Understanding Ketamine

What is Ketamine Also Known As?

Ketamine is also known commercially and on the streets as special K, K and cat tranquilizer. It can also be known as Kit Kat, Vitamin K or Ket. Ketamine has plenty of other street names that have changed throughout the years. Originally it was known as "rockmesc" or "mean green." Other slang names for Ketamine include Jet, Cat Valium, Super K, Blind Squid, Kelly's Day, New Ecstasy, Vitamin K, Mauve, Keller, Honey oil, Bump and Super Acid. It is useful to know these terms if one is worried about a friend or loved one that might be using Ketamine excessively and unsafely in particular or a person whom is particularly at risk, for instance, a teenager.

A Brief History of Ketamine

This drug was first synthesized in the early nineteen sixties with the purpose of replacing PCP as an anesthetic medicine. Ketamine was then used like an anesthetic but in the seventies patients started to complain of unwanted visions. Regardless of this Ketamine kept on being used until the mid nineties when the US Drug Enforcement Agency added it to its list of drugs. By the year 1997, Ketamine had earned the reputation of a club drug and a date rape drug.

What is Ketamine?

Ketamine is an anesthetic or tranquilizer developed in 1962. It also happens to be a psychedelic. It is especially used as a veterinarian anesthetic. Although it is not commonly used on humans it has been known to be used in very rare cases because it does not affect breathing or circulation. This drug is taken recreationally in a white powder form that is inhaled or injected.

What Are The Effects of Ketamine?

As opposed to most psychedelic drugs Ketamine is considered to dissociative. When taking very high doses, users feel completely 'out' of their environment. The user feels disconnected with his or her body and any sensations. How the user feels when taking the drug also depends on their state of mind at the time. The experience is much more likely to be pleasant if the user is in a happy or content state of mind. When the user is unhappy, sad or upset the experience might be highly unpleasant and the user could ever experience disturbing visions which, in very extreme and rare cases, can cause post-traumatic stress disorders and flashbacks.

When ingest medium sized doses or small doses the individual is in a dream-like state, his or her sensibility might decrease, they might become more sociable and might have vertigo. In some cases the individual might experience arousal or general erotic feelings.

What Are The Side Effects of Ketamine?

The side effects of taking Ketamine while being on the drug are extremely varied. They could include being nervous, dry mouth, tachycardia (racing heart), and breathing problems. Some individuals may get nausea or vomit. This particular side effect is extremely dangerous because the drug is a sedative.

To eat or drink before ketamine usage can highly increase the likelihood of nausea and vomiting, which in turn increases the likelihood of having an accident. If the dose of Ketamine is particularly high it could lead to a suppression of the central nervous system. A central nervous system suppression is a very serious problem that can lead to death. Its symptoms include slower breathing and seizures. Additionally the user might go into a coma. Mixing ketamine with any depressants, for instance alcohol, is very dangerous and can trigger the aforementioned event.

Prolonged long-term use of ketamine might result in psychological effects like egocentrism and paranoia.

What Are The Long Term Effects of Ketamine?

Fairly recently prolonged ketamine use has been linked to urinary tract infections. It has also been linked to bladder problems: difficulty urinating or pain while doing so, needing to urinate frequently and urgently, incontinence and even severe bladder inflammation. It is not yet known how dose, intake method and how long the drug was used for affect these long term effects. Unfortunately in some cases the damage was permanent.

If someone has abused ketamine for a long time then they might also suffer from impaired cognitive functioning which might result in learning disabilities. The individual's social skills might also be damaged.

Is Ketamine Addictive?

Ketamine is widely known as the most addictive psychedelic drug psychologically. Although it is not physically addictive users tend to become psychologically addicted due to its intense pleasant effects. It has been reported that many ketamine users take the drug daily and sometimes even more than once a day.

What is Going On With Ketamine Today?

During the year 1999 The Drug Enforcement Agency made Ketamine a schedule three drug. This means that this particular drug is illegal to buy or sell without a prescription. In Canada, Ketamine is considered schedule one. In The United Kingdom, Ketamine is considered to be a Class C drug, the equivalent of a Schedule Three in the United States. Before 2006 Ketamine was not illegal to distribute in England, Scotland and Wales but It was legal to posses it. In Mexico Ketamine is considered to be a schedule three drug too. Most countries currently have Ketamine under some sort of controlled substance act in which it can be used as a medication but not recreationally.

Due to the fact that is illegal Ketamine most often is distributed to users by people whom have robbed or bought legitimate patients. There has been extensive research when it comes to the legitimacy of Ketamine as a pure drug which resulted in a major Ketamine producing laboratory in Mexico to be shut down. Currently most Ketamine comes to the United States by way of India.

Although it is possible to test for Ketamine it is not something which is commonly done. It can be found in blood, urine and even hair. The chemical noreketamine is the indicator of usage of this particular drug. Ketamine is easily detectable in the body for up to fourteen days after it has been taken. It can take up to three days to get the result of this particular test.