Ketamine
is a dissociative anesthetic developed in 1963 to replace PCP and currently used
in human anesthesia and veterinary medicine. Much of the ketamine sold on the
street has been diverted from veterinarians' offices. Ketamine's chemical
structure and mechanism of action are similar to those of PCP.
Although it is manufactured as an injectable liquid, in illicit use ketamine is
generally evaporated to form a powder. It is either snorted or swallowed.
Ketamine
is odorless and tasteless, so it can be added to beverages without being
detected, and it induces amnesia. Because of these properties, the drug is
sometimes given to unsuspecting victims and used in the commission of sexual
assaults referred to as "drug rape."
Ketamine can cause dream-like states and hallucinations. Users report sensations
ranging from a pleasant feeling of floating to being separated from their
bodies. Some ketamine experiences involve a terrifying feeling of almost
complete sensory detachment that is likened to a near-death experience. These
experiences, similar to a "bad trip" on LSD, are called the
"K-hole." Low-dose intoxication from ketamine results in impaired
attention, learning ability, and memory. In high doses, ketamine can cause
delirium, amnesia, impaired motor function, high blood pressure, depression, and
potentially fatal respiratory problems.
Also
known as: K, Cat Valium, Vitamin K, Special-K
Ketamine
is a dissociative anesthetic developed in 1963 to replace PCP and currently used
in human anesthesia and veterinary medicine. Much of the ketamine sold on the
street has been diverted from veterinarians' offices. Ketamine's chemical
structure and mechanism of action are similar to those of PCP.
Ketamine
is odorless and tasteless, so it can be added to beverages without being
detected, and it induces amnesia. Because of these properties, the drug is
sometimes given to unsuspecting victims and used in the commission of sexual
assaults referred to as "drug rape."