Erowid Ketamine Vault: Basics

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Ketamine Basics
by Erowid

DESCRIPTION
Ketamine is a dissociative anaesthetic, developed in the mid 1960's, used primarily for veterinary anaesthesiology. Although Ketamine is not used medically on humans much because it induces psychedelic episodes in patients, it is still used for some limited human applications because it does not depress breathing or circulation. Ketamine is used recreationally primarily as a snorted white powder and for therapeutic and psychedelic use it is often injected intra-muscularly (IM). Its effects range (at lower doses) from mild inebriation, dreamy thinking, stumbling, clumsy, or 'robotic' movement, delayed or reduced sensations, vertigo, sometimes erotic feelings, increased sociability, and an interesting sense of seeing the world differently to (at higher doses) extreme difficulty moving, nausea, complete dissociation, entering complete other realities, classic Near Death Experiences (NDEs), compelling visions, black outs, etc. Ketamine is also known for being more psychologically addictive / compelling than most psychedelics and it is not uncommon to hear of users who take it once or more daily.

Dose
Depending on the concentration, form, and method of administration, recreational doses of ketamine range from 30 - 300 mg. The dosage range for insufflated (snorted) ketamine varies widely from about 15-200 mg. With doses higher than about 50 mg it is advisable to be lying down. I.M. (intra-muscular injections) ketamine dosages are generally between 25-125 mg. Oral use usually requires more material, ranging from 75-300 mg.

Price
sold for 25-50$ per gram at parties & events, sold for 15-25 USD per gram for larger purchases, and 10-20 for wholesale or family purchases.

Law
Ketamine is illegal to possess in the United States without a prescription or license. It was made a schedule III substance in August, 1999. Prior to that time sales were regulated by the FDA but possession was legal. Ketamine is controlled in many countries.

Active Ingredients
Ketamine hydrochloride is a synthetic chemical in the 'dissociative anaesthetic' class.

History
Ketamine was first synthesized in 1962 by Calvin Stevens at Parke Davis Labs while searching for PCP anaesthetic replacements. He named it "CI581". In 1965 Ketamine was discovered to be a useful anaesthetic and was first used recreationally by Edward Domino who coined the term "dissociative anaesthetic". Ketamine was used for anaesthesia because it suppresses breathing much less than most other available anaesthetics, but in the 1970's patients began to report unwanted visions while under its influence. In 1978, John Lilly published his book "The Scientist" and Ketamine popularity grew through the 1980s until in 1995 the DEA added Ketamine to its "emerging drugs list". In 1998 & 1999, Ketamine was lumped by media and legislators with GHB as a 'date rape drug' and a 'club drug' and was emergency scheduled by the DEA on August 12, 1999.

Slang
The Substance: Ketamine, K, Special K, Ketaset, Ketalar, Vitamin K, Lady K
The Experience: tripping, k-ing, the k-hole

EFFECTS

Onset
I.M. (intra-muscular injection) Ketamine generally takes 1-5 minutes to take effect. Snorted ketamine takes a little longer at 5-15 minutes. Depending on how much and how recently one has eaten, oral ketamine can take between 5 and 30 minutes to take effect.

Duration
The primary effects of ketamine last approximately an 30-45 minutes if injected, 45-60 minutes when snorted, and 1-2 hours if used orally.

The Experience

PROBLEMS
Negative physical effects can include dry mouth, respiratory problems and nervousness/racing heart. Many people also experience nausea and/or vomiting on ketamine, which can obviously be a problem when taking an anaesthetics or sedatives. Supervision of higher dose ketamine experiences by a sober sitter can help ensure that an unconscious participant doesn't have problems with vomiting and/or breathing.

Two psychological difficulties which seem to come up for those who use ketamine regularly are paranoia and egocentrism. There are many reports of regular users starting to see patterns and coincidences (synchronicities) in the world around them which seem to indicate that they are somehow more important or integral to the world than others. This same sense of the world focusing on the user can also feed into a sense of paranoia.

Addiction Potential
Ketamine has the potential to be both physically and psychologically addicting. Individuals who use it regularly may find it difficult to stop.

Contraindications

Do Not Operate Heavy Machinery. Do Not Drive.
Do Not Swim, Avoid Bodies of Water - At least one death has been recorded where an individual took a bath after using ketamine, and drowned.

Last Modified - Tue, Apr 24, 2007

Created by Erowid

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