What You Need to Know About PCP Overdose
PCP, also called angel dust, rocket fuel, and embalming fluid, is a dangerous hallucinogen that can cause a person to lose touch with reality. A person using even a small amount of PCP can overdose, and an overdose can cause long-term effects. The more you abuse PCP, the more likely you are to have a poor outcome, like an overdose.
If you or someone you know struggles with substance abuse, call Zinnia Health at (855) 430-9439 for help quitting.
Can You Overdose on PCP?
Yes, PCP can cause an overdose in any amount. However, as an illegal street drug, it is hard to gauge how much it takes to trigger a PCP overdose, also called phencyclidine toxicity.
An overdose of the hallucinogen phencyclidine can happen with or without using another substance.
What to Do in an Emergency?
If you suspect someone close to you is overdosing on PCP, call 911 immediately.
Please call 911 right away to get help and advice for a person who is overdosing.
What Are the Treatment Options for a PCP Overdose?
If your loved one has taken PCP but hasn’t overdosed, call the National Poison Control Hotline at (800) 222-1222 for advice.
Once in the hospital, if the person who overdosed on PCP is still conscious, they will appear extremely agitated and require sedation and restraint before administering treatment.
This protects the patient and medical staff members from injury.
Next, the emergency room doctor will measure and monitor the individual’s vital signs to determine a course of treatment. This treatment includes removing PCP from the system, regulating vitals, and reducing symptoms.
Tests that are used to check for PCP overdose include:
- Blood test
- Chest x-ray
- CT scan
- ECG (electrocardiogram)
Treatment options include:
- Taking activated charcoal
- Receiving IV fluids
- Receiving oral or intravenous emergency medicine to treat symptoms and reverse renal failure
Is a PCP Overdose Dangerous?
Yes, a PCP overdose can be life-threatening and mind-altering.
If medical intervention isn’t provided right away, the person could die.
Even with treatment, a person recovering from a PCP overdose may suffer long-term psychosis, kidney failure, and seizures.
In addition, the hallucinations and agitation brought on by an overdose can cause a person to harm you or themselves.
According to Medline, a person who has used PCP is a danger to themselves and others and shouldn’t be approached if they seem agitated.
If you are at risk of an overdose from repeated PCP use, call Zinnia Health at (855) 430-9439 for help. We understand how hard it is to quit on your own, and we’re here to help get your life back on track.
We offer inpatient detox to curb the symptoms of withdrawal and evidence-based treatment programs to help you uncover the cause of your PCP addiction.
How Much PCP Does It Take to Overdose?
Phencyclidine causes symptoms of toxicity 30 to 60 minutes after use, and it doesn’t take much to cause an overdose. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), PCP overdose symptoms are apparent after ingesting just 0.05 mg/kg.
A dose of 20 milligrams or more can cause a person to have a seizure, go into a coma or ultimately die.
Phencyclidine has a half-life of 21 hours, which means it takes 21 hours for the liver and kidneys to remove half of this drug from the body. However, some PCP is left behind even after the 42-hour elimination window. This is due to PCP binding to fat tissue.
As a result, it can be released into the bloodstream multiple times for weeks and months after use. This creates more symptoms even after treatment is administered.
What Are the Signs and Symptoms of a PCP Overdose?
The most telling sign of a PCP overdose is an altered state of consciousness. The individual will feel extremely excited, agitated, sad, violent, or euphoric.
Other signs and symptoms of a PCP overdose include:
- Catatonia (they will appear to be frozen)
- Schizophrenia and psychosis
- Dissociative feeling
- Violent behavior
- Coma
- Convulsions
- Hallucinations
- High blood pressure (hypertension)
- Rapid side-to-side eye movements
- Seizures
- Tremors or involuntary movement
- Lack of coordination
What Increases the Risk of a PCP Overdose?
Using PCP in any amount increases the risk of overdose.
Although PCP overdose can happen without the presence of another substance, it is often brought on by polysubstance use.
Drugs that can increase the risk of PCP overdose include:
Why Does a PCP Overdose Occur?
PCP overdose occurs when the liver and kidneys are unable to remove enough of the drug from your bloodstream. The liver metabolizes almost 90% of the drug, while the kidneys are responsible for excreting 10%.
Taking even a small dose of PCP can overwhelm the liver and kidneys, resulting in more than 0.05 mg/kg remaining in the body.
This small amount can cause overdose symptoms.
How to Tell Someone Is on PCP?
The signs of PCP use range from severe agitation to an unconscious stupor.
One person may appear catatonic and unable to move or talk. However, another person may appear extremely agitated without provocation and destroy property or attempt to hurt themselves.
People who use PCP often experience hallucinations. They may explain this feeling as being stuck in a dream or not feeling real. They may also appear to have psychosis and see things that aren’t there.
Losing touch with reality is a very common sign of PCP use.
Other signs include:
- Fast heart rate
- Hyperactivity
- Delusions
- Violent outbursts
- Small pupils
Why Would Someone Take PCP?
People take PCP to get high. This person is often unaware of the dangers involved and may believe that an overdose won’t happen to them. They are usually seeking the euphoric and hallucinogenic properties of PCP.
Most PCP users are between 12 and 25 years old, and almost 3% of high school seniors have used the drug at least once to get high.
How to Help Someone With a PCP Use Disorder?
If you know someone with a PCP use disorder, don’t confront them while they are high. Instead, choose a time to talk to them about their drug use.
Gathering this information could be important in case they unfortunately overdose or cannot tell you what they’ve taken while experiencing a bad trip.
Ultimately, this person will need a health care provider and counselors to help them deal with future cravings and to treat them for any lingering psychological issues.
The experts at Zinnia Health can help. By reaching out to us at (855) 430-9439, you are one step closer to receiving the help you need to get your life back. So often, people with a substance use disorder are ashamed to ask for help or believe they can quit independently — but they don’t have to. We understand what you’re going through and offer an array of programs to help you identify your triggers and ways to cope with them moving forward.
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