Once a popular drug of abuse in the 1980s, PCP has reemerged in the last decade. Originally used as a general anesthetic in the 1950s, it became limited to veterinary use in 1967 due to reports of hallucinations and uneasy feelings in patients after surgery. Over time, the more you use the drug, the more tolerance you’ll build. This means you’ll need to use higher doses to get the same level of high.
PCP’s Effects on Your Brain
In an illegal setting, the drug is typically mixed in powdered form with a leafy substance such as parsley, mint, tobacco, or marijuana and is smoked. It may also be dissolved in a liquid and sprayed onto the leaves. The long-term effects of angel dust or PCP are not really well understood. It can cause several physical and psychological symptoms that often increase in intensity with larger doses.
Hallucinogens & Psychedelics
Moderate to high doses of PCP can cause symptoms of psychosis that mimic schizophrenia, even in people without a history of mental illness. This may include hallucinations, delusions, paranoia, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. Fatal overdoses are possible when you take a large amount of PCP. But most PCP-related deaths result from dangerous behavior caused by delusions and other psychological effects. The psychiatric effects vary widely, but it is considered dangerous, and its use has been linked to violent and aggressive actions, psychosis, and a risk of accidental death.
PCP vs. LSD
This site is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers. Always seek your physician’s advice with any questions or concerns regarding a medical condition. If you or someone you know or love struggles with PCP addiction, contact Northridge Addiction Treatment Center. Your health and safety are our top priority in our medically supervised detox program and our scientifically backed residential treatment program.
- Experts have found that programs like cognitive behavioral therapy or talk therapy can be effective for substance addiction.
- You might overdose or catch a virus such as HIV or hepatitis C.
- All of the information on this page has been reviewed and verified by a certified addiction professional.
- For example, many people believe PCP gives you godlike strength, although it is only due to the drug’s bizarre and violent effects.
When looking for treatment for PCP withdrawal, it’s important to find a facility that offers emergency medical care. Detoxing from PCP is possible and survivable with appropriate medical care to monitor breathing, circulation and gastrointestinal function. Some people may require sedation and physical restraints to get past the worst side effects. Sedation is particularly helpful for individuals who become agitated or violent after taking PCP. The effects of angel dust spray, angel dust strain, or even a PCP weed strain vary depending on how much a person uses. Yet it can be detected in the body for several days to months.
If the user remains in a stupor or a coma for more than three hours, they should be held for a minimum of 24 hours. Phencyclidine, commonly known as PCP, is a commonly abused street drug. Many people debate what kind of drug PCP is as it can have stimulant effects on people. However, phencyclidine is defined as a central nervous system depressant due to its acts on the body. A person’s outcome is more likely to be positive if they seek treatment from a team of healthcare professionals. Most people who experience phencyclidine intoxication survive when they receive supportive care.
Despite the illegal status, PCP is manufactured in clandestine labs and contains a number of unknown additives. Furthermore, it poses serious health risks to the mind and body of people who abuse it. 70% of PCP users smoke it because the effects are felt within 2-5 minutes, without the risk of using a needle. It is commonly mixed with marijuana as a powder or dipped in liquid PCP. When ingested by capsule or tablet, effects take approximately 15 to 60 minutes. 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.
This involves flashbacks of some of the user’s past drug experiences. This effect is seen more often in those with 10 signs that someone you know is using crack regularly a history of mental illness. Among mind-altering chemicals or drugs, LSD is considered one of the most powerful.
If someone believes they or someone else is experiencing a phencyclidine overdose, they should call 911 or local emergency services immediately. Doctors can often treat symptoms of toxicity and help prevent severe complications. These include physical symptoms, such as fast heart rate, nausea, and vomiting, and psychological symptoms, such as hallucinations, agitation, and dissociation.
The severity of these effects depends on the amount of the drug used, the frequency of use, the method of ingestion, the duration of addiction, and the individual’s overall health. When dissolved into a liquid form, it’s highly flammable since the suspension liquid used is typically alcohol detox diet eating healthy during alcohol withdrawal ether. By itself, PCP is a stable compound and can be dissolved in water and drunk. However, its distinctive bitter taste may be why it’s often sold in gelcap or pill form. Depending on the substance used to cut the PCP, it can vary from pale white to dark brown in color.
A PCP user is often impervious to pain and generally exhibits emotional instability, excited intoxication, a lack of coordination, high blood pressure, and increased deep-tendon muscle reflexes. At high doses, PCP is highly toxic and can cause convulsions and coma. PCP’s effects vary by user and are influenced by mood, dosage, and setting. Effects are evident one to two hours after ingestion and generally last four to six hours. Among chronic users, visual, memory, and speech disorders have been noted.
You cannot know beforehand what you will see, hear, or experience and how it will affect you. It is important to note that not everyone taking angel dust will experience the same symptoms as it manifests differently in different people. While it may make some people feel good, others may feel bad. A user must go to detox for withdrawal to help cleanse the body of the drug. Individuals that are not trained should not attempt to use any medications or apply any substance to someone who has overdosed on Phencyclidine. Instead, the first course of action would be to call the emergency services as soon as symptoms appear.
Carolina Center for Recovery is lucky to have some of the most qualified and experienced addiction specialists in the country. People who abuse it over an extended period of time will likely develop a tolerance. medication for the treatment of alcohol use disorder As a result, they have to use increasing amounts of the drug in order to achieve their desired high. When smoked, such as with a PCP-laced marijuana cigarette, the effects of PCP may take 2-5 minutes to set in.
We are dedicated to transforming the despair of addiction into a purposeful life of confidence, self-respect and happiness. We want to give recovering addicts the tools to return to the outside world completely substance-free and successful. If you use angel dust (phencyclidine) regularly and suddenly stop, you may have withdrawal symptoms like headaches, profuse sweating, and drug cravings. You can most commonly find PCP as a white crystalline powder or liquid. The powder can be dissolved in water to produce a liquid solution. It’s part of the hallucinogen class—a group of drugs people abuse because they produce euphoria, hallucinations, and disconnection from reality.
For long-term sobriety, transitioning to a residential treatment plan is recommended. Living sober after developing a PCP habit may require intensive therapy and long-term assistance. In general, PCP can be detected in the blood for up to 24 hours.
