The shocking death of actor Matthew Perry last year brought the dangers of ketamine into the national spotlight, closely mirroring what we’ve witnessed with fentanyl and the resultant opioid crisis — how a legitimate medicine can prove fatal when abused.
Even before Perry’s passing, ketamine has since been latched onto as a highly potent, popular party drug with street-level credibility that’s been linked to criminal use and sexual assault, a far cry from its original intention as a seemingly innocuous anesthetic.
Ketamine misuse can pose serious consequences. Recreational overuse or as a self-medicator can lead to tolerance, then ketamine dependence, followed by addiction and the fallout of physical, mental, and emotional challenges of overcoming ketamine for withdrawal.
If you or someone you know may be struggling with ketamine substance abuse (either openly or discreetly), read on to understand the fundamentals of ketamine withdrawal symptoms and provide them the sobriety support they need.
What Is Ketamine?
Ketamine was initially developed in the 1950s at the Parke-Davis and Company’s Detroit laboratories, marketed in the 1960s as an anesthetic and pain manager for wounded soldiers during the Vietnam War. In the following decade, it became more commonly found in clinical settings as an FDA-approved, injectable, short-acting anesthetic used during surgery to induce loss of consciousness when a muscle relaxant is not needed. Veterinarians also use ketamine to sedate animals during office visits and procedures.
Ketamine infusion therapy is also widely used as a non-FDA-approved, off-label treatment-resistant antidepressant in the form of esketamine and has also grown popular for treating substance abuse.
Common Slang Terms for Ketamine
“Special K” is one of the most commonly known street names for recreational ketamine. Others include:
- “Super Acid,”
- “Super K”
- “Kit Kat”
- “Purple”
- “Cat tranquilizer”
- “Cat valium”
As illustrated above, many of ketamine’s nicknames refer to its use in veterinary care. Others use word play that allude to the first letter of the drug’s name.
There are several different slang terms for a ketamine high, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency:
- “K-Land,” a mellow, colorful experience
- “K-Hole,” akin to a near-death, out-of-body experience
- “Baby food,” a blissful, childlike state
- “God,” a psychedelic high that convinces users they have reached an enlightened state
A “Special K” ketamine trip, according to the DEA, is considered superior to a traditional acid trip and has proven popular among teens and young adults because its shorter-term hallucinations only last about 30 to 60 minutes — ideal for a party, club, or rave.
Ketamine is a Controlled Substance
Twenty-five years ago, ketamine was recognized by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency as a non-narcotic substance under the Controlled Substances Act — that means that it’s designed for use in a controlled medical environment but can become dangerous in a recreational, uncontrolled capacity.
Despite this, ketamine has become popular in recent years as a recreational party drug. It’s most widely available in an off-white powder or liquid form, where it can be, respectively, snorted like cocaine, smoked with tobacco or marijuana, mixed with a drink, injected, or combined with other drugs such as Ecstasy. Ketamine very closely mimics the hallucinatory effects of LSD and PCP and gives users a euphoric feeling of floating, separated from or not in control of their bodies.
Unfortunately, ketamine’s predominance in the club scene has led it to be used as a date rape drug and a vehicle for sexual assault due to its ability to incapacitate individuals and cause short-term memory loss in victims, so they won’t remember what happened.
The National Drug Intelligence Center notes that sexual predators have reportedly used ketamine to incapacitate intended victims, lacing drinks with the drug or offering it to those who don’t understand its effects due to its ability to incapacitate individuals and cause short-term memory loss in victims so they won’t remember what happened.
Is Ketamine Addictive?
“I don’t think we have the same level of evidence that we do with opioids, where we have many well-designed, rigorously developed studies, but there is a risk of addiction” with ketamine, says epidemiologist Caleb Alexander in the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health study.
Ketamine still runs a very real risk of dependency and addiction if abused. Ketamine is a Schedule III controlled substance, which means that it poses a lower risk of dependency than Schedule I (heroin) or Schedule II (cocaine), according to the National Drug Intelligence Center. But that doesn’t mean there is zero chance of addiction. Abuse of a Schedule III drug, notes the center, runs the risk of both physical and psychological dependence.
When regular ketamine use turns to abuse, initial signs of dependence may include needing more of the drug to get the same effect as before. This can compound into affecting one’s mood and personality and lead to problems with interpersonal relationships, finances, work, or school.
Health Risks of Ketamine
According to the Alcohol and Drug Foundation (ADF), large, repeated doses of ketamine also run the risk of developing ketamine bladder syndrome, a condition marked by incontinence and ulcers in the bladder. Ketamine and psychological factors are also linked. “Daily users of ketamine can experience psychotic-related symptoms, especially among people who have a history of mental illness,” notes the study. This can include anything from flashbacks to memory loss — not indifferent to the overuse of other psychedelics.
Risks of Drug Abuse
Addiction to any drug increases the likelihood of partaking in risky behavior just to get high. Sharing needles to inject ketamine increases the risk of contracting HIV, hepatitis, or other infectious diseases. Likewise, ketamine lowers inhibitions and may cause users to mix it with other drugs with dangerous results.
While not everyone who uses the drug recreationally will develop an addiction, repeated use of ketamine can lead to a pattern of ketamine addiction withdrawal.
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What Is Ketamine Withdrawal?
According to the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, ketamine is an NMDA receptor antagonist and blocks the brain’s N-methyl-D-aspartate neurotransmitter. It’s also known to inhibit the production of serotonin and dopamine.
