PCP (phencyclidine), also known by its street name “angel dust,” is an illegal drug that’s commonly sold as a white powder or in liquid form. It belongs to a class of drugs called hallucinogens. Hallucinogens can cause such mind-altering effects as confusion, mood changes, and seeing or hearing things that aren’t there.
Your body can become addicted to PCP. At high doses, it can cause a range of serious health issues like seizures, a coma, and possibly death.
PCP was a very popular street drug in the 1970s and 1980s. It then fell out of fashion but has resurged in the 21st century. Use is still at much lower levels than other drugs like marijuana, cocaine, and methamphetamines.
What Is PCP (Angel Dust)?
PCP is a chemically made substance. It's a combination of a stimulant (upper), depressant (downer), hallucinogen, and anesthetic (sedative). People most often take this drug to chase the high that can make you feel detached from your body.
Phencyclidine was originally developed in the 1950s as an anesthetic for surgery. It was discontinued for medical use because it caused patients to become agitated and hallucinate.
The nickname PCP comes from the drug's chemical structure: 1-(1-phenylcyclohexyl) piperidine. PCP is chemically similar to the drug ketamine.
What does PCP look like?
PCP is made of a white crystalline powder and tastes bitter. You can find it in tablets, capsules, powder, or liquid form. In some cases, the drug is dyed in different colors.
Besides angel dust, other commonly used street names for the drug include ozone, rocket fuel, amp, shermans, wack, crystal, and embalming fluid. Because PCP was once used as an animal tranquilizer, it has nicknames like horse tranquilizer (or horse tranq), hog, and elephant. If it’s mixed with cannabis, you might hear it called killer joints, fry, lovelies, wets, or waters.
How Is PCP Used?
People often dissolve the powder or liquid in alcohol or water. They might drink it or inject it into a vein. Or they might snort or smoke the powder or swallow it as tablets and capsules.
In some cases, people mix PCP with tobacco, various cannabis products, or even mint and oregano.
How long does it take PCP to kick in?
The answer will depend on how much PCP is in your body and how you ingested the drug. Most people usually take it in small doses. If you:
- Inject it in liquid form with a needle, you might start to notice the drug’s effects in 2-5 minutes
- Smoke it, you might need up to 5 minutes to feel high, but the intense rush might peak around the 15- to 30-minute mark
- Take it by mouth (whether as a pill or capsule or mix it with food or drink), you'll wait longer for the drug to kick in. It’ll take up to 30 minutes to feel any effects. But the hallucinogenic effects might last anywhere from 2 to 5 hours.
Most users (70%) inhale PCP (by smoking or snorting) because the effects are quick without the problems of using needles.
After use, it might take anywhere from 4 to 8 hours to come off a high from PCP.
PCP Effects
PCP might make you feel euphoric, happy, and joyful. You might experience beautiful visions, a sensation of floating, and feel fearless. But angel dust also has a lot of negative effects.
PCP side effects
When you use PCP in any form, how you react to the drug depends on how much of it you've taken.
Low to moderate doses. This is usually 1 to 5 milligrams. It’s the most commonly used amount and can give a similar feeling to being drunk. It can cause physical side effects like:
- Numbness
- Slurred speech
- Lack of muscle coordination and balance
- Impaired concentration or speech
- Racing heart beat
- Excessive sweating
- Rapid, involuntary eye movements
- Blank stares
High doses. Doses between 6 and 10 milligrams can cause serious mental and physical side effects like:
- Hallucinations
- Flashbacks
- Shallow breathing
- High temperature
- High blood pressure
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Dizziness
- Drooling
When you take a higher dose of angel dust, it might cause you to have strange behaviors and postures, such as spasms that cause you to arch your back, head, and neck. You might also have tremors and act violently.
If you take more than 20 milligrams at once, it can cause you to overdose and lead to serious problems like seizures, a coma, or even death. Often, death is not caused directly by the drug but rather from your behavior while on the drug. People on PCP have walked into traffic or jumped from buildings, for instance.
If the effects don’t wear off, it’s important to get medical help right away. If you can, call 911 or head to the nearest hospital.
PCP long-term effects
Researchers believe that PCP changes how certain neurotransmitters (chemical messengers) in your brain send and receive signals.
For example, it can:
- Impair your ability to pay attention, learn, and judge reality, affect memory skills, and give you memory loss
- Impact your dopamine receptor, which can cause you to feel a floating sensation or synesthesia (smelling or tasting colors)
- Boost feel-good chemicals in your brain like endorphins, serotonin, and enkephalins that reduce stress and pain
- Produce schizophrenia-like symptoms such as paranoia, anxiety, and delusional or suicidal thoughts
- Cause you to lose weight
In some cases, it’s possible for PCP to cause over-the-top psychological effects that make you feel stronger than you are and engage in violent behavior. This could cause you to physically harm yourself or others.
