Dissociative drug

The fungus Amanita muscaria It has thighs, dissociative substance.

Drugs such as PCP (phencyclidine hydrochloride, angel dust) and ketamine, initially developed as general anesthetics for surgery, distort visual and auditory perceptions and produce feelings of isolation or dissociation the environment and the individual himself. For this reason, PCP and ketamine are known as "dissociative anesthetics."

Dextromethorphan, a widely available cough suppressant, in high doses can produce effects similar to those of PCP and ketamine. Another dissociative is muscimol, present in the fungus Amanita muscaria.

Dissociative drugs work by altering the distribution of the neurotransmitter glutamate throughout the brain. Glutamate is involved in pain perception, responses to the environment, and memory. PCP is considered the standard dissociative drug, and the description of PCP's effects and actions given here also largely applies to ketamine and dextromethorphan.