Hallucinogens 101: Ketamine
by MADELINE FERGUSON
Ketamine Fast Facts
DEA Classification: Schedule 3
Other Names: Special K, K, KitKat
Synthetic
Colorless, odorless liquid or off-white powder
Taken as a nose spray, ingested, powder ingested nasally, IV.
Ketamine is a versatile substance with an interesting past and several therapeutic uses. Ketamine is currently legal if administered by a doctor. It is FDA-approved for an anesthetic for both people and animals; it is commonly used in emergency medicine or surgical settings.
Given the limited FDA approval for ketamine, many insurance companies won’t cover ketamine for mental health problems such as depression, bipolar disorder, or many of its other uses in that field. Still, patients can pay for “off-label” treatments.
Ketamine was used alongside MMDA, LSD, and psilocybin in the 60s for physician-supervised psychedelic therapy. In the 70s, all these drugs were outlawed…except ketamine. It later became one of the anesthetics to treat injured soldiers at war; it was reported to provide pain relief and an “escape from the battlefield.”
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This drug has been successful in so many therapeutic applications throughout the years. From alcoholism to eating disorders, ketamine has helped many people who suffer. Ketamine works by increasing the production of glutamate (a neurotransmitter) and keeping levels of glutamate in the brain high. Glutamate is essential to brain development, learning, and memory.
“Ketamine also increases the production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). This compound helps the brain create new circuits in the course of learning. Some scientists believe BDNF helps the brain repair itself after stress damages circuits. Experiments with mice show that ketamine reverses the damage done to the brain by prolonged exposure to the stress hormone cortisol. Ketamine may protect a tiny part of the brain that deals with motivation and emotion called the habenula,” reads a powerful paragraph from tripsitter. clinic.com.
Many of the studies and uses on and of ketamine are on the treatment of depression. About 70 percent of patients respond after one to three treatments. According to Harvard Health, one of the most exciting things about treating depression with ketamine is that it rapidly reduces suicidality.
Now that we’ve discussed the use of ketamine in therapeutics, it is important to note ketamine is often also used as a party drug due to the euphoric feelings it can provide. It can be challenging even for doctors to get the correct dosage, which can present a problem recreationally. Taking too much or being in an uncontrolled environment can cause dissociation, delusions, and memory loss. According to American Addiction Centers, ketamine can become addictive.
If ketamine treatments or therapies sound appealing to you, one of the most important things to remember is the importance of a controlled, calm and therapeutic environment. Read about what ketamine treatment can look like here.
Read more of our hallucinogens 101 series here.