How Can a Doctor Diagnose PCP Withdrawal?
A doctor will diagnose PCP withdrawal by looking at patient health history, symptoms and drug screening results.
Someone experiencing withdrawal should be honest about their drug use to help the doctor make a correct diagnosis. If drug use is not discussed, then the doctor may start looking for an incorrect diagnosis to match the withdrawal symptoms.
Drug screens are also useful for making a diagnosis of PCP withdrawal. Blood tests can be used, but they are expensive and not every doctor has access to this test. Urine screens are favored because they are fast, inexpensive and easy to administer.
Diagnosing PCP Withdrawal in Newborns
When a mother takes PCP during pregnancy, the drug can pass to the baby. A baby born to a mother addicted to PCP may experience the following symptoms:
- Diarrhea
- Hypertonicity, or abnormal tightening of muscles
- Jitteriness
- Loss of consciousness
- Vomiting
- Sudden outbursts
For expectant mothers, a PCP addiction is likely to cause withdrawal symptoms in a newborn. Treating the addiction before the baby is born can spare it from uncomfortable or life-threatening withdrawal symptoms after birth.