Phencyclidine (PCP): Uses, Effects and Precautions

A drug that is hardly used in any human treatment anymore.

That of phencyclidine or PCP is a curious case since it is a psychoactive substance that, after being developed as an anesthetic, was discarded due to its side effects. However, some people continue to use it recreationally in various forms. Within the phencyclidine family we find compounds such as thiophene or the better known ketamine.

This recreational drug, in addition to causing a series of pleasant effects, also brings with it numerous adverse effects due to the fact that its active ingredient is not very selective. Let us see through which mechanism this drug acts and what are its effects..

What is phencyclidine

Phencyclidine is a dissociative drug that can be taken orally, intravenously, smoked and inhaled.. Commonly known as "angel dust", it is usually consumed sporadically and spaced in time. It is usually not consumed alone, but is accompanied by other drugs. For example, many people mix it with cocaine or MDMA, modifying or enhancing its effects.

Following the abandonment of its use in humans when it was found to produce too many side effects, PCP has been reduced to the veterinary field. In its purest form, PCP is a perfectly crystalline powder that is easily soluble. The one found on the street, however, may be yellowish or brownish forming a kind of paste or conglomerate due to the additives and substances added in its illegal production.

Mechanism of action

Phencyclidine is a non-competitive NMDA receptor antagonist.. This means that it is a substance that prevents the excitation of glutamate receptors, inhibiting them. In addition, it also blocks other receptors such as the ion channels of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, and is an opioid gonist.

Thus, acetylcholine-dependent activity is reduced and also increases the production of amines such as serotonin or dopamine, similar to what occurs with ecstasy or MDMA. In addition, phencyclidine is involved in a wide number of intraneuronal processes.

Effects of this drug

The experiences one can expect when taking phencyclidine are manifold. While it is true that they depend on the dose administered, they also vary from person to person.

Naturally, interaction with other drugs will also produce specific effects that are not achieved by phencyclidine alone.

1. Dissociation

The effect that most people seek through phencyclidine and that is most characteristic of these compounds is that of dissociation.. You feel as if you are detached from your environment, you feel as if your body does not belong to your surroundings. You experience a feeling of remoteness from reality, as if you are looking at life through a screen.

The feeling of unreality characteristic of phencyclidine can be amusing for some, but for others it can become a terrifying experience in which the individual does not know if it will ever end or will remain in this state forever.

2. Alteration of sensitivity

Due to its analgesic effects, phencyclidine produces numerous alterations in touch and proprioception.. After consumption, touch may become numb and sensations that might previously have been painful may become tolerable or even pleasant. One may feel that one's own body is weightless, as if it were made of foam rubber and just as light.

3. Alteration of motor skills

The movements of people affected by phencyclidine are slow and sluggish.. Even if one feels that one's body is weightless, it is very difficult to move and very slow. Limbs may become numb and speech may become slurred. Consonants are slurred and articulation in general can be very difficult. Many times, due to the fact that their own weight is not well perceived and everything seems to go slower, the pace of these people when moving is very exaggerated and it seems that they do it in slow motion.

4. Ocular alterations

With the consumption of phencyclidine it is easy to observe ocular phenomena that are very characteristic. The usual thing is that the person under the effects of phencyclidine seems to be looking at the emptiness, that he/she has a lost look although he/she is really present. In addition, involuntary and rapid eye movements may appear, similar to those that occur in the REM phase during sleep, but less frequent and exaggerated.

5. Hallucinations and distortions

At certain doses it is perfectly normal to suffer hallucinations, especially auditory hallucinations.. Voices that speak, voices that speak to each other, etc., are the type of hallucinations that characterize schizophrenic patients. Sometimes it is practically impossible to differentiate the hallucinations of these patients from those who have taken phencyclidine. In addition to hallucinations, visual perceptual distortions may occur.

6. Emotional disturbances

Consumption may produce high anxiety during and after the psychoactive effects of the drug.. In some cases the user may experience extreme anxiety that can bring him/her to the brink of an anxiety crisis. In addition, due to the alteration in the production of amines, the mood may also vary. In the same way that euphoria and a feeling of being invincible can be experienced, there are periods in which the individual feels such a low mood that can recreate the characteristics of a true major depressive episode.

7. Undesirable physiological effects

In addition to the described alterations, which may be intended or unintended, phencyclidine causes an undesirable physiological effect, PCP causes a series of changes in physiological functioning that can be very unpleasant, especially at high levels of use.especially in high consumptions. Blood Pressure drops occur, which may lead to fainting, heart rate decrease and respiratory depression. This may be accompanied by vomiting, dizziness and spinning sensation, drooling and a complete loss of balance.

In very high doses or dangerous interactions, seizures, coma and even death may occur through an accident caused by the effects of phencyclidine, such as motor clumsiness or a feeling of invulnerability.