PCP Overdose
Signs of a PCP overdose include:
- Overly excitable or violent behavior
- Inability to control movements
- Catatonia (you're unable to move your body)
- Hyperactivity (if you're not catatonic)
- Side-to-side eye movements (nystagmus)
- High body temperature, high blood pressure, and irregular heartbeat
- Severe hallucinations and delusions
- Possible unconsciousness
- Seizures or convulsions
If you see someone overdosing on PCP, be sure call 911 to get help. In most states, you and the person overdosing won't be arrested or charged with a crime thanks to Good Samaritan laws. But if you have any doubt about your state's laws, don't use words like "he's overdosing" when making that call. Stick to facts like "he's unconscious" or "he's having convulsions." If possible, make the call in a quiet place. If the background sounds noisy and chaotic, the dispatcher will make sure police arrive with paramedics to secure the scene.
While you're waiting for help to arrive, talk to the person in a calm manner but don't get too close if they're agitated. If you have to move, walk slowly. If possible, minimize bright lights and noise. Don't give any fluids or medications if you don't have medical training.
There aren't any specific drugs to treat a PCP overdose. The health care provider may give a sedative and/or use physical restraints if the person is violent. The user may also get IV fluids and activated charcoal if they took the drug by mouth. Activated charcoal has been shown to absorb PCP in the stomach.
In a hospital, the user's vital signs will be monitored to make sure they can breathe properly, and their heart and blood pressure are normal. The patient may also need IV fluids. If their symptoms are mild, they may be discharged 1 or 2 hours after they become symptom-free. If their symptoms are serious or the psychotic episodes continue, they may need longer-term care, including treatment for substance use disorder.
PCP Harm Reduction Tips
If you're going to use PCP, here are some ways to make the experience safer:
- Use a low dose (1 to 5 milligrams). The side effects will be much less.
- Don't do it alone. This goes for any drug. You want someone around to call for help if you start experiencing delusions or paranoia.
- Avoid sharing straws or needles.
- Don't mix angel dust with other drugs or alcohol. The side effects will multiply.
- Drink lots of water since PCP can make your sweat a lot. If you're mixing PCP with water, make sure the water is clean.
Is PCP Illegal?
Yes, it became illegal in the U.S. in 1978. Phencyclidine is a Schedule II substance under federal law. This category includes narcotics that have a high potential for abuse or physical or psychological dependence. So if you use, buy, or sell the drug, you might face fines and jail time.
Is PCP Addictive?
PCP is a psychologically addictive drug. You might lose the sense of control around the substance and instead develop the need to use it more often to get through your day-to-day routine. This dependence on the drug is medically known as substance use disorder.
Over time, the more you use the drug, the more tolerance you’ll build. This means you’ll need to use higher doses to get the same level of high. The combination of addiction and increasing tolerance makes it very hard to quit.
PCP withdrawal
If you stop or try to slow down usage of phencyclidine, it can lead to withdrawal symptoms such as:
- Anxiety
- Fear
- Worry
- Hyperactivity and crankiness
- Agitation
- Twitching
- Muscle breakdown
The withdrawal symptoms can be hard to manage or cope with. If you’re unable to resist angel dust, talk to your doctor about PCP treatment options such as in-patient recovery.
Recovery and Treatment Options for PCP
There’s no medication available to reduce or block PCP’s effects on your body and overall health. But if you’re looking to cut back your PCP use, therapy may help. Experts have found that programs like cognitive behavioral therapy or talk therapy can be effective for substance addiction.
Your doctor may also refer you to a live-in addiction recovery center to help you through the next steps. Insurance often covers residential treatment centers. But if you don’t have insurance or your insurance doesn’t cover residential treatment, speak to a health advocate at a treatment facility about costs and payment plan options.
It’s good to reach out to a support group of close family and friends, if you can. They can help you stick to your goals, avoid triggers, and keep you accountable during recovery.
You can also join a virtual or in-person support group and connect and share with others who’ve been through a similar experience.
If you or someone you know has suicidal thoughts while using PCP, call or text 988 (the national suicide hotline). You can also chat with someone at 988lifeline.org.
Takeaways
PCP (or angel dust) is an illegal street drug that can be taken by mouth, injected, snorted, smoked, or combined with other drugs and alcohol. It can make you feel euphoric, disconnected from reality, and give you hallucinations. Side effects at low doses include numbness and loss of coordination. In large doses you may become violent and agitated, as well as have a racing heart, high blood pressure, and extreme sweatiness. The drug is addictive. A very large dose can lead to kidney failure, seizures, coma, or death.
PCP FAQs
What will test positive for PCP?
Some drugs that have tested false positive for PCP include alprazolam, carvedilol, clonazepam, dextromethorphan, diphenhydramine, and tramadol.
What is the toxicity of phencyclidine?
PCP can show toxic symptoms at a dose of 0.05 mg/kg. At 20 milligrams or more, you might have seizures, go into a coma, or die.
How many hours does phencyclidine intoxication last?
Typically, it's 4 to 8 hours, though it can be as long as 48.
