PCP

Phencyclidine (a complex clip of the chemical name phenylcyclohexylpiperidine, commonly initialized as PCP), also known as angel dust or moon dust, is a dissociative drug formerly used as an anaesthetic agent, exhibiting hallucinogenic and neurotoxic effects. It was first patented in 1952 by the Parke-Davis pharmaceutical company and marketed under the brand name Sernyl. In the United States PCP is a DEA Schedule I substance. In chemical structure, PCP is an arylcyclohexylamine derivative, and, in pharmacology, it is a member of the family of dissociative anesthetics. PCP works primarily as an NMDA receptor antagonist, which blocks the activity of the NMDA receptor. Other NMDA receptor antagonists include ketamine, tiletamine, and dextromethorphan. Although the primary psychoactive effects of the drug last only hours, total elimination from the body is prolonged, typically extending over at least 8 days.

Recreational use: Illicit PCP seized by the DEA in several forms

PCP comes in both powder and liquid forms (PCP base is dissolved most often in ether), but typically it is sprayed onto leafy material such as marijuana, mint, oregano, parsley, or ginger leaves, then smoked.

PCP is a Schedule II substance in the United States, a List II drug of the Opium Law in the Netherlands and a Class A substance in the United Kingdom.

Method of absorption

The term "embalming fluid" is often used to refer to the liquid PCP in which a cigarette or joint is dipped, to be ingested through smoking, commonly known as "boat." Smoking PCP is known as "getting wet." A tobacco cigarette or cannabis joint dipped in PCP is called by the street names "sherm stick," "sherm," "fry stick," "amp," "happy stick," and "wet stick." There is much confusion over the practice of dipping cigarettes in "embalming fluid" leading some to think that real embalming fluid may actually be used. Smoking actual formaldehyde will cause intoxication, but may cause serious health consequences beyond those of consuming PCP, due to the toxicity of formaldehyde and other embalming chemicals. The slang term "embalming fluid" is likely originated from PCP's somatic "numbing" effect and the feeling of physical dissociation from the body. This is one of the fastest growing means of abusing PCP, especially in the western United States where it is sold for about $10 to $25 per joint or cigarette.

In its powder form, PCP can be insufflated

In Canada, particularly in the provinces of Quebec and New Brunswick, PCP is commonly mistaken for mescaline (often locally called "mess" or "mesc"), although most local users are aware that the drug is not mescaline but is rather a mixture of quinine or lactose and PCP freebase. The most common form of ingesting PCP is through smoking.

In its pure form, PCP is a white crystalline powder that readily dissolves in water. However, most PCP on the illicit market contains a number of contaminants as a result of makeshift manufacturing, causing the color to range from tan to brown, and the consistency to range from powder to a gummy mass.

PCP Effects

Behavioral effects can vary by dosage. Small doses produce numbness in the extremities and intoxication, characterized by staggering, unsteady gait, slurred speech, bloodshot eyes, and loss of balance. Moderate doses (5-10 mg intranasal, or 0.01-0.02 mg/kg intramuscular or intravenous), will produce analgesia and anesthesia. High doses may lead to convulsions.

Psychological effects include severe changes in body image, loss of ego boundaries, and depersonalization. Hallucinations and euphoria are reported infrequently.

The drug has been known to alter mood states in an unpredictable fashion, causing some individuals to become detached, and others to become animated. Intoxicated individuals may act in an unpredictable fashion, driven by their delusions and hallucinations.

Included in the portfolio of behavioral disturbances are acts of self-injury including suicide, and attacks on others or destruction of property. The analgesic properties of the drug can cause users to feel less pain, and persist in violent or injurious acts as a result. Recreational doses of the drug can also induce a psychotic state that resembles schizophrenic episodes which can last for months at a time with toxic doses. Users generally report an "out-of-body" experience where they feel detached from reality, or one's consciousness seems somewhat disconnected from normal reality.

Symptoms are summarized by the mnemonic device RED DANES: rage, erythema (redness of skin), dilated pupils, delusions, amnesia, nystagmus (oscillation of the eyeball when moving laterally), excitation, and skin dryness.

Management of intoxication

Management of phencyclidine intoxication mostly consists of supportive care—controlling breathing, circulation, and body temperature—and, in the early stages, treating psychiatric symptoms. Benzodiazepines, such as lorazepam, are the drugs of choice to control agitation and seizures (when present). Typical antipsychotics such as phenothiazines and haloperidol have been used to control psychotic symptoms, but may produce many undesirable side effects—such as dystonia—and their use is therefore no longer preferred; phenothiazines are particularly risky, as they may lower the seizure threshold, worsen hyperthermia, and boost the anticholinergic effects of PCP. If an antipsychotic is given, intramuscular haloperidol has been recommended.

Forced acid diuresis (with ammonium chloride or, more safely, ascorbic acid) may increase clearance of PCP from the body, and was somewhat controversially recommended in the past as a decontamination measure. However, it is now known that only around 10% of a dose of PCP is removed by the kidneys, which would make increased urinary clearance of little consequence; furthermore, urinary acidification is dangerous, as it may induce acidosis and worsen rhabdomyolysis (muscle breakdown), which is not an unusual manifestation of PCP toxicity.

Teen Challenge helps individuals seeking treatment for Phencyclidine PCP addiction and other types of drug abuse through effective drug-free rehabilitation. Don't let yourself or a loved one continue to drown in the trap of drug abuse.

 

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