Ketamine
Ketamine
Ketamine is a dissociative psychedelic used medically as a veterinary and human anesthetic. It is one of the few addictive psychedelics. Learn more about it on Erowid or read on to learn about effects and risks!
Ketamine is a dissociative psychedelic used medically as a veterinary and human anesthetic. It is one of the few addictive psychedelics. Learn more about it on Erowid or read on to learn about effects and risks!
Categories of effects come from Erowid
Positive
pleasant mental and/or body high
increase in energy
euphoria
sense of calm and serenity
meaningful spiritual experiences
enhanced sense of connection with the world (beings or objects)
reduced or eliminated acute pain.
visual, dream-like, visionary, and/or hallucinatory ideations.
Neutral
distortion or loss of sensory perceptions
closed and open-eye visuals
dissociation of mind from body
physical numbness
loss of motor coordination
change in perception of time
increase in heart rate
slurred speech
confusion, disorientation
out-of-body experience
shifts in perception of reality
"k-hole"; intense mind-body dissociation, out-of-body experiences, highly realistic visuals
Negative
risk of psychological dependency
nasal discomfort when snorting
severe confusion, disorganized thinking
paranoia and egocentrism (with regular use)
nausea, vomiting
frightening or untimely distortion or loss of sensory perception
severe dissociation, depersonalization
loss of consciousness (dangerous or fatal in wrong circumstances)
depression of heart rate and respiration
A K-hole occurs when someone has taken a high dose of ketamine. Often people intentionally try to experience a k-hole because they like how it feels.
What does a K-hole look like
Slurred speech
Loss of motor coordination
Confusion/disorientation
Changes in heart rate (increased at lower doses, decreased at high doses)
Nausea or vomiting
Slowed breathing
What to Do if Someone is Experiencing a K-Hole
Know that a k-hole is not a fatal overdose and deaths from ketamine alone are rare. However, interactions between ketamine and other drugs (especially depressants) can increase the risk of overdose
When to get help
Call 911 of the individual loses consciousness or shows signs that they are not breathing
While you wait for EMS place the individual on their side in a recovery position to reduce the risk of them choking on vomit.
Check for signs of opioid overdose (it is possible for fentanyl to end up in a variety of different drugs including ketamine). Ketamine alone will not cause pinpoint pupils, so be on the look out for those.
Administer naloxone if you think the individual may be experiencing an opioid overdose