Ketamine, once primarily used as an anesthetic in veterinary and human medicine, has gained notoriety for its recreational use. Known for its dissociative effects, it’s important to understand the risks associated with its misuse, including the potential for ketamine overdose. Here’s what you need to know.
What is Ketamine?
Ketamine is a dissociative drug meant to make people feel detached from pain and their environment.
It’s primarily used in medical settings for:
- Anesthesia: Especially in emergency situations where it provides analgesia (pain relief) and sedation without significantly affecting respiratory function.
- Pain Management: Particularly in cases where other analgesics might not be suitable or available.
- Psychiatric Treatment: In recent years, low-dose ketamine has been explored for its rapid effects on treatment-resistant depression, PTSD, and other mood disorders.
Ketamine works by blocking NMDA receptors in the brain, leading to a dissociative state where individuals feel detached from their environment or body. It can cause hallucinogenic effects, a feeling of floating, and changes in perception of sight and sound.
Ketamine Street Names
Though it has legitimate uses in surgery and psychiatry, it is also a popular street drug. Due to its recreational use, ketamine has earned various street names over the years, including:
- Special K
- K
- Ket
- Kit Kat
- Super K
- Vitamin K
- Cat Valium
- Cat Tranquilizer
- Jet
- Horse Tranquilizer
These names often reflect their dissociative effects, their use in veterinary medicine, or their similarity to other known substances. Remember, the use of ketamine outside of a medical or therapeutic context can lead to serious health risks and legal consequences.
Can You Overdose on Ketamine?
Though less common or dangerous than other drugs, such as opioids, it is possible to overdose on ketamine.
At low doses, ketamine alters coordination and perception. It induces a dream-like state of detachment from one’s environment and a sense of euphoria. As the dosage increases, a person may begin to feel completely separated from reality or even his own body.
Once a ketamine overdose occurs, here are some symptoms one can expect:
- Severe confusion or disorientation
- Loss of coordination or inability to move
- Hallucinations or dissociation (extreme “out-of-body” experiences)
- High blood pressure
- Rapid heart rate
- Severe agitation or psychosis
- Nausea and vomiting
- Unconsciousness or inability to respond to stimuli
- Respiratory depression (slowed or stopped breathing, which can be life-threatening)
High doses of ketamine can lead to respiratory depression and neurological damage. While death rarely occurs from ketamine overdose alone, it can exacerbate the effects of alcohol or other depressant substances, increasing the risk of a fatality. Ketamine is also sometimes cut with fentanyl, which can easily cause a fatal overdose.
Ketamine should only be used under medical supervision or as prescribed by a healthcare professional. Misuse of ketamine can lead to serious health risks and long-term consequences.
Get confidential help from our addiction treatment specialists in Orange County. Call to join our rehab program today!
Call 866-881-1184Risk Factors for a Ketamine Overdose
While ketamine can be an effective anesthetic and therapeutic tool when used correctly, there are several factors that can increase the risk of overdose.
These are:
- Polysubstance Abuse: This is the use of multiple drugs at once, such as alcohol, benzodiazepines, opioids, or other depressant substances, with ketamine. These substances can amplify the depressant effects of ketamine, leading to respiratory depression, unconsciousness, and even fatal consequences. Many recreational users mix ketamine with other drugs to enhance their high, but this combination can be deadly.
- Pre-existing Medical Conditions: People with certain preexisting medical conditions are more vulnerable to overdose when using ketamine. Individuals with cardiovascular problems, such as hypertension or heart disease, are at higher risk due to ketamine’s potential to increase blood pressure and strain the heart. Those with mental health conditions may also be more susceptible, as ketamine can exacerbate symptoms of anxiety, psychosis, or other mental disorders.
- Age and Weight: Like other substances, ketamine affects different individuals to differing degrees based on their age and weight. Younger people, or those with lower body weight, may be more sensitive to the drug and more likely to experience adverse effects at lower doses. Conversely, individuals who are older or have a slower metabolism might process ketamine more slowly, leading to prolonged effects and potential overdose if not carefully monitored.
By understanding these risk factors, individuals can make more informed decisions regarding ketamine use and take steps to minimize the chances of an overdose.
What to Do During a Ketamine Overdose
If someone experiences a ketamine overdose, they need prompt medical treatment. A single dose of ketamine can last anywhere from fifteen minutes to several hours, so ongoing medical monitoring is necessary.
Intubation may be done to provide respiratory assistance. Unfortunately, at this time, there is no known treatment that can reverse a ketamine overdose. The best thing to do is to get medical help quickly, monitor the person’s breathing, and, if they vomit, turn them on their side so they do not asphyxiate.
Looking for quality substance abuse treatment that’s also affordable? South Coast accepts most major insurance providers. Get a free insurance benefits check now.
Check Your CoverageKetamine Addiction Treatment
If you or a loved one are seeking treatment for ketamine addiction, South Coast Behavioral Health is here to help. The first step in treating addiction is a medical detox. This means using drugs to manage withdrawal symptoms.
Our medical detox program in California is staffed by caring and compassionate professionals who can provide you with medications to manage your withdrawal symptoms.
At South Coast, we take pride in offering care that is closely tailored to specific issues. To that end, we offer gender-specific detox programs, with medical detox for men in Irvine, CA, and medical detox for women in Huntington Beach, CA.
After detoxing, proper treatment can begin.
Treatment for substance abuse takes place along an entire spectrum of care. Along that entire spectrum are various behavioral therapies, support groups, and the use of medically-assisted treatment (MAT).
These levels of treatment are, in order, as follows:
Residential Treatment in California
After successfully completing medical detox, you’ll receive inpatient treatment in Orange County, California. There, you’ll receive medically-assisted treatment and dual diagnosis treatment to deal with any cravings or co-occurring mental health issues you may be battling.
We also offer residential treatment facilities in Costa Mesa, Irvine, and Huntington Beach for those who desire gender-specific treatment. There, patients get round-the-clock medical attention and monitoring while living at the institution full-time.
In addition to individual and group counseling and medication management, you’ll also have access to leisure activities and family support services.
Partial Hospitalization in California
Most clients start substance abuse treatment with South Coast in our residential treatment program. After completing that, many desire something that still provides structure and support but with extra space and time to oneself. For that, we offer Partial Hospitalization in Newport Beach.
A step down from inpatient care but with more structure than conventional outpatient programs, partial hospitalization offers a good balance for those looking to ease back into normal life. Clients can receive care five to seven days a week for a number of hours each day, returning back to their homes in the evening.
This way, they can recover without putting their daily lives completely on hold, receiving intense therapeutic interventions like group and individual therapy, skill development, and medication management as necessary.
Intensive Outpatient Treatment in California
For those leaving inpatient residential treatment or partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient programs (IOP) are yet another gradual step forward on the road to recovery.
With a focus on group therapy, individual counseling, and education, clients undergoing Intensive Outpatient Treatment in Newport Beach can meet three to five days a week. Each session lasts three hours.
This level of care requires the least amount of attendance at drug abuse treatment centers..
Start Today
If you or a loved one are struggling with ketamine addiction or any substance abuse disorders or have other questions, call us at 866-881-1184 or contact us here. Our highly qualified staff will be happy to help give you an idea of what to expect from your addiction recovery timeline, help verify your insurance, and assist with any other questions you may have.
