• UGI USER
  • Dec 19, 2023
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KETAMINE

Why in the News?

  • Matthew Perry found unresponsive in a hot tub at his Los Angeles home on October 28 at the age of 54.
  • Released over a month later, the report Autopsy attributes Perry’s death to the “acute effects” of ketamine.
  • Additional contributors: drowning, coronary artery disease, and the impact of opioid buprenorphine.

Understanding Ketamine 

  • Ketamine Overview:
  • Classified as a hallucinogen by the US Drug Enforcement Administration.
  • Known as a “dissociative anaesthetic hallucinogen” for its pain detachment properties.
  • Historical Context:
  • Originating as an animal anaesthetic in the 1960s, later FDA-approved for human use.
  • Recent rise in use for treating depression and mental health issues.

Consumption Methods and Effects

  • Medical Usage: Administered to mental health patients via IV, nasal spray, or tablets for a defined treatment period.
  • Recreational Consumption: Popularly known as K or Special K when used recreationally.
  • Administration methods: snorting, injecting, or smoking. 
  • Perceived Effects:
  • Described as a mental reset by some patients, offering pleasant visualizations.
  • Impacts brain receptors differently than traditional antidepressants.
Source: Clean Recovery Centre

Safety Concerns:

  • Controversial safety profile.
  • Doctors highlight safety when taken for medicinal purposes and in appropriate doses.
  • Patient anecdotes in The New York Times report suggest potential for addiction and chronic high-dose risks, including severe bladder damage.
  • Research Gap: There has been Limited research on prolonged ketamine treatment and its safety implications.