Detecting PCP, and Could it Have Caused My Manic Episode?

Reader’s Question

I’m from Europe and I experienced some real problems after returning from my vacation in New York City. I had been smoking “weed”, but I think it might have been laced with PCP (phencyclidine) or something because I ended up in a mental hospital being treated for what the doctors thought was an unspecified manic episode. PCP is not common in my country, so I think they might have misdiagnosed me. Is it possible to detect PCP in human hair after 6 months? If this could be done, it would help me figure out what really happened to me.

Psychologist’s Reply

One of the main problems associated with the use of illegal drugs is the fact that you never really know what you might be ingesting into your body. Many times the “lacing” of various drugs can include a wide variety of compounds, not all of which actually are what they are purported to be, and some of which can cause very undesirable effects. That’s why even the recreational use of drugs that are commonly considered relatively safe but are procured illegally always carries risk.

With respect to the issue of diagnosis, people receive diagnoses by meeting certain objective behavioral criteria and not necessarily because the complete etiology of the symptom picture is known. So, although it would possibly be more correct to diagnose someone with a “Substance-Induced Mood Disorder” when their mood disturbance is known to be the direct result of the recent ingestion of a substance, it is perfectly permissible to diagnose someone based solely on the signs and symptoms they present.

You indicate you suspect PCP was the culprit in your unpleasant experience and wonder if it can be detected 6 months after ingestion. The answer to that is most likely, no. Some substances are fat-soluble and as such can remain in body tissues for a longer time, especially when use is chronic or heavy. Also, some substances are broken down by the body in stages, and some of the “metabolites” can be detected for various lengths of time after ingestion of the initial substance. Depending on a variety of factors, cannabis can be detected for up to three months after initial ingestion. But PCP is generally out of the system in about 4 days and is not likely to be detected after that — although some very sophisticated tests can detect it a bit longer, depending on how much was ingested and for how long.

Helping those who are trying to help you requires that you be as open and forthcoming with information about yourself and your habits as possible. The accuracy of diagnosis depends a lot on the amount and reliability of the information used to make the diagnosis. Making the correct diagnosis is also important to reaching sound decisions about how to intervene and remedy the problems you are experiencing.

Please read our Important Disclaimer.

All clinical material on this site is peer reviewed by one or more clinical psychologists or other qualified mental health professionals. Originally published by on and last reviewed or updated by Dr Greg Mulhauser, Managing Editor on .

Ask the Psychologist provides direct access to qualified clinical psychologists ready to answer your questions. It is overseen by the same international advisory board of distinguished academic faculty and mental health professionals — with decades of clinical and research experience in the US, UK and Europe — that delivers CounsellingResource.com, providing peer-reviewed mental health information you can trust. Our material is not intended as a substitute for direct consultation with a qualified mental health professional. CounsellingResource.com is accredited by the Health on the Net Foundation.

Copyright © 2024.