Ketamine was first synthesized in 1963 in the hopes of creating an
“ideal anesthetic” with few psychoactive side-effects. It has since been added to the WHO Model List
of Essential Drugs because of its ability to act as an effective anesthetic in
numerous situations while still being safe and cost-effective. Ketamine binds to the N-Methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)
receptor in a way that it is not removed no matter how much of the body’s
natural ligand (glutamate) is present. NMDA
is involved in memory function and when blocked new memories are unable to
form. Basically, ketamine cuts off the
conscious mind from the rest of the body.
This produces the main effects of ketamine: dissociative anesthesia,
amnesia, and pain relief. Ketamine is
used medically to induce anesthesia, either as the sole anesthetic drug or as a
supplement to another drug. It is also
being used as an analgesic post-operatively and has been especially useful in
patients that have chronic pain and are unresponsive to traditional opiod
medications.
Recently ketamine has emerged as a popular club-drug due to its
stimulant and hallucinogenic properties at lower doses. When taken illicitly ketamine is typically in
powder form that can be snorted, smoked or dissolved into liquid and injected. Illicit drugs can be dangerous as dealers add
in other products to the powder in order to increase yield and profit (including
salt, sugar, or crushed glass!). Larger
amounts of ketamine can be taken to reach a dissociative state, typically
called entering a “K-Hole”, and often results in slurred speech, immobilization
and loss of consciousness. While in this
state users have reported intense mind-body dissociation, out-of-body or
near-death experiences, and highly realistic visuals. These experiences can be enjoyable or
frightening depending upon the user and their environment.
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