Sections
Hallucinogens and Club Drugs: Introduction | Hallucinogens | Phencyclidine and Ketamine | Stimulants | <img src='images/special/gammalower.gif' border='0'/>-Hydroxybutyrate | Prescription Drugs | Treatment of Hallucinogen and Club Drug Addiction | Key Points | References | Suggested Reading
Excerpt
Drugs considered hallucinogens are a diverse
group of compounds (Table 14–1) including lysergic acid
diethylamide (LSD), designer drugs, and many others that produce perceptual
distortions (rarely complete hallucinations). Phencyclidine (PCP)
and ketamine are dissociative anesthetics that produce perceptual
distortions similar to hallucinogens, resulting in their being classified
as hallucinogens. Designer drugs are synthetic compounds that are chemically
related to stimulants, often with additions to the phenyl ring of
amphetamine that cause them to have hallucinogen properties. These
ring substitutions, such as are found in methylenedioxymethamphetamine
(MDMA; "ecstasy"), can produce perceptual distortions.