP. People using PCP often overestimate their abilities or think themselves impervious to harm, which can lead to accidental injuries and death.
People under the influence of PCP may do things they wouldn’t do while sober, suchas get into fights or hurt others. She is also the founder of Gut Theory Total DigestiveCare. If you or someone you know is fighting drug addiction, recovery is possible. Talk to your health care provider or check your alcohol use abuse and depression state or local health department websites. Depending on the dose and way the PCP was taken (injected, smoked, or swallowed), the drug’s effects can be felt in 2–5 minutes and last anywhere from 6–24 hours. While phencyclidine withdrawal is not life-threatening, it can be unpleasant and distressing.
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.” Combining PCP with other drugs may also increase the risk of overdose.
