PCP

Phencyclidine is also known as PCP. PCP is also known as angel dust informally. Formerly PCP used as an anesthetic agent. But use of it was discontinued on patients because of agitated, irrational and delusional while recovering from its anesthetic effects. Use of PCP discontinued in 1965. In 1960s, PCP was introduced first time as a street drug

Street Names of PCP

• Angel
• Angel Dust
• Boat
• Dummy Dust
• Love Boat
• Peace
• Supergrass
• Zombie

It is a “dissociative drug”.

How Abused

PCP is a white crystalline powder (picture below). It is readily soluble in alcohol and water. It’s like distinctive bitter chemical taste. It is easy to mix with dyes. Usually PCP sold in illegal drug market in a variety of capsule, tablet and colored powder forms. Those are normally snorted, orally ingested or smoked. PCP is often applied to a leafy material like mint, parsley, marijuana or oregano for smoking.

Approximately the effect can last for 4 to 6 hours, depending upon how much and what route PCP is taken.

Effect on Brain

Gained reactions as a drug and was not good worth the risk. Some abusers continue to use for feelings of strength, power, and invulnerability and numbing effect on the mind.

Psychological effects  

• Such as hallucinations, delusions, disordered thinking, paranoia, and a sensation of distance form one’s environment.
• Abusers of PCP who have taking it for long periods, they are having problems like memory loss, depression, difficulties with speech and thinking, and most common is weight loss. Even abusers can suffer these problems up to one year after stopping taking PCP.
• If abusers take PCP repeatedly, then that can lead to craving and PCP seeking behavior.

Effects on health

Taking PCP low doses to moderate doses can cause many physiological effects. Common effects are:

• A slight increase in breathing rate
• Pronounced rise in blood pressure and pulse rate
• Breathing becomes shallow
• Flushing and profuse sweating
• Generalized numbness of extremities
• Loss of muscular coordination

Taking high doses

• Blood pressure drops
• Pulse rate drops
• Respiration drops

High doses also can cause seizures, coma and death.

Sometime is may accompanied by nausea, blurred vision, vomiting, flicking up and down of the eyes, loss of balance, dizziness and drooling.

Danger to Others

Abusers may become suicidal or violent while they are intoxicated. So, they are dangerous for others and to themselves as well.

Treatment
This treatment is usually supportive. Type of treatment is supportive provision of a quiet room with little sensory stimulation. Sometime benzodiazepines are used to control extreme agitation or seizures.