Ketamine
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Contents |
Overview
Ketamine is primarily used for general anesthesia, usually in combination with some sedative drug. It is also a popular anesthetic in veterinary medicine. Ketamine is illegally synthesized and sold as a recreational drug, and produces dissociative effects similar to PCP and DXM. At sufficiently high doses, users may experience what is coined the "K-hole"--a state of dissociation whose effects are thought to mimic the phenomenology of schizophrenia. Chronic use of ketamine may lead to cognitive impairments including memory problems.
Although ketamine was developed nearly 50 years ago in 1962, it is the current drug of choice for many teenagers and young adults. It is especially popular amongst those who frequent dance clubs and raves.
In the beginning, it was used as a tranquilizer and fast acting general anesthetic, and later came to be used as a combat anesthetic. Currently it is primarily used by veterinarians for minor surgeries. Unfortunately, its anesthetic properties and affects on one’s memory have made it a popular date rape drug.
In large doses ketamine causes a person to hallucinate – much like PCP. This hallucinogenic property made it appealing to drug users, and by the early 1980s illicit use of the drug was becoming quite popular. Typically administered as an injectable liquid, new forms of the drug were being introduced to offer alternative ways to use it. The availability of these new variations led to an increase in the use of ketamine as a recreational drug.
Today, it is uncommon for ketamine to be used as a valid form of medical treatment for humans. However, its increasing popularity as a party drug has been cause for concern. The drug has been classified by the federal government as a Schedule III controlled substance since late 1999. This classification allows stricter regulation of the substance in order to limit abuse of the drug.
How Ketamine Is Abused
With the introduction of new forms of ketamine, new ways of administering it have also emerged. Using it orally or nasally speeds up the effects, and also makes it easier to market than the original injectable form. Although it is still manufactured as a liquid, those who sell it for illicit purposes convert it to a powder by evaporate it. Once in powder form, it can either be snorted or swallowed – as the powder can be transformed into pills.
Depending on the method of ingestion, the time frame to produce the desirable effects varies. When used as an injection, the effects are usually experienced almost immediately or within just a few minutes. Snorting it as a powder can take up to fifteen minutes to produce effects, while oral ingestion takes anywhere from five to thirty minutes.
Ketamine causes the user to have hallucinations. While these are usually gone within one hour after its use, other effects of the drug continue. The user’s judgment, senses, and coordination may be impaired for as long as 24 hours after using the drug initially.
Effects of Ketamine
One dose of ketamine is usually 1.0 mg to 2.0 mg for every kilogram of body weight. As with many drugs, the higher the dose, the greater the effects. Use of ketamine can create a feeling of stimulation, as well as produce intense hallucinations and other bizarre experiences.
In addition to its hallucinogenic properties, another appeal of ketamine is its ability to cause the user to disassociate from his or her surroundings. High doses can induce a pleasant dreamlike state. Some people report experiencing a floating sensation when they use ketamine. An out-of-body experience is often reported by users. These usually occur with higher doses of the drug. This out-of-body experience is often referred to as a “K-Hole”.
This detachment from reality is due to the way ketamine works in the brain. It dampens the ability of the thalamus to function properly. This blunts one’s senses (taste, touch, sight, hearing, smell). It also decreases the hypothalamus’s ability to function properly. The hypothalamus enhances our emotional experience – when it is impaired, it can cause a person to feel detached from everything going on around him.
The effects of ketamine are experienced almost immediately after injection or inhalation, causing a short period of unconsciousness. A longer period of anesthesia follows during which a number of effects may also be experienced.
High doses of ketamine can cause severe respiratory depression, dizziness, slurred speech, and muscle twitches in addition to nausea and vomiting. However, it is the feeling of confusion that can cause the most danger to the user since it impairs vision and disrupts one’s balance. Some people experience flashbacks for up to several days after ketamine is used.
Ketamine acts on the receptor sites of the brain in much the same way as PCP, altering the function of various neurotransmitters in the brain. This can lead to a variety of problems for the user.
Users may not realize that they aren’t getting pure ketamine, as it is often mixed with other drugs such as ephedrine and caffeine. These combinations may cause significant damage to the respiratory or circulatory system.
Common side effects include dizziness, muscle spasm, blurred vision, impaired coordination, and respiratory depression. There may be instances of amnesia in some cases. Behavior may become aggressive, paranoid, or delusional. Some users have muscle rigidity and a dramatic increase in their heart rate. But more seriously, ketamine has the potential to cause impaired motor function, hypertension, and dangerous respiratory problems. In severe cases, death can occur, although it is extremely rare with this drug.
Street Names for Ketamine
Among drug users, ketamine is referred to by a number of different street names including:
• Special K
• Vitamin K
• Super Acid
• Jet
• Ketaset
• Green
• Special LA Coke
• Purple
• Mauve
• K
• Super K
Ketamine Addiction
Ketamine is generally considered to be non-addictive from a physical standpoint. However, cravings for the drug often occur with regular use, and the drug is known to be habit-forming. Some individuals who use ketamine may develop a tolerance for it. They must consistently increase the amount of the drug in order to get the effects they experienced when they first started using it.
As mentioned earlier, the most common use of ketamine today is as a veterinary anesthesia. Veterinarians use the drug to anesthetize pets prior to surgery. However, because of the drug’s popularity and the stricter regulations that have been placed on it, there have been many occurrences of people breaking into veterinary clinics to steal the drug, in order to satisfy cravings that are often the result of repeated use.
It is not uncommon for regular users to stop experiencing many of the desired effects of the drug that they experienced early on. This tolerance can also lead to dependence on the drug as the person continues to use it in increasingly higher doses.
As with most addictions, ketamine addiction must not be taken lightly. Many drug and alcohol programs address and treat ketamine addiction as well.
