PCP

PCP may cause psychosis and mania at a significantly higher rate than other dissociatives.

It is strongly discouraged to use this substance multiple days in a row or in high doses. Please see this section for more details.

PCP
Chemical Nomenclature
Common names	Phencyclidine, Angel dust
Substitutive name	PCP
Systematic name	1-(1-phenylcyclohexyl)piperidine
Class Membership
Psychoactive class	Dissociative
Chemical class	Arylcyclohexylamine
Routes of Administration
Oral Dosage WARNING: Always start with lower doses due to differences between individual body weight, tolerance, metabolism, and personal sensitivity. See responsible use section. DISCLAIMER: PW's dosage information is gathered from users and resources for educational purposes only. It is not a recommendation and should be verified with other sources for accuracy. Light 3 - 5 mg Common 5 - 10 mg Strong 10 + mg Heavy Heavy doses may result in psychosis and mania. Duration Total 4 - 6 hours After effects up to 24 hours

Summary sheet: PCP

Phencyclidine (also known as PCP, Angel Dust, or Sernyl) is a dissociative drug. In chemical structure, PCP is a member of the arylcyclohexylamine class and in pharmacology it is a member of the family of dissociative anesthetics. PCP works primarily as an NMDA receptor antagonist, where it blocks the activity of the NMDA receptor. As an addictive drug, PCP is associated with compulsive abuse.

PCP was marketed in the 1950s as an anesthetic pharmaceutical drug but was taken off the market in 1965 due to the high prevalence of dissociative hallucinogenic side effects. Likewise ketamine was discovered by Parke-Davis researchers as a better-tolerated derivative for use as an anesthetic pharmaceutical drug. Since this time, a number of synthetic derivatives of PCP have been sold as dissociative drugs for recreational and non-medical use.

As a recreational drug, PCP may be ingested orally, smoked, insufflated or injected.

Chemistry

PCP, or phencyclidine, is a synthetic dissociative of the arylcyclohexylamine class. PCP contains cyclohexane, a six member saturated ring, bonded to two additional rings at R₁. One of these rings is a piperidine ring, a nitrogenous six member ring, bonded at its nitrogen group. The other ring is an aromatic phenyl ring. PCP is an initialism named from the first letters of the three constituent rings piperdine, cyclohexane and phenyl.

Pharmacology

Main article: NMDA receptor antagonist

PCP acts as an NMDA receptor antagonist. NMDA receptors allow for electrical signals to pass between neurons in the brain and spinal column; for the signals to pass, the receptor must be open. Dissociatives close the NMDA receptors by blocking them. This disconnection of neurons leads to loss of feeling, difficulty moving, and eventually an almost identical equivalent of the famous “k-hole.”

PCP also acts as a dopamine-reuptake inhibitor and a serotonin reuptake inhibitor with alleged µ-opioid affinity and typical dissociative effects. This provides an explanation for its euphoric and often stimulating properties.

Subjective effects

This subjective effect breakdown is a stub. As such, it may contain incomplete or wrong information and is still in progress. You can help by expanding it.

The effects listed below are based upon the subjective effects index and personal experiences of PsychonautWiki contributors. The listed effects will rarely (if ever) occur all at once, but heavier dosages will increase the chances and are more likely to induce a full range of effects.

PCP is considerably more likely to induce psychosis than other dissociatives and is therefore potentially dangerous regardless of setting.

Physical effects

• Tactile disconnection
• Spontaneous tactile sensations
• Tactile suppression
• Physical autonomy
• Motor control loss
• Physical euphoria
• Perception of decreased weight
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Visual sliding

Cognitive effects

The general head space of PCP is often described as particularly stimulating, euphoric and clear-headed in comparison to that of DXM and ketamine. The specific cognitive effects can be broken down into several separate subcomponents which are listed and described below:

• Psychosis - This effect is more common on PCP than other dissociatives.
• Delusions
• Depersonalization
• Derealization
• Consciousness disconnection
• Memory suppression
• Ego death
• Thought acceleration
• Immersion enhancement
• Information processing suppression
• Time distortion
• Euphoria
• Introspection
• Déjà vu
• Conceptual thinking
• Compulsive redosing
• Anxiety suppression
• Disinhibition
• Amnesia
• Feelings of impending doom
• Creativity enhancement

Visual effects

Suppression

• Visual disconnection - This eventually results in PCP's equivalent of the famous "k-hole" or more specifically, holes, spaces and voids alongside of structures.
• Visual acuity suppression
• Double vision
• Pattern recognition suppression
• Frame rate suppression

Distortions

• Perspective distortions
• Environmental cubism
• Environmental orbism
• Scenery slicing

Hallucinatory states

At high doses, PCP can produce a full range of high level hallucinatory states in a fashion that is less consistent and reproducible than that of many other commonly used psychedelics. These effects include:

• External hallucinations
• Internal hallucinations

Auditory effects

• Suppression
• Distortions
• Hallucinations

Toxicity and harm potential

The long-term use of PCP may lead to schizophrenia-like psychotic episodes, severe lasting memory loss, disorganised thinking, depression, weight loss, liver abnormalities and rhabomyolysis (skeletal muscle breakdown).

It is strongly recommended that one use harm reduction practices when using this drug.

