Phencyclidine (PCP or Angel Dust)
It produces profound analgesia to a degree that even some major surgical procedures may be done without supplemental drugs. It has the decided disadvantage of producing in some patients severe excitement on emergence and severe hallucinatory disturbances.
Description of the first clinical study of phencyclidine use in humans as an anaesthetic (1958).
History
Phencyclidine (PCP or ‘angel dust‘) was investigated as an intravenous anaesthetic in the 1950s but was withdrawn from the market because it produced unpleasant hallucinations, agitation and delirium in humans. The product was later used as a veterinary anaesthetic but is no longer available. Abuse has not been a major problem in the UK and even the USA, where phencyclidine was once of serious concern, abuse now appears to be much less common and more localised (e.g. Washington DC). A US study in 1994 reported that 1.6 per cent of senior pupils at high school had used phencyclidine compared with 7 per cent in 1979. A large number of derivatives has been developed illicitly but none of these has gained widespread acceptance on the street. An example is 1-(1-phenylcyclohexyl)pyrrolidine or PHP; others include PCC, PCE and TCP.
Effects Sought
Abusers seek euphoria, which develops within a few minutes after smoking and is often accompanied by unusual delusions and hallucinations. The acute ‘high‘ lasts some four to six hours but it may take a few days for the effects to wear off completely. Some users find that the drug gives them feelings of power and invulnerability.
Administration
Phencyclidine is usually smoked, often mixed with leafy material (e.g. tobacco, cannabis), but can also be administered orally, intravenously and by nasal inhalation of dry powder. It has a characteristic bitter taste. In the USA, phencyclidine has been a common adulterant of other illicit drugs because it is cheap and easy to make.
Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacology
The mode of action and phencyclidine is not understood but it is known to affect a range of central neurotransmitter systems, which probably accounts for the wide variety of side-effects that have been reported. The half-life of phencyclidine varies greatly, from seven hours to over three days. The drug is eliminated primarily by hydroxylation in the liver followed by kidney excretion. About 10 per cent of circulating phencyclidine is excreted as unchanged drug in the urine.
Adverse Effects
Those intoxicated with phencyclidine typically show frequent changes in behaviour and level of alertness. As with ketamine, to which it is closely related chemically, much concern has centred on the unusual perceptual distortions, mind-altering and behavioural effects of phencyclidine. Many first-time users find the experience unpleasant and do not use it again. In the USA particularly, these strange dissociative and psychotomimetic effects have resulted in bizarre accidents and acts of self-harm of violence. Phencyclidine-induced psychosis can be peculiarly persistent and may take weeks or even months to dissipate; as with many other drugs of abuse it is unclear whether phencyclidine simply unmasks or exacerbates a tendency to psychosis or causes the illness de novo.
Phencyclidine is a very lipophilic drug and symptoms of intoxication may sometimes reappear two or three days after the original exposure when fatty tissues are metabolised and it released into the circulation again. This delayed reaction, and the central nervous system effects of phencyclidine generally, may be potentiated by barbiturates and opioids (but not benzodiazepines) which should therefore be avoided in those suspected depression, despite its anaesthetic properties.
Adverce Effects of Phencyclidine
Relatively acute problems
- Hypertension (hypertensive crises are rare), tachycardia (common)
- Nausea, vomiting, hypersalivation
- Flushing, sweating, fever, hyperpyrexia (and sequelae)
- Rhabdomyolysis
- Bronchospasm, aspiration pneumonia
- Nystagmus (very common), tremor, slurred speech, dystonias
- Convulsions, catatonia, stupor, coma
- Confusion, dizziness, amnesia
- Euphoria, acute depression, agitation, violence, psychosis, hallucination, delusions, dysphoria, aggression,
- Bizarre and dangerous behaviour while intoxicated, sometimes with serious or fatal consequences.
Problems connected with chronic abuse
- Psychological and physical dependence
- Chronic anxiety, confusion, depression
- Memory loss, speech difficulties
- Psychosis, various personality changes, ‘flashbacks’.
Are You Addicted to Phencyclidine?
The Causeway Retreat addiction treatment rehab clinic ensures that all kinds of drug addictions you or your loved one has will be treated with today’s highest addiction treatment standards and treatment methods. Our exclusive addiction treatment centre, located just 44 miles from the east of central London, is there to help you. Give us a call on 0207 100 7260 to talk to a clinical nurse specialist on addiction treatment or fill the form below to get in touch with us and to download the latest version of our brochure.
