PCP vs. Ketamine: Similar but Very Different
If you’re just beginning to research psychedelics, you may have found that ketamine has some chemical similarities with PCP. However, there are clear differences when comparing PCP vs. ketamine.
Psychedelic drugs have recently taken center stage in the health industry. Recent research suggests that some psychedelics could help with conditions that are otherwise hard to treat. Ketamine is one such drug that could be a non-conventional treatment option for mental illnesses. This includes using ketamine for depression and ketamine for anxiety, among other issues.
Concerns around the use of psychedelics as treatment options are understandable: They can cause irreparable harm when taken in large, uncontrolled doses.
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For this reason, it’s important to be informed about the effects and uses of various psychedelic drugs, particularly when considering them as a potential treatment for mental illness.
Here, we explain the similarities between PCP vs. ketamine, as well as what makes them so different from one other.
A Breakdown of the Main Differences Between PCP and Ketamine
| Aspect | PCP | Ketamine |
|---|---|---|
| Chemical Structure | Phencyclidine, a dissociative anesthetic | Ketamine Hydrochloride, also a dissociative anesthetic but with a different structure from PCP |
| Primary Effects | Dissociation, hallucinations, euphoria, altered perceptions of time and space | Dissociation, hallucinations, pain relief, transient euphoria |
| Legality | Schedule II in the US: illegal for recreational use, but available for certain medical uses under strict regulations | Schedule III in the US: illegal for recreational use, but available for certain medical uses under regulations |
| Medical Uses | Historically used as an anesthetic, but largely discontinued due to severe side effects | Used in anesthesia, treatment-resistant depression, and certain chronic pain conditions |
| Risks and Side Effects | High potential for abuse, addictive, can cause severe psychological effects, overdose can be fatal | Less potential for abuse compared to PCP, but can still lead to dependence and has similar psychological risks |
| Mechanism of Action | NMDA receptor antagonist, affecting glutamate transmission | NMDA receptor antagonist, similar to PCP, but also interacts with other neurotransmitter systems |
| Psychological Effects | Altered states of consciousness, severe mood swings, potential for psychotic episodes | Can induce a trance-like state, feelings of detachment from the environment and self, less likelihood of psychosis compared to PCP |
| Physical Effects | Increased blood pressure and heart rate, nystagmus, ataxia | Anesthetic effects, can cause confusion and disorientation, impaired motor function |
| Potential for Abuse | High, with significant psychological dependence and craving | Moderate, with lower incidence of dependence compared to PCP |
| Therapeutic Applications | Limited due to severe side effects and risk of abuse | Emerging evidence supports its use in treating depression and PTSD, in addition to its anesthetic properties |
| Duration of Effects | Varies, but effects can last for several hours | Shorter than PCP, typically lasting for less than an hour for immediate effects |
| Historical Context | Developed in the 1950s as an intravenous anesthetic, its use declined due to the prevalence of side effects | Introduced in the 1960s for medical use, its therapeutic potential for psychiatric disorders is being actively researched |
PCP vs. Ketamine: The History
Experts initially created PCP (or phencyclidine) to act as a general anesthetic and analgesic for humans. Researchers quickly realized that the adverse effects of the drug would be too severe for human use.
The unfortunate side effects associated with PCP ultimately led to the synthesis of ketamine. Researchers continued experimenting with compounds similar to that of PCP and, in the 1960s, synthesized ketamine.
Today, ketamine is a common medication used to induce and maintain anesthesia in medical settings worldwide. Continuous investigations suggest that ketamine is an effective treatment for depression, especially TRD (treatment-resistant depression).
RELATED: Ketamine vs MDMA – A Deep Dive Into Two New Therapies
Both ketamine and PCP are known as dissociative anesthetics, and they do have some additional similarities. Both are capable of causing the following.
- Unconsciousness
- Analgesia
- An altered state of consciousness
Unfortunately, both drugs have addictive potential, and PCP is especially notorious for illicit use on the streets of the U.S. Both substances are also combined with other drugs when used illicitly.
Street names for ketamine:
- Special K
- Kit-Kat
- K
Common street names for PCP:
- Angeldust
- Rocket fuel
- Elephant tranquilizer
But with all the similarities between the two, you may be curious about what distinguishes ketamine from PCP.
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PCP vs. Ketamine: The Differences
Apart from being hallucinogens, what differences are important to know when comparing PCP vs. ketamine?
Addictive Potential
You may think that abuse potential is something the two drugs have in common: both can lead to addiction.
While both ketamine and PCP have addictive potential, the potential for the two varies. Ketamine is classified as a schedule III drug, while phencyclidine is classed as a schedule II.
But what does this mean?
Drug scheduling refers to one of the ways in which the government classifies drugs. There are five categories that drugs fall into, which run from schedule I drugs (associated with the highest abuse potential) up to schedule V which has the lowest abuse potential. This means that PCP abuse has a higher potential for dependency than ketamine.
The Law And FDA Approval
Another key difference lies in legality. While the illicit use or abuse of both drugs is illegal, ketamine is illegal in medical settings.
PCP is not legally manufactured, and the use thereof is not allowed in medical settings. If the authorities find PCP in your possession, you can face jail time or a fine depending on state laws.
Ketamine is also FDA-approved as an anesthetic, and an antidepressant nasal spray made from ketamine was approved as well. FDA approval means that the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research reviewed the effects of a drug and declared it safe for people to use for specific conditions.
Physicians often prescribe drugs off-label (meaning it is not FDA-approved for that specific use), but PCP is simply illegal – even off-label use is prohibited.
The Severity Of Side Effects
The likelihood of experiencing side effects is a reality when using most (if not all) drugs. The same applies to ketamine and phencyclidine. Due to their similarities in structure, the side effects experienced are relatively similar.
Side effects shared by the two drugs include the below.
- Hallucination
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Confusion
- Impaired motor function
- Unconsciousness
A risk that is not shared is that of possible aggression. The use of PCP often leads to violent outbursts, and in one self-reported study from 1989, researchers found that people under the influence of PCP are more aggressive.
The effects of PCP also tend to linger longer than that of ketamine. Ketamine’s effects generally last around 45 minutes to 90 minutes. The effects of PCP, on the other hand, can last anywhere from six to twelve hours. However, we do not recommend or encourage the illicit use of ketamine and entirely discourage PCP use.
Antidepressant Effects
Ketamine is gaining popularity, as therapeutic benefits of the drug continue to emerge. One of these benefits is the antidepressant effect of the drug.
Extensive research covers the topic of ketamine for depression, and the results of many studies show promise.
A 2019 study examined how ketamine therapy affects depression by observing 25 subjects with severe depression. The subjects received six doses of ketamine over two weeks. Results of the study show that researchers observed improvements after the first dose. Overall, the findings of the study prove that ketamine significantly improves depressive symptoms.
The findings of a 2020 review are similar. Researchers compared several studies dealing with sub-anesthetic doses of ketamine for treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Treatment-resistant depression refers to a type of depression that is unresponsive to therapy and conventional antidepressants.
The researchers found that across all the studies they looked at, ketamine has a rapid antidepressant response.
Researchers have not recorded any antidepressant effects from PCP and instead found that it may induce manic depressive symptoms.
mike
June 22, 2023 at 3:51 amWell, Dr Ben needs a proofreader bec this is a rather blatant contradiction. Ketamine is ILLEGAL in medical settings?
“Another key difference lies in legality. While the illicit use or abuse of both drugs is illegal, ketamine is illegal in medical settings.”