Phencyclidine Intoxication

What is Phencyclidine?

Phencyclidine – what is it, and what is phencyclidine intoxication? More commonly known as PCP, it was initially used as an IV anesthetic drug. The side effects that patients felt after being given the medication led to the discontinuation of the drug. But those same side effects turned it into an illicit drug that is now commonly sold on the street. PCP can be found in powder form and smoked or mixed with water and turned into a liquid, which can then be injected, drank, or eaten. Users also dip cigarettes into the liquid or put PCP in marijuana and smoke it together. PCP has a very distinctive bitter chemical smell and taste, making it easily recognizable, especially to law enforcement.

Short Term Side Effects of Phencyclidine Intoxication

PCP has a lot of desirable short term side effects. They include:

Euphoria/feelings of happiness
Stimulant effects/hyperactivity
Hallucinations,
Perception changes – the way a user experiences light, color, touch, and sound may be altered
Experiencing changes in time – time will feel like it is speeding up or slowing down.
Users also may have an out of body type experience.

The side effects of PCP usage usually begin somewhere around 30-45 minutes if ingested and within a few minutes if smoked or injected. Phencyclidine intoxication can last from 4-6 hours or up to 24 hours if PCP is taken in higher doses.

There are also some adverse side effects of Phencyclidine Intoxication, which include:

Anxiety
Paranoia
Delirium
Inability to distinguish reality from fantasy/hallucinations
Severe Aggression
Amnesia/memory loss.
Numbness of extremities
Slurred speech
Loss of coordination
Rapid involuntary eye movements or a blank stare
Psychosis (can present similarly to schizophrenia)
A slight increase in breathing rate
A rise in blood pressure and pulse or sometimes a significant drop in blood pressure and pulse rate
Shallow respiration
Flushing and sweating
Nausea
Vomiting
Blurred vision
Drooling
Loss of balance and dizziness
Violence
Suicide
Seizures
Coma
Death, which sometimes occurs accidentally because of a user’s altered perception – they may inadvertently endanger themselves. Unintentional suicide is a known side effect of the drug.

Long Term Side Effects

Some of the long term effects of phencyclidine intoxication and use can be incredibly dangerous. These include:

Psychological dependence
Memory loss
Severe depression
Difficulty learning
Extreme weight loss
Intense drug cravings
Headaches
Insomnia
Flashbacks, where a user feels the effects of the drug even once it is out of their system

It’s also possible for the user to suffer from psychosis during a PCP ‘trip,’ and it could be long-lasting or even permanent. This is more likely when someone uses PCP for days at a time and does not sleep. Long term PCP use can cause users to stutter and have an inability to find words. It can also cause a user to have difficulty articulating thoughts, forget certain words, or even cause the loss of the ability to speak. Severe anxiety and suicidal ideation are also typical results of long-term PCP use. This drug can also cause numbness, leading users to hurt themselves and suffer from severe injuries. These are injuries that the user would have likely prevented if sober. PCP can also cause a user to feel invincible, which plays a role in injuries and accidental death.

Long term PCP use can also cause severe damage to the liver, kidneys, and lungs. Excessive PCP use can cause rhabdomyolysis – which is a condition that causes the breakdown of skeletal muscles, which can lead to kidney damage. If a user is smoking the drug, it can cause severe damage and cancer to the lungs, as well as cancer of the throat, mouth, stomach, and bladder.