PCP disrupts the central nervous, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular and respiratory systems. In small doses, users experience mild depression then stimulation, with heavy sweating and salivation. Moderate use produces disorientation, high or low blood pressure, muscle rigidity, irregular heartbeat and nausea. PCP can create the sensation that one's mind has separated from the body. Inhibitions are stifled and pain deadened.
Some users experience weightlessness, difficulty concentrating, amnesia and an inability to speak.
High doses induce convulsions and coma, along with respiratory depression and cardiovascular instability. Ruptured blood vessels in the brain may lead to death. Side effects of PCP use include confusion, agitation, paranoia and delirium. Feelings of depression and alienation, often accompanied by suicide attempts, may follow. PCP can trigger psychosis in people with no previous history of mental illness, leading to accidents, suicides and violence.