Psychosis

PCP has been reported to cause psychosis and mania at a significantly higher rate than other dissociatives such as ketamine, diphenidine, or MXE. Multiple scientific papers describe states of psychosis, mania, and/or delirium occurring after moderate to large doses of the drug were ingested. In one initial human trial, it was reported that one-sixth of the patients who had received anaesthetic doses became psychotic. In some cases, it took up to a week or more to resolve. Similar results (although less severe) were reported during trials using subanesthetic doses of PCP for pain relief.

It is strongly recommended that one use extreme caution and harm reduction practices when using this drug.

• Users should avoid taking the drug multiple days in a row or becoming addicted to it as this increases the risk of severe adverse effects.
• The recommended dosage range should not be exceeded as high doses can trigger adverse effects.
• Users should start with extremely low doses and work their way up as slowly as possible. Volumetric liquid dosing should preferably be used due to the drug's potency; most standard milligram scales cannot accurately weigh out doses below 10-15mg.
• Compulsive redosing before one has fully sobered up is not recommended and can result in too high of a dose.

Due to the risk of psychosis, it is not recommended to combine this drug with other substances, especially stimulants, psychedelics, or other dissociatives like MXE. Independent research should always be done to ensure that a combination of two or more substances is safe before consumption.

Tolerance and addiction potential

The chronic use of PCP can be considered highly addictive with a high potential for adverse side effects such as psychosis. In comparison to other dissociatives, PCP has been reported to be more addictive than MXE, diphenidine, ephenidine, and ketamine. When addiction has developed, cravings and withdrawal effects may occur if a person suddenly stops their usage. There have been multiple reports across the internet of people becoming seriously addicted daily users of this substance so serious precautions and considerations should be taken before trying this substance.

Tolerance to many of the effects of PCP develops with prolonged and repeated use. This results in users having to administer increasingly large doses to achieve the same effects. After that, it takes about 3 - 7 days for the tolerance to be reduced to half and 1 - 2 weeks to be back at baseline (in the absence of further consumption). PCP presents cross-tolerance with all dissociatives, meaning that after the consumption of PCP, all dissociatives will have a reduced effect.

Brain effects

Some studies found that, like other NMDA receptor antagonists, PCP can cause brain damage called Olney's lesions in rats. Studies conducted on rats showed that high doses of the NMDA receptor antagonist dizocilpine caused reversible vacuoles to form in certain regions of the rats' brains. All studies of Olney's lesions have only been performed on non-human animals and may not apply to humans. One unpublished study by Frank Sharp reportedly showed no damage by the NDMA antagonist ketamine (a similar drug) far beyond recreational doses but its validity is controversial since it was never published.

PCP has also been shown to cause schizophrenia-like changes in N-acetylaspartate and N-acetylaspartylglutamate levels in the rat brain, which are detectable both in living rats and upon necropsy examination of brain tissue. It also induces symptoms in humans that mimic schizophrenia.

Urinary tract effects

In terms of its long-term health effects when used repeatedly and with excess for extended periods of time, PCP seems to exhibit almost identical bladder and urinary tract problems to those found within ketamine.

• Urinary frequency - Urinary frequency is the need to empty the bladder every few minutes.
• Urinary urgency - This can be described as a sudden, compelling need to urinate.
• Urinary pressure - This is experienced as a constant sensation of fullness in the bladder that is unrelieved by urination.
• Pelvic and bladder pain - Pain can develop suddenly and severely, particularly as the bladder fills with urine.
• Hematuria - Hematuria is visible blood in the urine.
• Incontinence - This is the leakage of urine.

All of these, however, can easily be avoided by simply not using PCP on a daily or even weekly basis and manually limiting one's usage of the substance.

Dangerous interactions

Although many drugs are safe on their own, they can become dangerous and even life-threatening when combined with other substances. The list below contains some common potentially dangerous combinations, but may not include all of them. Certain combinations may be safe in low doses of each but still increase the potential risk of death. Independent research should always be done to ensure that a combination of two or more substances is safe before consumption.

• Psychedelics - This combination is not advised because PCP has been reported to cause extreme psychological disturbances such as psychosis and mania at a significantly higher rate than other dissociatives.
• Stimulants - This combination is not advised due to the risk of psychosis or mania.
• Depressants - This combination potentiates the muscle relaxation, sedation and amnesia caused by one another and can lead to unexpected loss of consciousness at high doses. There is also an increased risk of vomiting during unconsciousness and death from the resulting suffocation. If this occurs, users should attempt to fall asleep in the recovery position or have a friend move them into it. Examples include 1,4-butanediol, 2-methyl-2-butanol, benzodiazepines, GHB, GBL, and opioids.

Legal issues

• Canada - PCP is Schedule I in Canada.
• New Zealand - PCP is Schedule I (class A) in New Zealand.
• Poland - PCP is Schedule II (II-P group) in Poland.
• Portugal - Effective July 2001, personal use of PCP was decriminalized by Law 30/2000. Possession of less than 100 mg is not regarded as a criminal offence, although the substance is liable to be seized and the possessor can be referred to mandatory treatment. Sale or possession of quantities greater than the personal possession limit are criminal offences punishable by jail time.
• U.K. - PCP is a class A in the U.K., making it illegal to buy or possess without a prescription.
• U.S. - PCP is a Schedule II controlled substance.

See also

• Responsible use
• Dissociative
• MXE
• Ketamine

External links

• PCP (Wikipedia)
• PCP (Erowid)
• PCP TripSit
• PCP (Bluelight)
• PCP experiences (Erowid)