Ketamine can change the way you see or hear things. You may feel disconnected from your body or surroundings.
Ketamine comes as:
- an off-white powder that people snort, put in drinks or swallow in paper (bombs)
- pills
- a liquid - this is usually for medical use only as an anaesthetic for humans and animals
Drug category: dissociative
Dissociatives can make you feel disconnected from your body or surroundings. They can also change the way you see or hear things.
Other names for ketamine
Other names include: ket, K, special K, keta, horse tranquilliser, vitamin K
Effects of ketamine
The effects of ketamine can vary depending on:
- your size, weight and sex
- if you have any health conditions or mental health difficulties
- how you take the drug
- the strength of the drug
- how much you take
- if you take alcohol, medicines or other drugs at the same time
- where you take the drug and how you feel before you take it
- if you have taken the drug before and how often
If you snort ketamine, the effects can start quickly.
If you swallow ketamine, the effects can take longer to happen. Sometimes it can take up to 90 minutes.
How you may feel or behave
You may feel:
- calm, relaxed or happy
- alert or energetic
- anxious
- detached
- disconnected from your body and surroundings (k-hole)
Effects on your brain and body
Ketamine can cause:
- nausea (feeling sick) and vomiting (getting sick)
- problems with balance and coordination
- drowsiness
- hallucinations - you may see, feel or hear things that are not there
- increased heart rate and blood pressure
- tummy pain (k cramps)
- numbness or lower sensitivity to pain - this can lead to accidents or injuries
Ketamine bladder
Regular use of ketamine can cause problems with your bladder and urinary system. This may be called ketamine bladder or ketamine-induced cystitis.
Regular ketamine use damages the lining of the bladder and can cause symptoms such as:
- needing to pee more often
- pain when you pee
- blood in your pee
- unintentional peeing (urinary incontinence)
- problems peeing - you feel the need to pee but cannot
- tummy pain (k cramps)
If you see a GP about these symptoms, it's best to tell them about any ketamine use. It will help them to recommend the right treatment.
Over time, ketamine use can cause permanent damage to your bladder or urinary system. It is important to get help if you use ketamine and often have bladder problems.
If you're worried about talking to your GP
Your GP is there to help you. They talk about things such as drug use and problems peeing all the time.
But if you feel uncomfortable talking about ketamine use or symptoms, you could:
- write down what you need to say before your appointment - you can give your notes to your GP if you need to
- tell your GP how you feel - this can help you feel less nervous
- use everyday words - you do not need to know medical terms
- contact a local drug service - they can help you to prepare for appointments
- ask for a video call if you are more comfortable at home
Ketamine and mental health
Ketamine can cause mental health difficulties or make existing difficulties worse.
Negative effects include:
- frightening or challenging hallucinations
- intense anxiety and confusion
- fear and paranoia
This can happen if you are going through a tough time or feel low. But the risk of severe effects is higher if you or someone in your family has mental health difficulties.
It may help to talk to someone if you have a bad experience with ketamine.
Regular use of ketamine can lead to:
- low mood or depression
- panic attacks
- thoughts of suicide
In rare cases, ketamine can cause hallucinations or other drug-like experiences in the days or weeks after you take it.
Medical research on ketamine
There are studies on the use of ketamine for specific conditions. For example, severe depression that does not respond to other treatments.
The studies involve taking a specific dose in a supervised and medical setting. Ketamine is usually only part of the treatment. For example, it is used in combination with talk therapy. This may be called ketamine-assisted therapy or psychedelic-assisted therapy. This is not available in Ireland.
It is not safe to take ketamine that you buy in the illegal or online drug market as a therapy. You can never be sure of the contents, strength or how you will react.
If you are worried about your mental health, there are treatments that are safe and effective.
Comedowns
A comedown is how you feel as the drug leaves your system.
Comedowns from ketamine may last up to a week and cause:
- problems with thinking and memory
- irritability and restlessness
- problems with coordination
- aches and pains
- anxiety
Ketamine and dependency
Regular use of ketamine can cause:
- tolerance - when you need to take more of the drug to get the same effects
- dependency
Signs of dependency can include:
- cravings for a drug
- withdrawal symptoms
- continuing to use a drug even when it causes you harm
Withdrawal symptoms
If you stop taking ketamine after regular use, you may get withdrawal symptoms.
These can include:
- tiredness or problems sleeping
- anxiety
- low mood or depression
- thoughts of self-harm
How long does ketamine stay in your system?
It can be hard to know how long ketamine stays in your system.
There are tests to detect ketamine. But different types of tests have different detection times.
Things that affect how long a drug stays in your system
The time it takes for a drug to leave your system depends on many things.
For example:
- how much you took
- how often you take the drug
- how strong the drug was
- your age, sex and metabolism
- your general health