What does ketamine do

People with schizophrenia, or who have ever suffered a psychotic episode, should avoid ketamine. The drug has been demonstrated to bring back symptoms of psychosis, and these could persist beyond the period when the drug is in the body. Drugs which radically affect consciousness are more likely to cause panic and fear in people who suffer anxiety, whether this has been diagnosed as a disorder or not.

Ketamine increases heart-rate and blood pressure. These effects are usually quite minor, but could be dangerous for people with related health problems or who combine it with other drugs. Taking with depressants such as alcohol, GBL , benzodiazepines such as valium, or opiates such as heroin may make you become unconscious quickly and unexpectedly, and can stop your breathing or allow you suffocate on your own vomit.

The chance of agitation and anxiety is also increased. Stimulants may keep you moving when the effects of ketamine would otherwise have immobilised you, increasing the chance of accidental injury. Whilst many people use ketamine on occasion without feeling cravings, some people get addicted to ketamine use and may use it daily.

People can struggle and fail to be able to stop using ketamine. Tolerance builds up, so users need much more ketamine to get the effects they like. Signs of tolerance should be considered an early warning sign of addiction and harmful use. People addicted to ketamine can suffer strong cravings, anxiety and misery, and even shaking and sweating when they try to go without.

Such withdrawal symptoms are not dangerous and eventually pass. Taking ketamine regularly seems to affect the mind, particularly memory. This could be very bad for work, education and relationships. These harmful effects seem to fade when people give up the drug. People who use ketamine more than a couple of times a week are at high risk of damaging their kidneys and especially their bladder.

Once the damage is done, the organs do not always recover. The bladder condition, called ketamine-induced ulcerative cystitis, starts with the need to urinate very often, and leads to painful urination. Sufferers may be prone to wetting themselves and can have blood in their urine. A few young people have had to have their damaged bladder removed, which leaves men unable to get a natural erection and both genders unable to urinate naturally for life.

This disease can even encourage more ketamine use, or prevent users quitting, as ketamine temporarily eases the pain. Regular users get severe abdominal pain often called k-cramps.

Their cause is unknown but they seem distinct from the bladder damage. There are always risks to using ketamine. However, if you do take drugs, you can make simple choices to improve the chances of a good experience, rather than a regretted, harmful or even fatal one.

Here are some things to consider. Taking bigger amounts, and taking it frequently, means higher risks. The most severe harms, including permanent bladder damage, affect people who take ketamine regularly. First time users should be especially cautious with dose. Some users plan and measure out how much they intend to take, and only have that amount accessible. Otherwise, it can be tempting to keep taking more whilst you are less capable of making sensible decisions.

Drug effects are unpredictable, but mixing drugs makes the effects on your body and mind even harder to control. Deaths after ketamine use usually involve mixing it with other drugs. Ketamine plus a sedating drug like alcohol can stop you breathing. If you are anxious, or feeling down, the drug may exaggerate these feelings and give you a terrible experience. Additionally if you are in a stressful, unfamiliar environment with strangers, the risk of having a bad time, or experiencing physical harm, is increased.

Ketamine, 2- 2-chlorophenyl methylamino -cyclohexanone, is a dissociative sedative with analgesic and anaesthetic properties, now being investigated as an antidepressant, alone and as part of ketamine-assisted therapy. Discovered in by Calvin L. Stevens, and first tested on humans in , ketamine was approved for medical use by the USA in and remains widely used to this ….

A review and analysis of the ethical considerations in off-label ketamine use for severe, treatment-resistant depression. The review concludes that further restrictions around ketamine are not neccesary and provides a set of recomendations for oversight bodies that would support safe, effective, and ethical use.

Read it here. For open-access to the full report …. A version of this post was published in The Guardian Ketamine is a unique anaesthetic and analgesic that has unfortunately become a popular and harmful recreational drug.

Authors: Celia J. Morgan and H. How the drug works varies from person to person. How it looks, tastes and smells What does it look like? A clear liquid, when used in medicine A grainy white or brown crystalline powder when sold on the street Tablets, although this is less common. How do people take it? Ketamine is used in medicine as an anesthetic for humans and animals. By snorting it as a powder Most people who take powder ketamine will snort it. By injecting it People who regularly use ketamine sometimes inject it to get a bigger hit.

By swallowing it as a tablet Some people swallow it in tablet form, but this is less common. How it feels How does it make you feel? Regular ketamine use can cause: agitation panic attacks damage to short- and long-term memory depression, if taken frequently.

To kick in When snorted, ketamine normally takes about 15 minutes to take effect. How long it lasts The buzz can last around for 30 minutes to an hour, but the effects really depend on how much you take. After effects People may feel down and low in mood for a few days after using ketamine. Ketamine can be detected in a urine test for several days after taking it. The risks Physical health risks Ketamine is a very powerful anesthetic that can cause serious harm.

Taking ketamine can be fatal, particularly if it is mixed with other drugs. Ketamine can increase your heart rate and blood pressure. It can make you confused, agitated, delirious and disconnected from reality. It can make you feel sick, and it can cause damage to your short- and long-term memory. Because you don't feel pain properly when you've recently taken ketamine, you can injure yourself and not know you've done it. Ketamine can cause serious bladder problems, with the urgent and frequent need to pee.

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Brain Communications. Feder, A, et al. Sanacora, G, et al. Your Privacy Rights. To change or withdraw your consent choices for VerywellMind. At any time, you can update your settings through the "EU Privacy" link at the bottom of any page.

These choices will be signaled globally to our partners and will not affect browsing data. We and our partners process data to: Actively scan device characteristics for identification. I Accept Show Purposes. Table of Contents View All. Table of Contents. What Does Ketamine Do? Common Side Effects. Signs of Use. Dependence and Withdrawal.

How to Get Help. How to Recognize Ketamine Ketamine usually appears as a clear liquid or a white to off-white powder. The K Hole and the Effects of Ketamine.

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