Before starting a GLP-1 drug, talk with a healthcare professional about the potential risks and benefits. Diet and exercise are still important factors for sustainable weight loss while taking a GLP-1 medication. She says the side effects are often temporary and resolve as the patient adjusts to the medication. In a clinical trial, patients who took weekly 2.4 mg doses of semaglutide lost “clinically significant weight” within 68 weeks.
Besides angel dust, other commonly used street names for the drug include ozone, rocket fuel, amp, animal tranquilizer, hog, shermans, wack, crystal, and embalming fluid. If it’s mixed with cannabis, you might hear it called killer joints, fry, lovelies, wets, or waters. It belongs to a class of drugs called hallucinogens that can cause such mind-altering effects as confusion, mood changes, and seeing or hearing things that aren’t there.
Phencyclidine has central nervous system (CNS) sedative properties, and interactions with other CNS depressants, such as alcohol and benzodiazepines, can lead to coma or accidental overdose. Individuals who are dependent on PCP should speak to a doctor about safe ways to stop taking the drug. During rehab for PCP addiction, health professionals help people overcome withdrawal in a safe environment. Phencyclidine, commonly referred to as PCP, causes hallucinatory and dissociative effects. The drug disrupts the way different parts of the brain communicate.
Users often refer to the experiences from hallucinogens as a “trip”, or calling an unpleasant experience a “bad trip.” Long-term treatment may involve inpatient therapy at a rehabilitation facility, which provides round-the-clock care from a team of mental health care professionals in a supportive environment. Fatal overdoses are possible when you take a large amount of PCP. But most PCP-related deaths result from dangerous behavior caused by delusions and other psychological effects.
Experts have found that programs like cognitive behavioral therapy or talk therapy can be effective for substance addiction. Currently, there’s no medication https://sober-home.org/ available to reduce or block PCP’s effects on your body and overall health. If the effects don’t wear off, it’s important to get medical help right away.
There are no specific approved drug treatments for phencyclidine addiction or withdrawal. A person’s outcome is more likely to be positive if they seek treatment from a team of healthcare professionals. Most people who experience phencyclidine intoxication survive when they receive supportive care. High doses of PCP can also cause seizures, coma, and death (often due to accidental injury or suicide during PCP intoxication). Psychological effects at high doses include delusions and hallucinations.
It causes sensory perception distortions, hallucinations, unusual sights, sounds, and colors. However, the effects of PCP can vary greatly depending on the amount taken. American Addiction Centers https://sober-home.org/why-do-people-use-heroin/ (AAC) is committed to delivering original, truthful, accurate, unbiased, and medically current information. We strive to create content that is clear, concise, and easy to understand.
If it’s mixed with other sedatives, such as alcohol or depressants, it can put a user in a coma and cause serious, life-threatening consequences. The withdrawal effects of PCP can last several months up to a year after detox. This can vary depending on the intensity of the addiction and the frequency of PCP use. When a person is addicted to the drug, they may spend significant time and money to obtain and use it. Dependence can also cause behavioral changes, such as using larger amounts of the drug more frequently than intended. Aftercare or follow-up treatment is also vitally important to long-term recovery.
Physiologic dependency becomes an issue with extended PCP use. When dependency develops, the user’s body has grown accustomed to the effects of the drug and will function or will be perceived by the dependent individual to function sub-optimally without it. With excessive use over an extended period of time, the negative effects of PCP become more troublesome, and they may persist for periods even when the drug isn’t actively being taken. The first step when treating a PCP use disorder is combatting withdrawal. Symptoms can often involve days to weeks of psychosis, depression, anxiety, irritability, restlessness, and troubled sleep. The first step is to realize you have a problem and to take action to get help.
“Unbearable is a subjective term, and individual thresholds for discomfort may vary significantly from person to person, as may the side effects individuals experience while taking the medication,” Ngo-Hamilton says. PCP, or phencyclidine, is a dissociative drug that acts as a hallucinogen and tranquilizer. It affects the brain by interfering with the actions of neurotransmitters, especially dopamine, in the central nervous system. This disruption leads to altered perception, hallucinations, and changes in mood and behavior.
They are different from semaglutide but possess commonalities. A 2023 article suggested that physical activity is important in helping patients maintain lean muscle mass, which can be lost along with weight. Glickman emphasizes that resistance training is especially critical for these efforts. However, PCP has a relatively short detection window in the blood, typically within 24 to 48 hours after use. Blood tests are more suitable for immediate or recent PCP use, such as in cases of intoxication or accidents.
With this in mind, we have compiled some information about the drug, its side effects, how long it remains in your body, and what kind of treatment options are available for a PCP use disorder. All studies of Olney’s lesions have only been performed on non-human animals and may not apply to humans. Users of PCP may have issues with memory and cognition, difficulties with speech and learning, depression, and weight loss. These symptoms can continue long-term, often for up to one year after stopping phencyclidine use.
This means you’ll need to use higher doses to get the same level of high. But it’s also sold as tablets or capsules that you can swallow. In some cases, people mix it with tobacco, various cannabis products, or even mint and oregano. People often dissolve the powder or liquid in alcohol or water.
In the short term, PCP can cause hallucinations, distorted perceptions of reality, delusions, and a sense of detachment from oneself and the surroundings. Users may experience changes in mood, anxiety, and confusion. Depending on the dose and way the PCP was taken (injected, smoked, or swallowed), the drug’s effects can be felt in 2–5 minutes and last anywhere from 6–24 hours.
If you or someone you know is fighting drug addiction, recovery is possible. Talk to your health care provider or check your state or local health department websites. Long-term use can lead to mental and physical cravings for the drug and compulsive behavior to get and take it. Because the drug is so addictive, users keep taking it even when they know the health problems PCP causes. Despite their success, more research is necessary to determine the most effective treatment for PCP and hallucinogen addiction. Understanding the risks of PCP use is crucial for preventing substance abuse.
Like other dissociative drugs, PCP can make people feel disconnected from the body. Patients with mild symptoms can be discharged one to 2 hours after they become symptom-free and have no other medical complications or behavioral issues that need to be addressed. Patients with severe symptoms or medical complications should be admitted to a monitored bed. Patients who are asymptomatic who present to the emergency department after PCP use should be observed for at least 6 hours before being discharged.
A person can speak with a doctor or another healthcare professional or reach out to a substance use disorder treatment facility. If someone believes they or someone else is experiencing a phencyclidine overdose, they should call 911 or local emergency services immediately. Doctors can often treat symptoms of toxicity and help prevent severe complications. If someone is worried they or someone else may have a phencyclidine or other substance use disorder, local hospitals and primary care doctors can provide resources and support. The outlook for a person with phencyclidine intoxication and toxicity can depend on a variety of factors.