Health effects
Short-term effects
The desired effect for some users is to experience a ‘K-hole’. Others react badly to ketamine, resulting in a ‘bad trip’.
Immediate effects
The effects of ketamine can be felt after around 20 minutes when taken orally.
Some of the effects when using low to moderate doses of ketamine include:
- euphoria and relaxation
- dissociation or feeling removed from the body
- blurred vision and constricted pupils
- poor coordination
- hallucinations and altered sensory perception, especially visual, auditory, bodily, time and space perception
- disorganised thinking, confusion and poor attention
- anxiety, paranoia and panic
- slurred speech
- increased heart rate and elevated blood pressure
- sweating
- nausea and vomiting
- insensitivity to pain and numbness.
Higher doses of ketamine can cause more intense and unpleasant or dangerous effects including:
- drowsiness
- unpredictable, hostile and bizarre behaviour
- feelings of panic and terror
- paranoia
- emotional depression
- amnesia
- anaesthesia
- muscle rigidity
- Increased salivation
- increased body temperature or fever
- irregular heartbeat
- convulsions
- coma
- ‘near death’ experience
- increased risk of accidents.
Long-term effects
Little is known about the long-term effects of ketamine, although there are some reports of mental impairment including LSD-type flashbacks and a negative effect on short-term memory.
Recent studies in the British Medical Journal reported urinary tract diseases directly associated with ketamine use and irreversible bladder damage in a minority of cases.
Regular and long-term use has been linked to changes in personality and moods, including depression and trouble concentrating. Tolerance and dependence on Ketamine is also possible.
