What is ketamine?
Ketamine is used by medical practitioners and veterinarians as an anaesthetic. It’s sometimes used illegally by people to get high.
Ketamine is a dissociative drug, which means it causes people to feel separated or detached from their body or physical environment. Dissociatives are similar to psychedelics, they can cause hallucinations and other changes in thoughts, emotions and consciousness.1
What does ketamine look like?
When it’s sold illegally, ketamine usually comes as a white or off-white powder. It can also be made into pills, or dissolved in a liquid.2
Other names
Special K, K, ket, kitkat, ketters, super k or horse trank.
Overdose
If you take a large amount of ketamine or have a strong batch, you could overdose.
The risk of death from ketamine alone is low, due to its ability to cause unconsciousness with minimal impact on airway reflexes or blood circulation.6 However, individuals are at a higher risk of physical harm/accidents while under the influence of the ketamine.6
Call an ambulance straight away by dialling triple zero (000) if you, or someone else, has any of the following symptoms:
difficulty breathing
blurred vision
high blood pressure, fast heartbeat
convulsions/seizures
delirium or psychosis
unconsciousness.3,4,6
Ambulance officers don’t need to involve the police.
Coming down
The day after using ketamine, you may experience:
memory loss
impaired judgement, disorientation
irritability and restlessness
clumsiness
aches and pains
anxiety.1,3,7
Long-term effects
Regular use of ketamine may eventually cause:
flashbacks
poor sense of smell (from snorting)
mood and personality changes, depression
poor memory, thinking and concentration
abnormal liver or kidney function
ketamine bladder syndrome (see below)
abdominal pain
needing to use more to get the same effect
dependence on ketamine
financial, work and social problems.3,6
How is ketamine used?
Ketamine can be swallowed, snorted or injected. It’s also sometimes smoked with cannabis or tobacco. The effects of ketamine may be experienced within one minute if injected, 5–15 minutes if snorted, and up to 30 minutes if swallowed. Its effects can last for around an hour, however an individual’s coordination or senses may be affected for up to 24 hours after initial use.4
Effects of ketamine
Use of any drug can have risks. It’s important to be careful when taking any type of drug.
Ketamine affects everyone differently, based on:
size, weight and health
whether the person is used to taking it
whether other drugs are taken around the same time
the amount taken
the strength of the drug (varies from batch to batch)
The following effects may be experienced:
feeling happy and relaxed
feeling detached from your body
lowered sensitivity to pain
visual and auditory hallucinations
confusion and clumsiness
increased heart rate and blood pressure
drowsiness
slurred speech and blurred vision
anxiety and panic
vomiting
Going into a k-hole (intense detachment from reality, usually only happens at high doses).3,4
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