[Durgical](https://durgical.com/en/) › [DurgiPedia](https://durgical.com/en/durgipedia/) › [Pharmacology](https://durgical.com/en/pharmacology/) › [Drugs of abuse](https://durgical.com/en/pharmacology/classes/drugs-of-abuse/) › Phencyclidine (PCP)

# Phencyclidine (PCP)

## Drugs of abuse?

Drugs of abuse

A dissociative drug («angel dust») that blocks NMDA glutamate receptors; it can cause psychosis, violent agitation, hyperthermia and coma.

Updated Nov 1, 2026

Also called: PCP, Angel dust

## Quick facts

**Group**
[Drugs of abuse](https://durgical.com/en/pharmacology/classes/drugs-of-abuse/)

**Target**
NMDA glutamate receptor channel (pore site shared with ketamine)

**Used for**
No medical use · Clinical relevance

**Key effects**
Horizontal · Tachycardia and hypertension · Numbness

**Monitor**
Temperature · Creatine kinase

No doses: the clinician sets them by the current guideline.

On this page

- The basics Mechanism of action
- Indications
- Adverse effects
- Pharmacokinetics
- Memory aid

- Safety Contraindications
- Key interactions
- What is monitored
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding
- Nursing care

- Study Test yourself

- Connections Connections

## Mechanism of action

⇅**NMDA glutamate receptor channel (pore site shared with ketamine)**Phencyclidine (PCP)

ⓘ The figure shows phencyclidine in the pore of the rat GluN1a–GluN2B NMDA receptor; no human structure with PCP is available.

**Target in 3D:** NMDA glutamate receptor channel (pore site shared with ketamine). PDB structure 7SAB (RCSB PDB, public domain). [View the structure at RCSB PDB](https://www.rcsb.org/structure/7SAB) · Drag to rotate · pinch to zoom

Phencyclidine enters the open NMDA receptor channel and blocks it, so glutamate cannot depolarise neurons through this receptor in the cortex and limbic system. This «dissociates» perception from the self and the body, and produces psychosis that closely resembles schizophrenia. It was developed as a general anaesthetic in the 1950s and abandoned because of postoperative delirium; ketamine is its shorter-acting relative. Its anticholinergic and sympathomimetic actions add to the toxic picture.

- PCP enters the open NMDA receptor channel
- It blocks glutamate-driven depolarisation
- Dissociation, hallucinations and psychosis
- High doses: rigidity, hyperthermia, stupor, coma

## Indications

- No medical use; abandoned as a human anaesthetic
- Clinical relevance: dissociative drug intoxication with agitation, nystagmus and psychosis [Hallucinogen and dissociative drug intoxication (LSD, PCP, ketamine) →](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/hallucinogen-and-dissociative-drug-intoxication/)

## Adverse effects

### Common

- Horizontal, vertical or rotatory nystagmus
- Tachycardia and hypertension
- Numbness, ataxia and slurred speech
- Feeling detached from the body; distorted sights and sounds

### Serious (rare, important)

- Psychosis that can last days to weeks; hostile or violent behaviour
- Hyperthermia, rhabdomyolysis and kidney injury
- Seizures, stupor and coma with muscle rigidity
- Self-injury; depression with suicide risk after chronic use
- Deaths, mostly from very high doses, mixtures with alcohol, or physical restraint

## Contraindications

- No medical use: there is no safe dose
- Especially dangerous with schizophrenia or other psychotic illness, which it worsens

## Key interactions

**Alcohol and other CNS depressants**
Deeper coma and respiratory depression; a common factor in fatal cases

**Antipsychotics with strong anticholinergic action (for example chlorpromazine)**
Add to PCP's anticholinergic effects; they are avoided

## What is monitored

- Temperature, heart rate, blood pressure and airway
- Creatine kinase, potassium and kidney function
- Level of consciousness and seizures
- Injuries from agitation or restraint

## Pregnancy and breastfeeding

Use in pregnancy has been linked to congenital abnormalities.

## Nursing care

- Approach calmly with enough staff; minimise stimuli
- Prefer chemical sedation (benzodiazepines) over prolonged physical restraint
- Cool actively if hyperthermic; keep fluids running and urine output measured
- Watch for sudden swings from agitation to coma
- Arrange psychiatric review if psychosis persists

## Pharmacokinetics

**Absorption**
Smoked, snorted, swallowed or injected; often sprinkled on cannabis or tobacco

**Distribution**
Lipid-soluble; it lingers in the brain and fat

**Metabolism**
Liver

**Onset and duration**
Effects and coma can last for days

## Memory aid

PCP = «Pupils dance (nystagmus), Combative, Psychotic».

## Test yourself

Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.

## What receptor does phencyclidine block, and which anaesthetic shares its site?

The NMDA glutamate receptor channel; ketamine binds the same pore site.

## Which eye sign suggests PCP rather than LSD intoxication?

Nystagmus (horizontal, vertical or rotatory).

## Why is prolonged physical restraint avoided in PCP agitation?

Struggling against restraint worsens hyperthermia and rhabdomyolysis and has been linked to deaths; benzodiazepine sedation is preferred.

[Add to my cards (3)](https://durgical.app/estudiar/?add=/en/pharmacology/phencyclidine/)

[More Pharmacology questions →](https://durgical.com/en/practice/?f=pharmacology)

## Connections

## Related drugs 2

- [Ketamine](https://durgical.com/en/pharmacology/ketamine/)
- [Lysergide (LSD)](https://durgical.com/en/pharmacology/lysergide/)

## Related conditions 1

- [Hallucinogen and dissociative drug intoxication (LSD, PCP, ketamine)](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/hallucinogen-and-dissociative-drug-intoxication/)

[← Back to the class: Drugs of abuse](https://durgical.com/en/pharmacology/classes/drugs-of-abuse/)

Educational content on how drugs work; not a prescribing guide and no substitute for a health professional's advice. No doses are given.

Sources: [Psychedelic and Dissociative Drugs](https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/psychedelic-dissociative-drugs) (National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), 2026); [Drugs A to Z](https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/commonly-used-drugs-charts) (National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), 2025).

## **Spotted a mistake?** We are always improving for the community. Tell us what is wrong and our team will review it. Report a mistake

Representative model, for educational purposes only.

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Source: https://durgical.com/en/pharmacology/phencyclidine/
License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Cite as: DurgiPedia (durgical.com), https://durgical.com/en/pharmacology/phencyclidine/