PCP is a crystalline white powder used as an intravenous anesthetic in veterinary medicine in the 60's. It was never approved of for use on humans and for good reason. The drug caused delirium and extreme agitation when coming out of anesthetic following an operation.
Despite this, the substance is a popular street drug that goes by several different names: angel dust, ozone, wack and rocket fuel.
It is called killer joint and crystal super grass when it is combined with marijuana.
PCP is addictive, says the National Institute On Drug Abuse. It will cause craving and compulsive PCP seeking behavior. Hospital emergency rooms get more than their fair share of PCP abusers who have overdosed or attempted suicide while high. These patients can often turn nasty and violent towards themselves and others.
PCP causes signs and symptoms that differ according to the amount taken. Low doses produce signs like shallow breathing, flushing, profuse sweating, numbness of extremities and a loss of muscular co-ordination.
High doses cause the blood pressure, pulse rate and respiratory rate to drop. There may be nausea and vomiting, blurred vision, drooling, dizziness, loss of balance and seizures that have the potential to lead to coma and even death.
PCP abusers are also prone to symptoms similar to those experienced by people with schizophrenia. They may suffer from delusions, paranoia, disordered thinking and catatonia. They may speak in a garbled fashion and experience a severe sense of alienation from their environment.
Prolonged use of PCP can cause memory loss, depression, difficulties with ordered speech and thinking and weight loss. These problems can take up to a year to dissipate. There may also be persistent problems with mood disorders following a period of PCP abuse.
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