Phencyclidine is a dissociative anesthetic known as PCP, which is also referred to as angel dust, is commonly used recreationally for its effects. It can cause hallucinations and violent behavior. It can be ingested, injected, or smoked.
Some of the side effects of PCP include seizures, addiction, and suicide. It can also cause flashbacks even after stopping usage. In terms of its chemical properties, PCP is a part of a class of arylcyclohexylamines. It’s a dissociative anesthetic that works as an antagonist of the receptor subunit of the NMDA.
In the US, PCP is most commonly used. Although its usage peaked during the 1970s, there has been a steady increase in the number of people going to emergency rooms due to its effects. As of 2017, about 1% of students in the country had used PCP in the previous year. On the other hand, 2.9% of individuals over the age of 25 had used the drug at some point in their lives.
Effects
The effects of PCP can vary depending on the dose. For instance, low doses can cause a numbness in the extremities and slurred speech. On the other hand, moderate and large doses can cause users to experience a variety of effects, such as a loss of balance and bloodshot eyes. Due to the illegal production of PCP, users might not know the exact amount they’re taking.
The effects of PCP can cause users to lose their body image, develop paranoia, and depersonalize themselves. It can also cause individuals to become agitated and disoriented. Like other drugs, it can alter mood states in unpredictable ways. For instance, some people may become animated or detached after using PCP. It can also induce feelings of power, strength, and invulnerability.
Studies conducted during the 1970s revealed that the media’s portrayal of violent incidents involving people using PCP was greatly exaggerated. They also stated that these types of incidents were usually limited to individuals with a reputation for being aggressive. Although these types of incidents are rare, they have been publicized.
Some of the most common types of violent incidents that were reported during the 1970s were property damage and self-mutilation. Although these were not noted in the medical use of PCP during the 1950s and 1960s, they have been widely dismissed as unsubstantiated.
PCP users who use recreational doses often experience a psychotic state, which can involve feelings of detachment and paranoia. Symptoms of this condition can resemble those experienced during a schizophrenic episode.
The symptoms of this disorder are summarized in a mnemonic device known as the red dot. These include amnesia, delusions, and dilated pupils.
Phencyclidines and Children
The use of phencyclidines in children has been linked to a variety of adverse reactions, including behavioral and psychological problems. These include aggression, unpredictability, and belligerence. They can also impair judgment and lead to cravings and persistent desires. Children who use phencyclidines often experience problems at school.
Phencyclidines are synthesized drugs from cyclohexane and are members of the arylcyclohexylamine class. They are composed of a cyclohexane ring bonded to two additional rings at R1, the piperidine ring and the phenyl ring. The first letter of PCP (phenyl cyclohexane) is pronounced “piper”, and the second letter, phenyl, stands for aromatic phenyl.
Methods of administration
Although PCP can be obtained in different liquid and powder forms, it is typically sprayed onto leafy substances such as marijuana, tobacco, and herbs.
Inhalation of PCP can be done through smoking. Fry or sputter refers to street terms for tobacco cigarettes or marijuana that have been infused with PCP.
Depending on the purity, PCP can be insufflated. Its free base can be absorbed through the mucus membranes of some individuals.
Managing Intoxication
Intoxicated individuals who use PCP are usually treated with supportive care. This includes controlling their breathing, body temperature, and circulation. They are also given drugs such as lorazepam to treat seizures and agitation.
Although some antipsychotics are commonly used to treat psychotic symptoms, they can also cause side effects such as dystonia. These drugs are known to be very risky, and phenothiazines can lower the threshold for seizures. If an individual is given an antipsychotic, intramuscular haloperidol is usually recommended.
In the past, forced acid diuresis was often used as a decontamination method to increase the clearance of PCP from the body. However, it is now widely known that only around 10% of the dose of PCP is taken out by the kidneys. This means that this method would not result in increased urinary clearance. Also, urinary acidification can cause muscle breakdown, which is not an unusual side effect of PCP toxicity.
Pharmacology
PCP is known for its ability to block the activity of the ionotropic glutamate receptor known as the NMDA receptor. This receptor is also involved in the development of schizophrenia and other mental disorders. In the 1980s, David Lodge and colleagues noted that the effects of various dissociative agents, such as ketamine and dextromethorphan, on the development of schizophrenia were due to their interactions with the receptor.
Studies also suggest that PCP can block the activity of the nAChRs. These findings show that the interactions between the two receptor systems can affect the development of synaptic plasticity and the function of the brain’s glutamatergic synapses. In addition, prolonged use of PCP can lead to memory loss. This is because the effects of the drug can prevent the excitatory activity of the glutamate in certain regions of the brain. Some of the acute effects of PCP on the cerebellum include decreased breathing rate, blood pressure, and muscle coordination loss.
The effects of prolonged use of PCP can block the excitatory activity of the glutamate in certain regions of the brain, such as the hippocampus and the cerebellum. These effects can lead to memory loss as one of the consequences of prolonged use. The effects on the cerebellum can manifest in various acute symptoms, such as decreased breathing rate, blood pressure, and pulse rate.
Like ketamine, PCP can also be used as a partial agonist of the D2 High receptor in the rat brain. This activity can be associated with the development of psychotic features. This drug’s affinity for the human cloned D2 High receptor could be used as a treatment for PCP psychosis.
Aside from its interactions with the NMDA receptor, PCP can also be used as a partial agonist of the D2 High receptor. This drug’s ability to increase the extracellular levels of dopamine has been known to lead to increased neurotransmission. Unfortunately, it does not have an affinity for the human dopamine transporter.
Inhibition of monoamine reuptake by PCP can be mediated by the interactions between the drug’s various allosteric sites. One of these is the PCP site 2, which is a not-well-characterized site that is associated with this activity.
Studies have shown that the interactions between PCP and opioid receptors can lead to the production of analgesia.
Analogues
Around 30 different types of analogs of PCP were reported to be used on the street during and the 1980s, mainly in the US. A few of these were widely used, such as tenocyclidine, eticyclidine, and PCPy. Less common variants of these drugs are 3-HO-PCP, 3MeO-PCMo, or 3-MeO-PC.
The structural motifs required for PCP-like activity can be derived from the relationship between the structure of the different derivatives and their psychoactive effects. Although the effects of these drugs are similar to those of PCP, different potencies, mixtures of dissociative, stimulant, and anesthetic, and different substituents are known.
In some countries, such as Australia, New Zealand, and the US, these compounds are considered analogues of PCP and are therefore illegal drugs.
Recent Comments