Ketamine’s effects on these areas of the brain lead to the drug’s hallucinogenic effects, but dependency can become gradual as the drug becomes less effective. Ketamine withdrawal is commonplace when the brain no longer responds to ketamine as it did before.
Like other substances that affect the brain, withdrawal symptoms of ketamine manifest as the body attempts to adjust to functioning without the drug.
Physical Symptoms of Ketamine Withdrawal
The ADF cites these as common ketamine withdrawal symptoms:
- Fatigue/tiredness
- Chills and sweating
- Restlessness and tremors
- Irregular and rapid, increased heartbeat
- Nightmares/difficulty sleeping, anxiety and depression
- Zero appetite
- Ketamine cravings
When the body has become dependent on ketamine or any addictive drug, physical ketamine withdrawal symptoms can range from mild to severe.
However, one of the most distressing symptoms of ketamine withdrawal is nerve cell damage in the brain due to repeated ketamine usage.
Psychological Symptoms of Ketamine Withdrawal
Ketamine withdrawals don’t just trigger physical symptoms. A host of psychological effects come into play, in some cases more severe than physical reactions, since the brain intensely craves its hallucinogenic highs.
Symptoms may include:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Paranoia
- Psychosis
- Agitation/irritability
- Confusion/cognitive difficulties
- Intense psychological cravings for ketamine
Depending on the person, psychological symptoms can be particularly challenging to manage and could potentially lead to relapse if not adequately addressed.
Ketamine Withdrawal Timeline
Like an individual’s set of fingerprints, almost no two types of ketamine withdrawal symptoms are alike since it depends on how much of the drug was used and for how long in tandem with a person’s tolerance for the drug, their dependency, and length of time using the drug. However, it is possible to sketch a general withdrawal timeline you might experience during ketamine addiction withdrawal.
Acute Phase of Ketamine Withdrawal
The National Drug Intelligence Center says that although a ketamine high’s hallucinogenic effects last less than an hour, the drug can impair your senses, judgment, and coordination for up to 24 hours. This marks the acute, or beginning, stages of ketamine withdrawal — a mood-related “come-down.”
Peak Stage of Ketamine Withdrawal
The primary phase of ketamine withdrawal poses challenging effects since symptoms are often at their most intense. Around day 4 or 5, up to the 2-week mark, psychological symptoms may persist, such as further depression and anxiety plus intense cravings for the drug. Be mindful that if you or a loved one is experiencing ketamine withdrawals, this peak period is the risk of relapse is also at its worst.
Protracted Ketamine Withdrawal
In the past two weeks, physical ketamine withdrawal symptoms began to subside, though psychological effects — moments of depression, anxiety, and mood swings — may still linger on account of changes in a person’s brain chemistry after taking ketamine.
Who Can Help with Ketamine Withdrawal?
Supportive family and friends are the best people to lean on if you’re trying to wean yourself off ketamine and experiencing ketamine withdrawal symptoms. Everyone’s experience with substance abuse withdrawal is different, so seeking out treatment options from a trusted treatment center can lead you down the path of successful recovery from ketamine dependency.
Ketamine Detox
The stages of ketamine withdrawal make up the detoxification period — like alcohol detox, removing the drug from your system to begin a sober, clean slate. Experts note that although most ketamine withdrawal detox symptoms are psychological, not physical (unlike many other substances), detoxing on your own may be risky.
Psychological ketamine withdrawal symptoms may lead to psychosis, suicidal thoughts or abusive behavior in some people, lashing out during intense cravings. For others, detoxing can elevate one’s heart rate or blood pressure, potentially dangerous for those with cardiovascular issues.
Detox alone is not a cure for addiction, and detoxing alone, especially if you feel you’re at risk for some of these symptoms, can be risky. Seeking professional treatment is a safe, effective way to free yourself from ketamine addiction.
Inpatient Treatment for Ketamine Abuse
Residential ketamine withdrawal treatment is a safe, rehabilitative, on-site option for people struggling with substance abuse issues. If you feel you can’t go it alone ridding ketamine use from your life, or you’re afraid and vulnerable to relapsing, consider one of our four treatment centers: two in Colorado and one each in Illinois and New Jersey. In a residential drug rehab program, you live in a treatment setting with round-the-clock care from specialists. Individual, group, and family therapy will help you learn how to stay sober and maintain your recovery.
Outpatient Treatment for Ketamine Abuse
Your family supports your decision to seek addiction treatment, but you’re unsure if an inpatient stay is right for you, or if the severity of your substance use necessitates it.
Outpatient addiction treatment is a middle ground that combines the holistic efficacy of inpatient ketamine withdrawal treatment with the freedom to live your life in between the therapy and treatment personalized to your needs.
Inpatient, outpatient and aftercare are just a few points along the journey to getting clean from ketamine — and stronger, more resilient and wiser to the effects of substance abuse. Admitting you have a problem is the first step. We’re here to help. Contact us today to learn more about drug rehab and treatment programs, verify your health insurance, and take the steps to sobriety.
- What to Know About Ketamine | Johns Hopkins | Bloomberg School of Public Health
- Matthew Perry death: Inside Hollywood’s ketamine obsession
- European Journal of Anaesthesiology | EJA
- Drug Fact Sheet: Ketamine
- Ketamine | National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
- Ketamine – Alcohol and Drug Foundation
- Ketamine Fast Facts
