Ketamine, also called Special K or Cat Valium, is an anesthetic that is pharmaceutically presented as an injectable liquid and is used in veterinary medicine. This animal tranquilizer is also used in people in small doses since, in minor operations, it acts as a sedative.
As occurs with other medications, this substance, unfortunately, is also used as a drug. For recreational purposes, ketamine, often mixed with caffeine, ephedrine or cocaine, takes the form of pills or capsules—and even powder or crystals—and is a highly addictive substance with dangerous side effects and consequences.
Ketamine in Spain
This substance, synthesized in 1962, was introduced in our country in the late 1980s in the rave and techno party scene. Until 2010, however, it was not defined as a narcotic, so its purchase and consumption were not prosecuted by law.
That year, following data that emerged regarding the misuse of the substance and the increase in ketamine trafficking, the Ministry of Health included it in the list of psychotropic substances to strengthen its criminal prosecution, following a request from the Anti-Drug Prosecutor of Asturias, José Perals.
Since then, access has become more difficult and there is more information and forms of prevention regarding its misuse and addiction to the substance. Even so, since 2016, Spain has experienced an uptick in medical consultations and treatment admissions for ketamine abuse.
According to the analysis ‘Alcohol, Tobacco and Illegal Drugs in Spain. Statistics 2021’, the number of admissions to treatment for illegal drugs in Spain has been on the rise since 2016 and totaled, in 2019, 50,035 cases—of which 27,492 were first admissions and 20,689 with previous treatment. The figure had not been so high since 2013, when 51,945 were recorded—28,239 first admissions and 22,577 with previous treatment. The maximum was recorded in 2010 with 53,434, of which 26,805 were first admissions and 24,611 with previous treatment.
What are the effects sought from ketamine and the real risks?
At high doses, ketamine causes intoxication and hallucinations similar to those of LSD. When consumed, an apparent dissociative capacity of body and mind is acquired, causing a sensation like flying.
One of the added problems is that, to enhance it and achieve a more intense psychedelic experience, it is common to mix ketamine with cocaine or MDMA. This achieves hyperexcitation, eliminates any sensation of fatigue or increases sexual activity, among other things.
The effect begins after 10 to 20 minutes with the dissociation effect followed by sensations of unconsciousness, amnesia and absence or analgesia. The intensity of these sensations varies according to the purity of the substance and the dose consumed. Although the effects usually last around two hours, being a psychedelic and designer drug, it is always very difficult to predict its potency.
Dangers of Ketamine Use
In addition to being able to produce psychiatric illnesses and high dependence, chronic ketamine use can cause kidney diseases and bladder and prostate problems. This substance can produce inflammation and contraction of the bladder, generating potentially irreversible kidney damage and complications such as frequency, urgency and difficulty urinating. Ketamine can also generate interstitial cystitis, overactive bladder or a reduction in bladder elasticity and even kidney lesions.
Among other health problems, habitual ketamine use can also cause, as consequences or side effects:
- Bradycardia, agitation and tachycardia
- Illusions, hallucinations and delusions
- Psychosis, anguish and panic
- Anxiety and paranoia
- Hypertension, arrhythmias and apnea
- Respiratory and cardiac arrest
- Alteration of memory, attention and space-time
In some users, even minimal consumption can cause overdose, and this can result in polyneuropathy, seizures, increased intracranial and intraocular pressure, cardiorespiratory failure, trismus and muscular hypertonia.
Not to mention that mixing substances increases the indirect risk of suffering STD infections, traffic accidents, sexual assaults or balconing cases when under uncontrolled overexcitation.
Indeed, addiction and habitual use increase the chances of heart attack and can promote a body temperature above 40 degrees, potentially causing death in both cases.
To avoid and combat addiction, professional help is necessary
The side effects of ketamine use and its consequences pose a high risk to health. Therefore, it is necessary to stop its use before developing an addiction or, if dependence has already been generated, to treat it as soon as it is recognizable.
How to identify someone who uses ketamine?
Its habitual use is not as simple to identify as, for example, marijuana, which is more subtle but revealing since the effects allow daily activities to be performed.
Although the most evident signs of ketamine use are during the mentioned two-hour period after consumption—in which hallucinations and dissociation are clear indicators—respiratory or concentration difficulties, and especially disorientation or lack of memory during the rest of the day, can signal habitual use. Experiencing falls and blows, difficulties communicating normally and habitual urinary problems are also common symptoms of ketamine use.
When in doubt and concerned, informing yourself and promoting constructive communication with the affected person is always a good way to approach the solution.
Seeking help is necessary and overcoming addiction is possible
Once the problem has been identified, it is key to seek professional support to avoid adverse situations, especially when there is an addiction and withdrawal syndrome can be problematic.
Stopping ketamine use will have benefits on a physical, psychological and family level, and doing so with the help of experts such as those who make up the therapeutic team at CC Adicciones is key to completing the recovery process. We are currently the number one center nationwide with an 86% recovery rate.
If you need more information, do not hesitate to contact us. We know that taking this step can be difficult and that is why you can contact us through the channel that is most comfortable for you: by calling 977 809 523 or our 24-hour phone 617 200 882 and even, if you prefer, you can send us an email at the following address: contactosweb@ccadicciones.es or contact us through any of our social networks.
Remember that there is always a way out.
