What is Ketamine Used For?

13 de enero de 2024

3 min de lectura

Ketamine recently reentered the mainstream discussion as Matthew Perry who played Chandellor in ‘Friends’, was found dead with the drug in his system. The death of the beloved actor flooded the news around the world. It was shocking news because the actor was only 54 years old and he was supposedly sober.

He’d also recently published a book about his life and his journey with drug abuse titled “Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing”. According to the medical examiner, he died of the acute effects of ketamine, coronary heart disease, drowning, and the effects of opioids.

However, ketamine is not a new drug or a lesser known drug. While it is a common product in most veterinary clinics, it is a popular recreational drug, particularly among young people when they frequent clubs and raves.

Below, we’ll go over ketamine and what it’s used for.

What is Ketamine?

Ketamine is defined as a dissociative anesthetic that can also produce hallucinogenic effects similar to LSD at high doses. It was originally used as an anesthetic for animals in Belgium in the 1960s and would later be approved by the FDA as an anesthetic in 1970. During the Vietnam War, it was used to treat injured soldiers.

How is Ketamine Used?

In medicine, ketamine is generally used intravenously, being injected via IV drip into the bloodstream. Recreationally, ketamine may also be used via injection by needle, but it is more commonly snorted, swallowed, or smoked.

What is Ketamine Used For?

In the medical world, ketamine is used as a general anesthetic to sedate patients during operations. In lower doses, it can also be used for pain management.

Research has also shown that ketamine has the potential to treat:

Status epileptics
Depression
Anxiety

…however, more research is required.

In recreational environments, ketamine is used for the effects it has on the mind. In small doses, ketamine can act like a stimulant, which is why many people use it recreationally to go clubbing. However, in high doses, ketamine can cause intense hallucinations and put users into a dream-like state called a “k-hole”. People who report being “k-holed” have described it as being totally separated from their bodies.

What are the Negative Effects of Ketamine?

The news regarding Matthew Perry may scare a lot of users of ketamine and parents who are concerned about their children using the drug. However, the autopsy shows that while ketamine was a factor in the actor’s death, the main cause of death was respiratory depression and cardiovascular overstimulation. In other words, medical experts think that his death could be a result of his sedation in his pool leading to his loss of consciousness.

Sedative drugs should not be used alone in pools or hot tubs. It’s also important to note that ketamine is generally known for its safety in clinical settings. However, it does carry with it some negative effects (especially outside of clinical settings):

Problems with memory and learning
Confusion
Reduction in mobility
High blood pressure
Depression
Breathing problems (which in extreme cases can lead to death)
Flashbacks
Psychosis
Loss of consciousness
Fatal overdose
Liver dysfunction

The day after taking ketamine users may report the following symptoms:

Aches and pains
Reduced judgement
Clumsiness
Anxiety
Disorientation

Ketamine and Alcohol

Because ketamine is a rave and club drug, it is commonly mixed with other drugs including alcohol. However, because both alcohol and ketamine are nervous system depressants, combining the two can be dangerous.

Other Uses of Ketamine

Ketamine has the potential for drug abuse and some people may become dependent on it or use it to self-medicate due to its sedative, pain-relieving, and hallucinogenic properties.

Ketamine has also been used as a date rape drug due to the effects it has on memory and consciousness. In larger doses it can incapacitate and sedate people, allowing predators to drug victims with it and have their way with them.

Takeaway

While ketamine is considered a relatively safe drug in clinical settings, as we saw with Matthew Perry, getting ketamine legally can result in death. If you are prescribed ketamine by a doctor, always ensure that you are following their guidelines and using the drug safely.

If you are a recreational user of ketamine, testing the drug, using it with other people can help you in case something goes wrong, and taking it in lower doses without other drugs or alcohol will help to reduce your risk of injury or death.

Sources:

Información general, no consejo médico

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