# 21

Let's examine PCP and its long range effects...which can include death.

Unlike Heroin, Cocaine, Caffeine and Nicotine - which each have a known LD (Lethal Dosage) level for a 200 lb. man - PCP rarely produces fatalities following initial use...even with varying levels of substance administration.  As indicated below, "High doses of PCP can cause seizures, coma, and death (though death more often results from accidental injury or suicide during PCP intoxication).", but this substance is unique in several ways:

1.  Only 10% is excreted through the kidneys and the other 90% is re-circulated through an abuser's brain-prolonging its effect.

2.  Damage and lesions in experimental rat brains was not immediate but cumulative...suggesting that a human abuser may continue to use because he enjoys the effects while believing that the substance will not kill him.

3.  Hiding the abuse from a family physician may prevent the physician from having a serious discussion with the abuser regarding the cumulative deterioration and potential lethality of the substance.

Physical effects:

At low to moderate doses, the physiological effects of PCP may include a slight increase in breathing rate and a more pronounced rise in blood pressure and pulse rate. Respiration becomes shallow, and flushing and profuse sweating may occur. Generalized numbness of the extremities and muscular incoordination are common. The pupils are neither constricted nor dilated. Nystagmus (involuntary movement of the eyes) is a characteristic effect, and may be vertical, rotary, or horizontal. Motor symptoms are common and may include ataxia (impaired coordination of movement), athetosis (slow writhing movements), myoclonic jerks, and bizarre posture.

At higher doses, there is a drop in blood pressure, pulse rate, and respiration. This may be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, blurred vision, extreme nystagmus, drooling, loss of balance, and dizziness. High doses of PCP can cause seizures, coma, and death (though death more often results from accidental injury or suicide during PCP intoxication).

Treatment of PCP overdose is largely symptomatic and centers around increasing elimination. PCP is eliminated in the GI tract and then quickly reabsorbed, resulting in very long lasting effects. Oral administration of activated charcoal can therefore be helpful to bind it after elimination and remove it from circulation. Increasing the urine acidity by administration of ammonium chloride (or by drinking cranberry juice) also speeds elimination. If vital signs are stable and the primary symptom is confusion or agitation, it is best to reduce all sensory stimulation (such as touching and sound) as such stimulation may lead to an increase in disorientation. Agitation may be treated with valium. Phenothiazines such as haloperidol have been shown to decrease recovery time, but they may carry the increased risk of siezures (ref. 18).

https://erowid.org/archive/rhodium/chemistry/pcp/effects.html